İt was great

My wife and I had an absolutely fabulous experience staying with Maria Elena. The apartment was probably the most comfortable one of our 3 week trip through the region -- a very nice bed and excellent shower. But what really makes this apartment stand apart is it's location -- a quiet town away from the crowds with excellent mountain views -- and Maria Elena, who was very warm and welcoming. We spent our time in benabbio simply relaxing on the terrace and took advantage of getting a private cooking lesson from Maria Elena! An absolutely wonderful experience -- we highly recommend!

What a place - a very cozy home, with atention to the details and all the amenities, with a magnificent view from the terrace over the hills, with a very hospitable and generous host! The village is so quiet and charming, away from the tourist fuss, but close to Luca, Barga, Pisa, 1,5 hours from Cinque Terre. The both restaurants (trattoria and pizzeria) in the village are with excellent typical italian food and service. Maria Elena was very helpful and friendly to us. Highly recommended place!

Lovely spot - really enjoyed our time in Benabbio. We managed to visit using public transport - Maria Elena arranged a taxi to pick us up/drop us off at the train station. Great restaurant and small grocery store nearby. The house was thoughtfully stocked, Maria Elena was a friendly host, and we enjoyed the sun on the patio. Definitley recommend.

We absolutely loved our time at Olive Terrace and wish we could have stayed longer. Maria Elena was really helpful and we were made very welcome. It felt like a home from home and our toddler son thought it was the best place in the world. The views from the terrace were fantastic and Benabbio was a charming Tuscan village with high quality restaurants. Would thoroughly recommend.

This is an amazing location to get away from it all and enjoy some peaceful time in Tuscany. The village is small and secluded with great views of the nearby mountains and a very historic feel. The gardens on the property are amazing and we enjoyed many glasses of wine looking over the scenery while our kids enjoyed playing around the garden. The property is exactly as advertised and was very comfortable for the four of us. Maria Elena was waiting for us when we arrived and was very friendly and helpful getting us settled in and explaining all the amenities. She even set up a nice dinner for us the first night in the restaurant a few minutes walking distance away. Overall it was exactly what we were looking for and we would have loved to stay longer.

Having miscalculated our driving time we arrived in the village of Benabbio too early so we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant and sampled their delicious authentic Italian menu. With the help of some other diners who could speak English we mentioned that we had booked to stay with Maria Elena at Olives Terrace. Being a small village, they of course new who she was, immediately phoned her to inform her we had arrived and insisted on escorting us to her door! We were warmly welcomed and everything was ready for us despite our early arrival. Maria Elena showed us around and explained some of the history of her beautiful home in this lovely village surrounded by mountains. The accommodation was spotlessly clean and provided with everything we needed. It was very comfortable, as was the bed made up with beautiful sheets! It was made very cozy by the pellet-fueled central heater! There are beautiful views from the terrace and it was quiet and peaceful. We loved this special Airbnb and really wished we could have stayed longer!

Maria Elena left the apartment open for us with the keys next to a welcome pack of delicious home-made jams and we had the beautiful garden and the terrace to ourselves for the majority of our stay. The apartment was tastefully decorated with antique furniture and paintings. There was a lounge for TV watching, with dvds available and a music system and an honesty bar for the occasional nightcap. It was pleasure to meet Maria Elena on our final few days. I have to say that as amazing as the photos on this site are, the real thing is even better, with glorious sunsets over the mountains. The village is very pretty and both restaurants serve excellent food. You can treat yourself to a dip in the thermal pool or indulge in other treatments in nearby Bagni di Lucca.

The house is exactly as in the pictures and lovelier! The kitchen is well-equipped and spacious, bathroom clean and nice and bed comfortable. There is a nice terrace with a view. It's comfortable to stay in the house also in hottest July as the stone walls keep the house cool. Benabbio is quiet and a perfect place to relax. We recommend renting a car so you can explore the area, there is a lot to do and see! You should be aware that the closest train station is in the village of Fornoli and in the summer you need to take 2 busses there, they don't run often. Otherwise we can totally recommend this place, Laura and family are wonderful hosts!

Laura's place was lovely! Just what we were hoping for, a real get away. The kitchen was brilliantly equipped with everything we needed to cook dinner. We would recommend this place to anyone wanting a relaxing holiday in the Tuscan hills. The views from the balcony were incredible!

