Hi there!
We are leaving in a few weeks - flying into Milan and spending a majority of our nights in Montecatini Terme.
We have a car, and are there for a week. What do you suggest doing? Eating? Traveling to? Should we drive or take a train if we decide to head to Rome? We've never been to Italy.
Thanks!
If you do not have any allergies try the the pizza and pasta for sure.
I would recommend you buy or take a Rick Steves Italy travel guide out of the library and read about where you want to go and to Highlight or pinpoint what you are interested in doing and seeing.
To give you an idea here is a general list of things to do rated 1-10 in Montecatini Terme, compiled by other travelers that have been there:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g194830-Activities-Montecatini_Terme_Province_of_Pistoia_Tuscany.html
Finally since you've never driven Italy you should take the train to Rome.
We'll be in Montecatini starting mid March and a friend of mine who is a native of Florence recommended Grotta Giusti to us. It looks like a pretty interesting place, with underground caverns with natural hotsprings. I have been in touch with the reservations office and plan to reserve the Aqua & Relaxation Package which costs 49 euros per person and allows visitors use of the spa for the entire day. That price includes a visit to the underground grottos as well as slippers, robe, and towel. You will need to bring a bathing suit and swim cap (which is required). They will sell you a swim cap for 2 euros. We plan to take advantage of the spa on our first full day in Italy to recover from the long flight.
Nearby Pisotia was named the 2017 cultural capital of Italy and we plan to visit a restaurant there recommended in Fred Plotkin's book, ITALY FOR THE GOURMET TRAVELER.
I have researched other locations for day trips, (Wine tasting in nearby La Vinsantaia, Cappezzana or Tenuta del Buonamico. Montecarlo) but have my fingers crossed that our hotel will give us some good recommendations too.
Enjoy!
P.S. On our drive from Milan to Montecatini, we may take a lunch break in Parma. It seems to be a good half way-ish point.
We are doing a similar trip in April. Would love to hear a trip report!
Hey! I stayed in Montecatini Terme last April, it's a great little town to base your trip out of. Not much to do or see, in town but it has all the amenities you would need, and some ok food. Make sure you take the funicular up the hill to Montecatini Alto, much more like Italy and less like a tourist hotel zone. Great food, small but very cool.
We were able to use the train station (there are two in town) to go to Florence but it can connect you just about anywhere. We drove mostly, easy access to everything in Tuscany.
We did, though it's not for the faint of heart the train to Rome from MT in one day! We are young(ish, I'm 37) and aggressive travelers, so we took the 7am which had us into Florence, then connecting via the "fast" train to Rome by 10:30am. We took the last train out of Rome to Florence and arrive back in MT the same night around midnight. Walked about 10 miles in Rome that day! Again, this is a lot. I'm glad we did it, but not for everyone.
We visited San Gimignano, Siena, and Volterra from this spot quite easily. Lucca and Pisa are nearby, and one day we drove to La Spezia to catch the train to Cinque Terre for a nice day trip!
Sounds like you likely got the same deal via Gate1 perhaps that we did (also first time to Italy), the drive from Milan to MT is beautiful. You will have a great time. If I had to do it all again, I would spend more time in Florence and the Hill towns of Tuscany, skip Rome for another time.
Cheers!
I presume you fly in and also out of MXP. Therefore you'll need to spend the last night closer to the airport.
Depending on what time you arrive, you might have to spend the first night near the airport too. The drive to Montecatini is a good 4 hours no matter which freeway you take (A7/A12/A11 via Genoa, or A1/A15/A12/A11 via Milan and Parma), so you might not feel like driving after a long transoceanic flight.
As such, after everything is said and done, you will have less than a week for Tuscany. I'd stick to Tuscan locations for your day trips from Montecatini:
Florence (by train)
Lucca and Pisa (by train, but also doable by car, however no time savings)
Vinci (Leonardo's birthplace)
Volterra
San Gimignano
Siena
Possibly also the coast (including Cinque Terre)
I wouldn't bother with anything more (like Rome) because you don't really have much time.
