Too many days in Tuscany?

Hi Deena-

We did a very similar trip (the Tuscany part that is) a few years ago. After four nights in Florence ( I'm assuming you've already done Florence since you didn't include that in your itinerary), we drove to Siena and spent six nights there- visiting Siena and doing day trips to the hill towns. Voltare and San Gimingano one day, Montepulicano and Pienze another, Montalcino another. And a down day or two or just short trips to lovely Siena in between. We left Siena and spent two nights in Orvieto, with a day each for Orvieto and Civita.

We did a separate trip to the Cinque Terre from Milan another time- it was only two nights for CT- nothing wrong with three nights for sure! Venice was another separate trip, but I agree you won't want less than three nights.

I guess what I'm saying is your plan sounds about right. I was tempted to say to steal a night each from CT and Orvieto to see Florence, but really that would be short-changing lovely Firenze and maybe making your trip too harried.

So, all in all, I think you have a great plan!

Ciao!

Dave

PS- the smartest thing we did was brought our Garmin GPS with an Italy card that we bought from Amazon. What could easily have been a disaster with me lost and my lovely wife staring at a map was instead a sit back and enjoy the view and let "Cary Grant" (my wife's name for the Garmin voice) direct us around. ;)

Arrive in Milan or Pisa and travel to CT. Stay three nights in CT

Travel by train to Siena for four nights and take day trips to surrounding towns

Drive to Orvieto for three nights and take day trips

Return car and take train to Venice for three nights. Could add a night to Venice and one less in Siena

3 nights CT is a great first trip but upon leaving the CT for Siena I would rent the car in La Spezia. Several years ago we took "the" train from Vernazza to Siena and in fact it was four trains and took almost four hours. We had to stand up for two of the one hour segments due to crowding, and by the 3rd train change in a small station, I was very tired of lugging my relatively light (20 lbs) suitcase up and down the station stairs from platform to platform. You will need a place in Siena that has parking, of course, but as you are planning many day trips form there, you need the car anyway.

Instead of Orvieto, I might plant myself in Assisi and see some of the Umbrian landscape such as Spello and Spoleto. I think Orvieto is kind of a one night town and frankly I would not plan an entire day of a short trip on Civita di Bagnoreggio. It is unique and pretty if the weather is perfect, but it's kind of lunch-and-a-stroll then leave. You could return the car in Orvieto spending a few hours there and head to Venice by train, or even drive to Firenze -- being very careful of the ZTL -- and get the FrecciaRossa to Venezia.

Hi, Deena. You don't mention Assisi, Cortona, or other beautiful places but what you do have sounds great. I know a hotel in Siena (just outside one of the main gates) with covered on-site parking if you are interested. Some of my best memories of Tuscany and Umbria are driving, seeing a tower in the distance, and deciding to go look around. We stopped at Anghiari this way, beautiful town.

I also suggest to pick up the car in La Spezia (just minutes from the Cinque Terre by train) and proceed to Tuscany by car.
Assisi area is a better base for Umbria.
Unless you plan to stay in Florence for any length of time, I would drive all the way to Venice and return the car there (Piazzale Roma). Much cheaper for 4 people than the train, and faster too if you are in Assisi, just go up the freeway to Cesena.

Thanks David, Laurel, Roberto, and Zoe for the replies. You have made me feel much better about our plans and also given good suggestions. I am open to any more ideas of great little towns to see. Part of the reason we are staying in Orvieto is to visit Tenuta Le Velette winery which we stopped at on our RS tour in 2010. We did the Venice, Florence, Rome tour which is why we aren't planning on visiting Florence again. So, thanks again. Deena