traveling to hill towns, any suggestions?

Orvieto is a good choice. It's convenient by train and a surprisingly nice town.

I think Lucca is also accessable by train but we thought it was just okay.

Siena is beautiful too.

This is the place to consider renting a car because it opens up a lot of possibilities.

Oh, and we will not have a car...

there are several hilltowns you can get to by train; you get off at the station and take a bus to the top (or walk up, as in Arezzo). A few I've been to and liked are Cortona, Perugia, Arezzo, Todi, Orvieto. You can find more info about these (and others) online or in guide books. You can easily find others near train stations; just bring up google maps of the region, look for hilltowns with rail lines thru them.

Traci,

Although it's in Umbria rather than Tuscany, one town you might consider is Orvieto. It's a wonderful smaller hill town with a very interesting history and the scenery is very similar to Tuscany. The Duomo is very impressive (especially the Frescoes on the ceiling) and St. Patrick's Well is also an interesting site. It would be a perfect spot to relax for a few days before heading to Rome, especially as it's only a very short train ride to Rome.

While in Orvieto, you could consider a day trip to one of Rick's favourite hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio. Details on how to get there are in the Guidebook. Check the website for Civita to have a look at the town.

If you do decide to stop in Orvieto, post another note and I'll provide a few other details.

Cheers!

Love Orvieto. Easy to get to and pleasant size. We stay at the Magnolia Inn (see RS book) and its clean, perfect location & great value at 65 euros (ask for the back room with the frescoe ceiling)

Traci,
Do consider Orvieto, a wonderful spot to visit. And because you have a car, Locanda Rosati an
agroturismo out of town a bit, would be a great
place before heading to Rome. It was the highlight
of our trip last summer. Check out tripadvisor for
details. Carol

Orvieto is great and also convenient, as it's on the regional train line between Florence and Rome. A couple of other smaller hill towns worth considering are Volterra and Montepulciano, although both require a bus connection from the train lines. The bus adds some travel time but isn't too difficult.

Orvieto is a great suggestion and it is a hilltown. Don't overlook Lucca in your consideration however. Not a hilltown, but there are great views from the tops of its walls. And the town itself wonderfully preserved from its medieval days.

Actually, we will NOT have a car... shucks. We had originally planned for Sienna but perhaps Orvieto would be a better option b/c it might be more convenient and you all seem to give it rave reviews : )

I read about these "Hill Towns" in Rick Steves books and know it is a desirable place to visit but what exactly are they all about? Is it the equivalent to the countryside?

Thanks for all of your help!

Traci,

As I remember the hill towns were created for defensive purposes, often with large walls to better withstand a siege. Each of these was often a small "kingdom". Orvieto is a good example of hill towns, as St. Patrick's Well was constructed to provide water during times of siege. It uses a double-helix design which allowed donkeys carrying water containers to go both up and down at the same time. That was also the purpose of the Pigeon lofts, which you'll see if you take the Underground tour.

A visit to Orvieto also provides the opportunity to visit Civita di Bagnoregio, one of the most unusual hill towns, where the pillars in front of the Church date back to Etruscan times.

Cheers!

Orvieto was my favorite hill town. The Duome is amazing!!!! You can spend 1 whole day exploring Orvieto, and rent a car for the 2nd day. Go to a few other towns, we did 2-3 per day were not rushing at all. Its only about 1 hour train ride to Rome on your departure date so you would have more then enough time.

Orvieto does sound like it's a little more convenient. Since it's only 1 hr from Rome I wonder if I should extend my stay in Cinque Terre (b/c CT just looks so beautiful and seems so hard to get to and we'll only be there for basically 1 1/2 days on this current itinerary). Perhaps I can increase the time I have in CT by one night and then increase the time I have in Florence by 1 night. That way I can take a day trip out to one of the little hill towns (like Orvieto) on a little wine tasting tour or something out of Florence? I'd take a day trip out of Rome b/c it's closer but then I want to spend as much time in Rome as possible.

Any thoughts on this idea?

Traci,

Orvieto would be easier to visit on a day trip from Rome rather than Florence. The "average" travel time from Florence is about two hours each way, while from Rome it's about an hour (usually a direct train with no changes).

We'd love to do a day trip wine and olive oil tasting or else a cooking class. Rick Steve's Italy book mentions this "Accidental Tourist" company that takes people on wine and olive oil tasting trips from Florence. I'm really interested in that and if I can find something like that that's highly recommended, we might just make it a day trip. Not sure if we'll be missing out by not staying overnight one or two nights though...