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Best Tuscan home base

I am planning a trip end of September to Italy . For part of that trip I will haves car with the plan to explore Tuscany . I want ideas on which smaller town to use ass home base . I want to stay in a town and be able to park just outside as needed. I am considering Montilpulciano but was hoping I could get ideas from other people.

Posted by
1054 posts

You can't go wrong with any of the hilltowns.

I'll be in Montepulicano next month staying at Il Ricco from Rick's book. They gave me a parking pass and a location in the town near the hotel to park at. So you don't need to park outside the town and walk in.

http://www.ilriccio.net/

Posted by
189 posts

In 2007 we stayed in a house just outside of Montipulciano. We were there two weeks, toured all around Tuscany and thought it was a great location. It's not a large town but big enough to have the conveniences you want. A large number of gelatos were consumed walking down the 'main street'.

Next year we have rented a house in San Quirico for two weeks and are looking forward to that.

Likely where ever you go you will enjoy!

Posted by
15043 posts

It depends.
Would you prefer a smaller town or a larger town? A town closer to Florence or Siena or doesn't matter?

Most towns, including Montepulciano, are nice but personally I would not choose Montepulciano as a base for Tuscany because logistically it's not the most efficiently located for visiting Tuscany. It's decentralized in the southern province of Siena and not next to the freeways (the closest freeway entrance is almost 1/2 hour drive away on a curvy road).

Montepulciano might be good to visit the Val D'Orcia and the Val di Chiana or even parts of Umbria, but it's not the best location to visit the most famous destinations in Tuscany.

I would choose Colle Val D'elsa, which is very ancient and beautiful, just like Montepulciano, similar in size (a bit bigger), but more centrally located and near the freeway.

From Colle V.E. you can be at the following top Tuscan destinations in 15 to 35 min. drive (in increasing order of travel time):
Monteriggioni, Siena, Chianti hills, San Gimignano, Certaldo, Volterra, Chianti, Florence.

From Colle VE you can still visit the Val D'Orcia area (Montepulciano, San Quirico, Pienza, Montalcino) in about 1 hr from Colle.

San Gimignano is also better located than Montepulciano (however SG is a much smaller village)

Just because Rick Steves put Montepulciano on the map, it doesn't mean that you have to follow his path all the time. There are many places that are better than what he writes in his books.