Antonino's house is just as it appears in the photographs - stylish yet snug, a perfect retreat for one or two people. Downstairs is rather dark, but this is a boon in the summer months, and the study room upstairs with a cushioned sitting space is sunny and open to the breezes that blow in Benabbio when the plain below is sweltering! The house is quiet and the neighbours are friendly. Those without a car should remember that the house is near the top end of the village and so involves about 12-14 minute walk down or up the old stone steps. A parking space is two minutes away. The village has a newsagents, excellent general store, cafe, restaurant, and a pizzeria that also offers free wifi. In school time there are many buses to Bagni di Lucca. (Vaibus E10) In holidays many less, but there is a good and cheap taxi service in Bagni with the amazing Marco, also known as Taxi no 2. All in all I would recommend the house and especially comment Laura and Roberta who take care of guests in the most wonderful way.

We were made to feel very welcome by Laura who kindly provided a home cooked meal on our arrival and also invited us to dinner one evening. The property is attractively furnished and has nice mountain views. We had no problems parking in the car park which is just a couple of minutes walk. The village is about fifteen minutes drive from the nearest town which has a good supermarket and local shops for provisions.

Bij aankomst waren we blij verrast met het huisje. Het was schoon en gezellig, een opgemaakt bed en de handdoeken met badjassen lagen klaar. Ook stond er een lasagna schotel en een walnotentaart voor ons klaar. De koelkast was gevuld met boter, kaas, eieren en melk. Ook voor een drankje was gezorgd. Een zelfgebakken brood, fruit en koffie en thee waren ook al aanwezig. Geweldig. De volgende dag zijn we uitgenodigd door de mensen die de verhuur verzorgen. Dit was in een ander dorpje en het zijn lokale mensen van de streek. Zij hebben ons gastvrij onthaald met lokale lekkernijen. Ze vertelden zelf zoveel mogelijk gebruik te maken van hun eigen gemaakte biologische lokale producten. Dit was zeker de moeite waard. De gastvrouw sprak engels, wat voor ons ook handig was. In het dorpje zelf hebben we meerdere keren gebruik gemaakt van het plaatselijke restaurantje, waar o.a. pizza's en cappucino's geserveerd worden, die ook prima smaakten. Ook hier kun je met engels bij de jongere generatie terecht. Het is ons goed bevallen. Wel ligt het dorpje op een berg, wat met de auto goed te bereiken is. In het dorp moet je vanaf de parkeerplaats nog een stukje omhoog lopen en voor het huisje ligt een stenen trap.

Nous avons passé un très beau séjour à Bennabbio. La maison respire la tranquilité, il y a une silence incroyable , et l'air des montagnes est délicieuse pour se reposer. On a pensé à tout dans cette maison, on ressent que cette maison est 'habitée' par une belle ambiance. La cuisine super équipée, la salle de bain très comfortable, le lit également. Il fait un peu sombre en bas mais en haut , il fait très clair. Le pain et café étaient prévus pour le lendemain. Cette maison est idéale pour se reposer, pour méditer, écrire, lire (bureaux prévus), ...on a besoin d'une voiture pour aller à Bagni di Lucca (10 min), on est retiré de tout. Mais on adore cela!

Accueil parfait , Laura est très sympa et s'occupe de ses hôtes comme si nous étions ses amis.

Very beautiful, quiet and nice Home, in montants abd nature. We enjoyed out 2 weeks, all is perfecto, pool, gardent, (our dog was happy too). Bagni abd Lucca are top towns for visite, shopping and restaurants. This us à good location tout visit Toscane. And, hosts are top, nice, efficient, and vert kind. Thanks to Monia, Armando and Vittorio. Hope we'll Come back. Lot of activity we didn't have Time to do ! A good rbnb adresse !

Großes sauberes Haus in toller Lage. Absolute Entspannung und Ruhe durch alleinlage in den Bergen. Gut ausgestattet und es ist immer ein Ansprechpartner bei Fragen und Problemen erreichbar. Für Einkäufe ist es sinnvoll das Auto zu nutzen um in den Supermarkt in bagni di lucca zu fahren. Das Meer ist in etwas über einer Std und erreichbar und auch tagesausflüge nach lucca oder andere Städte sind empfehlenswert.

