Hi, We will be in Tuscany on the eastern flanks of Chianti near the towns of Mercatale Valdarno for four nights and will then be picking up another couple who will be taking the train to tuscany from Rome...with that in mind, what's the best place to pick them up and where would you suggest we spend the next three nights. We will most likely stay in a vacation rental...and I'd like a to explore an area different from our first four days. Your input is appreciated.
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
Good train access to Orvieto and Montepulciano. Easy drive for you to both.
Orvieto would let you explore Umbria, Montepulciano southern Tuscany.
Posted by
Ohio
171 posts
You might consider Lucca or San Gimignano.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Anywhere Siena is a great base. Consider Pienza close by.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16232 posts
I would stay put where you are.
Assuming you are happy with your accommodations there, what is the point of moving to Siena, or Montepulciano, or San Gimignano, or Monteriggioni, or Whatever in the same area? They are just an hour away. There are plenty of places visitable from there that can keep you busy for weeks. Most Americans commute longer than that on a daily basis. Where you are is nice, and you are minutes away from the Prada outlet in Montevarchi, which I know you will visit daily to bankrupt your husband.
You can pick up your friends in Florence, if you want to make life easier for them, or you can pick them up at the Montevarchi station, if you want to make life easier for yourselves. So it depends on how much or how little you like your friends. In the latter case, for your friends to reach Montevarchi, the fastest way is to go to Florence with a high speed Freccia train, then backtrack to Montevarchi with a slower Regional commuter train.