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Thinking maybe I should adjust part of Itinerary . Help

Posted by (North Carolina mountains) on

Hello. I recently posted a question in General Europe about renting a car. One of the replies got me rethinking the Italy part of our trip. "In the beginning " of our planning for this year's trip, Tuscany wasn't going to be included. But we enjoyed Montepulciano so much last year, decided to return to the area, rent a car and explore more. Note: last year we stayed in Montepulciano, didn't have a car and only visited Pienza for an afternoon.

Traveling in September. We will be going to Italy from Zurich either by train or flying. Will have already been in France and Switzerland for two weeks.

Zurich to Lucca. Stay in Lucca two nights.

Train to Siena. Get rental car in Siena. Staying in B&B about two miles outside of Siena. Staying four nights. Plan on visiting towns and countryside for 3 days.

We then go to Lake Garda area to join friends and continue our trip.

Now I am wondering if Lucca is a good choice for just two nights. We were there for just an afternoon a few years ago and I remember thinking I would like to spend more time there. Maybe we should just add the two nights to Siena and stay in one place for all six nights. Is there another quaint town that we can get to by train from Zurich that we should consider?

Thought I had it figured out, now I'm just not sure. Side note: in previous trips we have been to: Lake Como area, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence, Venice and Rome.

Thanks so much for your thoughts.

Posted by
2213 posts

As a general rule, I prefer fewer destinations to cut down spending time checking in and checking out.

Lucca is 4 hours by train from Siena and ~1 1/2 hours by car. One alternative would be to still go to Lucca, but rent a car there. The drive down to Siena through the countryside could be charming. You could go through San Miniato, Volterra and San Gimignano. Then, since you'll be staying near Siena, you could use it as a base to explore southern Tuscany - Montepulciano and Montalcino. Of course, Siena itself is charming and worth at least a day to explore.

Posted by
4657 posts

Remember there is no such thing as 'best' or 'perfect'. If you enjoyed Lucca, then visit Lucca. If by chance you are not as enamoured upon arrival, don't kick yourself. I know we invest a lot of time and money on planning travel, but you can't beat yourself up if you make a sub-optimal (never a 'wrong') choice. Go hang out at the baths in Montecatine Terme, or visit Pistoia or Viareggio from Lucca. Or heaven forbid, cut your losses after one night and to to Siena early or stop somewhere en route for a night.
It doesn't hurt to have options researched, but you could drive yourself crazy second guessing decisions - just way too much information and choices out there.
At least, this is my opinion and how I travel.

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