Driving in the Hill Towns

Beware of doing "drive-bys" when visiting Italy. To me, one of the most enjoyable things in Italy is to spend a decent amount of time in one area rather than giving short-shrift to many. Good for you for doing four nights in Orvieto. Orvieto is quite charming and has beautiful views into the surrounding valleys. (Photos from our trip there this past May are here on flickr, in case you're curious.) I suggest you have some contingency plans to do a daytrip to Siena and Assisi that you can follow if you decide to once there. (Some Assisi highlights here, from our trip in May 2008.) I think Montepulciano and Montalcino would be too much to also try to cram in. Happy travels.

Amy, As I recall, car use in Orvieto is "discouraged" so you may want to leave the car parked by the station and use the Funicular to get up to the town. Having a car will make it easier to visit Civita di Bagnoregio. There's a parking area at the base of the bridge that leads up to Civita. I'm not sure what parking is available in Siena, Assisi or the other towns you mentioned. Hopefully the others can "fill in the blanks" on that point. As you may know, for driving in Italy each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some cases are provided by the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information. You may also want to search other Posts here regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many towns in Italy (especially Florence!). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. Happy travels!

If you have time I would suggest the visit to Civita bagnoregio. It is small but beautiful and unique. We took our college age kids with us and we all enjoyed it. Although Siena is always highly recommended, it is not one of my favorite hill towns (we stayed there for four days on our last trip) although the catheredral is probably the most amazing one I have seen). If you want to visit Montepulciano, you might want to pair it with Pienza rather than Montalcino. There is less distance to drive and Pienza is a quaint little town that is worth the visit. I know people say don't rush to put too much in the itinerary but we enjoyed the day trips with stops along the way and exploring the smaller hill towns. Enjoy! Our trip with our kids was wonderful.

There's a huge parking garage on the "back side" of Orvieto, opposite end of town from the train station and funicular. Our B&B included free parking in that garage, so check with your chosen lodging on the parking situation. We stayed in B&B Ripa Medici. Fabulous and quiet! She was able to give us flawless directions to drive to the B&B and the garage without hitting a ZTL. I do think Orvieto is more suited to exploring Umbria: Assisi, Spoleto, Spello are all within easy reach by car. As someone noted above, don't do a "drive by." Stop and enjoy the towns. Fewer towns = more enjoyment. But there are some lovely drives!

Plan a full travel day if you want to stop at hill towns between Orvieto and Siena. It would be quite realistic to drive from Orvieto to Montepulciano, stroll, visit the Contucci Cantina and have lunch at Osteria del Conte (my recommendation) and then continue on to Siena. One of the routes from Montepulciano to Siena takes you through Pienza, which is small and worth an hour stop. The parking lot on the left just before you get to the main intersection often has some free spots available. You could instead skip Pienza and continue on to Montalcino, but that might make the day just a bit too long. As to the number of hill towns to see each day, I'd say plan on a maximum of 2. And don't forget to allow time for Orvieto, which is itself a great hill town with plenty to do and see.