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Elba Island or similar?

Hello,
My husband and I have been to the major sites in Italy and are interested in exploring some less crowded places such as hill towns in Tuscany. We thought it might be fun to add a beach or island destination as well. Has anyone been to Elba Island or have any tips on this area? We went to Naxos, Greece last year and loved it, but are super excited about getting back to Italy this Fall (late Sept or early Oct) and taking our time through smaller cities and possibly an island or beach destination. Swimming is not that important if weather is an issue, but being near the water in a vacation destination type place would be really a nice break for a few days. I was thinking about having 10 days or so - flying into Florence, spending a 4-5 days in hill towns, going to Elba Island for 2-3 days, and spending a couple days in Rome before we fly out.

Any suggestions or tips would be welcome and appreciated! Thank you

Posted by
5320 posts

Sounds lovely to me--I always seek the sea on vacation (when possible). I would look into the season on Elba and what it is like at that time of year. You may not have to bother with a ferry--Tuscany has a coastline, and the southern part in particular sounds lovely. That is where I am headed in May, and it would fit into your itinerary seamlessly.
Southern Liguria is also really great.

Posted by
4637 posts

Unfortunately I haven't been to Elba yet but my friends go there every vacation and say there is no better place to be. So if I were you I would try it. Otherwise Italy is pretty almost everywhere.

Posted by
16234 posts

I've been to Elba. Great choice. Ferry is from Piombino.
You need a car for both Tuscany and Elba. The ferries carry cars but check with the rental company as some rental companies do not allow that you take the car on ferries.

This is some info:
http://www.infoelba.it/

If Elba doesn't work out, there is another coastal alternative in Southern Tuscany:
Mt. Argentario Peninsula

It's not an island, but it used to be.

And if you want an island, Giglio island is just a short ferry crossing away from Porto Santo Stefano.

Posted by
7737 posts

Have you considered Ponza? Although might not be so great by October.

Posted by
28462 posts

It was a long time ago (early 1990s, I think), but they were rolling up the sidewalks on Ponza in early October when I visited. I wouldn't be surprised if the season runs a little bit longer by now, but I have a feeling it's still primarily a destination for Italians, and I don't know how many of them take October vacations.

Posted by
23 posts

Thanks for all the great suggestions. We just got tickets for Sept 21-Oct 3 in/out of Rome (best cost and flight duration) and looking forward to trip planning. Elba still looks really great, but also the peninsula, possibly Cinque Terre, or just exploring areas on the coast!