Norcenni Girasole, Figline Valdarno, Tuscany, Italy

We have been here several times over the past years. Our first trip was in a vintage VW Beetle with a small two man tent. Second trip on our honeymoon in one of the mobile homes. Third trip with our two young DC and my parents. You could say that we have grown up with Norceni Girasole.

The site is extensive, several restaurants and bars, two swimming pool areas, tennis, kids club et.

For younger children I would advise booking in the upper (newer) area where the shallow pool is. The lower area is older, greener and more pleasant as there are more trees offering shade, and the pool is better for slightly older children and adults. There is a little train that goes between the two parts of the site.

The upper area also boasts a small wine bar, which was lovely in the evenings - particularly if you take grandparents with you so that you can escape for an hour or so.

My father did a Tuscan cookery course while he was there and loved it.

The stables were not part of the campsite, and slightly difficult to find but if you want to do a bit of horseriding, you can do this nearby.

We stayed in one of the on site bungalows, which was fairly basic but fine. It is advertised as a 6-berth but be warned - it is a two bed with double bed and bunk above. I would say it would be fine for 4 people but with 6 it was a bit cramped. It did have two bathrooms though.

The sanitary blocks were not long refurbished when we were there and were really well done - with childrens' showers which were very handy.

There is a small supermarket on site, and the town of Figline has several shops and supermarkets.

The campsite offers trips to the surrounding areas and towns, including to Siena, Florence and even a wine tasting tour - although some are not available outwith the summer months.

If you have a car, it is well placed for doing day trips to the surrounding area, San Gimigiano, Moltepulciano, Pisa, Arrezo are all within a couple of hours drive.

All in all, I would say that Girasole offers something for everyone.

A great site for those who like going away at Easter when it's a bit cheaper, as plenty of facilities are open from the first day - which is not the case with a lot of campsites I have been to early on in the season. Great pool complex, including a nice warm indoor one, and the restaurant is one of the best campsite meals I have eaten. Although the site is hilly, so not suitable for everyone, the staff are so friendly it is great, especially for kids. I fully recommend it!

We spent a week at Norcenni Girasole with our three children (4, 6 and 7) in the middle of the Summer holidays and had a fantastic time. It is more of a holiday village than campsite - it's huge with two pool complexes - one beautifully set on the top of the hill with fantastic views all over Tuscany. This is a bit of a schlep to get to (especially in the heat of the day) but there is a little train that runs every 30 mins or so taking you up and back. The best thing about this pool complex is the lazy river - the kids literally spent all day going around on their tyres. My daughter learned to swim whilst we were there in one of the other pools, so even though it was very busy, there was enough space for swimming. We travelled with Canvas who were fabulous - really did look after us. The mobile home was spacious and the encampment not too small and our 2 older kids really loved the kids club, so much that they insisted on going in the afternoons as well as the morning - although I do think this is dependent on who is running the club that particular year. We therefore had time to sit and read by the pool. We also used the couriers to babysit, which was an added bonus. We ate mainly at one of the site restaurants which served good basic italian food. It was well situated with lots for the kids to do around the courtyard, which meant we had time to chill out over our meal. There is very little to say about the nearest village, Figline Valdarno - really not worth visiting but we had a car and so drove to some lovely hilltop villages around the area and spent the day at Sienna (although we didn't realise until we arrived that it was the day of the Palio!). There seemed to be a very lively night-life going on for teenagers - I think this site would definitely be a hit with older kids too. I would really recommend this site if you love Italy and want a lively site with fantastic facilities - not one for those who want peace and quiet!

A large, impressive campsite with a great range of facilities too numerous to mention, but essentially everything you could want! The 3 on-site restaurants are all good and the site has a lovely atmosphere, especially at nighttime. Mobile home emplacements, as elsewhere in Italy, are mainly small and close together.

The campsite is located up the side of a fairly steep hill which can be a nuisance in the heat but provides beautiful views of the surrounding Chianti countryside. A mini-train brings you from the bottom of the site to the newer "village" at the top if you can't face the hike up all the steps.

The nearby town of Figline Valdarno is a bit unremarkable and is not really within walking distance of the site but transport is provided by the campsite at certain times of the day. The supermarket in town is considerably cheaper than the one on-site.

Lots to see in the area, obviously - it is Tuscany after all. Figline has a station where you can catch the train to Florence, only 30 mins away. Siena and San Gimignano are driveable and well worth visiting. The site runs regular excursions to various places of interest too.

I would highly recommend this campsite but I think you really need to have a car otherwise you are quite restricted.