Home Base Arezzo

geowino

New member
I haven't noticed anyone using Arezzo as a home base for touring Tuscany, but we are doing that in April 2017 and wonder if we've made a mistake choosing that town. We're staying at an AC Hotel for 5 nights and planned on making day trips with a rental car picked up in Venice after a cruise. Are we in for a driving headache?
Geowino
 
Arezzo as home base

Buongiorno,

The Italians have a saying "sfondo una porta aperta" which means, when you are talking to me about the good points of Arezzo you are trying to batter down a door that is wide open. I love it as a base. Could be that I lived for 14 years in Casentino, a great valley to the north of Arezzo or it could just be that it is a great town - small enough to give you an authentic feel for Italian culture yet large enough to provide good restaurants, easy access to major roads and many cultural opportunities (museums, theatre, fairs and markets).

From here you can visit Florence (by train even better and the timing is better than driving!), Siena (and if you really want there are buses though I must admit the drive is rather beautiful). Arezzo is quite the wine producing area so you can definitely look into some local wine tasting! but you are still close to Chianti or Montepulciano for some wine.

Other places to visit include Cortona, Chiusi (and area), Sansepolcro and if you want to go just beyond the borders even Assisi and Perugia are just a bit further out than the beautiful Lago Trasimeno.

Let me know if you have any specific questions -

Buon Viaggio,

Donna Denise
 
Arezzo

Thank you Donna Denise; you have given us confidence in our original decision and your suggestions are very helpful. We want to experience Tuscany from a wine standpoint because we are home winemakers and many times wish we could obtain Italian grapes. Side trips to Chianti and Montepulciano for wine and Florence and Siena for history sounds like exactly what we are looking for. We've been to Florence once before but that was an escorted trip; didn't have to plan a route or stops along the way. This will be much different, and perhaps, more satisfying. Once again, we are most grateful for your help.
Geowino
 
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