Hi everyone, great site - so glad I stumbled upon it.
My wife and I are planning a 9 day trip in march and I am starting to think we are spreading ourselves to thin.
We fly into Milan, fly out of Rome.. renting a car and planning on:
- Cinque Terre - 2 days, 2 nights (9/10th)
- wake up and follow the coast down to Pisa area and spend a night there. (11th)
- drive to Florence and spend 2 nights (12/13th)
- head towards Sienna and spend 2 nights somewhere in region (14th/15th)
- drive towards Montepulciano and spend 1 night (16th)
- Rome for our last night (17th)
A friend who works in the wine industry set us up with some tours at two wineries on the 15th and 16th outside Sienna and Montepulciano... so need to try to be local for those - but outside of that our goal is to sort of get lost in Tuscany.
While I mentioned some of the major cities above, we rather spend time in the country... just not sure exactly the best way to handle it. Are we better off picking one place in the country as home base and driving places from there?
Do we need to make reservations in March? Or can we find places as we drive around?
Is two nights in Cinque Terre to much for a trip this short? Would we be better off to do one full day, one night and leave the next afternoon?
Rome is the toughest decision for us... we sort of feel like maybe we wait and do Rome as part of a Naples trip next time we come... but how do you fly out of Rome and not at least take a day or two?
When is best place to rent the car? Should we train from Milan to Cinque Terre and rent after that? Is that possible? And if so - should we train from Milan, to Cinque Terre, to Florence and then rent?
Any advice would be helpful... really want to experience the best food and wine and we'd rather spend time in smaller villages than cities.
Thanks in advance!
My wife and I are planning a 9 day trip in march and I am starting to think we are spreading ourselves to thin.
We fly into Milan, fly out of Rome.. renting a car and planning on:
- Cinque Terre - 2 days, 2 nights (9/10th)
- wake up and follow the coast down to Pisa area and spend a night there. (11th)
- drive to Florence and spend 2 nights (12/13th)
- head towards Sienna and spend 2 nights somewhere in region (14th/15th)
- drive towards Montepulciano and spend 1 night (16th)
- Rome for our last night (17th)
A friend who works in the wine industry set us up with some tours at two wineries on the 15th and 16th outside Sienna and Montepulciano... so need to try to be local for those - but outside of that our goal is to sort of get lost in Tuscany.
While I mentioned some of the major cities above, we rather spend time in the country... just not sure exactly the best way to handle it. Are we better off picking one place in the country as home base and driving places from there?
Do we need to make reservations in March? Or can we find places as we drive around?
Is two nights in Cinque Terre to much for a trip this short? Would we be better off to do one full day, one night and leave the next afternoon?
Rome is the toughest decision for us... we sort of feel like maybe we wait and do Rome as part of a Naples trip next time we come... but how do you fly out of Rome and not at least take a day or two?
When is best place to rent the car? Should we train from Milan to Cinque Terre and rent after that? Is that possible? And if so - should we train from Milan, to Cinque Terre, to Florence and then rent?
Any advice would be helpful... really want to experience the best food and wine and we'd rather spend time in smaller villages than cities.
Thanks in advance!