What to look out for when renting a holiday home in Tuscany for a large group?

Planning a family holiday in Tuscany with a large group is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and at the same time one of the most underestimated challenges. What looks like a dream holiday on paper can fall apart in practice because of a kitchen that’s too small for ten people, a swimming pool that only works for four people at a time, or a location that looks beautiful on Google Maps but is actually 45 minutes from everything. Or too close to everything, which is exactly what nobody wants.

Whether it’s two families holidaying together or a group of twelve friends: the criteria for a good holiday home in Tuscany for a large group differ greatly from what you consider with a regular booking. This article helps you ask the right questions before you book.

How many bedrooms and bathrooms are really enough?

The answer is almost always: more than you think. With large groups, it’s not just the number of beds that counts, but also the layout of the bedrooms. A house with eight sleeping spots sounds spacious, but if three of them are in one large room, you quickly lose the privacy that adults and teenagers need after a long day on holiday together.

As a rule of thumb, count at least one bathroom per three adults. With families with teenagers, that’s even on the tight side. Two bathrooms for eight people inevitably means a queue at the mirror in the morning. Also look at the distribution: one bathroom on the ground floor and one on the first floor works much better in practice than two bathrooms on the same floor.

Location and accessibility: beyond Google Maps

The location of a holiday home in Tuscany is more than a point on the map. The Tuscan hills are beautiful, but the roads leading to them are narrow, winding and sometimes unpaved. Always ask about the state of the driveway and whether a regular passenger car can reach the accommodation, or whether a four-wheel drive or shuttle is needed.

Also think about what “remote” means for your group. Some families want to be within walking distance of a village with an ice cream parlour and a supermarket. Others are looking for complete peace and quiet, far from tourist crowds. Both are fine, but it’s a choice you need to make consciously. A borgo deep in the hills of the Casentino gives a very different holiday feel than a villa ten minutes from Siena.

Outdoor space and swimming pool: the invisible dealbreakers

With a group accommodation in Tuscany, the outdoor space is at least as important as the square metres inside. A swimming pool of eight by four metres is ideal for two people; for a group of ten it’s a bathtub. Always check the dimensions of the pool and whether there are enough sun loungers and shaded spots for everyone.

In addition, the layout of the garden or terrace makes a big difference. Is there a covered spot to eat when it’s too hot in full sun? Is there play space for children? Can children move around safely without constant supervision being needed? These are details that are rarely highlighted in listings, but that strongly determine the day-to-day holiday experience.

Kitchen and dining table: the beating heart of a group holiday

On a group trip, the kitchen takes centre stage in a way you never quite feel on a holiday for two. Cooking together is for many families and groups of friends one of the most enjoyable parts of the holiday, but that only works if the kitchen can handle it.

Pay attention to the following points:

Does the kitchen have an oven and a hob with enough burners for large pots?
Is there a fridge large enough for a week’s shopping for the whole group?
Are there enough plates, glasses and cutlery, and has that actually been verified?
Is there a dining table where everyone can sit at the same time, or do people have to eat in shifts?

A long dining table outside, in the shade of a pergola or olive tree, is in Tuscany not a luxury but a necessity. The shared meal is the moment when a group truly comes together, and that deserves a good setting.

Common mistakes when comparing offers

Comparing group accommodations is harder than it looks. Here are the most common pitfalls:

Only looking at the price per night without calculating what the price per person per night is. A more expensive house can work out cheaper per head than a cheaper villa that is just too small.
Trusting poor or scarce photos — professional property photos make small spaces look large. Always look for videos or ask for additional imagery of the kitchen and bathrooms.
Ignoring service fees and cleaning costs — with large accommodations these can add up to hundreds of euros per booking. Always factor them into the comparison.
Not asking about the cancellation policy — especially with large groups, where the chance of an unexpected change in composition is greater.
Underestimating accessibility for children — a house described as “child-friendly” is not automatically safe for toddlers near a pool without a fence or with steep stairs.

What makes a borgo different from a standalone villa

A standalone villa gives a group complete privacy and independence. That is ideal for some, but it also means that everything falls on the group itself. Shopping, entertainment, activities: everything has to be arranged by yourselves.

A borgo — a historic hamlet or small village — offers a different dynamic. Multiple houses or apartments are within walking distance of each other, meaning large groups can spend time together without literally being on top of one another. There is shared infrastructure: a swimming pool, a communal outdoor space, sometimes a restaurant or bar. Children can make friends with other children on the grounds, while parents relax by the pool without having to check every five minutes where everyone is.

For families travelling together who also need their own space and rhythm, a borgo often offers the best balance. It feels like your own place, but with the social energy of a shared environment.

