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sleeps 4 in 2 large bedrooms, 1 double and 1 twin |
 | On one of the olive terraces there is a wonderful fenced and solar heated swimming pool shared only by the 3 apartments onsite. |
 | There is a range of children's books, baby toys and general toys available. |
 | Outside little ones will love the large wooden train, climbing frames, swing sets, trikes, ride ons and for slightly older children the football nets. |
 | 90% of cleaning products used are eco friendly, solar power is used for pool heating, all light bulbs are low energy. All rubbish is and must be recycled in the local rubbish bins. |
 | Free WiFi is available. |
 | Lake Trasimeno with beach like shore is 30 minutes drive away, with on beach café and bar. |
 | There are local restaurants within a 5 minute drive. |
 | There is plenty of baby equipment available incl. Cots (1 wooden, 3 travel), booster seats, bed guards, potties, sterliser, baby monitor, plastic cutlery, plates and cups, baby bibs, plastic steps, baby rocker, pushchair, changing mat. |
 | Multiple cots etc available. |
 | Baby sitting available 10 euro per hour payable locally. |
 | The owners are happy to do a pre arrival shop for guests, so whether it is nappies, cotton wool, wipes, soaps, baby milk etc ask and they can attempt to provide. There is an option for meals either on arrival or during you stay, with menus for both adults and children, plus there is a sociable pizza making evening in which parents get a chance to meet the other guests whilst the little ones make traditional pizzas to be baked in a outdoor wood burning oven. |
 | The cottage has two private patio dining areas, one in the logia outside the kitchen with breathtaking panoramic views of the valley making for a pleasurable dining experience. The other area has a Pergola, barbeque, table, chairs and loungers. |
Arrivals and Departures:
Check-in time: 16:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Payment:
Reservation Deposit: 40%
Balance: 70 days prior to arrival
Capacity:
Sleeps: 4 + cot sleeping infants
You can have the best of both worlds at Alsagra. Mums and dads can take a deep breath of warm, olive grove-scented air and relax with a glass of local wine as the sun sets with a golden glow over the stunning hill villages of Tuscany. Meanwhile, even young kids can do their own thing, distracted by two fully-equipped play areas and oodles of toys, while being kept safe by child-proof door gates in each apartment and fences around the stunning solar-heated pool.
Owners Stephen and Helen live close by with their own two small people, so they know exactly what parents with children in tow need to kick back and enjoy a holiday. It shows in the way in which they have lovingly restored their fabulous traditional Umbrian stone farmhouse, set in two acres of terraced olive groves, gardens and Chestnut and Oak woodlands, with family needs firmly in mind.
The house itself sits on hill on the border between Tuscany and Umbria, overlooking the pretty village of San Giovanni Del Pantano and with incredible views towards Assisi, Magione and Perugia. It is divided into three independent self-catering apartments, each with high-beamed wooden ceilings, terracotta tiled flooring and windows staring dreamily out over the valley below.
Each apartment has a living area with a comfortable sofa and lounging chairs, a CD/radio system, free WiFi, and central heating for out-of-season visitors. Kitchens have all mod-cons; fridge freezer, microwave, kettle, toaster, hob and oven with grill but a warm traditional colour palette and hand-made wooden surfaces give the whole place a wonderful warm Italian rustic feel. No need to worry about privacy either. Once you've had enough socialising with your chilled-out fellow trippers around the pool, you can retire to your secluded private patio, complete with BBQ, chairs and loungers.
L'Alba - Guests enter the apartment via an authentic Umbrian style, external stone staircase onto one of their two private patio areas, the first is just outside the kitchen and has a well positioned dining area- ideal for breakfast, with a view of the valley, so perfect it seems more like photograph. Inside there is an open plan living area with fully equipped kitchen with handmade wooden work tops, a cosy living room and a dining area which is often neglected in the summer months but is a nice spot of entertaining during winter and is kept warm by the apartment's central heating. The bedrooms and bathroom are accessed through the living area, there is one spacious double with a romantic cast iron bed and views across the rolling hills, plus a twin bedroom ideal for little ones with a pretty set of single beds ( can be made into double also). There is one family bathroom with shower. The second patio area is a lovely suntrap with Pergola, BBQ, sun loungers and dining furniture.
