Tuscany Travel Help!

mandymay

New member
Hello-

I was so pleased to find this forum! My husband and I are planning our trip to Italy. We are in need of some expert advice on where we should visit in Tuscany in relation to our hotel. We were hoping to get a driver to help us navigate. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!! We are arriving in Rome in April and we stay 3 nights there. From Rome we head to Florence for 2 nights. Then we head to Renaissance Tuscany II Ciocco Resort and Spa. We are here for 3 nights. We have a culinary experience set up at Fattoria Colleverde on the second day. What else should we see or do in that area on that day and what other places should we plan to visit while we are in Tuscany? Thank you in advance for your help!

Mandy
 
Getting around

Buongiorno,


I can give you the WhatsApp for two drivers and you can check their prices - they both speak English, and I have used all three with friends and family, so they are all reliable:

Beppe: +39 392 140 0056
Simone: +39 334 705 3211

Francesco from Tuscany Wine & Drive is both a private chauffeur as well as a sommelier - so he can definitely take you to the best wineries!! Here's our interview with him so you can better evaluate whether it works for you: https://www.discovertuscany.com/tuscany-car-rental/tuscany-wine-and-drive.html
Consider that private drivers are not a cheap service and that his service covers both the driving as well as the tour as you go along and the wine tastings, so it is all in one service. Technically speaking, NCC drivers will just drive, they are not authorized to tell you anything like a guide would - but they are also Italian and it is hard to keep them quiet :cool:.

Lucca is a fascinating area with so much to offer - I such you look through this section on our website, there are so many helpful ideas - the villas, the vineyards and the cities close by!

Buon Viaggio,

Donna Denise
 
Ciao Mandy,

Are you planning to have the chauffeur the whole time while you're at Il Ciocco? We've stayed there and a car is a MUST to move around, so if you actually are not planning to drive at all while here and want the car while there, I would suggest you contact Il Ciocco to get recommendations for LOCAL private drivers. You definitely want someone who is nearby who can show up easily and won't charge an arm and leg because he's actually based further away and charges you extra for driving to and being at Il Ciocco bright and early and at your leisure.

Also, how are you planning to get to Il Ciocco from Florence? Take that into consideration as well --- you can definitely take a train to Lucca, but then would need the driver from Lucca to get to Il Ciocco. The resort is near Barga but NOT in the town, it is a large estate spread out on the side of a hill nearby. Gorgeous views, great services and all... but definitely not a place you can get to easily without a car.

Since you're in that area, I'd recommend Lucca, the villas around Lucca, Pisa, the sea around Viareggio/Forte dei Marmi. Barga, of course :) We also really like the Wind Caves which are not far away.
 
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