3 Days In Tuscany

[Melissa]

Hi
We are travelling from Brisbane, Australia to Europe for two months in October this year. We would like to spend only three days in Tuscany this time as we will be coming back for a longer trip.
My problem is that I have no idea where to start in deciding where to go. We will be hiring a car in Florence on the first day and will take four days through Tuscany to get to Rome.
If possible we would like to base ourselves in the one place for three nights, and would like this place to be as authentically tuscan as possible. I would also appreciate as much advice as possible about what to do in this short amount of time.
We are much more interested in the scenery, architecture and countryside than the food and wine on this trip.
Any help would be really great.
Melissa

[Lourdes]

Ciao Melissa,

Wow, two months to travel around Europe sounds truly wonderful!!
I am sure you will see so many beautiful places on your trip but deciding now which ones to overlook sounds like the hardest part of your planning.

Since it seems you've already made some headway in deciding how much time to dedicate to Tuscany, my only question now is whether your 4 days include Florence as well? You should definitely spend at least a whole day in Florence and maybe rent the car the following day as you head south out of the city.

In order to experience what is most often considered "Tuscany", with the rolling hillsides, cypress trees and homes and churches on top of hills as seen in movies and photographs of the region, I recommend you consider staying in one of two areas: Chianti or Valdorcia.
I suggest the Chianti area closer to Siena while the Valdorcia is the area to the south of Siena.
With either choice you head south of Florence and get closer to your final destination, Rome.

Chianti: if you base your stay in the area closest to Siena, you'll be able to visit Siena as well as most of the most typical towns in Chianti - Greve, Radda, Castellina and Gaiole. I'd also suggest a visit to San Gimignano, on the western edge of the Chianti area. While it is mainly a wine region, you don't have to visit wineries and do wine tastings. You'll have great food wherever you go, but during your visits focus on the towns and architecture found there, as well as take walks in the countryside. There are many marked walking trails (marked by the CAI association with red and white markings).

For some ideas on where to stay, see
Chianti Accommodation: Farmhouse, Bed & Breakfast, Hotel, Villa in Chianti, Tuscany


Valdorcia: if instead you base your stay in the Valdorcia area, you can also visit Siena as well as Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza. While the first two are also known for their red wines, the area is a classic found in photographs of Tuscany - soft hills with a tree or two at the top. In Ridley Scott's "Gladiator", Russell Crowe often dreams of home as he walks in beautiful fields of yellow grain - in the movie they are supposedly in Spain, but these scenes were actually shot in this area of southern Tuscany. In October the grain will already be cut, but you'll see shades of red, gray and brown ground that are still very impressive.

Near Montalcino, head towards Castelnuovo dell'Abate and visit the beautiful 11th century Abbazia di Sant'Antimo. Just outside of Montepulciano visit the Renaissance church of San Biagio.

For place to stay in Valdorcia, see the listings here
Val d'Orcia Accommodation: Farmhouses, Bed & Breakfasts, Hotels, Villas

As you drive through either area, you'll see that 3 days are not really very much. When you come back for your longer stay, you'll be able to see more of what Tuscany has to offer.

These are just a few suggestions so if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!!

[hochoonhong]

Hi,

My wife and myself will be in Rome on 18 May and thinking of making a trip to tuscany

I am thinking of driving to tuscany after what i read here. However, any lost how to do it in a most cost effective manner. need suggestion:

1) shall i rent a car from rome and drive to tuscany? if so which rental car company?

2) take a train from rome to florence and rent a car in florence and drive to tuscany? however, heard that its not advisable to drive to florence city as heard govt imposed some car restriction charges. If so, if i drive out of florence to tuscany and then back to florence, is it inevitable that i will drive into the city and pay the hefty charges?

3) or shall i take a train from rome to tuscany and then rent a car in tuscany? in that case, which train station in tuscany? dont seem to find a train station in tuscany.

thanks for the help as am really lost. cheers.

marcus (Singapore)

[Lourdes]

Tuscany is a large region, did you have any specific towns you want to visit? Do you just want to drive around and get a taste of the Tuscan landscape? Will you also be staying in Florence?
How much time will you have for your visit to Tuscany? A day or two, maybe more?

Depending on what you'd like to do and the time you have available, the simplest plan would be to take the train from Rome and visit a few Tuscan towns such as Siena, Arezzo or Florence. They are all connected with trains as well as buses - this would also be more cost-effective (plus you avoid problems with parking, getting into the city center, etc). From Siena or Florence, you can easily visit San Gimignano, Pisa, Lucca.... tell us what you were considering and we'll try to offer more suggestions.

[jk999]

Hi
My wife and I are actually thinking about the same thing - arrive in Rome, hire a car to drive to Tuscany and back to Rome again. We are planning for 3 days in Tuscany any suggested itinerary and car hire arrangement? We want to visit Siena, Chianti and Florence. Anything else is a bonus (or are we greedy already?). Also any good farmhouse / vineyard that we can stay?
Many thanks!

[Lourdes]

Ciao Joe,

Well 3 days isn't that much but it is enough to see some parts of the region. You can dedicate one day each to Florence, Siena and Chianti. If you feel you are rushing, you could cut something out.

The best solution would be to stay in Chianti so that you quickly reach all of your destinations, and that would mean staying close to the Firenze-Siena roadway so that you minimize driving on the days you head towards Florence and Siena. Then just head into the heart of Chianti on your day dedicated to the wine region, taking the normal roads that cross through the area and enjoy the view. Visit Castellina in Chianti, Greve in Chianti, Panzano in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti..... see the theme? Seriously, those are their names... and they are cute traditional villages at the top of hills surrounded by vineyards. You don't need to visit all of them, but drive through and stop at any roadside restaurant to have good meals with local wines.

For accommodation in Chianti, we highly recommend Romitorio di Serelle and Il Cellese - both are just outside Castellina in Chianti and therefore would be super convenient for your itinerary. They are a bit different, you'll see that through the photos on the site - you decide which one is more to your taste . You can also check out this other site for more recommendations for Chianti accommodation.