Karen asked 10 anni ago
We are a group of four, two couples travelling through Italy from 7th Sept to 27th Sept. We are planning on visiting Rome North. We like to avoid large, organised tours & big hotels. We were thinking of spending Tues 8th to Thurs 10th Sept in Rome, then hiring a car and spending a week in Tuscany. After that driving to Venice for about 4 days, where we will leave the car and travel by train to the Lakes district for a few days before returning to Rome for our flight home. We are open to suggestions on this. Should we pick up the car in Rome or travel by train into Tuscany on the 10th and collect one there?
Do you have any suggestions for accommodation and what we should see in each of our destinations? Bed & Breakfasts are ideal, we don’t think we have the time to fully utilise complete self contained accommodation. We would like to stay in small towns that are large enough to have a variety of options for meals. We would prefer to spend say 3/4 nights in the south of Tuscany and 3/4 in the North rather than base ourselves in one place for the week and spend many hours driving. If possible we would like to organise a walking tour (for two of us) and a cycling tour (for two of us) while we are in Tuscany.
elena nacci Staff answered 10 anni ago
Sounds like a good itinerary through Italy. Rome, Tuscany, Como Lake, and Venice are all wonderful destinations that I recommend in this suggested tour of Italy.
I would pick the car up in Rome, the road from Rome to Siena and Florence in Tuscany is rich in terms of beautiful things to see! This is why I’ve written a full post on that recommending a road trip from Rome to Tuscany and back, where I suggest visiting amazing sights like Orvieto, famous for its Duomo and its subterraneans, and Civita di Bagnoregio, known as the dying city.
I absolutely second your intention to split your time in Tuscany among 2 different locations, that saves a lot of time and will allow you to visit many more attractions.
On your way from Rome to Tuscany you will then reach the Val d’Orcia region; we are in southern Tuscany, in a territory of rare beauty. I recommend to stay here first. Montalcino, Pienza, Bagno Vignoni, and Montepulciano are all beautiful villages, and each of them can serve as a great base. Particularly Bagno Vignoni is a special place, and here I recommend the B&B Locanda del Loggiato, very charming place. Another great option is the B&B a Casa di Adelina near the stunning Pienza.
This area of Tuscany has a lot to offer and many sights to admire, here is my list; while at the end of this post you find a list of the day trips you might take while here.
On leaving the Val d’Orcia direct toward Siena, spend some time visiting it, it’s beautiful!
At this stage you have 2 possibilities, you can choose either Chianti or San Gimignano as your next base in Tuscany! Personally, I would prefer San Gimignano, not only for its beauty but also for its location, honestly more convenient to visit sights located north like Pisa, Lucca, and Volterra.
From San Gimignano you can still visit the lovely Chianti area on a day trip. All info and the day trips you can take from San Gimignano in this post.
A great accommodation in San Gimignano, is the charming B&B Locanda Viani, that offers an unforgettable and amazing view over the famous medieval towers. The Locanda is located right outside the medieval walls so you will not have any problems of parking, since the historic center of the village is a limited traffic area.
Feel free to ask any other question,
Enjoy planning your trip,
elena
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