After Venice and Florence, we are going to spend three days driving thru Tuscany to Rome. We will be traveling in mid July. Is it safe to have a flexible schedule and not make Hotel reservations ahead? I would like to go or stay where we feel motivated, but sleeping in my car does not sound fun.
Posted by
NYC
922 posts
Mid-July is dead-on peak tourist season in Tuscany. If you do chance it and are able to find accommodations, they will likely be what nobody else wanted. Go for it, if you can live with that risk. I can sometimes be OK staying anywhere if it's only for one night, provided it has 4 walls, a bed, functioning plumbing, and is bed-bug free. But I, too, draw the line on sleeping in a car. :) On vacation, which for me is all about relaxing and reducing stress, I like to know I have an accommodation I can count on.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8163 posts
Every farm in Tuscany has rooms for rent (for secondary income.) But if they're not on an internet booking website, finding rooms can be quite a hassle. And remember to be looking for air conditioning in July, as Tuscany's very hot. That might be an issue if you're staying at agriturismo's. I've had best luck with Booking.com. I'll sometimes look at TripAdvisor.com and contact the hotels direct.
Having internet access is important if you're wanting to book rooms in the short term.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA
206 posts
Also, you should try to find your accommodations by 3pm; after that it's starts to get iffy, especially if it's a Friday. Get your hotel and then you can continue sightseeing without any stress. Happy Travels. Devra
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
Lynne, I would choose a town to base in & then take day trips from there. It's much easier to stay in the same place for 3 nights than to pack up and move to a new hotel every day. We based in Siena for 3 nights and drove all around Tuscany to different towns each day. I would definitely reserve your lodging ahead of time, especially for July. While it's nice to be spontaneous, it's not fun in my opinion to drive around looking for lodging while wasting precious sightseeing time. I would reserve your lodging ASAP; even now you'll be limited in terms of what's available as the best places have likely already been booked. Have a great trip.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
It can also be hard to find a room on Saturday nights. And, like others have said, if you want a/c, that can also be hard to find. Very few establishments have that comfort. It usually takes us several hours to find something if we are winging it.