My boyfriend and I are traveling to Tuscany in May. We're renting an apartment midway between Florence and Siena and will be renting a car to get around. We have 6 full days in the area and are looking for advice for an itinerary.
I was thinking 2 days in Florence and 1 day in Siena. We would also like to spend some time hiking or doing some other outdoor activity. Any suggestions on how to best fill 3 extra days? Thanks!
It looks like you are in a good central area for seeing some really good parts of Tuscany. The two suggestions that I can offer is 1) don't drive into Florence and 2) don't drive into Florence and expect to find a parking place.
Permits are needed in certain neighborhoods and most of the historic area in Florence. They have computerized cameras to get you. Months after you have returned home, you get a notice for a really nasty ticket (expensive). You search this site for traffic tickets and read a few horror stories. Take the train into Florence. Supposedly, these areas are marked with signs, but you have to be able to read and understand the sign. Your car rental agency may have some good information on this subject.
There is so much to see in Tuscany it's hard to know where to begin. Any of the hilltowns are great. If you have the apartment for the entire time, you can do day trips to lots of places. And not just in Tuscany. You can go to the Cinque Terre from there, and many other places. I wouldn't bother renting other places for night stays if you have this apt for the entire time. You'll be in a great jumping-off place for other locales.
In 2003 we rented an apartment in Montepulciano. It was up on the top (3rd) floor, and had 2.5 floors itself. The view from the rooftop balcony was of the hills to the south and east. I told my wife she could kill me now, because life would never get better.
I'm so envious. Can I come?
I'd say have a great trip, but a great trip in ensured.
We really liked San Gimignano. It's a great medieval town. Although it's a tourist trap, it was beautiful and the prices for food, souvenirs, etc. were about the same as anywhere else.
I think it's worth a few hours of exploring early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
There are loads of hiking "tours" for Tuscany and Umbria, just google "tuscany + hiking tours" or similar and loads should come up. The ones I looked at were anything from one day to seven or so.
Montalcino.
You will not want to leave.
Visit the Abbiza di Sant Antimo.
We love Volterra, and a drive that Rick Steves has in his book which takes you outside of Siena and through the foothills. We ate in the square in Asciano where the town mayor and sort of city council members cooked Polenta with Sausage Marinara Sauce with a glass of wine for 4 Euros each. It was wonderful. Also Rio Maggiore just outside Siena a walled little town that stood between the armies of Siena and Florence. Oh and Pienza where, our agriturismo hostess Anna says, the best Pecorino cheese comes from. And then there is Montalcino and Multipulciano and on and on.
Paula
watch Rick's videos on PBS or from your local library. Get his guide book to the area, also some other ones if you'd like (there are some books specifically oriented towards hiking, can't remember titles offhand). There's just so many places to see (wine country, hilltowns, agritourismo, etc) that you can't exhaust it in 6 weeks, let alone 6 days!! The plan for 2 days in Florence is good; book the Uffizi ahead of time. As for the rest, there's so much to do spend some time reading and then pick what you like.
Two items: There is public parking under the train station in Florence but it is hard to find the entrance. Be very careful where you park at Pisa, especially if there is anything of value in your car. The break-in artists in the area know that you will be away from your car for at least an hour while you take in the sights. Beware.
We also took that Senese drive Rick talks about from Siena and stopped in Asciano.It is a great drive.
We rented an updated old farmhouse near Cortona in 2003 and took many car day trips to hilltop villages in the area. Our favorites were Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza and of course Cortona (Under the Tuscan Sun). If you like cheese, don't miss Pienza,worth the trip for the cheeses alone. You can easily do any two in a day.
