Suggested towns to visit and car hire in Tuscany

Gav - Here is a private driver in Tuscany that will be able to take you to all the Tuscan towns you wish to visit. His contact info is on in the link.

https://alessandrocammilli.wordpress.com/

http://www.montalcinotravel.com/

If based in Florence, suggested day trips would be Siena. Lucca, and Pisa. You would not need a driver to visit these 3 towns, just take train or bus.

If based in Montepulciano, Suggested town visits with a driver would be Pienza, Montalcino and Cortona.

The Rick Steves Florence book recommends day trips and companies. We took two day trip tours with WalkAboutFlorence. Check out their webpage. We did the BEST OF TUSCANY tour that took us to 3 towns and fed us an amazing lunch at a Tuscan Farm. We also did the CHIANTI WINE & FOOD SAFARI TOUR - both absolutely amazing. Plan at least 3 days in Florence in addition to these day trips if you can - it and Venice are amazing. We also love Sorrento. If you plan on Venice - that is super romantic. So is Lake Como.

1 - I loved Siena and Volterra. I would recommend Volterra in the morning and lunch and then over to Siena for the afternoon and evening. Siena is beatiful at night.
2 - I went to a winery in Montepulciano and enjoyed it but it is pretty far from Florence. Personally I didn't love driving all over Tuscany. The roads are windy and hilly and things are pretty far apart.
3 - You can do Volterra and Siena in a day trip from Florence. You could also do a Luca/Pisa day trip as well. I wouldn't go much more south than Chianti for wine touring day though. If you love wine and architecture look up Antinori Winery.
4 - I have never been to those other places but I have to think Lake Como would be a wonderful place to get engaged! I think Florence and the Tuscany region would be as well. :)
5 - We hired a private driver that I found through this forum to drive us around Tuscany. He was great and not too expensive. His name is Paolo and you can email him at [email protected]

Just a couple other thoughts - we enjoyed a cooking class very much which was recommended by Paolo - if you're interested you should ask him about that. I also did a great walking tour in Florence that I would recommend. tuscantourguide.com

Good luck and have fun!

hey hey gav
how fun and exciting. like a lot of others here on this forum, you'll find food and wine way on the top of lists for food and wine. your bucket list will be different than mine, i'll give you some options to ponder on.
FLORENCE
come&seeitaly.com has tours from different cities that may interest you.
yestogo.it rent an electric car and drive to different areas of florence, never know if you'll find that "perfect" setting. contact them with an email or message, do you need an IDP? coincides with your driver's license, you will need one if you rent a car in italy. we in the states get it at AAA, 2 passport photos and $25, have no clue about australia where to get one.
eatwith.com has cooking classes, dinner in a local italian's home, this one sounds very interesting "a secret supper with house concert"
eatingeurope.com
florenceboattour.com
tuscanwinetour.net
tuscan-wine-tours.com
ROME:
withlocals.com "beautiful countryside day trip: castelli romani
oldfrascati.com short train ride out to the wine country of frascati, known for white white.
eatingeurope.com
marketsofrome.com
hope this helps with some ideas to enjoy and have a fabulous holiday. so much to do so little time. have you booked your hotels/apts to stay in. book early any sites you wish to see at their website, it will be busy everywhere, with long lines. skip the lines with tickets but you will have a line for security, be prepared and start early mornings.
aloha

Thanks so much everyone for your really helpful information and efforts.
I'll let you know how I go!
Kindly.....

Gav, I was just in Montepulciano in October, and it definitely is worth it. The views of the valleys below are incredibly beautiful. I enjoyed exploring the side streets, talking to shopkeepers and eating Tuscan food. If you're renting a car, you could stay at an agritourismo. Don't miss Caffe Poliziano on the main corso - possibly the most beautiful restaurant I've ever seen.

Hi Gav,

For some fun reading about the area, check out the many books by Frances Mayes. She lives part time in Tuscany and has written several books on Italy. She has a very engaging style and talks about food, wine and small towns.

Thank you for all your replies!