Planning a trip to Italy- Need help Lourdes

amrit

New member
Hi me and my husband are doing a whirlwind trip to Europe from Singapore. We are spending maximum time in Italy i.e. 8 days in the first week of July. We are big on food. Both of us are vegetarians (eat eggs though).
We most definitely need your help in planning Tuscany.
So far, we are spending 1 day in Rome, 1 day Venice, 1 day Florence and we have 4-5 days for Tuscany. We Would like to do a day trip to Siena.
We are not going to be driving ourselves in Tuscany as we assume the roads could be winding and be hilly. We are not very good drivers.
We will be relying on hired taxis.
Are my assumptions true about the roads in Tuscany?
How expensive and easy is it to hire cars?

Secondly, which place should we make our base? We are looking for something green and cool and with access to good food. We are Indians and though used to the heat but don't appreciate hot temperatures :) Chianti seems to be a good option but have also come across Val d'orcin.
Can you please advise on the right base and possibly accommodation for us.
Also would you recommend doing a food tour? And any suggestions on this, if any.
Thank you. Your reply will make things much simpler for us.
Much Appreciate it.:confused:
 
No Car

Buongiorno,

I can appreciate your decision not to drive around - though honestly, the Italian drivers and roads are not as bad as their reputation :cool:

Having said that, you can opt to stay in Chianti - Greve in Chianti is probably the town that will give you the best access to public transport. Many places can be visited with just a bit of coordination and the use of the Italian bus / trains.

You can arrange for a driver, however they can be costly, so you might want to consider combining your options. Two day trips with public transport and two days with a driver?

I would suggest hanging in Florence for an extra day and using it as a base to visit Siena.

OR you could use it as a base for a day or two and then do a day trip with public transport from Siena.


Buon Viaggio,

Donna Denise
 
4/5 days in Tuscany

Hi everyone! Ciao!

I think you are too afraid about the streets and the drivers in Tuscany! But, if you decide to hire a car with a driver, it's a good choice, there are many company you can consider, like Coave, for example.

A great base city in Tuscany, in my opinion, is Lucca. But also Pistoia. Two smart city you can really enjoy and great point to have a daytrip.

In these 4/5 days you must visit the countryside, the Chianti region (here you can find some suggestions about what to see in the countryside: http://www.federicominghi.it/toscana/): visit Volpaia and Radda in Chianti! Take a light lunch in Colle Bereto (one of my favourite farms).

Or may be rent a villa for 4 days, in the countryside, like Villa Ciggiano (www.villaciggiano.com) and enjoy the pure nature of Tuscany. This would be a great place to base too.

There are also many possibilities to walk on the medieval paths around florence and San Gimignano (walkabout Tuscany is a nice operator).

Hope you will enjoy Tuscany!
 
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