Pistoia, Italy

If I were planning my first trip to Italy, Pistoia would not be on my list. I've been there on what I think was my 14th visit to that country. If you get a car - - either self-driven or with a driver - - you could add Lucca, Vinci, and/or Collodi to your day in Sambuca Pistoiese. I seriously doubt that there's enough of interest there to keep you occupied for an entire day.

1. Florence to Pistoia is a short train ride, 30-55min depending on which train. 2. I think either renting a car for the day or hiring a car & driver is going to be the only way to get to Sambuca Pistoiese, there is a bus from Pistoia but it looks like it only runs once per day so no flexibility. Once you know where you're staying in Pistoia you can contact the hotel management about suggestions for hiring a car if that's how you decide to go. I also agree with the other poster that you probably won't be spending a long time in Sambuca Pistoiese so you may want to combine that with a visit to one or two other towns.

Pistoia is a lovely town, I spent a few nights there several years ago. If you have hotel accommodations, you can ask them about how best to get to Sambuca Pistolese. I have never regretted time spent somewhere, knowing that my ancestors had been there.

Have a great trip.

I suggest you have a walk through Sambuca Pistoiese on google earth. The place is extremely sparse and you have really little options to walk around; we are talking about a few groups of homes, not even proper villages, spread across mountain roads in dense woods. I agree that time spent tracing your roots is well spent, but you should better have an idea of what you are looking for. The trip is easy with a car, much more difficult with sparse public transportation. The place has a tiny train stop named "Ponte della Venturina" that is the easiest place to access on your own - but again, have a look on you own as google earth has extensively shot all the roads up there and you can make up your mind very easily.

If you are staying in Pistoia, you may also take bus
56 or 57 of COPIT bus Company which link Sambuca Pistoiese with Pistoia (South) e Porretta Terme (North).
Will you be able to meet some fami my members there?
If yes, stay there one night.

If you like walking and hiking, here are a feb itineraries you could choose to discover the Sambuca:
Alcuni Itinerari proposti da Castanea
1. Percorso n. 1
Itinerario: Pracchia – Frassignoni – Case Bezzi – Strada Faggeta – Lagacci – Frassignoni
Servizi offerti: progettazione, organizzazione e conduzione gruppi
Prezzo: 10/15€ a persona

1. Percorso n. 2
   Itinerario: Taviano – Sambuca – Posola – Mulino del Pallone
   Servizi offerti: progettazione, organizzazione e conduzione gruppi
   Prezzo: 10/15€ a persona

2. Percorso n. 3
   Itinerario: Sambuca – Case Bettini – Pratopiano – Crocione – Casette - Pavana
   Servizi offerti: progettazione, organizzazione e conduzione gruppi
   Prezzo: 10/15€ a persona

3. Percorso n. 4
   Itinerario: Treppio – Cerchiaia – Case Sarti – Piani – Monte Cuccoli – Bivio Uccellaia - Treppio
   Servizi offerti: progettazione, organizzazione e conduzione gruppi
   Prezzo: 10/15€ a persona

4. Percorso n. 5
   Itinerario: Treppio - Torri
   Servizi offerti: progettazione, organizzazione e conduzione gruppi
   Prezzo: 10/15€ a persona

5. Percorso n. 6
   Itinerario: Monachino – Faggione delle Valli – Rifugio Acquerino
   Servizi offerti: progettazione, organizzazione e conduzione gruppi
   Prezzo: 10/15€ a persona

6. Percorso n. 7
   Itinerario: Ponte a Rigoli – Badia Taona
   Servizi offerti: progettazione, organizzazione e conduzione gruppi
   Prezzo: 10/15€ a persona

Here are the contact addresses:

Comune di Sambuca Pistoiese
P.zza S. Pertini 1 - 51020 Taviano (PT) - Tel. 0573893716 Fax 0573893737 - [email protected]
Oppure:

Castanea Società Cooperativa Agricolo Forestale
Via Bolognese 27 - 51100 Pistoia (PT) - Tel. 05731781337 - [email protected]

Since it appears the primary purpose of your visit to Pistoia and Sambuca Pistoiese is related to family history, consider contacting the Tourist Office in Pistoia to see if they can arrange for someone to accompany you for the day (or part of the day) with that purpose in mind rather than just hiring a driver. I did that first time I visited my grandparent’s villages in Croatia and it was money well spent. I had a rental car, and the person helped with navigation and translation. They weren’t an official guide, but that was OK since the purpose of my visit wasn’t tourism.

If you want to ask about or contact relatives while in Sambuca Pistoiese, or if you decide to try to make arrangements for a local “guide” directly with the Comune di Sambuca Pistoiese, you might want to plan for more than just a short stop. If small-town Italy is anything like small-town Croatia (and I suspect it is), just about everyone in town will want to meet you, feed you and/or offer you a drink once they find out your great-grandparents were from there. In Croatia, even before we hit the road, there was lunch with the person’s family, espresso with some of his friends and then more espresso with the people at the Tourist Office. It was a very positive experience, but my point is that, depending on how you plan the visit, you could very well spend more than just a short time strolling around town.

Pistoia is very pretty, you will enjoy your time there. The main village in the Comune of Sambuca is Taviano. I would rent a car to get there. It's a very secluded forested area.

Pistoia will be the Cultural Capital for 2017. (Mantua was the Cultural Capital for 2016). Pistoia is a "hidden jewel in the Tuscany crown". I think you will love it. On my first trip to Italy, I went to the village my grandparents came from...Gaggio Montano....a small village up the hill from Poretta Terme. I was thrilled to sit in the church that he must have attended as a boy and I acquired his birth certificate from the records office and the man who was helping me told me that he knew the house where my grandfather was born (the houses have names and it was on his certificate). He drove me there and I took a picture standing in front of it as he explained to the current occupants who I was. It was a dream come true to be able to walk in his footsteps. Enjoy.

Please stop all talk regarding Pistoia- we love it and don't want it to be discovered by too many tourists!

Bob from Gettysburg,

My wife thinks exactly like you.

My wife and I go often since I have family there. When she discovered I had posted the post below, she got so pissed at me, I am lucky to be alive. She told me that if she sees even one American toting Rick Steves' guides next Summer, she is going to hold me responsible and kick my arse.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/pistoia-083edb31-9d15-48a5-b74e-ec97a0ad9bec

@ Roberto - Surely it's your uncle she should hold responsible!