Tuscany in 7 days

[PaulAston]

Hi,

My Wife and I are travelling to Tuscany from Venice on the 14 October and wondered if you could advise us on road trip ideas.

We will be collecting our car on arrival into Florence so looking for ideas on where to spend our 6 nights and what to see along the way. We leave the region on the 21st October driving to Rome.

Our thoughts were
2 nights Florence
2-3 nights Chianti area
1-2 nights Cortona

Having said that we are open to anything during our stay and would appreciate any advice

rgds

Paul

[Chiara]

Dear Paul,
have a look at this article about visiting Tuscany in 7 days: it's an itinerary for visiting all the most important sightseeings of the region in a week:
http://www.discovertuscany.com/itine...n-tuscany.html

Besides your ideas about Florence, CHianti and Cortona, there are Lucca, San Gimignano, Siena, Monteriggioni, Arezzo and the wonderful Valdorcia. If you've decided to rent a car, you won't have any problem in moving around Tuscany and visiting all those places, with the freedom to stop whenever you want to.

You could find useful this page also
http://www.visitflorence.com/moving-around-florence/
where you'll find articles about moving around Florence by car (tips for avoiding ZTL fines, for parking, etc).
Remember however that you'll easily move around the city by public transports, so you could rent your car when you decide to leave Florence for continuing your itinerary elsewhere. Car is really worthless when you stay in Florence! If you decide to sleep all the week long in the city, then you'll need the car to visit destinations like Valdorcia or CHianti, but if you decide to move and book your accommodation elsewhere after two days in Florence, you could actually start renting your car at this stage of your holiday.

If you still don't have any ideas for booking your accommodation in Tuscany, have a look at the Tuscany Accommodation website: there you'll find farmhouses, holiday apartments, B&B everywhere in Tuscany.

Hope that will help you in planning your stay in Tuscany!

CHiara

[PaulAston]

Hi CHiara

Thank you for your reply which is excellant. With the 7 day itinerary would you have any recommendations of where to stay, i.e which town is better for overnight. We would rather be in the towns to explore rather than the country and favour more traditional hotels.

After reading what you sent we think of doing the following

2 nights Florence
Day three Pisa and Luca enroute to somewhere in Chianti for the night, either stay for one night or move do a different location in Chianti. Destinations with traditional cafe, restaurants etc. Total nigth in Chianto region 2
2 nights Cortona or 1 night adding in another night in the Chianti region

We will be driving throughout.

Your thoughts ?

Many thanks

[Chiara]

Dear Paul,
for your nights in Florence, take a look at this page where you'll find a selected list of traditional hotels in Florence with a map, so you may choose according to the location where you would like to stay in:
http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/florence-hotels/

Then, you'll move to Pisa and Lucca for the third day, but I'd rather spend a night there instead driving straight away to the Chianti region. Consider that it takes you about 1 hour - by car - from Florence to Pisa or Lucca; then, hal an hour from Lucca to Pisa - or viceversa - and a half day to visit at least the MUST SEES of both cities. Then, again about an hour to come back to Florence, where you should continue to the Chianti region...a bit too much, I think! So, I would spend a night in Pisa or Lucca (take a look at the city hotels selected) and then move to Chianti fully rested early in the morning.

Spending at least two nights in Chianti is a good idea: you won't have to change hotel and location each night, it's a bit more restful.

For the last two nights you could choose a location in Valdorcia, where you would be surrounded by the countryside: it's a marvelous location and the small towns like Castiglione and San Quirico d'Orcia, Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano are really precious.
Then, last day to Cortona and Arezzo, before going to Rome and flying back home.
I don't know when you need to arrive at Rome, but if your flight leaves early in the day, maybe it's better spending the two last nights in Cortona, so that the last itinerary step will be more calm and easy to afford, or the last night already in Rome if you have a very early flight.

[DonnaDenise]

Hello,

Cortona is such a beautiful area to visit ... and not just because of the film Under the Tuscan Sun. The town is gorgeous and you will find lots of cafes and restaurants right there.

