Logistics help please. We're traveling to a wedding in Val d'Orcia and I am belatedly making plans. We leave Rome on July 8 and need to be in Montepulciano on July 12. We have those three days (four nights) to see Florence and anything else we want to do before spending 4 days at the wedding (and lounging by the pool). Hubby and I have traveled extensively although never to Italy together. Kids (son 17 and daughter 14 who is recuperating from ACL repair this Monday) have never been to Italy.
Originally planned train from Rome to Florence and spend the whole time there then pick up car and go to Montepulciano.
Concern that they'll be bored of museums, antiquities, and want to see something different (basically FOMO from mom, here).
I thought maybe stop at a beach town for one night before going to Florence ?
When we leave Florence we're picking up a car and driving to Montepulciano. I suppose we could go direct to Florence and then pick up a car and go to the beach for one night then to M but that seems like more circuitous.
Any recommendations? Specific beach towns that are easy to get to by train/bus or just an authentic Italian experience that isn't art and antiquities? Not much about the Maremma area in the book and we hadn't really planned a trip to Pisa.
Thank you in advance!!
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2303 posts
I wouldn’t add another location just for one night. By the time you’ve packed, traveled and checked in, you’ve lost half a day. Then you do it all over the next day.
What are the kids interested in? Sports, thrift shopping, bicycling, etc? Spend an extra day in Rome or Florence doing that. With our teens, one is really into bowling. So we found bowling alleys in Granada, Bayeux and Paris. He had an amazing experience bowling in Bayeux with locals who welcomed him with open arms. It was a normal league night for them, but in France that means a huge spread of charcuterie and wine! He’ll remember that night much more fondly than any church or museum we visited.
Soooooo many authentic experiences don't have anything to do with art or antiquities. You just have to take time to experience them.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks for the ideas. You make a good point about check in/out chewing up much of a day. Our issue is that the younger is recuperating from ACL repair and most activities (short of just lying around) are going to be hard/limited. Any thoughts on a day trip from Florence that might appeal to teen?
Posted by
85 posts
Or maybe go to Montepulciano a day early and go to lake Trasimeno and relax for a day ?
Posted by
4326 posts
You can find a lot on the Maremma online. You would want to pick up the car when departing Rome though. However, for the teen recovering from ACL repair, I am not sure it would be ideal. For beaches, I liked Feniglia, which is close to Orbetello, where I stayed. Will she be able to ride a bike? (I was able to ride when I tore a calf muscle and could not walk, so who knows).Another option is Pitigliano, which is a nice town on the way between Rome and Montepulciano. You could take the waters at Saturnia.
Posted by
Florida
274 posts
If you're looking for something to do in Florence that isn't a museum or a church, you may want to look into rafting on the Pontevecchio. I can't give any firsthand feedback yet, but I've booked it for our trip to Florence next week. My five year old watched their online video and is very excited for it.
https://www.firenzerafting.it/en/rafting-in-tuscany/
Alternatively, when I was studying abroad in Florence, my roommate and I used to take the train to Viareggio for the afternoon. As I recall, it's nothing fancy, but it is a nice little beach town and only about an hour away from Florence. You could combine it with a day trip to Lucca or Pisa depending on the train schedule, if you wanted.