Month in Italy

Roberto (the Italy expert) will probably chime in, but I have been a number of times and wonder if you are going to be happy for 2 weeks in CT. That seems a really long time for this area.

As far as the Tuscany area I would probably stay someplace better served by public transportation as you will not have a car. I stayed at and agriturismo and loved it, but would have gone crazy without a car. I would suggest staying in either Florence or Sienna and making day trips from there via bus or train. I took a few little days tours from Florence to some wineries and they were fine. Also just hopped on a bus and spent the day by myself in Sienna. This was a time when I did not have a car. Having driven Tuscany many times and done the bus/train thing once, I much prefer the car, but there is something to be said for being driven around and not having to worry about the car.

There is so much to see and do in Italy, that I personally would not spend more than 3-4 nights in Cinque Terre.

My husband and I spent 4 full days in CT area, I would recommend at the most maybe 6 or 7 days (that's if you want to take a couple of afternoons to just relax and enjoy the "beaches" / rocks, which are fantastic). You will easily be able to arrange your
train transportation from the CT area to Tuscany. The countryside of Tuscany is so amazing, you will miss sooooooo much of
the best of Tuscany's hamlets and villages if you don't rent a car. It is easy to navigate around the roads, with a good map you
shouldn't have any problems, the rental cars have navigation devices on request and you can go from town to town in no more
than 30 minutes. We never had a problem driving, if I can do it anyone can. A couple of suggestions if you decide to bite the bullet and rent, keep the car small, it will be easier to find parking in the smaller towns, if you are not use to a manual transmission, spend the extra $$ and get an automatic. The last suggestion, when parking your vehicle, use the public, parking lots, the single spots can be tricky with special decals and stickers needed, locals, only. Parking tickets can be VERY expensive, if you have the bad luck of finding one on your windshield, be sure to go to the local post office to pay if there is not a local police office, I speak from experience. Enjoy your trip!!!

I love the Cinque Terre and surrounding area but also agree that 2 weeks is too long in that area. You didn't say how long you plan to stay in Tuscany but you could easily stay there for a week and take day trips to surrounding towns. You said you are uncertain about renting a car in Italy but if you plan to spend more than a few days in Tuscany, a car is really the best way to get around. Don't be intimidated by driving in Tuscany; just take a good GPS (that you're already familiar with how to use before you get to Italy) and you might just find that you enjoy driving around Tuscany.

As for an outstanding agriturismo, have a look at Agriturismo Marciano in Siena. It's not far from the walled historic portion of Siena but it's just far enough out that you feel as though you're in a rural area. The owners run the agriturismo and make their own organic wine and olive oil. The agriturismo is just lovely and consistently gets high ratings in Trip Advisor. Their optional dinners are absolutely incredible and not to be missed; they pair their own wines with each course and all the food is fresh, fresh, fresh and for the most part grown on the premises. You don't need a car to get from the agriturismo to walled Siena (you can easily take a taxi) and you could easily take the train from Siena to Florence for a day trip. And, while it is possible to use public transportation to get to some of the other towns (i.e. Volterra, San Gimignano, etc.), it's definitely easier with a car. You really should reconsider renting a car.

As for lodging suggestions for Lake Como and Venice, I can highly recommend Albergo Milano in Varenna (Lake Como). We splurged for a room with a balcony and full frontal view of the lake and it was wonderful. The room itself was very comfortable and clean. For Venice, I suggest Locanda Orseolo (a B&B on the Orseolo canal). Many of the rooms overlook the canal and the staff and hotel were great! It's just behind St. Mark's Square (5 minute walk to St. Mark's Square & 10-minute walk to the Rialto bridge area). Again, the room was very comfortable and clean and the included breakfast was also great. I would stay at either place again in a heartbeat.

Have a great trip & congratulations on getting to spend a month in beautiful Italia!

I am very appreciative of all you comments. Very useful indeed. Maybe we will consider renting a car. After all, we rented a scooter 3 years ago as we drove the Amalfi Coast and neither of us had ever driven a scooter before !!! I did not mention, but from Cinque Terre, we plan to venture to Monocco, Portofino, and other nearby places for day trips, so we will not be in Cinque Terre the entire time. I have heard Sienna is very nice and it is good to know there is an agriturismo nearby. I will definitely look into that. Again, thank you. Keep those suggestions coming. Looking forward to hearing more.

