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I run courses every year in Pacentro, a medieval hilltop village in Abruzzo with great restaurants! This may not be the right level for you, but I'm running a Beginners Plus course 10-14 September. The link will take you to my website and some more information, plus there's a 'what people say' page. I can also send you an information pack if you email me via my site. And I do individual sessions too, so you could have a tailor-made course for the two of you. Completely understand you might not want to take my word for it, but I do have people come back each year, and Tartuffa, who posts here has been on my courses, as has her husband. If I can be of help, just let me know.   Best wishes SGH

Actually I think what Susan is offering is probably right up your street.  Abruzzo is gorgeous and the courses Susan runs are really very good.  If the course coming up does not suit then do get in touch as she may very well be able to accomodate you on a bespoke basis.  Susan is not a 'school' so you won't find large groups or a standardised programme.  Worked for us!  

Sounds interesting, like you Terry, I want to progress from Michel Thomas but am not keen on the 'school' option.  I'll have a look.  Thanks Susan. Jan

....sounds very interesting. I'll be in touch. Terry

Thanks everyone for showing your interest (plus thanks to Tartuffa for words of support). I'll leave it with you, but I'm in Italy next week if you want to talk - maybe via Skype??   Many thanks and all good wishes SGH

I have twice attended Lucca �������� School and can't recommend it highly enough. The teachers are absolutely brilliant, classes are normally from 09:00 to 13:00 and in the afternoons and evenings the school organises a number of cultural events each week, including visits to places of interest nearby and cooking lessons. They can also help with accommodation - I stayed with a local family, which was great for practising your language skills. The school is privately-owned by three of the teachers, which makes all the difference. They take a real interest in you and go out of their way to make sure you're happy. You'll meet like-minded people and I made some wonderful new friends. Lucca itself is a beautiful town to stay in, full of Renaissance architecture. There is always a concert going on and lots of restaurants and shops. The centre is mostly pedestrianised and easy to get around without the need to use public transport. The town walls are perfect for jogging or just for taking a stroll or a bike ride. Lucca has good connections to Florence, Pisa, the Cinque Terre and the Garfagnana if you're there on a weekend and want to explore further. The school's website is and be sure to read the TripAdvisor reviews as well. The last time I looked they had 15 reviews and everyone was a 5-star review.  You'll also find them on Facebook and twitter - just click the links on their website.

Hi, I have tried two language schools over the last 12 months. The first was Istituto Il David located in the centre of Florence. I opted for 4 weeks of mornings, 8:15 - 12 ish. A well organized school, with some bright ideas, and of course !! Florence was so bella. The second was for a shorter stint in Bologna. Madelingua, which was an even better school in my opinion and regretfull I could not stay on for longer. Again very centrally located, organized with a library and strong staff. Again mornings only. A nice city with less tourism. I now spend a lot of time in Abruzzo, so the offer of Pacentro08 sounds apealing as I can also vouch for the beauty of such a place !! In my opinion I think a week is far to short in order to feel a great deal of progression with a school ! Two weeks at least shall help you in only certain areas. If you can only opt for a week then I would look at maybe requesting the 4 hrs a day by class then say and additional hour with a private tutor one on one after lunch. It is worth the out lay and would still provide you with time to enjoy your stay with sight seeing etc. Buon Fortuna...