Grosseto and Saturnia and tips for old travelers viisiting the CT for the first time

I’m not clear whether you plan to drive a rental car or use public transportation.

Hello Lindann,

I have not been to Grosseto but it seems like an easily navigated location. It has train access and a large, flat and open city center that looks largely traffic free. If you want to visit Roselle it may be more of a challenge. It looks like one bus - the G20 - is listed as going all the way to the site but that schedule seems like only 4 times a day and no Sunday service. (Maybe summer service is better?)
Whether you want to tackle the unrestored surfaces of an Etruscan city is up to you.

The Ligurian coast outside of CT is largely flat so Rapallo down through Levanto are beachfront towns. PV is somewhat flatter and more accessible than the CT towns themselves but I spent 3 days there in 2022 and I found it to be more touristy than I wanted with the ferry running to CT from La Spezia stopping and dropping groups of tourists there regularly.
I found the south side of the bay much more interesting with beachy San Terezano, resorty Lerici with a Marina and a castle and the CT like Tellaro much more "Italian" in tone. Everywhere on the coast in Italy has tourists but the south side of the bay was more "Italians summering" than Americans and English day tripping.

And as complete aside I was surprised and impressed by the collection of Etruscan (and Celtic) artifacts in the Archaeological Museum of Bologna when we visited recently.

Hope that helps some, have a great trip,
=Tod

What time of the year are you planning to visit?
Will you have a car?
I think it'll be easier to reply to your questions with that enough.
In the meantime, Grosseto itself is a nice town for an afternoon or a day trip. We went on a cloudy day in May and it was very pleasant and quiet
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2023/06/grosseto-in-may.html

We will have a car, coming from the Cinque Terre, heading toward Sorano, Saturnia, and Pitigliano. Wondering if we should drive straight to Sorano or if there are charming sights south of Lucca to break up the trip from Levanto to Sorana into two or more days.

Sovana is another town very close to Sorano worthy of a short stop. Also in the area is the Via Cava, a trail which links various Etruscan sites. The Citta Del Tufo archaeological park contains the remnants of the palace of an Etruscan ruler.
Saturnia is quite small, but very close to a free thermal spring. The problem is that because it is free the road approaching it gets parked up very early. There is also a large thermal spring resort with an entrance fee. I have no recollection of how much it costs, but that should be easy to find.
In my opinion, Portofino would be a waste of your time. It is a place where wealthy people go, often in their yachts. There’s not much of interest there.

I found Sorano interesting but it's not for everyone . The town is situated along a hillside with evocative streets and buildings but it's very depopulated. One can imagine the past vividly, but not hopefully. Sovrano on the other hand was depressing for the opposite reason, it was very active but with tourist bus visitors. The shops were totally tourist oriented and the town has been fixed up like a movie set.

In addition to the archaeological park near Sorano/Sovana, be sure to check out the one at Populonia/Baratti.

I found the Monte Argentario promontory to be quite beautiful for a scenic drive. The Lerici area is quite beautiful also (don't miss Tellaro). Either of those would win hands down over Portofino (but Campogli and SML are lovely).

Saturnia was too crowded for me, but I did a quick foot soak.

If you are really interested in Etruscan history head to Tarquinia. There are at least two necropoli and a museum that are open to the public. It’s on your way to Rome/Ostia shouldn’t be very crowded. Give it a look.

Thank you all. So many good recommendations and I think we will have time to visit most of the them. Sorano, Sovano, and Pitigliano all look like good bases for some great places. How would you split 4 nights in that area? Currently I'm thinking 2 at Sorano and 2 at Pigliano. Your thoughts?

We had Ortebello on our radar. Glad to hear you confirm that choice

Brad, your suggestion was great. We will add Tarquinia to our itineray. The ruins look impressive and I'm eager to see Etruscan handiwork again. It, along with the Raphael rooms, were the highlight of my visit to the Vatican Museum.

Ideas about Sutri and the area south of Vitterbo.

It would be a mistake to stay in Sorano. The town is virtually empty with few services. Look at the photos on this page: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g664984-d9795443-Reviews-Sorano_Centro_Storico-Sorano_Province_of_Grosseto_Tuscany.html

Pitigliano is quite small but more lively and two nights there with walks on one of the Vie Cave would be pleasant. The hotel selection may be limited in town, so a nearby agriturismo might be a good solution.

There is an interesting Etruscan museum in Piombino and the town is larger with more services and a seaside setting for walks - it would combine well with a visit to the Archaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia: https://www.apathtolunch.com/2018/03/italian-time-travel-from-tuscan-to.html

In Rome there is also the great National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia.

Pitigliano is so close to Sorano/Sovana there would be no need to change hotels. I would stay places at least a few hours apart.

The advise about Sorano, Sovana and Pitigliano are much appreciated. This seems like an area that gets fewer tourists, which basically a blessing from our point of view. But unlike time in the remote villages of Switzerland, Austria and Germany, last year, or even France and the UK from years past, it seems that southern Tuscany, despite its beauty, is an area that few tourists, local or foreign, visit. So your insights are really valuable and will help me make wise choices.

I was also planning to spend a few nights in Sutri, to enjoy the Farnese Castle, Boromeo and Ronciglione, as well as Sutri and the archaelogical sites near there. Sutri looks like it is large enough to have good restaurants, a farmers' market and lodging, but it seems like a work-a-day place rather than one of the beautiful villages of Tuscany. A video has me wondering if I should change my homebase for the northern Lazio region.