Fabiana was a wonderful host, extremely hospitable, welcoming and sweet. She went out of her way to accommodate me, brining me tomato sauce for past, milk and even dinner from local trattoria as I arrived late and stressed - it is a difficult drive. Very windy and quite narrow for passing oncoming vehicles, with a lot of hairpin bends. It' is quite a walk from car park to house uphill - bit hard if you have a lot of things to carry, but she helped me with carrying and couldn't do enough to help in general. I had to leave as the wifi was not super reliable andI had important online meetings happening. The village is quaint, very old world, and remote - good for an escape.

Great house in great location. A small village in the beautiful nature. The house is perfect, and provided us with everything we needed. Fabiana is a great person that helped us with everything we needed, and gave us all the information we asked for. Fabiana thank you for everything and hope to see you again soon. We definitely recommend this place :)

A wonderfull house with a great view. Everything you need is in the house. The bed sleeps good en there is good shower. When we arrived the host had arranged a breakfast with a local cake (tasted good), juice and milk for the next morning. We even got a little can of local oil.... Outside there a 2 places where you can enjoy the sun or the shade. There a different chairs where you can sit and relax. In the village you can eat great pizza's ( or you can take them home). The pizza's tasted marveless. Also you can eat at the little restaurant down in the village. Good food for a local price. Both restaurants were full every night. We had to make resservations the day before. It's good that after dinner you have to climbe al the way op

We stayed 10 days in Fabianas house. The house is situated with a fantastic view over Benabbio and the surrounding valley. Fabiana had prepared our stay in great detail with information leaflets and guidelines. The house has a very well equiped kitchen, and Fabiana produces her own very tastey olive oil from the surrounding olie groves. We can heighly recommend a stay in Benabbio at Fabianas house.

Over the last 10 years or so we have stayed in a lot of places around Bagni di Lucca (all of them good) but this is easily the best. Fabiana speaks good English and is extremely friendly and helpful without being intrusive. As an example of her thoughtfulness, not only was there a bottle of white wine, a bottle of vin santo with cantucchini, and a bottle of her own olive oil when we arrived; but also a carton of milk in the fridge. The house is pleasantly decorated with a really nice balcony and small garden; the beds are very comfortable; and the windows have insect screens so you do not get eaten by mosquitoes at night. Being at the top of the village there is a good view and a continual breeze so the house stays remarkably cool. Apart from being very pretty and so on, the real attractions of Benabbio compared with nearby villages are its excellent and friendly pizzeria and, particularly, its restaurant the "Cavallino Bianco". Do not miss their tagliatelle ai funghi. The only, minor, disadvantage of the house is that you have to drive up the narrow and steep road around the village to get to the car park but it is no more of a challenge than driving around many of the mountain roads in the area.

Excellent accueil. Maison agréable avec sa terrasse et un jardinet situé plus bas. Cuisine sombre mais tres bien equipée. À 10 min de Bagni di Lucca et 40 min de Lucca. Piscine municipale de Bagni di Lucca tres appréciée pendant les fortes chaleurs de l'été!

Wir haben zwei erholsame Wochen in dem Haus von Fabiana verbracht. Bei unserer Ankunft wurden wir herzlich empfangen und Fabiana hatte für uns und unsere 9 Monate alte Tochter alles perfekt vorbereitet - bis hin zu Hochstühlchen und Babybadewanne. Unsere Zeit haben wir vor allem auf der überdachten Terrasse des Hauses verbracht, von der man einen tollen Blick über das ganze Dorf und die Berge hat. Mittags kann man sehr gut im Restaurant des Dorfes essen und auf dem Rückweg die Pasta abtrainieren, da man die steile Straße wieder nach oben gehen muss. Das wunderschöne Lucca erreicht man in etwa 40 Minuten mit dem Auto. Auf dem Weg dorthin lohnt sich ein Abstecher in die Parks der diversen Villen um Lucca (z.B. Grabau). Wer also einen entspannten Urlaub mit kleinen Ausflügen in die Umgebung machen möchte, ist in Benabbio und dem Haus von Fabiana richtig.

