A wonderful time in a wonderful location
7 September 2023 at 05:51:04
Booked through Canvas/Vacance Select for 9 days
Monumental drive from the UK over 4 days - great experience - and arrived at the campsite late in the evening to 35˚C+ temperatures. The weather all week was pretty amazing - maybe too amazing at times - but nonetheless, first impressions of Tuscany as... a sun destination were positive.
Site is well signposted from the town and easy to find (there are two roads leading to the site).
Canvas rep wasn't available (they had gone off shift and were to have the following day off) but the Hu staff were very welcoming and sorted us out.
2-bed cabin (no300 I believe) was conveniently placed near facilities and the pool. We had a private residential spot next door that was a bit weird, never seen that before on a site. Plenty of shade though.
Cabin had seen better days TBH; wobbled every time someone moved in bed, had a tired interior and was deffo due for an upgrade TBH (think it was a 'Cosy' spec cabin). The door wouldn't lock properly unless you lifted it off the hinges for the lock to engage. Not great, especially for our kids.
The site though.... massive! Good selection of eateries, the bar was big, and the two shops were handy. Pools were all really good, nice and clean and overall, the facilities felt really well looked after and clean. No complaints there.
We visited on a VERY busy week where everyone wanted to stay by the pool because of the heat; after 10am it's a struggle to find loungers. There's little respite from the sun because it's quite an open space although about 4pm the area right below the bar does start to go into shade. We spent all our time at the lower set of pools because they were nearest.
The site feels safe; security on the gates at all times, security people wandering around.
The one-way system within the park confused a few drivers but in general, it's easy to navigate.
The train around the site is useful of you can't be bothered to walk up the hills between the two main leisure areas. It's 10 minutes walk between the two bar/shop areas.
The pools were all brilliant; the kids loved them and there's a load of selection to keep all ages occupied.
The lower bar was nice enough, although €5-6 for a pint of very mediocre beer in a standard pint glass did feel a little poor value; €7-8 for most cocktails (Plenty of people were taking their own drinks up to the pizza area and sitting on the steps/chairs). Staff were all nice.
Pizza bar was good; €8-12 for a decent sized pizza. The other snack bars were a bit pricey and not as good, although my son loved he freshly prepared sushi.
Shop felt a tad expensive but it did have most things you needed. I was annoyed by the €0.50c surcharge for drinks like beer that had been put in the fridge, felt very cynical and opportunistic. Recall it being closed between 1-4pm like many businesses in Italy. Bread sells out quickly in the morning.
Only ate at one of the on-site restaurants once (il Vechio) - food was traditional Tuscan; tasty, service was fast, okay value.
Numerous washing machines around the site mean you can take fewer clothes and just do a wash if and when needed; exact change (€5) for each machine, very handy if you're there for a longer stay.
Loads of organised events/trips each week; we took the shuttle to Florence for €17ea, much easier than driving or heading down to the train station in Figurine Valdarno. Journey was 40 minutes - leave 8:45am and return for about 5:30pm. Lots of other trips to places like Rome, Siena and local markets. There's also a vineyard/farm about 2km away that the campsite uses for tasting trips (I think they're connected somehow).
Local area is amazing - loads of little villages, roads are all winding and hilly but relatively quiet, great for anyone interested in cycling (although it's 100ft per mile pretty much everywhere you go).
A large Co-op is in Figline, plus a Lidl and numerous other shops. Co-op is the most comprehensive although we found the prices to be higher than we'd imagined on some stuff. Maybe Tuscany is trading on its popularity?
Would I return? Maybe - the site is possibly a bit more active and busy than we'd normally go for, but as a base explore the area it's absolutely perfect.
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