2 October weeks in Tuscany

Katherinei

New member
We will be there about Oct 13 for 2 weeks and will be renting a car. Since we don't know where we will stay we don't even know which airport to use. We are looking for a years in the future home either beach or farm not on a mountain so would like to spend time at both. How do we find a rental with horses? We would like to sightsee, but realize Florence is too big to do well. What are the top 3 locations for historical buildings? Are there any festivals happening? I am having trouble just choosing what regions to see.
 
Tuscany in October for 2 weeks

Dear Katherinei,

I'm sorry but I'm a bit confused: would you like to stay in one area of Tuscany the whole 2 weeks or move around and stay in different areas? I need to understand this in order to give you better suggestions and ideas.

For example if you want to explore just one region I would recommend you explore Maremma that has both seaside and farms. Instead if you would like to move around Tuscany I suggest you read the article about spending 7 days in Tuscany to find some ideas about a possible itinerary, in the meantime.

As soon as I'll have your answer I will be able to give you some suggestions and information about events in the area, accommodations and so on.
So I'll look for your response :D
 
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Hi Valentina, Thank your for your response:). We would like to spend one week in rolling hills doing one day trips to sightsee. We would like to stay where we can horseback ride during that week. We would also like to spend one week staying at the sea. I would like to stay away from the heavily populated beaches where, through satellite photos, I have seen thousands of umbrellas. I am not sure there is any such place though. I do not like wine so tastings are out and he has been to Pisa and I do not want to subject him to a repeat visit even though he would. I did take a look and print out the 7 day trip and will be looking into it. We would rather not be around Americans, but are there areas which they seem more attracted to?
 
2 weeks in Maremma

Dear Katherinei,

I really think that Maremma is your ideal destination. It offers all what you're looking for: rolling hills, beautiful beaches, sightseeing, horseback riding and much much more :D

I suggest you stay at La Valentina Nuova, which is a nice farmhouse near Talamone offering large apartments. In addition they have an horseback riding school and organize rides on the beach, on the hills and within the Natural Park of Argentario. The farmhouse is located inside the Natural Park of Maremma and is within 3 km driving distance from Talamone, a very nice fishing village.

As day trips I suggest you visit Capalbio and the Tarot Garden, Orbetello and the Mount Argentario, where the sea is extremely beautiful. I also recommend a day trip to Giglio Island - you take the ferry from Porto Santo Stefano at Mount Argentario.

The Maremma region is also famous for thermal baths such as Saturnia and Terme di Petriolo and for the "tuff cities" of Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana.

I personally love Maremma and I think it's one of the most beautiful areas in Tuscany. There you find everything: nature, art, culture, good food. I suggest you read the article about our holiday in Maremma so that you can find more suggestions.

Regarding the beaches. October is low season for seaside destinations and beaches are not crowded at all and you probably won't see any umbrellas. Even the most crowded beaches of Versilia up north will be empty in October. So I think you don't have to worry about avoiding the crowds on the beach ;) Have a look at the map of the top beaches in Tuscany to find more information.

Then about most tourist destinations in Tuscany, we can say that almost all of Tuscany is touristic :)! All places mentioned in the 7 days itinerary are very popular and people come from all over the world to visit these areas. For more famous destinations in Tuscany visit our guide about Tuscany.

I also suggest you look at our picture gallery of Maremma. You'll find lots of pictures of most of the mentioned destinations.

Well, I really hope you'll find my suggestions helpful and you'll spend some time in Maremma :D
 
Ciao Katherine,

To add a small detail to all of Valentina's recommendations: consider that October is already considered a mid or low season month, depending in the area of Tuscany. Definitely the coast already receives less tourists because the weather starts changing although there can still be nice mild days. Elba, for example, definitely sees a fall in visitors at the end of September and some places start closing up for the fall and winter.

Cities will definitely still have lots of visitors but not as many as you see in the period May-August so you won't have to worry about too many crowds....aside from Florence, which has lots of visitors year round.
 
Thank you both for the information. Maremma was the area I had in the back of my mind so I feel good about going there. The week we are at the sea we will be looking for a rental as close to the beach as possible. Is there a way to find a reputable rental agency?
 
Ciao Katherine,

Actually in the area I think it is most common to look for direct contact with properties and contact them directly about availability and total cost.
Given your expressed interests for the two weeks, I highly agree that La Valentina Nuova farmhouse might be ideal for you - stables nearby for riding, the Maremma natural park steps right next to it perfect for short and longer hikes, and the sea less than 10 min away. The sea and beaches along the park's coast are beautiful.
You can also find additional suggestions here for accommodation in Maremma.
 
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