Liebe Fabiana, als Erstes wollen wir uns ganz herzlich für die wunderschöne Woche, die wir in deinem Haus verbringen durften, bedanken. Wir haben uns sehr wohl und wie zuhause gefühlt. Vielen Dank für den tollen Empfang am ersten Tag (Dein Olivenöl ist unglaublich lecker). Wir haben uns schon sehr auf den Urlaub gefreut als wir uns für "La Camelia" entschieden haben. Nachdem wir angekommen sind wurden unsere Erwartungen durch dein Haus und das schöne Benabbio bei weitem übertroffen. Am liebsten hätten wir unseren Urlaub um weitere 2 Wochen verlängert. Das Haus bietet sehr viel Platz und ist liebevoll eingerichtet. Von der Terasse aus hat man einen traumhaften Blick über ganz Benabbio. Hilfreich waren auch die Visitenkarten am Eingang. Zudem wollen wir uns dafür bedanken, dass alles so unkompliziert und einfach funktioniert hat und wir noch kurzfristig so einen fantastischen Urlaub genießen konnten. Liebe Grüße Andrea & Matthias

`WOW! We stayed in the home of Antonio (and Adriana and Lorenzo) for a week in June, just a few days ago. It was fabulous! All three of our hosts were incredibly warm, hospitable, friendly, helpful and loving. It was a bit of a challenge at first because there were three of us and two were coming from Florence and one from Pisa and we didn't have a car. We had a crazy plan which didn't work, but somehow it all fell into place in Benabbio. Antonio offered to pick us all up in Lucca, but our cousin who flew into Pisa was helped by everyone in the villages of Bagni di Lucca and Benabbio (without her speaking a word of Italian) and we all found each other. Special thanks to Antonio for his sweet disposition in showing us all the sights on our ride to the house. Small towns where everyone wants to help you!!!! They're amazing! Then, because our luggage was lost on the plane, Antonio stayed in contact with the airlines for us and met the airlines when they dropped off the suitcases (more than two days after we arrived). Every step of the way, Antonio, Adriana and Lorenzo went out of their way to make us happy and comfortable. When we left, Lorenzo drove us to the train station! We hated to leave. The house is exactly as described. It's beautiful, clean, well stocked and a happy place to spend time. We encourage anyone who wants to have a vacation in a Tuscan village of three hundred people in the hills with wonderful people to stay at Antonio's home. You won't be sorry!!!! We loved our week in Benabbio!!! Thank you Antonio!!! Terri, Maraya and Joanna

This was a perfect place for our two week stay in Tuscany. Lorenzo (Antonio's son) made the visit for us - he picked us up and dropped us off for our arrival and departure, had fruit, snacks and a bottle of wine waiting for us and was always available when we had any questions. Benabbio has two restaurants, a store with any food product you need and a store where you can buy bus ticekts, paper etc. There is a great hike up to the top of the town to an old castel and church, and you can do a loop to Belvedere, about 5-6km. If you use the shortcuts that cut throught the switchbacks you can walk down to Bagni di Lucca in about 40 minutes. If you want to expore the greater Bagni di Lucca area a car would be helpful. We easily took the bus for a day trip to Florence and to Lucca. There is also a wonderful garden about a 10 minute walk downhill where you can enjoy some wine and watch the beautiful sunset. Thank you again to Lorenzo, and his family, for making our stay so wonderful. We hope to be back soon!

Antonio and his wife Adriana were very friendly and welcoming. Communication was a little difficult as we do not speak italian and they spoke little english but that did not seem to be a problem and they were very patient with us. The small town of Benabbio is very cute and typically Tuscan. It is a lovely area to take a stroll. Especially at sunset as there are amazing views over the mountains. The larger town of Bagni di Lucca is only 5km away down the windy road and has everything you need. We used this little house as a base to take day trips around the Tuscan region and visited Florence, Cinque Terra and lovely Lucca on day trips. We loved lighting fires and relaxing on the large couch/sofa bed and cooking meals in the large kitchen. There is also a great local restaurant/ pizzeria only metres away! We did find the bed uncomfortable as it was a very soft foam mattress so we decided to sleep on the sofa lounge instead. Overall we had a lovely time and we thank Antonio and Adriana for their hospitality.

