My Tuscan Holiday

We are delighted that Claire Sweeney, actress, singer and presenter, is our Travel Ambassador. Here, Claire tells us all about her trip to Tuscany.

I went to a wedding in Tuscany not long ago and it left me itching to explore more, so I jumped at the chance to go with Just You! I joined their Highlights of Tuscany tour in September 2019 and had a fantastic holiday.

What I love about Just You is that everything is organised for you, and you can just relax knowing everything is taken care of. Our Holiday Director, Sandra Polidori, was there with us for the whole trip and had brilliant local knowledge after living in Italy for the past 16 years.

We had a great group for the week, with a real mix of ages and experience. Some people had travelled with Just You many times, while others were first-time travellers. One of the ladies had her birthday the day we visited a Tuscan vineyard. Just You arranged a cake for her and a gift, which was just so lovely. I said to her I wished it was my birthday! The whole restaurant sang happy birthday to her and it was great to experience together.

My Tuscany highlights

There were so many highlights on the trip, but for me it had to be visiting Pisa. I went once back in the nineties, but the Leaning Tower was undergoing repairs. It was fantastic to go back and see it and explore the surrounding buildings too. I hadn’t realised there was much to see there a part from the tower when I went the first time, but with the Local Guide’s knowledge we got to see so much more than I would have if I had gone alone.

Freedom & Flexibility

There were plenty of opportunities to do your own thing during the trip. We were staying in the beautiful town of Montecatini Terme and during our free time people spent time relaxing, shopping or exploring the local restaurants. I found a beautiful seafood restaurant which I enjoyed so much, I took some of the group there again the next night!

Foodie delights

I like to try the local cuisine when I’m on holiday and the food in Tuscany did not disappoint. A highlight for me was discovering a food hall in Florence that was full of so many different flavours. I tried a roasted chicken that had been cooked on a traditional spit, it was delicious.

I had another fantastic trip exploring Tuscany with Just You. My advice? If you want to travel solo, just go for it!