Hi everyone!
I am still planning that oh so last minute trip leaving Oct 8th! . I have now narrowed down my itinerary as follows:
Land Milan 7:45am
Rent car...drive to Lucca about 3.5 hrs.
Stay in Lucca 3 nights
Day 1: should arrive by noon, eat lunch, then check into hotel 2pm .Idea: Rent the 2 person bike cart and ride the wall to stay awake til its time for dinner.
Day 2: tour Lucca
Day 3: Tour Lucca ....or see something else maybe??
Next day Drive to Montpulciano via way of Volterra (Already seen San Gimignano and Siena, Pisa and Florence)
Stay in Montpulciano 3 nights
1st day spent mostly getting there via Volterra.... probably arrive around 6pm
2nd day do RS loop drive..linger see Pienza and other sites so make the day of it...sounds fun!
3rd day explore Montpulciano ...maybe look into Wine experiences?
Drive to Orvieto
1st day spend cking in hotel then touring around Orvieto
2nd day spend going to Civita
3rd day either a) take train to go to Rome to do a few things I have missed in the past or b) tour more Orvieto
Drive to Urbino (to start moving back north) - Stay 3 nights
1st day...on the way to Urbino make stops in Assisi and Foligno...hmmm what about Cortona is that a must see?, ck in late that day/night.
2nd day Tour Urbino
3rd day Tour Urbino or drive to San Marino if we feel we have run out of things to do there.
Drive to Mantua...1 night
1st Day spent traveling up....if time do Hall of Giants
2nd Day ck out of hotel ...last day of trip ...head towards Milan and end up at airport hotel as flight leaves 8:45am next day
Questions: Is 3 days too long in Lucca? The other places pretty much the 1st day is spent somewhere else and arriving to town/hotel later or in Orvieto I can go to Rome for the day if I decide to so I know 3 days is good....I was even thinking I should do 4 there and cut Urbino back. Overall my main goal on this trip was to set up these 3 night stays to reduce the feeling of being a rat running with my luggage but still do alot of things. I am not looking to just sit and relax in hotel either. However......My husband will not go for the agriturismo. He wants a hotel.
Thanks in advance!
Deb
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5534 posts
We stayed one week in Lucca. We could have stayed longer.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8360 posts
Your itinerary seems do-able. Note that you might want to rent a Hertz car as their Orvieto office is across the street from the train station. And the local train ride into Rome Termini is only 70 minutes.
Posted by
North Carolina
2502 posts
Lucca is very lovely and interesting - I think three days is not too long at all. Driving 3.5 hours right after getting off of an overnight flight is really not a good idea. You could take the train there from Milan, and rent your car upon leaving Lucca - they have Hertz, so you could drop it off upon arriving in or leaving Orvieto.
Posted by
11671 posts
We spent four nights in Lucca which was perfect for us.
Posted by
Washington DC
28436 posts
I'm struggling to imagine a full-day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio with a car at your disposal, but Orvieto can certainly use more time, so no harm having a day set aside for Civita.
I have not been to Foligno or Gubbio (which is also on the route to Urbino), but the latter is definitely on my list, whereas I haven't heard many (any?) recommendations for the former. Cortona is very picturesque but can feel touristy.
Posted by
California 🦋
5298 posts
Lucca is a beautiful city and I loved my 4 nights stay there last Fall.
If you enjoy classical music, I’d suggest going to a Puccini Concert when you’re there.
If you’ve not been to Assisi, do consider staying at least an overnight in this magical city. Assisi gets very crowded during the day ( I counted over 30 tour buses on a parking lot!), but once the day trippers leave, the city is quiet and peaceful.
I didn’t drive when I visited Tuscany and Umbria last Fall, so don’t know which route you plan to take from Orvieto, but I’d suggest visiting Spello, a charming hilltown, over Foligno.
Have a wonderful trip!
Edit to add...
I forgot to add. I also don’t think it’s a good idea to drive on your day of arrival, especially if you’ll be on a transatlantic flight and may be experiencing jet lag.
Do consider taking the train to Lucca or spend your first night in Milan. Better to be safe than sorry.