Lorenzo, Antonio's son, speaks English and we arranged by phone text for him to meet us in the village and we followed him up to the house. He is very friendly and helpful, and made us feel most welcome and at ease, leaving wine, fruit and biscuits for us, and showing us nice places to visit in the area. The house is very well appointed and clean, with lots of space: Downstairs there is a dining area, a lounge with huge fireplace, sofa bed and TV. There is also a new spacious kitchen with a cute dining nook beneath the old wooden beamed ceiling. Upstairs is a double bedroom with a new comfortable mattress and the bathroom is clean and modern and has an excellent shower. From the bedroom window one has some view of the valley. Most other windows have limited views. With all the lights on the place looks just like in the photos. There is a tiny patio outside the front door, beside the little alley, with table and chairs, that gets sunshine part of the day. The house is set amidst the winding little alleys, beside other houses as in most villages, so we could hear the church bells, and someone's radio playing old 50s music - this felt charming, not noisy. Peaceful and quiet at night. Would make a great place to stay several days to explore the area and return for feet up, relaxation, movies, open fire in the evenings. The restaurant is very close by. It has gorgeous and inexpensive home cooked food, the best pizza and home made pasta, and one night they even served fresh lobster. Benabbio is a very sweet traditional village in a great location. As more people stay in Antonio's spacious house and bring their suggestions I think this place will just get better and better. Well worth giving it a try! We enjoyed our stay.

Roberta’s little flat in the hills, is traditional, simple and lovely. We felt like true Italians staying here. The flat has beautiful views across several valleys and it was nice to relax and have our dinner on the terrace with a view. The kitchen is basic but easy to use and find everything. Communication with Roberta throughout was easy and very helpful. We would recommend staying here.

Roberta mi ha fornito tutte le indicazioni per raggiungere la casa, mi ha precisato che non c'è la tv (che a me non interessa…). La casa è antica, come alloggiare dalla propria nonna; è a 10 minuti a piedi dal cuore della frazionino, dove c'è ristorante ottimo e negoziati. Il panorama dalla terrazzina è inimitabile, ci abbiamo passato cene, colazioni e tramonti invidiabili. In casa c'è tutto ciò che serve sia in cucina che in bagno. Roberta ci ha lasciato anche generi di consumo, Consigliatissimo.

Roberta è stata precisa e puntuale nonostante il mio arrivo in ritardo, con un'ottima accoglienza.

L'esperienza a casa di Roberta è stata unica, un rifugio fuori dal tempo, immerso nel verde, con tanto di salottino, cucina, terrazzo e camino. Roberta è stata molto accogliente, ci ha lasciato tutto per una bellissima colazione ed è stata molto disponibile per tutte le nostre domande. Siamo stati benissimo in questa casetta tutta per noi e ci torneremo appena possibile in cerca di tranquillità e la natura al di fuori dei sentieri battuti.

La casa è esattamente come le foto. Comunicazione con l'host molto buona. Adatto a chi cerca un posto tranquillo dove passare giorni in relax e immersi nella natura.

Paul was very welcoming and full of useful information. Once he had welcomed us he let us get on with our holiday. Location is lovely and plunge pool makes a big difference when weather is hot.

Nous avons passer 2 semaines agréables dans une grande maison avec une piscine et un grill extérieur selon indication de l'annonce. Village typique après une petite route de montagne. 2 restaurants ainsi qu'un petit magasin et une discothèque dans le village. Merci a Paul pour son accueil.

Casa della Rose was absolutely perfect and the view was even more spectacular than expected! Roberta thoughtfully provided detailed directions (in both languages!) and made sure we lacked nothing during our (too short) stay in Lucca. Highly recommended - grazie mille Roberta!

