My husband and I are spending 3 nights in Tuscany during our visit to Italy in October. We're debating between Cortona and San Gimignano and was hoping to gain insight on this forum. Here's what we're looking for form our Tuscany experience:
Also, is there convenient parking in these towns?
Between the two, I'd go with San Gimignano. It's slightly bigger, with more options for eating. Parking is just outside the city walls from what I've seen, but we've never driven a car in Italy. Cortona has a newer lower town, and of course the hilltop village..there is also parking outside the walls, but your hotel in either town could have some parking available.
From San G, it's an easy trip over to Volterra - which has some wonderful Roman ruins and Etruscan museum. (we rode our tandem from San G to V, so you can certainly drive it!)
We really enjoyed our second visit to San G, there is a tower you can climb and a fun fortenzza to explore, plus the piazza is a great place to sit and enjoy your gelato.
San G will be noisier and busier during the day, but after the buses leave to go back to Florence, the town is abandoned and fun to explore...
Honestly, you can't go wrong with either one...if you've never been, don't worry about which is better..but since you have a car, you can visit both in any case.
I vote for San Gimignano, but you also have a gazillion other choices around Tuscany/Umbria. San Gimi parking is complicated unless your hotel has arrangements. Volterra is a great little town at night too. Siena is close. Just be sure you have a place for your car at night.
We have done Siena, San Gimi, and other towns from Montecatini Terme and even Lucca, those are a couple of good Tuscan choices too.
I forgot to mention we have also stayed in Cortona. Great little town but I think there is more to do in other places.
We have stayed in Cortona before. Small town, has restaurants and a few shops, but not sure if its enough for what you're asking for. If you stay there, a hotel right by the bus turnaround has a terrace with spectacular views at sunset. There is free parking just below town, see https://goo.gl/EwpKq9
I disagree with the above post that says parking in San Gimi is difficult. I stayed near there last April and parking on the outside of the city is fine. I was at a B&B outside of the city. It was easy to travel we had a rental car.
well, when I was there last year in Sept, San G was so crowded they had a traffic cop turning people away from the already full parking lots. I skipped it. Cortona was much easier.
Jim maybe different seasons? I was there in April that's maybe why. I will be there soon so I report back :)
The geography is not identical, but please read the thread nearby:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/5-nights-siena-or-orvieto-or-both
San G is much bigger and more crowded thab Cortona. But San G has much more to see. However, it's easier to park near Cortona. Do you want to be alone in the gallery with Del Sarto's "Annunciation"in Cortona? Or so you prefer to see the frescoes in the San G Duomo with 300 of your closest personal friends?
Do you like medieval stone cities, or would you rather stay in a rural luxury hotel with a pool and romance? In fairness, the crowds won't be as bad as our July visit when you go! Find out what a ZTL is, by the way.