Holidays, as all parents know, can be a logistical nightmare as they struggle to pack everything the younger members of the family are likely to need for a week or two away. Alsagra owners Stephen and Helen have gone a long way to removing most of the worry surrounding pre-trip preparation. Apartments come with safety gates, high chairs, baby monitors, children's steps, bottle sterilisers, even prams and buggies. There are toys, books and DVDs for all ages, and play areas stuffed with swings, slides, climbing frames and balls. Baby packs are available on request and a baby-sitting service is on tap too. Helen or a trusted and experienced childminder from the village will keep an eye on your sleeping little ones for around 10 Euros per hour. A high point for bigger boys and girls (and often their parents) is the weekly pizza evening when everyone gathers to custom-make the pizza of their choice from fresh local ingredients before cooking it in an outdoor wood-fired oven. It's a great chance to meet your fellow guests over a glass of wine.
Reviews
Show Location Map
Umbria and Tuscany, with their rolling hills, dotted with olive groves, woods and stunning medieval towns and villages, are steeped in ancient history and incredible natural beauty and, at Alsagra, it's all on your doorstep. Perugia, the region's capital, is 20 minutes away by car, a place of architectural wonders that is also home to festivals such as Umbria Jazz in July when every bar and restaurant alive with music and jamming sessions that attract artists like Keith Jarrett, Santana and Elton John. Other towns with evocative names and pasts such as Assisi, Montone, Gubbio, and Cortona are an easy drive, and each has its own special draw at different times of the year.
In May, Assisi stages the Calendimaggio when thousands line the streets to catch a glimpse of parades in colourful medieval dress. In early July, you can join the crowds gathered in the town square in Montone, watching movies on an outdoor square as part of the Umbrian Film Festival. If you fancy searching farther afield for the glories of the ancient world, Florence, Pisa and Rome make perfect day trips reached either by train or car.
Beauty of a non-manmade variety is all around you. You can loll by the pristine shores of Lake Trasimeno (30 minutes drive away), hike in the rugged hills of Monte Tezio national park, or simply take a gentle stroll through wooded lanes to a nearby Etruscan tomb.
Children will love splashing and sliding around in the popular water park, just 20 minutes away by car.
Getting There: The apartments
at Alsagra are just 20minutes from the airport at Perugia, around
75mins from Ancona Airport, 90mins from Florence airport and within
about 2.5hrs of Pisa, Bologna and Rome airports.
Past Guest Ratings: * (5 guests)
*Rating collated since Feb '10.
All verified as genuine BFB guests who experienced the accommodation with young children.
Awards:
Property is very remote. 30 mins drive to the beach and 15-20 mins drive to the ...
Property is very remote. 30 mins drive to the beach and 15-20 mins drive to the nearest restaurant. 4 whhel drive recommended as the mile long track up to the house is very bumpy. Pool is cold in May and is deep so not suitable for young children. Lots of activities including the water park no open until mid June. Pizza evening is 45 euros per family.
Overall Experience Rating: 40%
The main house is amazing. We went with 2 couples and 3 small children and coul...
The main house is amazing. We went with 2 couples and 3 small children and could have had another couple with children with plenty of room. This was an amzing house. I would call it an estate. it even had it's own personal underground pool.
Overall Experience Rating: 100%
A lovely place in the middle of the Umbrian countryside. The owner made us feel ...
A lovely place in the middle of the Umbrian countryside. The owner made us feel very at home, even made a birthday cake for our son. A nice place to relax, very child-friendly with swings, slides, pool, goats to see. In the midst of olive trees and beautiful scenery, you do need a car to get around.
Overall Experience Rating: 80%
Owner Profile
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"Positive aspects - Play areas were superb, allowed us to entertain Alfie with the minimum of effort - Pool was fantastic (many of our friends have seen our photos and are very jealous of the pool's setting) - Babysitting was great and so easy - Home-cooked meals were fantastic and a really nice touch as we could forget about the cooking for a couple of nights. - Pizza-making evenings were great fun; really entertaining, good food, and got us out of cooking again. - Apartment was lovely - nice big bedrooms, good bathroom, and all clean and tidy. - Toys and books great help - Guide book: really thorough and informative. - Poppy and Michele were fantastic with Alfie - Relaxed atmosphere. Improvements Alice and I have had a long think about this, couldn't come up with anything. We couldn't think of anything on this front - from our perspective you had everything covered. Alfie was in heaven!"
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