If you have time driving around in the countryside you can check out the town Civitella in Val di Chiana, it is a sleepy little town with lots of personality and an incredible terrace view over the Val di Chiana area. There are a few quaint little restaurants and the ruins of a castle to explore. October may be a bit if with the weather, but there is a super restaurant that sits on the terrace with the view.

Another little town close to Cortona that is worth a visit is Lucignano, a bit larger than Civitella but is still offers that small town feel - without being touristy. The town is total enclosed in the original walls and offers several authentic restaurants and a great opportunity to wonder the little streets and alleys.

Buon viaggio

[PaulAston]

Hi,

Thank you so much for the below, definitaley sounds like places we will visit. We have now decided to stay two nights in Cortona, just need to decide where to spend the other two nights, thinking San Gimignano ?

Hello,

Cortona is such a beautiful area to visit ... and not just because of the film Under the Tuscan Sun. The town is gorgeous and you will find lots of cafes and restaurants right there.

If you have time driving around in the countryside you can check out the town Civitella in Val di Chiana, it is a sleepy little town with lots of personality and an incredible terrace view over the Val di Chiana area. There are a few quaint little restaurants and the ruins of a castle to explore. October may be a bit if with the weather, but there is a super restaurant that sits on the terrace with the view.

Another little town close to Cortona that is worth a visit is Lucignano, a bit larger than Civitella but is still offers that small town feel - without being touristy. The town is total enclosed in the original walls and offers several authentic restaurants and a great opportunity to wonder the little streets and alleys.

Buon viaggio

[PaulAston]

Thank you Chiara, we have decided to remove Pisa and Lucca in favour of more time in Chianti region, IF time allows we may take the train from Florence straight to Pisa one afternoon if time allows.

This will give us two nights somewhere in Chianti ( San Gimignano ? ) and final two nights in Cortona

Dear Paul,
for your nights in Florence, take a look at this page where you'll find a selected list of traditional hotels in Florence with a map, so you may choose according to the location where you would like to stay in:
http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/florence-hotels/

Then, you'll move to Pisa and Lucca for the third day, but I'd rather spend a night there instead driving straight away to the Chianti region. Consider that it takes you about 1 hour - by car - from Florence to Pisa or Lucca; then, hal an hour from Lucca to Pisa - or viceversa - and a half day to visit at least the MUST SEES of both cities. Then, again about an hour to come back to Florence, where you should continue to the Chianti region...a bit overfull I think! So, I would spend a night in Pisa or Lucca (yake a look at the city hotels selected) and then move to Chianti fully rested early in the morning.

Spending at least two nights in Chianti is a good idea: you won't have to change hotel and location each night, it's a bit more restful.

For the last two nights you could choose a location in Valdorcia, even if you would be sourrounded by the countryside: it's a marvellous location and the small towns like Castiglione and San Quirico d'Orcia, PIenza, Montalcino and Montepulciano are really precious.
Then, last day to Cortona and Arezzo, before going to Rome and flying back home.
I don't know when you need to arrive at Rome, but if your flight leaves early in the day, maybe it's better spending the two last nights in Cortona, so that the last itinerary step will be more calm and easy to afford.

[Chiara]

San Gimignano has such a rich variety of accommodation that you'll be spoilt for choice!
You could choose to stay in the historical city center, enjoying the beatuy od this town with the chance to get out your accommodation and be directly in the old city center, ready for strolling the lanes and tiny quaint streets, have a look at this:
http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/attico-duomo.html

Otherwise, San Gimignano is completely surrounded by a marvellous countryside where you'll find typical Tuscan farmhouses, restored and furnished in the characteristic rural style, a few steps from the town: pros are you can avoid parking trubles and relative fees, which are quite expensive in San Gimignano, have a look at this article for useful info:
http://www.discovertuscany.com/san-g...gimignano.html
This also may be useful:
http://www.discovertuscany.com/san-g...gimignano.html

All San Gimignano best lodgings are lited here:
http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/san-gimignano/

This is a good option for your two nights staying: its' located within easy driving distance from all places you'd like to visit, especially Siena and the Chianti area. I suggest you to go to Panzano in Chianti and stop by Dario Cecchini's Antica Macelleria for enjoying an authentic and genuine meat meal (you may choose for both a quick lunch or a more calm and relaxed sitted one).