We are starting to plan a Sept trip next year hopefully during the harvest flying in and out of Rome. Planning to stay a week near Pienza and a week in the Chianti region. Any suggestions as to how to best make this work? Stay in Rome for a couple nights first, etc. Which area should we go to first, val d'orcia or chianti?
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts
Pat, Try to put your Rome days at the end. Train from the airport to Chiusi and get a car for the Val d'Orcia or train to Florence and get a car for Chianti.
This may help http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11823 posts
It's nice to see someone not trying to "do" 8 places in 14 days. Congrats on a sensible start! I think that a week each in Chianti and Pienza might be a bit concentrated. They are only about an hour apart by car. As Henry suggested, go right to Tuscany from the Rome airport (or you could fly in Florence or Pisa) and your first destination. I would also suggest more time in Rome at the end of your trip, 4 nights is a good start, 5 is better.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
For Sept 2013? You sound like me. I started planning our May 2013 trip on our way back from our May 2011 trip. :-) Have you been to Italy before? I'm guessing yes, but it could make a difference in recommendations. Happy travels.
Posted by
wichita, ks
34 posts
So much to see in Rome. You could rush it in 2 days but I think you will feel exhausted especially with jet lag. We spent 3 full days there and sort of felt rushed and just trying to get used to the city (also our very first time to Europe at all so there was a lot to get used to :) We took a train to Orvieto stayed there one night and then rented a car for Tuscany. We stayed at the most wonderful place: Agriturismo Savernano. I cannot recommend place highly enough. About 30-45 min south of Florence and was a great place to day trip from. The hosts are amazing, food is even better and met so many great people. Overall one of our best experiences and are going back in October of this year. Towns we did were Orvieto, Pienza, San Giamiagno(sp?), Siena and a couple others I can't think of. Just some ideas . . .
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8359 posts
I just love traveling "in my mind" on the internet, planning for a trip. I just cannot imagine planning for 2 years, however. I think much of the harvest is actually in October. Just book yourself into an agriturisimo, bring your steel toe boots, and bring your truffle smellin' dog. Either coming or going, book yourself accommodations in Rome for 4 nights or so. Trains go to Florence very often throughout ever day. Chianti is just about 15 to 25 miles southeast of Florence. You can read about great Tuscan agriturisimos on Rick Steves' Graffiti. The same names pop up day in and day out. You will have a great time.
Posted by
OP
Pasadena, MD, USA
44 posts
OK, lots of questions to answer! Yes we've been to Italy twice before and have stayed at Cretiole just last year! We are going back there for our first week, and then another week somewhere else; doesn't have to be Chianti, but we LOVE Tuscany! Also I read somewhere that some people suggested taking 2-3 days in Rome first, just to get the jetlag out of the way before the drive to Tuscany, but we've driven all over Tuscany and I don't think the drive would be that hard to do the day we arrive. On this trip Rome would simply be used as a rest stop before driving into Tuscany. And to be sure we do get the place reserved at Cretiole, we do have to plan ahead! This way I can talk about it for a longer period of time! Addit'l thoughts?