My husband and I will fly into venice Sun Sep. 4th and stay for three nights, we then have 7 nights and 8 days we would like to spend is Tuscany. We would like to spend one or two nights in CT as well- possibly vernazza. My thoughts are to spend 5 nights in Siena and take some day trips out of there. Which hill towns are not to miss? Should we rent a car or use local transportation? Should we have a different base than Siena? Lodging reccomendations? Any suggestions for itineraries? We would rather see the countryside, visit local markets and shops, drink wine and cappucino and look at outdoor architecture and buildings rather than visit art musuems. Then we will take the train to rome for 3 or 4 nights before flying back to the US.
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts
Evie,
This might help http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11363 posts
Sounds like a nice trip. Having been to the CT, I'd say 2 to 3 nights to make it worth the trouble of traveling to and from. It takes a long time to get between the CT and Siena, so stay at least two nights. That only gives you about 1 1/2 days there, though that might be fine for you. Specifically your itinerary might look like this: - Venice, 3 nights - Siena, 4 - Cinque Terre, 2
- Rome, 4 If I have miscounted your nights and you actually have one more, add it to any location. I would suggest 4 nights in Rome, 5 if you can manage it, because it is such a complex and fascinating city. I prefer to spend less time in museums and more outside, as well. Rome has endless options in both categories. If you have time, head out to the Via Appia Antica and/or Parco degli Acquedotti. Each of your location changes will take the better part of a 1/2 day, so plan for that "lost time." In fact, it might be better to skip the CT, adding time to Venice, Rome and Siena in the interest of a more well-paced trip with fewer changes of location. Do rent a car in Siena (but not in Venice or Rome). That will allow you to daytrip to some great hilltowns, like Volterra. Might be a good opportunity to find an agriturismo with free parking. We liked the tour we took with http://www.toursbyroberto.com. If you want to stay in Siena itself, we also liked http://www.anticaresidenzacicogna.it/pages_eng/presentazione.asp. They have a parking spot they may rent to you if no one else is using it. Have a great trip!