Siena as a base for month in Italy.......

Siena is an excellent base for about 4-5 nights in that part of Tuscany. Once you've exhausted everything within a reasonable drive from Siena, you could move on to Chianti, Southern Tuscany, and Umbria, not to mention Florence! I'd love to have that much time to travel around Italy!

"is Siena a good base from which to tour Tuscany?"

Have you been there before? Where do you plan to lodge?

The city center of Siena is not car friendly at all, so if you plan on staying in the city, bringing your car in and out and dealing with parking has its issues. If you plan on staying near to Siena, somewhere around its base, then it's a bit easier with the car. However, I think there is prettier countryside elsewhere, maybe twenty-minutes away that gives the best of all worlds for a northern Tuscan experience.

A few years ago some friends and I stayed at Hotel Minerva, which is just outside one of the city gates and has on-premises covered parking. Some rooms have views of the Siena skyline. Ten minutes' walk to the Campo.

I like cities, so I think it would be a good base. You might consider splitting your time between Siena and somewhere more in the countryside, however.

Google Tuscany Festivals September or check the web pages for various towns in Tuscany.

To Jennifer.......We were planning to see Florence. Maybe we should split our time in Tuscany between two bases.

To NYCTravelSnob........We have not been to Italy before. I had read that the city center was foot traffic only. We were planning to rent an apartment near the city center and was hoping to be able to park just outside the city and retrieve the car when needed to explore the surrounding area. Do you have suggestions for other places to use as home base?

Zoe.......I have been back and forth trying to decide......city or countryside.......

Staying in the city within walking distance of the city center is good that way you have something to do in the evening within a short distance and you don't need to drive for dinner. Staying in the countryside, maybe at an agriturismo (farmhouse) would be nice too, but a month is a long time. I'm pretty sure after a week or two, spending the evenings in the same farmhouse, just you and your husband, your husband is going to get into your nerves, especially if you've been married a long time. Much better to have something to do. With a car however, looking for the perfect spot is crucial. You need a place that is close to the city center, but at the same time outside the pedestrianized ZTL, and preferably with parking.

The Festa del Vino (Chianti Expo) in Greve starts on Sept 7 this year. Probably around that same time next year. There are plenty of sagre (sah-gray), or festivals going on in September, virtually in any town at one time or another. Just Google SAGRE TOSCANA around the time you go and you'll find plenty of info online.

Thank you for your response, Roberto.......GREAT information!

Your plans sound great, but is it possible to change your plans and fly into Venice and home from Roma? The flights departing Venice are EARLY morning and transiting to the airport could be a challenge. Just a suggestion...

Staying in Siena is a good plan and the town is very, very nice. This past October we spent five nights at the really nice Hotel Athena and enjoyed our experience. It's located just outside of the ZTL and provides free parking.

Since this is your first trip, here are two suggestions: 1. Both of you should wear money belts, and 2. Purchase the zero deductible insurance for your car rental because it's worth every dime for peace of mind.

Buon viaggio,

"We have not been to Italy before."

You are brave. It took me a few years of traveling to Italy's bigger cities to build up the desire to stay for longer periods. In my early stages (my 20's), when the car fumes, the Vespa noise, and the cigarette smokers were at an all time high, one week was my threshold. After seven days of constantly getting lost, extreme nasal congestion, and struggling with the language, I couldn't wait to get back home. Now, I fully enjoy long sojourns. Learning the language changes everything. If I didn't love my NYC life, I'd probably want to make Italy my base.

Personally, I think Siena is a hard nut to crack. It took me a long time, at least three visits, before I learned how to enter Siena by car quickly and efficiently. And this was before ZTL. Now, it's even more challenging. Siena is the only city I've experienced so far that makes my Garmin GPS sound an alarm when I try to go a certain route. I have a permit for driving in the center, so the alarm doesn't concern me, but I can imagine the panic of ordinary tourists experiencing such a thing.

Siena is situated on a very large and steep hill. The roads at the base are not easy to figure out. It takes trial, failure, and extra effort to figure out what is the best way to reach the top without getting stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Paid parking at the top is expensive. You have to learn how to use a parking garage. Picking an apartment close to a parking lot is crucial. Be wary of apartments that claim to have a free parking space nearby. That space will mostly likely be available to all residents. Many rental apartments are on upper floors with no elevator. In Siena, buildings can have hundreds of steps.

During busy months of the year, parking in Siena can be very time consuming. Depending on the circumstances and the time of day, it can take an hour or more to find an open space on the street. Free spaces could easily be a 10-15 minute walk to your lodging, sometimes longer. Siena, with a car, requires time-consuming planning and strategy. Most things on a to-do list can be accomplished, but none of it is easy, and I have tons of experience.

I've written on the internet about my early years before. My first week-long visit to Tuscany, I based myself in Castellina in Chianti. I wanted to experience the fabulous SR222. I fell in love with the experience and used it as a base for several visits. It's fairly easy to explore the area by car from that location. One drive is more beautiful than the next, no matter which direction you go. I was based in Castellina in Chianti for my first two visits to Siena. Coming from the north, I seriously struggled to find Via Esterna di Fontebranda, and then later Strada dei Tufi. Once I found them and learned them, I felt at home. I do not enjoy entering Siena from the north, where the train station is located. Most northern tourists enter from the north. I avoid it like the plague.

Re: Venice
I have always preferred ending my visits to Italy in Venice. They don't call the place "serene" for nothing. I've never had a problem avoiding very early morning flights (I hate those anyway). The details always depend on other details.

Once you see the cost of a car and read up more on ZTL's and the risk of fines, you may want to consider other options. For example, rather than incur a drop-off charge, take train/bus to Siena from Rome and find a good rental agency there, then Train/Bus to Venice. You may also find you do not need a car everyday (Several days in Siena, any days spent in Florence you would want to take the Bus, not drive, Other towns...) so you might be able to limit car use for a few days at a time or even some 1 day rentals. I do think that a car will be handy for exploring the countryside and smaller towns, but having a car when you do not need it can get expensive (Parking, rental, Insurance).

Do some searches on the ZTL, also run a couple quotes for car rentals including the drop off charge and insurance (CC coverage is not usually valid, so you have to purchase) and see if you are comfortable with the cost, figuring additional for parking and gas.

Hello, again NYCTravelSnob. We're maybe more crazy than brave - once flew into Santiago, DO, rented a car and drove to Puerto Plata on the north coast with sketchy internet directions and a very limited knowledge of Spanish. Thank you so much for all the information. We are still in the planning stages and want to use other traveler experiences to help build our itinerary......already rethinking some aspects of the trip.

Paul......thanks so much for the advice. I am so glad I joined this forum as there are things I had not considered and have plenty of time to do more research.

We have never incurred a drop fee for cars driven within Italy----Lucca to Siena to Pisa; and Bolzano to Venice via the Dolomites.

Generally the drop fee comes if you cross a border and drop the car in a different country.