Overall: Villa Acacia was stupendous. Part of our group is talking of returning in 2006. We spent 13 days in Italy and we had the most fun basing our travels from this villa. Many thanks to Charity for pointing us to this property. Enjoyed Most: The views from the villa were incredible!!! The close location to the bus stop and store for buying the bus tickets were great for those who did not want to drive. If you climb to the top of the Duomo, you can see our villa in the distance!!!! Look for the tall, spiky trees. If you want to explore Florence at your leisure, the VERY frequent bus service every 15 minutes makes this villa an easy choice!!! Enjoyed Least: You are not within walking distance of a reasonably-priced restaurant. Warning There is a steep hill you must climb when the bus drops you off near your villa unless you want to stay on it for an additional 20 minutes for the bus to do a loop and drop you off further up the hill, a downhill walk to the villa. This hill is really only an issue for people with bad knees, bad backs, or failing stamina. Surrounding Area: It was fairly quiet. The views were stunning. The grounds were VERY well-maintained. Riccardo and Jean were very accomodating. Nearby Events or Locales: La Lastra is within walking distance. The bus drops you off and you walk the 250 meters up hill to the villa Pluses-bus tickets, gas station, and post office. Minuses - no restaurant. Tips or Restaurants: If travelling in cooler weather, bring warmer clothing to sleep in unless you want to pay additional for expensive heat. If you plan on driving, buy a VERY detailed map of Florence and one that includes Via Bolognese....the street upon which the villa is located . This map SAVED our bacon, as driving towards Siena and the Cinque Terre, and driving up from Rome, we heavily relied on its details. When we received the driving directions in our rental packet in the USA, we followed the path along the map. It made for a less stressful experience.If you plan on doing a lot of exploring south of Florence, and you DO not mind driving through and around Florence, then definitely stay at this property. However, if you are not a confident driver and plan your travels south of Florence, I'd recommend a location wherein you do not have to drive through Florence. Not as crazy as Rome....but still insane for the uninitiated. Directions: It's tricky to reach this property regardless of the directions. You come around a curve.....boom!! The sign for La Lastra and the AGIP gas station are right upon you. Most of our travellers had difficulty reaching the property.