How Novanta helps you choose the right group accommodation in Tuscany

Novanta, tucked away in the Gello valley in the Casentino hills, is precisely the type of place that answers the questions in this article before you even need to ask them. The borgo has 16 houses with a total of 18 rooms and 2 cottages, spread across a car-free village of around 300 hectares of nature, bordering the Casentino National Park.

What Novanta concretely offers for large groups and families:

Self-contained holiday homes in Tuscany with 2 or 3 bedrooms, a private kitchen and private space, ideal for families who want to combine independence with a shared atmosphere
A 20-metre-long swimming pool with room for the whole group
Communal outdoor spaces and a car-free village where children can move around safely
Activities such as truffle hunting, pasta making, wine tastings and e-mountain biking, organised together with the local community
Alternative for smaller families: hotel rooms and suites for those who don’t need a self-contained house

Novanta is not a classic luxury resort — it is a place for families and groups looking for authenticity, nature and a light dose of adventure. Would you like to know which combination of houses best suits your group? Contact Novanta for personal advice on the possibilities for your family holiday in Tuscany.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hoe ver van tevoren moet ik een groepsaccommodatie in Toscane boeken?

Voor grote groepen geldt: hoe eerder, hoe beter. Populaire borgo’s en villa’s voor 8 of meer personen zijn in het hoogseizoen (juni–augustus) soms al een jaar van tevoren volgeboekt. Boek bij voorkeur 9 tot 12 maanden vooruit als je in de zomer wilt reizen, en 6 maanden vooruit voor het voor- of naseizoen. Vroeg boeken geeft je bovendien meer onderhandelingsruimte over extra diensten of specifieke huiscombinaties.

Hoe verdelen we de kosten eerlijk binnen een grote groep?

De eerlijkste aanpak is om de totaalprijs (inclusief servicekosten, schoonmaak en eventuele borgsom) te delen door het aantal volwassenen, en kinderen voor een half of kwart tarief mee te rekenen afhankelijk van de leeftijd. Gebruik een app zoals Splitwise om uitgaven tijdens de vakantie bij te houden, zodat niemand achteraf met onduidelijke rekeningen zit. Spreek ook vooraf af of activiteiten, boodschappen en restaurantbezoeken gezamenlijk of individueel worden betaald.

Wat is het verschil tussen het voor- en naseizoen in Toscane, en is het de moeite waard?

Mei, juni en september zijn voor de meeste gezinnen eigenlijk idealer dan juli en augustus: het is minder heet, minder druk, en accommodaties zijn goedkoper. In mei en juni staat de Toscaanse natuur op zijn mooist met bloeiende velden en groene heuvels. September is ideaal voor wijnliefhebbers vanwege de druivenoogst. Alleen als schoolvakanties je dwingen tot juli of augustus, is het de moeite waard om extra vroeg te boeken en een zwembad als absolute prioriteit te stellen.

Welke activiteiten zijn geschikt voor gemengde groepen met zowel kinderen als volwassenen?

De beste activiteiten voor gemengde groepen zijn die waarbij iedereen op zijn eigen niveau kan meedoen, zoals een pastales, een truffeljacht of een fietstocht op e-bikes. Vermijd activiteiten waarbij leeftijdsgrenzen of fysieke vereisten een deel van de groep buitensluiten. In en rond Toscane zijn ook veel middeleeuwse steden en markten te bezoeken die voor alle leeftijden interessant zijn, mits je de warmste uren van de dag vermijdt.

Hoe controleer ik of een accommodatie echt kindvriendelijk is en niet alleen zo wordt genoemd?

Vraag de verhuurder of het platform specifiek naar: een omheind zwembad, de aanwezigheid van steile trappen of open terrassen zonder leuning, de staat van de vloeren (glad marmer kan gevaarlijk zijn voor kleine kinderen), en of er een kinderbedje of kinderstoel beschikbaar is. Lees ook recensies van andere gezinnen met jonge kinderen, want die benoemen praktische details die in de officiële omschrijving ontbreken. Een autovrij terrein is voor gezinnen met peuters een enorme meerwaarde.

Moet ik een reisverzekering afsluiten voor een groepsvakantie, en wat moet die dekken?

Ja, zeker bij grote groepen is een annuleringsverzekering sterk aan te raden. Hoe meer mensen er meereizen, hoe groter de kans dat iemand vlak voor vertrek ziek wordt of afhaakt. Zorg dat de verzekering annulering door ziekte, familieomstandigheden én een gedeeltelijke groepsannulering dekt. Controleer ook of de accommodatieverhuurder een eigen annuleringsbeleid hanteert, en stem de verzekering daarop af.