Sole Female Traveller In Tuscany

[Suzy.P]

Hi everyone I am new to this forum and I am a middle aged Australian woman planning a solo trip to Florence and surrounding Tuscany in May 2016. I am staying in Florence for 7 nights to experience everything Florentine then I want to stay somewhere that is a good example of Tuscan countryside without being to out of the way as I will not be hiring a car.
It is my first time traveling to Italy and Tuscany so I was hoping that this forum could give me a few pointers about where to go and where to stay .
I am hoping to stay around another week in Tuscany before I fly to Paris so a quiet interlude after Florence and before Paris but with some interesting sites and good food ( but I know... all Italian food is good).
I would like to leave this post at that and see what other members come up with and then I can explore the possibilities.
Best Wishes
Suzy.P

[DonnaDenise]

Buongiorno,

Here are a couple of things you may want to consider while travelling on your own:

while in Florence there are a ton of things you can do which will allow you to enjoy being on your own while still be in the "mix" of things. One of my (new) favorite things to do is eat at the San Lorenzo Market - the environment is always full of people and the tables are shared so you can even strike up a conversation. The food might be a bit more expensive....but its varied ;-)

while in Florence, look into joining a cooking class one night or even a walking tour - this way you can meet other people, enjoy yourself and maybe find some eager travelling companions for another day. I would also suggest looking into at least one organized tour of Chianti or the area, because sometimes without a car it is tough to see everything that you want to.

Check out this website (That's Prato) as it gets closer to your arrival date - they offer free tours leaving from Florence and visiting Prato and the surrounding area. I have already been on two and totally enjoyed them. It was a perfect mix of Italian/English and they say they will have a varied calendar - Nov/Dec are already in the works.

Buon Viaggio

Donna Denise

[Pro Loco Sovicille]

Buongiorno!

It is certainly a good idea to stay 7 days in Florence - there are a lot of wonderful things to see and to explore... as already written by Donna Denise, from Florence there are good bus and train connections to other famous tuscan cities.
After your experience in Florence, you could choose a little village to relax. Sovicille, for example, is one of the nice and authentic tuscan villages. It is located at only 13 kms from Siena (there is a bus connection into town). Siena is like a huge museum - it is a wonderful medieval town with a lot of attracions.
We wish you a very nice holiday!

[Suzy.P]

Thank you Donna Denise for the great advice... I will definitely see into your suggestions for Florence
I am also looking for quiet peaceful rustic towns surrounding of Florence where I can stay about a week just wind down . Is there such a place?

Buongiorno,

Here are a couple of things you may want to consider while travelling on your own:

while in Florence there are a ton of things you can do which will allow you to enjoy being on your own while still be in the "mix" of things. One of my (new) favorite things to do is eat at the San Lorenzo Market - the environment is always full of people and the tables are shared so you can even strike up a conversation. The food might be a bit more expensive....but its varied ;-)

while in Florence, look into joining a cooking class one night or even a walking tour - this way you can meet other people, enjoy yourself and maybe find some eager travelling companions for another day. I would also suggest looking into at least one organized tour of Chianti or the area, because sometimes without a car it is tough to see everything that you want to.

Check out this website (That's Prato) as it gets closer to your arrival date - they offer free tours leaving from Florence and visiting Prato and the surrounding area. I have already been on two and totally enjoyed them. It was a perfect mix of Italian/English and they say they will have a varied calendar - Nov/Dec are already in the works.

Buon Viaggio

Donna Denise

[DonnaDenise]

Hi -

around Siena, as mentioned by Pro Loco Sovicille is definitely interesting. Perhpas you can divide these 7 days into two phases - one in the Chianti area and one further south in the Sovicille area.

http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/villa-alba.html is for adult travellers and is within walking distance of San Gimignano

or you could look at this lovely little place near Cortona: http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/...-del-sodo.html

http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/...nti-house.html is also another favorite of mine

as is http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/casa-palmira.html (this one is in Mugello...but easy to get around because of the buses)

Donna Denise