Second question for the Italy portion of our trip in October.
We fly into Florence and start there for four nights before heading to the Cinque Terre. In 2019, we spent one night in Florence, saw the Accademia, Uffizi, climbed the dome and got up to the Michelangelo overlook (should have walked but took the bus).
This time, I’d love to see a little more of Florence, but also San Gimignano and Volterra. We spent part of a rainy day in Siena last time on our way to an agriturismo near Pienza.
For those in the know: would it be best to stay in Florence and somehow day trip to those towns, or pick up a rental (they cost more than they did in 2019) and stay at an agriturismo so we can day trip to the towns and to Florence?
Thanks!
Posted by
Pittsburgh
31 posts
We rented a car in Florence last month for one Tuscan driving day, and managed:
- 90 minutes driving the scenic roads in Chianti in the morning, with a stop in lovely Radda
- A lunchtime stop in Siena for Rick's walking tour of the city. (Skipped the duomo interior because of a line, and we'd seen plenty of churches in Florence.)
- Afternoon in Volterra to sample the wines, see the Etruscan museum, and take the private tour with Annie Adair at 6 p.m. that Rick so strongly and correctly recommends. She is a wonderful guide and the town is utterly enchanting.
- Late evening stroll through and dinner in the square in San Gimignano. By then it was quiet, and you could tell the difference from Volterra, which still has the energy of a functioning, living town.
- Back by 10:30
So that's a long answer. But you can day-trip to San Gimignano and Volterra easily from Florence with a car. Almost all those country roads are two-lane and so winding that there's little opportunity for passing. If you get behind someone slow, enjoy the scenery. If you're the slow driver, keep on enjoying the scenery and they'll pass you when they can.