I strongly suggest that you rent a car for the Tuscany experience. There are so many interesting little hill towns to explore for day tripping and you just can't see them without a car. I really enjoyed driving in Tuscany when we were there. It's way more relaxing than driving around US cities.
Everyone likes different experiences but if you want to get a taste of the "real" Italy I strongly suggest you consider staying a week at Agriturismo Cretaiole near Siena. They family that runs it is absolutely amazing. You will love them! Read the review both here (rick steves) and on trip advisor. The only problem is that they have been discovered and you will have to book way in advance.
Have a wonderful time in Italy. I envy you!

You guys are starting to convince me to rent a car in Tuscany. Is it difficult to rent a car? I'm familiar with renting in US, but very uncertain in Italy. Are the rates about the same? And, when you're driving in Tuscany, is there a map of vineyards and wineries like there is in Napa & Sonoma?

Oh I hope someone answers your last question. We are also looking to rent a car in the Tuscany area for just three or four days and not sure how to get started.

Yes, I had a lot of apprehension about this too. Finally handled it last week. I looked at SixT, Europecar, Autoeurope, a few brokers. Finally went to Hertz site and booked there, using AAA discount.

We'll have the car (Fiat Panda) for 17 days at a cost of about $450. I expect it'll be closer to $600 once we add 2nd driver. That includes 3400 free kilometers (more than enough), theft insurance (mandatory) and the damage waiver (CDW)

We could have skipped the CDW-- probably looked around more and shaved more $$ off the cost-- but I wanted to get it off my plate. End of the day, I figure it's not that big a cost for the freedom and fun we'll get from it

Enjoy your trip!

Thank you for the car rental info. I will look into that as well. Everything you guys are saying and reading Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany recommends having a car to get to agriturismos and farm houses of Tuscany which is something I want to do to experience Tuscan culture. I must say, 17 days @ a rate of $600 is not bad in comparison to hiring a driver. I have some friends who hired a driver in Tuscany, and I have spoken to him about my travels, and while he is very knowledgeable and very pleasant, for one day it would cost $310 euros. Now........ I just need a good map of wineries, like you get in Napa Valley !!!

If you rented a scooter and drove the AC, driving a car in Tuscany will be cake!
We've rented cars through AutoEurope and Hertz many times all over France and Italy, including Siena. Couldn't have been easier.

We rented a car twice through Auto Europe; they are headquartered in Maine therefore it's very easy to make arrangements from the U.S. They search for the best rate through their network of rental companies (they use Hertz, Europcar, etc.) We had a bit of a hiccup the first time we rented a car (when we got to the rental office, they didn't have a reservation for us) but it was easy to get on the phone with Auto Europe and resolve the issue. I would not hesitate to use Auto Europe again but as others have said, you should also price the rental direct with Hertz, Europcar, etc.

I'm glad you're considering renting a car; it really makes the most sense for navigating around Tuscany/Umbria and visiting wineries, etc. One thing to keep in mind though, since you will be visiting wineries, is that the legal blood alcohol limit is lower than in the U.S. so be extra careful about drinking and driving. Have a wonderful trip!

With or without the map, it's easy to follow the "Wine Road" signs (look for a bunch of grapes and a directional sign, small signs with names of wineries will be posted along the routes).

Has anyone been to Radda, a small village in Tuscany? I heard about the place, but would love to hear what any of you Italy travelers have to say about it. And, in Tuscany, what are your must see towns/villages recommendations?

If you decide to rent a car (which I would highly suggest you do) don't forget that you must get an international driver's license before you get to the rental agency. Many rental car companies in Italy will not rent to you if you don't have one. If you did get stopped by the Italian police without one you could get a hefty fine. They are easy to get - just stop by AAA and order one before you go on your trip.

All the Wine Roads of Tuscany

http://www.in-tuscany.com/wine-road/

YES to rent a car!

Have a great time.