Montecatini terme

carmen

New member
Hello,
First of all, let me tell you you have a wonderful blog. Had I found it before, i would have probably planned our vacation differently!
So i have already booked 6 days-13-20 aug. in Montecatini terme for my family(husband and daughter of 16) and we intend to see as much as possible of Tuscany during this time.We travel by car from Romania but i hope we can use the train to get to the different destinations, though Montecatini is not mentioned among the typical destinations.
I thought of spending 2 days in Florence, 1 in Siena, maybe on the 16th of August as they have the Palio then, though probably it will be quite a commotion, i assume, then 1 day in Luca, another in San Gimigniano. What do you think about this plan? Which should we start with? Is there anything else you would recommend? Should i book tickets for the Uffizi museum online?
I would also like us to visit Cinque terre, maybe once the stay in Montecatini is over, but i don't know much about the implications- would we need special equipment? which trail to choose?I read some of your explanations regarding this trip and you mentioned it is a 2 and a half journey by train from Florence. What about from Montecatini? Would this be more complicated?
I realize i have a lot of questions for one go!
Thanks a lot for taking your time!
carmen
 
Day Trips from Montecatini Terme

Ciao Carmen!

You are very welcome :)

Even if Montecatini Terme is not mentioned among the typical destinations of Tuscany, it's a nice city, famous for its curative thermal baths, and rather an exclusive place, with fashion outlets like Gucci and Ferrè.
Montecatini, to the west of the charming village of Pistoia, is set in the Valdinievole, an area rich in subterranean streams and springs.
While there do visit the lovely village of Montecatini Alto; its panorama is breathtaking!

Montecatini has a train station, so you can still conveniently visit the best Tuscan art cities by train:
Florence (at one hour train's ride), Lucca (half an hour), and Pisa (about 1 hour and 15 minutes).

You can check train timetables at this official website.

I suggest you visit the wonderful Siena and the medieval San Gimignano while you are in Florence, either by car or public transport.

2 full days should be dedicated to the fantastic Renaissance city of Florence and its art treasures.
Here are some tips on Florence's top sights. I highly recommend you book Uffizi tickets online ahead of time, so to avoid long queues.

While in Florence I recommend you stay at Palagetto B&B, a very nice and elegant B&B that has parking space and can be very convenient as you have a car.
For a complete list of selected accommodations in Florence, you can aso have a look here.

You can easily reach the Cinque Terre from Montecatini, it will take even less time; first take a train to Viareggio or La Spezia and then change train to Monterosso al Mare.
You can find useful information about the Cinque Terre on this nice article.

As to the equipment needed, you just need a good pair of trekking shoes.
Finally, on this site you can find all useful information about the Cinque Terre paths.

For any further help or suggestion needed, do not hesitate to come back on the forum :)

Enjoy planning your trip!
 
Umbria/ Elba

Dear Elena,

Many, many thanks!Good and valuable advice!

I still have another question-we can spend some more time in the area and i was wondering what to try to choose-Umbria or Elba! I've done a bit of checking and prices for accommodation are quite high now!
Do you have any suggestions regarding a location and accommodation?
I understood that booking in advance would be desirable. Do you think that we can do this while still in Montecasini or would be too late?
And one more, please!!
If we decide for Umbria- would be good to stay in one place-for example Perugia and move around-Todi/Orivetto/Spello/Gubbio or just drive from one place to another?

Many thanks in advance!
Have a wonderful day!
carmen
 
Ciao Carmen :)

Elba island is really enchanting and has fantastic beaches with crystal clear waters, but consider that in August it's really very crowded.

As to accommodation in Elba island, I recommend Hotel Ilio, a charming and cozy hotel on the wonderful coast of Sant'Andrea, while on this page you can check all hotels with instant booking.

However, for a more relaxing stay I would choose Umbria, a beautiful region all to discover and full of surprises ;)

Umbria is smaller than Tuscany, so Perugia would be the perfect base to explore all the wonderful villages of the region, such as Assisi, Todi, Spello, Gubbio, Spoleto, and Orvieto!

For a good accommodation in Perugia, have a look at this website.

Any destination you go, I suggest you book ahead of time, as August is high season.

If you check available hotels on the links I gave you, you should still be able to find some good deals :)

Ciao from Florence!
 
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