Tuscany itinery idea? Romance, relaxation, food, wine, walking??????

Strawberry

New member
My husband and i are think of taking a special holiday to Italy in May/June 2015 for 7-10 days. We are after a bit of culture, romance, relaxation, we are in our early 30s . We enjoy walking, food and would like to do some wine tasting so were thinking Tuscany. Any recommendations? Perhaps somewhere with some footpaths on the doorstep or a wine tasting venue within walking distance/ some nice restaurants? We could hire a car. We were also toying with the idea of going to Rome for the culture history and art then travelling up rather than visiting Florence?
Any ideas/suggestions welcome.
Many Thanks
 
Hi Strawberry!
I advice you to come to Montespertoli!!Here there's all you are looking for!!
Montespertoli is a village in the heart of Tuscany: it is only 25 km away from Florence and at an equal distance from Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra and Pisa. It is surrounded by gently hills and majestic crests, vineyards, olive groves and woods, small suggestive villages and ancient castles.
Montespertoli is famous for its exquisite wine "Chianti Montespertoli": it is possible to have wine tasting in the numerous wine cellars widespread all over the territory.
Our territory offers the possibility of excursions on foot, on horseback and by bike: the most famous route is "La via di Castiglioni", considered an open air museum. Not to forget our three museums: the Museum of Wine, the Museum of Sacred Art and the Museum of Amedeo Bassi, a noted tenor born in Montespertoli.
Hope to see you in Montespertoli!!!
 
Romance, relax, food, wine and walking

Buongiorno!
Have a look at our website www.prolocosovicille.it and you'll find a lot of very beautiful walks, nice and romantic places where you could stay! Not so far from our little town (Sovicille) there is a place where you could organize your wine tasting: www.trecciano.it. In Siena (wonderful town at only 13 kms from Sovicille) there are a lot of very romantic places you could visit.....
If you need other information, we'll be happy to help you! info@prolocosovicille.it
 
Ciao Strawberry,

One can't deny Rome has lots of culture, history and art but Florence has just as much to offer. It just tends to be of different eras in time ;-). If you have up to 10 days, you could divide the time between Rome and Florence.
If you use Florence as a base, you could also do day trips by train/bus to some other towns in Tuscany and not even have to rent a car unless you really want to. Take a look at which ones here
http://www.visitflorence.com/itineraries-in-florence/top-day-trips-from-florence.html

At that point, with no car, the best way to visit wineries for tastings and tours would really be either with a private driver or tour or group tour from Florence - take a look at some of them here:
http://www.partner.viator.com/en/13618/travel-tips/Wine-Tasting-Tours-in-Chianti-Tuscany/ttd

In Florence, you could also choose to stay in a small apartment rather than a hotel or B&B, to have your own space, cooking corner and feel more like a local - take a look at the offerings here, I highly recommend the Oltrarno apartment: http://www.florenceaccommodation.com/florence-apartments/

Finally, I'd give Rome 3-4 days at most, then the rest of the time in Florence..... but if you want to spend more time in Tuscany, as I'm sure you've read is highly recommended as well, you could just do 2-3 in Rome, a whole week in Tuscany and rent a car so you can stay in the Tuscan countryside at a villa or farmhouse apartment :) Italy inspires romance, there really is no way to go wrong - but here are some ideas in any case http://www.discovertuscany.com/what-to-do-tuscany/planning-a-romantic-vacation.html
 
Montespertoli Mostra del Chianti & Certaldo as a Base

If you are going to be in Tuscany in May/June, then try to time it to coincide with the Montespertoli Mostra del Chianti, which in 2015 runs from May 30th to June 7th. Montespertoli is 30 miles southwest of Florence, a few miles off the main highway to Pisa, the FI-PI-LI. You take the Ginestra Fiorentina exit. This festival features high-quality wine from local producers and because it runs for over a week it also has other delightful activities during the course of festivities, food stands, concerts, live music, open-air theatre, parades, and an open-air restaurant in the main piazza.

Certaldo area is a great base as it is right in the middle of an area exactly half way between Florence and Siena in which there are some lovely places to see like Certaldo Alto, San Gimignano, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Volterra and Monteriggioni. The train station in Certaldo has a free large parking lot behind it so you can easily go to Florence (to the north) and Siena (to the south) by train without having to worry about parking.
 
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