I am traveling on May 15 and returning June 2 for a total of 17 days not including travel days. I want to start out in the Umbria region and prefer an agritourismo accommodation for the experience. Any favorite agriturismos you would suggest? Then travel closer to Florence. From May 25 for 3 nights, I am booked at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa in the Lucca countryside, about 45 minutes to the city of Lucca. From there I am staying in Forte dei Marmi for 4 nights. The day before I depart June 1, I plan on driving from Forte dei Marmi somewhere within easy driving distance to the airport to return the car and catch my flight on June 2. My question is how much time do I want to spend in Umbria, Tuscany (near Florence) before heading to The Renaissance hotel near Lucca? Is there enough to do and see that warrant 9 days in that area knowing that Lucca is also close to the same area? Should I shorten that and go to Bologna for a night or two? Any suggestions on places to stop or what to see and where to spend the night on my last day heading towards Rome for easy drive to the airport the next day? Thank you in advance for your help.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15193 posts
You have 9 nights between the time of arrival (May 16) and the time of check in at Il Ciocco (May 25). I would schedule 3 or 4 in Umbria, and the rest in Tuscany somewhere in or near Florence (although with a car, I wouldn't stay in the historical center of Florence).
Which airport are you arriving and departing from? And at what time are you landing? That may determine where to sleep on the day of arrival. If you arrive late, let's say in Milan or Rome, then driving to Umbria upon arrival may not be advisable considering the effects of jet lag. Umbria is approximately 3 hours drive from Rome airport and 5+ hours from Milan.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
flying in and out of rome and arrival is at 8:00 in the morning. I am now looking for an agritourismo to book for Umbria. Thank you for the suggestions.
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1556 posts
The eastern side of Umbria is the most scenic part. Assisi, Trevi, Spello, Norcia, Gubbio all worth visiting, never made it to Perugia or Spoleto.
Plenty of ground and sites to cover between Umbria and Lucca, you might want to consider a base close to Siena. I've stayed in Montepulciano twice, liked it very much, but drove a lot more than usual distance-wise. Try stay to the side roads. Siena is a more central location (outside the town itself), allowing easy access to Florence itself.
Posted by
Hobart Tasmania
357 posts
@Stan. I see you have booked some rather nice accommodation. I would like to share the following gem with you which may be of interest.
A few kilometres to the east of Siena near Rapolano Terme are an estate and working farm: Castle of Modanella (castellodimodanella.it) The women in my family had contemplated booking the largest villa on the estate, Villa-La-Montagna for our families and a couple of blow ins for a week in autumn 2020. Sadly, other events intervened. So have not actually stayed there yet. From the website you will see that there is a good choice of apartments from those for couples through to a large family gathering. Additionally, the estate offers a range of wines, oils, and grappa’s. My Italian mates in the region speak very highly of it and its restaurant.
I can attest that wedding receptions in late summer/early autumn are special and delightful.
Make sure you check out the conference tab and scroll through the pictures. Nice Ferraris including two Dino’s. Under services it proffers “on moonlit nights you can take romantic horseback riding”. Put a smile and far away glaze in my wife’s eyes. She likes horse riding.
It has the added advantage of being central to the popular Tuscan towns which attract tourists. Not really for the budget conscious.
Umbria is a favourite of the family. A few of my mate’s nonnos and nonnas came from this region. So, over the years have made local friends here. I prefer spending time in the lesser towns: i.e., Todi, Norcia and going to new locations like Sellano, Cascia etc.
To the south bordering Lazio is the town of Rieti, usually ignored by guidebooks. According to Livy, scene of the abduction of the Sabine women. (Other accounts paint a more brutal picture). Inspired paintings by Rubens, Cortona, Stella et al. Also, Giambologna’s statue, Abduction of a Sabine Woman, usually on display at Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. Worth a visit. Has a nice theatre. Town reminds me of a small Florence.
A bit late in noticing your questions. My attention has been taken by a rather large international sporting event over the ditch in and around Christchurch, NZ.
Regards
Ron