Anonimo asked 10 anni ago
Hello. I am so happy I found your blog. We are 8 women celebrating our 60th birthdays at a villa outside of Sienna. We are all from NYC and enjoy great restaurants, beautiful ceramics, lots of walking, and exploring little towns. I am a bit nervous about renting an automatic car and driving, but others say it will not be a problem. We want to do a wine tour, would love a food tasting tour more than a cooking class, designer outlets, a day or 2 going to Florence. We land in Rome (need a cool hotel that is not a fortune) and ideas for our 2 days there. Was there 30 years ago. And would love to have our days planned for day trips from our villa so we don\’t have 8 indecisive women trying to make a plan each day. Would love your ideas for our day trips from the villa in near Siena. Which days should we go to wine tour, Chianti, Lucca, San Gim.., Siena, and are there restaurants we should not miss? We arrive in Rome July 4 6 am, and spend that night, and go to Villa on Saturday. Is there a best way to get to the Villa? At end of the trip we have 2 days and want to go Cinque Terre at the end, but maybe it is too far to go back to Rome. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, I know I have a ton of questions. : ) Thanks for being so kind to say you are willing to help!!!!!! Joyce
elena nacci Staff answered 10 anni ago
Yes I’m happy to help
Sounds like you will have a great time for your 60th birthdays! Italy is the right place to be
Renting a car is the best way to tour Tuscany, I recommend it; you will have more time and can do everything without being too much in a hurry!
Let’s start with your 2 days in Rome, where I suggest the following cool hotels, one different from the other:
–Gigli d’Oro Suite
This modern boutique hotel is located near the beautiful Piazza Navona in the very heart of Rome
–Hotel Campo De’ Fiori
Refined and peculiar hotel in the Campo dè Fiori quarter, with a fantastic rooftop terrace with incredible view.
Rome is a huge wonderful town with lots of things to see, don’t miss the Colosseum, the Fori Imperiali, the Pantheon, and Rome’s many beautiful squares, like Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Navona.
As for your day trips from the villa near Siena, here is my list of the best day trips to make starting from Siena; don’t miss Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Chianti, and the Val d’Orcia.
As for wine tours, would you like suggestions for some organized tour? Actually, having the car you may tour some of the best wineries of Tuscany on your own, like Badia a Passignano and Badia a Coltibuonoin Chianti, and Ciacci Piccolomini and Fattoria Poggio Grande in Val d’Orcia. However, you’ll meet lots of wineries also just while driving in the countryside, just stop anywhere you like
The 2 wineries in Chianti also have osterias where to enjoy great Tuscan food!
You could rent your car directly in Rome and from there reach Siena enjoying this road trip, that covers amazing and also lesser known sights of Italy, like the stunning Civita di Bagnoregio. You could pick your car up in a location right outside Rome’s city center, so to avoid some traffic. If you think that driving to get out of Rome is not doable, then reach Siena by a direct bus, that will take about 2 hours and 40 minutes; check here for bus timetables.
As for visiting Florence, here is a quick guide to the city’s major attractions, while here are Florence’s best restaurants. For shopping outlets in Tuscany, have a look here.
I’d spend your last 2 days in the charming hill town of Cortona! The place is lovely and offers a lot to do, while food and wines are excellent here. From Cortona you might want to visit some fantastic destinations in the Umbria region, so full of incredible sights to visit! Deruta, for instance, is renowned for its wonderful ceramics
I’m here for any further questions you might have,
Enjoy planning your special vacation
elena
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