Any suggestions for a small, quiet, pretty village with a bakery, market/grocery, and a couple of cafes or restaurants in the Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Perugia area where I can stay in a studio or 1-bedroom apt for a week in May? I'm hoping to find a village that's on a (relatively) main train line but is not a tourist destination or tour bus stop. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
A few years ago I found myself in Foligno, halfway between Spoleto and Perugia. More a small city than a village, very attractive in an unassuming way, and on a frequently served railway line. I can't imagine a coach party disturbing your peace.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15196 posts
Most villages of a certain size (3000 and up) will have restaurants, cafes, markets and bakery.
The issue is places that are ideal are too small to use as a base using trains. Florence is best, but that is a city. Siena is smaller city but not on a main train line. Arezzo might fit the bill and also Pistoia to some extent. If you want smaller places, trains may not stop there except for some Regional trains. If you look for something pretty and smaller on a hill you must sacrifice mobility or maybe rent a car.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Anghiari might be your small city on a hill. Bus links to other towns.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for the suggestions! I'm checking them out.
Posted by
755 posts
Certaldo is on the main train line but not a crowded tourist town. It has a
medieval upper town and a modern lower town. Unlike many towns such as this, the upper old town is not a long walk from the train station. It is not far from Florence as well as many smaller towns in Tuscany. I stayed there for several days and enjoyed it very much and was able to visit several other towns by train as well as bus.