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Rome and Tuscan agriturismo next June

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My wife and I are planning our first visit to Italy for our 25th anniversary next June. Right now I'm thinking 3 or 4 days in Rome doing the expected touristy stuff, and then I hope to find a great agriturismo that would allow day trips to Pisa/Lucca, San Gimignano/Volterra, the Chianti Road, Siena, and maybe Cortona/Arezzo, with a day or two of simple relaxing, maybe a cooking class, and little to no travel.

I expect we'll fly in and out of Rome. I'm purposely avoiding Florence as there is so much there, it warrants a trip of its own.
I'd like to hear some opinions as to whether it makes more sense to stay north and west of Siena, or south and east closer to Montepulciano. I've found a bunch of seemingly perfect agriturismos, but can't decide what makes more sense. One or two are even within walking distance of San Gimignano or Siena or Montepulciano. That's a very attractive thought, especially with the views we'd have every day.

I'm also wondering about Rome. Ideally I'd like to stay in Monti, Capitelli, or nearby so we can walk most everywhere. I'd rather leave renting a car until we are ready to head north, saving both hassle and expense. We tend to travel with a fair bit of luggage; although I am going to make a concerted effort to minimize, we'll probably still have too much stuff. How manageable is luggage getting from FCO to the area, and are there rental car pick-up locations in these neighborhoods, or do the rental agencies offer a drop service to hotels? I really haven't gotten too far down the rental car road, other than browsing Sixt and a few others for an idea of models and price.

What advice might you have for us? This is my first post, and I am truly excited to see the high-quality activity on this forum in my few times visiting.

Thanks in advance,

David

Posted by
11613 posts

Good idea to rent a car and ditch it before you get to Roma; the Tiburtina station has rental offices nearby. What is your budget for hotels?

So many possibilities for agriturismi! I prefer the area around Siena and Montalcino, but the towns of Arezzo (cooking classes available), Sansepolcro, Anghiari are beautiful if you like walled cities. I also like Lucca very much.

You don't say how many nights you will have; you may be able to have a base each in northern and southern Tuscany.

Posted by
8178 posts

Many travelers going to Tuscany after visiting Rome will pickup their rental car at the Orvieto train station. Hertz' office is just across the street, and you can make reservations thru Hertz directly or through AutoEurope. From Rome Termini to Orvieto is a 70 minute train ride. From Orvieto to Siena is maybe a 90 minute drive.
You've obviously done your homework in looking for places to stay. We stayed halfway between San Gimignano and Certaldo, and virtually every farm in the area has rooms and apartments for a secondary source of income. I went through Booking.com. Just make sure they've got a/c, as it gets hot in Italy in Summer. Anywhere between Siena and San Gimignano would also be great.
Poggibonsi is out on the motorway (between Siena and Florence), and we bought our food and drink at two fantastic supermarkets. We ended up cooking at least half our meals in our 70 Euro 2 bedroom apartment.
We have no problems with luggage as anyone traveling with us has to haul their own. We never carry more than a 21" rolling bag and a small backpack/handbag.

Posted by
425 posts

I saw Siena on your list. Il Canto del Sole is a fantastic spot to say a couple of days. Absolutely join the nightly supper! Get a room in the main house and sip a bottle of wine on the upstairs porch.

Posted by
4 posts

Thanks for everything so far, and I'm sorry I neglected to define my length of stay in Tuscany. We're looking at probably a week, maybe 8 or 9 days, to stay in an agriturismo. We may do 3 days in Rome, head for the hills, then do a partial last day in Rome, depending on how flights best work out. So, all in, 11 or 12 days, including travel.

Budget for a Rome hotel? Haven't really looked too deeply there, as Rome has so many possibilities I'm sure I can find something agreeable. Probably $225/nt or less. A friend stayed at Forty-Seven Hotel a few years ago, and loved the location and amenities. It may be too pricey for us, but somewhere in that area is where I hope to end up. A few places that show up in a quick search include: Nerva Boutique Hotel, Hosianum Palace, Hotel Forum, Luneta Hotel Rome, and Kolbe Hotel Rome. All are 3 star or better, and prices seem very reasonable, for the most part. Anyone have experience, good or bad, with any of these, or have others in the area to recommend?

David

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