We are travelling in mid-September and have rented a car in Rome, driving to Arezzo in Tuscany. Rather than drive directly to Arezzo, we'd like to spend 1-2 days on the coast. Can you reccommend which of these lovely towns to stay in? We prefer a more authentic experience and not super touristy, if possible. Thanks!
Posted by
Boston
1855 posts
Look at Roberto da Firenze's comment on this post: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/which-is-a-nicer-town-to-stay-in-july-santa-margarita-ligure-forte-de-marmi-lucca-or-volterra
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1780 posts
Not right on the coast, but we sure enjoyed Tarquinia. About halfway between Rome and Arezzo. Etruscan necropolis and museum. Not many American tourists in fall, mostly Italians and other Europeans.
Posted by
new york
509 posts
Orbetello...??
So many options along the southern coast of Tuscany...
Posted by
8933 posts
We visited Tarquinia that had some interesting Etruscan historical stuff, but to me the better parts of Tuscany are more in the interior.
Siena and San Gimignano are fantastic.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16678 posts
I often drive the route Roma to Arezzo (I have a house near Arezzo) but when traveling in Summer I also like to stop a couple days on the coast on my way there. It’s a major detour, because you need a couple of hours from Rome to Maremma (coastal southern Tuscany) then 3 hours from the coast there to Arezzo (via Siena). It’s mostly freeway but they are working still on the Grosseto-Siena freeway (they are going at it since the 1980s, when I was a youngster, and it is still work in progress, so plenty of construction sites slowdowns).
My favorite place to stop is the Monte Argentario peninsula. and often visit the Isola del Giglio from there. But there are lots of nice places to enjoy the sea in the Monte Argentario peninsula.
I usually stay in the hotel below in Porto Santo Stefano,
https://www.hvittoria.com/
I usually call because their best rooms with a view are not placed in their website. It’s a simple family run hotel, so, not fancy.
There are plenty of places to visit in the Maremma area of Tuscany, both on the coast and a bit in the interior. So good search. If you have time see if you can spare 3 nights so you have two full days in the area. Below is the official guide to Maremma.
https://www.tuttomaremma.com/en/
Posted by
41 posts
A great coastal stop between Rome and Tuscany could be Orbetello, Porto Ercole, or Porto Santo Stefano in the Monte Argentario area. Another option is Talamone, a small fishing village that's part of the Maremma region.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip!