Tuscany, 25 April 2017: With the kids back at school, To Tuscany (0121 286 7782; www.to-tuscany.com), the villa-booking website with the largest selection of rental properties in Tuscany, is sharing its local knowledge about when best to visit during term time for a quieter, cheaper break.

June is particularly favoured for fewer crowds and long, warm days that can reach highs of 27C. However, holidaymakers should avoid the first week this year, which clashes with the half-term school holidays. Pentecost (4 June in 2017), which is popular with locals, can also be busy.

For later breaks in the year, September is a similarly good choice, with an excellent chance of pleasant weather and fewer fellow travellers to rub shoulders with. In both June and September, villas can cost up to 25 per cent less than in high season.

May and October are also recommended, with villa pools just opening or not yet closed. But it's the great prices that are the main draw during these months – generally 35 per cent lower than peak season, promising great value for money.

Monte at Rocca di Pierle (pictured centre), a two-bedroom apartment with access to a pool, is currently available with a 20 per cent discount throughout June, from £833 per week – down from £1,041, a saving of £208. The spacious first-floor apartment is in a converted stone farmhouse, with many original features as well as antique furnishings, creating a traditional Tuscan ambience. Set in the Pierla valley, it is a short drive from Cortona, Assisi and Perugia.

Meanwhile, Borgo Frosini 6 (above right), a three-bedroom, three-bathroom villa with private pool, has a 15 per cent discount for the week of 10 June, costing from £1,127 per week – down from £1,326, a saving of £199. Unusually, the villa is split into two separate apartments, with a shared spacious furnished loggia, so is well designed for a group of friends looking to enjoy some privacy as well as time together. With traditional tiled floors and ceilings, it oozes Tuscan charm. Set just outside Arezzo, the villa is well-located for Siena, Florence and Pisa.

For more information, visit to-tuscany.com or to book call 0121 286 7782. Follow developments on Twitter @ToTuscany and facebook.com/ToTuscany.

For further information, images, or to arrange press trips, please email travelnews@traveltappers.co.uk. Alternatively, contact Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@traveltappers.co.uk or Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@traveltappers.co.uk. Traveltappers is a trading name of Little Black Book Creative Ltd.

Notes to editors:

Prices quoted are the total cost for the apartment or villa hire for one week, not per person, and they do not include international travel. To Tuscany is an easy-to-use, online-booking site, which features more than 740 high-quality holiday properties across the price range. The site allows customers to book direct with owners yet benefit from the peace of mind of paying through a secure portal. To Tuscany was set up in 1998 by Sean Caulfield, who lives in the region, and is supported by a small team back in England, who are always ready to help with online and phone enquiries.

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