My husband and I are traveling during July and will be using only public transportation. We would love to spend time in the hill country of Tuscany. Both of these towns look interesting- but I'd love some feed back from travelers. Is it hard to get to Montalcino by bus? We will be traveling from Fregene (near Rome). And yes- we love wine!
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Rome2Rio.com estimates 6+ hours from Fregene to Montalcino, with at least 4 changes (bus and train). Montepulciano is about an hour less time and one fewer change.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
We've been to both Montalcino and Montepulciano by bus...as long as you plan ahead you can do it. They are small places and bus service is not abundant but there are buses that go to and from both every day. Study the schedule and anything is possible. You just have to decide if the time it will take to get there and the amount of time you will have, once there, are worth it.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11852 posts
Madeline,
Tuscany is one of the places a car really serves you well.
We like to stay in Montalcino best, and have some favorite restaurants there. From Montalcino you can take a bus at least to the Abbey at Sant'Antimo, but you cannot get to Montalcino by train. It's a little easier to get to Montepulciano by train although the station is rather outside of town.
You can take a train to Chiusi and rent a car there for a day or two. The drive between Montepulciano and Montalcino is lovely, including stops in Pienza and the Abbey at Sant'Antimo. July is nice because it is not really busy in the area. Stay at a nice agriturismo for two or three nights if you can.