Looking for a good Tuscan “base camp”

Posted by hulagirl on 01/11/19 04:11 AM

My friends and I want to spend about 4 days in the Tuscany area. It would be preferable to stay somewhere where we could walk to a nearby town or two however, from what I’m seeing, it might be best if we rent a car while we are there.

I did find a place in Greve that sounds like there’s a few towns within walking distance (but want to look at option). We’d really just be lounging by a pool or wine tasting during the day so having a selection of places to eat dinner would be fantastic.

What would be a good town to hunker down in?

Posted by Ken

Vernon, Canada

01/11/19 06:07 AM

32393 posts

hula,

For the best "home base" for visits to Tuscany, you could consider either Florence or Siena. Florence is the capital of Tuscany, and from there you can take wine tours in addition to touring the many historic sights in Florence. Siena is also somewhat centrally located, and you could take day trips by Bus to other nearby towns. You could also rent a car while there, although be sure to do some research on the usual caveats for driving in Italy.

Posted by hulagirl OP

01/12/19 04:34 PM

27 posts

We are staying in Florence at the beginning of our trip and will spend some time in Tuscany (somewhere in Tuscany...) at a later portion of our trip. Every town I look into seems amazing. I need to narrow down the selection.

Posted by DaveW

Oregon

01/13/19 03:01 AM

3 posts

I recommend TWO home bases. One on an agroturismo farm, outside of a town (like Montepulciano). Use a rental car to drive through the countryside (and follow the Rick Steves' routes!). For the other half, stay right in the older part of town. You will not want to drive in the towns. Parking, traffic and walking pedestrians make it very difficult. We drove into Montepulciano and parked the car for two days. Nice, stress free walks. Also, the best towns are hill towns. Walking into town (very uphill), will be a challenge.

Posted by janettravels44

Chicago

01/13/19 03:07 AM

8675 posts

I would have a car and base in Montepulciano at a hotel with parking. We had an apartment in Montepulciano for two weeks a few years ago and had no trouble driving to other towns in the region and it is great to be in a town with so many restaurants and such beauty evenings so you don't have to drive somewhere to eat (you really can't have wine with dinner and then drive; Italian drinking laws are quite strict)

Posted by gerri

lexington, il

01/13/19 05:36 AM

4105 posts

Take a look at this amazing little place.

http://www.borgorapale.it

Very few towns will be more than an hours drive.

Posted by Tophcooks

Portland, Oregon

01/13/19 11:28 AM

173 posts

We did this and stayed 20 mins outside of Siena. It was very central. My favorite town was Montepulciano. I would go back there in a heartbeat.

Posted by croixjoix

01/13/19 04:19 PM

3 posts

Siena get s my vote. Nice, small but big enough for anything you want. Walk to great town center, etc.

Posted by TJ

Portland, OR

01/14/19 09:11 AM

83 posts

I agree with the others who have suggested Montepulciano. It serves as an excellent base to explore Tuscany and is located in the heart of wine country! There are many fantastic restaurants there such a L'Altro Cantuccio (http://www.laltrocantuccio.it/) and Pane, Vino, & Zucchero. We were quite surprised at how many amazing restaurants there are!

For wine/vineyard tours, check our Canneto (https://www.cannetowinetasting.com/en/) or Avignonesi (https://www.avignonesi.it/en). Actually, there are so many excellent wineries, you can't go wrong.

For accommodations, I would suggest Fonte Martino (https://www.fontemartino.com/), a wonderful place with 3 suites.

Hope these suggestions help! Enjoy your vacation!