Casali Romei - Apartments

“Spacious, clean and tranquil”

It was rather hard to find such a small sign marking the entrance to Casali Romei but we soon became accustomed to finding 2 huge rust coloured columns along the main road which marked the entrance. The town location is nothing special, you simply drive through, in and out of it but the overall loc… more

It was rather hard to find such a small sign marking the entrance to Casali Romei but we soon became accustomed to finding 2 huge rust coloured columns along the main road which marked the entrance. The town location is nothing special, you simply drive through, in and out of it but the overall location of this agriturismo is perfect. Its 5 mins from the superstrada so Pisa in about 40 mins and the Cinque Terre are incredible accessible too. Huge supermarket 5 minutes drive away. A perfect base and furthermore, manager Daniella is on hand to give you directions, recommendations, provide maps and local knowledge. This is a real help and she saved us from making wasted trips and added a different perspective to our plans. She recommended going to a wine festival in the mountains which was a highlight of our trip. The agriturismo itself appears fairly new, so no climbing ivy up the walls or rustic architecture. However, the interiors are lovely and fresh, the kitchen new, great AC, adequately equipped kitchen, capuccino machine (!), very comfy beds and large bathroom with lovely new fluffy white towels. In other words, its everything you really want for the week in great condition. Outside, its incredibly peaceful and tranquil with a delightful pool and nice sun loungers. The location of our apartments meant we were just 10 steps from the pool so it was all incredible easy and close. The location also made the little mountain villages in Tuscany very accessible too which were gorgeous to explore. About 15 mins drive was lovely Lerici which is where we spent most of our evenings and some days on different beaches. It was easy to park in the huge car park just outside of town and use the little shuttle bus (free and regular) to the harbour just where you take the Cinque Terre boat up and down the coast (only during Summer). You do need Euros9 in change to park there for the entire day but there is NOWHERE to park IN Lerici so be warned. Beaches are lovely sandy bays and clear sea, a mixture of pay and free areas. If going in Summer, DO take the boat to Portovenere and spend the afternoon there, walking up to the church and alleyways to shop. Then take the boat on to all the Cinque Terre - unimagineable beauty. Boat is quite expensive USD25 return but worth it. Whilst there (Aug), we were fortunate to have caught a Puccini opera down on the Tuscan coast (30 mins drive) at Torre de Lago. One of the most romantic things you could ever do - open air La Boheme on the lake in front of Puccini's house, just beautiful.

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“Perfect place to stay if you have a rental car”

When we arrived, Daniella (who has great English) came out to meet us and showed us to our apartment. Apparently we got a free upgrade and we were extremely happy. The apartments are just off a main busy road but down a long gravel driveway and you honestly feel like you're in the middle of the cou… more

When we arrived, Daniella (who has great English) came out to meet us and showed us to our apartment. Apparently we got a free upgrade and we were extremely happy. The apartments are just off a main busy road but down a long gravel driveway and you honestly feel like you're in the middle of the country- it's so quiet. Inside the apartments are beautiful. Great little kitchen with oven & coffee machine, good heating with great big bed, very good security too. Lots of supermarkets just down the road. Daniella was very helpful and answered our every (many) question. The train station was also about a 10 minute drive away with free parking there. It was a great central location to visit the Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence and more. Sarzana has a surprising amount to offer too. The only negative thing we can say about these apartments is the soundproofing is terrible! We got woken up the first night by the guests above us walking around, talking & going to the toilet. Yes, their bathroom experience was very loud & clear. But they left the next day and the rest of our stay was lovely. So I would email Daniella and ask to be put on the top floor or just see if there are other guests. Other than that, we were extremely happy and loved our stay in Sarzana.

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