Siamo arrivati nel tardo pomeriggio, la signora Roberta ci aveva lasciato le chiavi vicino la porta. E' stata molto cortese. Ci ha lasciato latte, caffè, the, frutta fresca biscotti e merendine. Ci ha anche chiesto se avevamo esigenze particolari o intolleranze. Fin qui tutto benissimo. Il problema è sorto quando abbiamo scoperto che non c'erano i riscaldamenti!! Considerando che fuori la sera vi era una temperatura intorno agli 8 gradi!! Ho chiamato la signora e mi ha detto che c'era una stufa sotto il letto e me ne ha fatta avere un'altra il giorno dopo, dicendo che l'unico termosifone presente in casa non poteva essere acceso perché non era stata caricata la caldaia!! Il problema era che le stufe potevano essere accese solo in presenza di qualcuno perchè altrimenti potevano diventare pericolose. Quindi si tornava sera tardi e si rimaneva impalati in attesa di un po' di tepore per trovare il coraggio di spogliarsi. Per non parlare del fatto che non potevano essere accese entrambe per l'alto consumo energetico che avrebbe fatto scattare il contatore!! Quindi se andavi in bagno ti gelavi e ovviamente siamo stati 3 giorni senza fare la doccia per il freddo e per il fatto che vi era una mezza vasca senza tenda e senza possibilità di appendere la cipolla della doccia, quindi oltre a gelare si innaffiava tutto il bagno!! Mai provato tanto freddo in vita mia in casa in un viaggio!! Non considero poi i fili a vista di impianti ovviamente non a norma. Sicuramente per chi ha poche esigenze e soprattutto nel periodo estivo può essere un appoggio economico e spartano. Ma d'inverno decisamente no!!

Io e i miei amici ci siamo trovati molto bene, host molto seria e disponibile! Siamo stati benissimo

Super petit appartement avec une vue incroyable! Très propre et hôte plus que disponible !

superbe village! appartement tout à fait conforme à la description: très bien pour nous!!!!

C'est la 3ème fois que nous venons à Benabbio dans la maison de Roberta et nous apprécions toujours autant la maison et le petit village accroché à la montagne, calme et vivant à la fois.

Ottima comunicazione con Roberta. La casa era pulitissima con una magnifica vista sulla valle di bagni di Lucca e la colazione era pronta sul tavolo del soggiorno. Abbiamo dormito benissimo nella massima tranquillita. Grazie Roberta per l'ospitalita!

Nous sommes revenus dans la maison de Roberta à Benabbio avec grand plaisir. Roberta nous avait laissé sur la table des fruits, des gâteaux, du thé, ... La maison était toujours aussi propre. Nous aimons beaucoup le village avec son Tabacchi, son Alimentari et ses 2 restaurants. Les commerçants et les gens du village sont très accueillants. Bagni di Lucca n'est pas loin. De la fenêtre de la chambre, on ne se lasse pas de la vue sur la montagne.

Very nice location, calm and relaxing. House was exactly as described and well equipped. Lisa answered all our questions before arrival and though we didn't meet her, there was very nice lady locally that was there to help us in case we would need something. Car is recommended as it's a bit remote and public transport might be problematic. There is enough parking spaces nearby. We had 2 cars and always had parking spaces close to church.

Very spacious house, must be also very nice for outside the seasons given the fireplace and the stove/burner , the contact was good from the beginning, even though our stay was short and not from saturday to saturday as is common we felt very welcome, the town is truly medieval, the churchtower with its bell will remember you of that, breathtaking view from the windows, no garden or balcony but you will spend time outside anyway, very decently priced.

We spent five days with five kids at Lisa's beautiful, spacious and welcoming house. We truly enjoyed cooking and playing board games in the large and well equipped kitchen, eating in both village restaurants (excellent!) and discovering the wonderful surroundings. A visit to Lucca strolling on the old town walls late afternoon, canyoning and enjoying our morning cappuccino on Alessandro's (restaurant around the corner) terrace were among the highlights!

Lisa's house was amazing we loved it, full of character very spacious & very well equipped. Lovely quiet location which suited us the local town is only a 5 minute drive away. A big thank you to Lisa who took the time to give us loads of information which was very helpful. The local pizzeria which is walking distance from the house makes the most delicious pizza we went twice we would of been happy to go daily if we'd stayed longer. Thanks again Lisa everything was just perfect.

Everything great! The house is big, comfortable and has a very warm and welcoming feeling. Lisa had been very caring in giving us all the needed informations and provide us the wood for the fire (even if there's a central heating of the house, the fire is great) You won't be disappointed!!

The house was like a fairytale, beautiful view over the mountains. We had such a great time there! We went for small hikes in the area, beautiful nature and the village is so cool and rich of history. You must go there!!!

Thak you, we had a good time, the house is great, the region good for hiking and many other activities

Tutto perfetto, casa pulita, spaziosa ed accogliente! Il paese è molto tranquillo, e tanya molto disponibile, grazie di tutto!