Hello. We are two couples planning a two week visit to Italy in late September. We are more interested in the countryside than the cities. Our interests include culture, history, food and wine. After 3 nights in Vernazza, we are spending 3 nights within the walls of Lucca. When we leave Lucca, on a Monday, we will pick up a rental car and drive to Pienza where we are staying at an agriturismo. We want the car to explore Tuscany, during the four nights in Pienza. During our stay in Lucca, we will take the train to Florence for 1 day where we are scheduled to take a couple of tours. On Monday morning, when we leave Lucca, what route should we take to get to Pienza? Should we avoid Florence? We would rather see more of the countryside and stop in some of the smaller towns along the way, rather than take highways. We could stop in Siena but I thought it might be better to do that another day, when we are staying in Pienza. I have seen mention of other towns which might be on the way including Pistoia, San Gimignano, Colle Val d'Elsa, Monteriggioni, or the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. What would you recommend we try to see on our travel day from Lucca to Pienza? Hotel check-in is between 3 and 8 pm. And they have a restaurant on site. We will probably eat there our first night.
Thanks for your help.
I would suggest buying an old-school paper map (my favorite is Michelin's spiral bound map book of Italy) and finding where the green roads (the scenic drives) are. I can't live without a GPS, but you have no idea what beautiful places are nearby if you can't see a map. Map out a route from Lucca to Pienza on as many green roads as you can, and your day will be filled with beautiful landscapes. Just pick any cute town for a lunch stop. Yelp can help.
Your plan to train into Florence is a good one, though the RS books have a good suggestion of a parking lot out of the center with easy bus or taxi access into the centro. This parking lot worked well for us coming from near Sienna, but was a nightmare when driving in from Spello because the route led me through the center of town about one foot out of the ZTL for much of the way. Coming from Lucca in a new rental car I would loop way around Florence for peace of mind. You'll soon get the hang of spotting the ZTL signs, but Florence isn't the place to practice.
Sienna should get its own day, or two. Parking can be tricky, but I've had good luck parking in the big public parking lots near the soccer stadium. If you're looking at a map of Sienna, this is near the big St. Catherine's church.
Your trip sounds great!
sorry, I misread and thought you were coming to Florence from Pienza. From Lucca it's a quick train to Florence.
If you're in no particular hurry and just want to make a day of it I suggest the Chiantigiana Road (SR 222) down thru the most scenic part of Chianti. It'll be slow going but there are a number of pretty little towns along the way that are inviting stops for lunch, a coffee or just a stroll.
Just south of Siena is the SR2 which will get you to Pienza via the heart of the Val D'Orcia, with a short detour to Monte Oliveto.
Both routes are highlighted in the excellent guidebook "Back Roads Northern Italy" from DK publishing, which we just used ourselves on a similar trip last month. Recommend it highly - you can find used copies on Amazon for just a few dollars.
There's usually parking available in the underground lot at the Siena train station for 2 Euros (per day). From there you can ascend via a series of escalators into the town ... which is another 10 minute walk after you reach the top of the hill, or you can spring for a taxi (about 15 Euros) to take you right to the Campo.
You could stop in Volterra.
Thank you all for your reply. You provided great input to our adventure. We have a detailed map and I have the Back Roads Northern & Central Italy book. We will use these resources with your advice to plan our day. I'm so excited for our upcoming trip. Your ideas have confirmed that we are on the right track. Thanks again!