Tuscan Region -- Where to Go?

To make matters more complicated, Tuscany has several distinct regions, so it's good to figure out what most interests you and if you want to visit the larger towns - Florence, Siena, Pisa. In 3 or 4 days you would probably get the most enjoyment from focusing on one smaller area. For example, if you want to tour Chianti, then base somewhere north of Siena.

Once you identify your focus, an agriturismo is a good choice because you get the benefit of free parking and don't have to spend time getting in and out of a larger town. Just know that you're on your own for nightlife.

I suggest you read RS guide on the region. It's very helpful.

We have the RS guide, but for some reason Tuscany seems to overwhelm us! We are probably most interested in the wine and taking time to relax.

I would stay in the area of Pienza/Montalcino/Montepulciano. To me that's the most scenic area where you can get a feel of the countryside and small town Tuscany. Pienza is our favorite with nice restaurants, beautiful views and easy jaunts to the area. Check out this site
http://nautilus-mp.com/tuscany/indexing.html.

Susan,

Although Florence is in Tuscany and a beautiful city, you might enjoy some of the smaller towns. Siena would be a good choice, as it's somewhat "central". Rick has listings for Agriturismo's in his books, but a car will most likely be required to get to them. Some Villas and similar lodgings that I've looked at require a minimum of a one-week stay.

You might also consider a stop in Orvieto, which is in Umbria (another beautiful city) and a visit to one of Rick's favourites, Civita di Bagnoregio.

Happy travels!

Susan,
Where you stay should be dictated by what you want to see.
I would stay in southern Tuscany to see Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, Bagno Vignoni, Sant Antimo, Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Buonconvento, Murlo, Montalcino. I would stay in Chianti area to see San Gimignano, Volterra, Greve, Radda, Castellina,Siena.

Hi, If you want to relax and drink some fine wines then Montalcino is wonderful. Also I'd highly suggest San Gimignano.

Susan, just an observation here. If the RS guide to Tuscany overwhelms you, as you say, then you're willing to let some total strangers on the internet tell you what to do on your vacation? This may not be the best use of your time and money.

My suggestion if you're feeling overwhelmed by it all is to go on a tour. RS has excellent tours, including one of the region. While a tour seems pricy, when you take into account the efficiency (you show up and your room is reserved and ready, you don't get lost going from A to B, you get excellent local guides and the RS guide so you understand more of what you're seeing instead of wandering book in hand, etc) I'd contend that you do 50% more than you'd do on your own in the same amount of time.

Thanks for the info everyone. We were looking for how others have explored the area and now have some ideas. Our favorite parts of trips is when we get to explore on our own and see what the country holds.

We are staying at an agriturismo outside of Siena for a week this summer. It is called Il Canto del Sole and got great reviews on www.tripadvisor.com. It will be our base for day trips. You might take a look at the reviews and see if it is a good match.

Susan - from one Atlantan to another - I second the suggestions of the Pienza/Montalcino area. We were in this region this past summer for 2 nights and absolutely loved it. It was our 3rd trip to Italy, 2nd to Tuscany. We stayed the first time at an Agriturismo about 1/2 hour outside Florence and explored that area for a week. Quite frankly I like Venice & Rome much better than Florence and though I did love the countryside and our "villa" at Iesolona, I preferred our more recent trip to the Val d'Orcia (sp?). The scenery is picture perfect, the little towns in the area are great, lots of good food, good wine. I've been recommending the place we stayed, Le Traverse, to anyone who asks. It is outside Pienza, small (3-4 rooms), pool, great hostess (Pinuccia!), a real find. We hope to return within the next year as there was too much to see for just a few nights.

Susan,
I faced similar indecision trying to decide how to best use a week in March in Tuscany. We settled on the area near Siena. From there we can easily reach Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Florence and other hill towns. You could train up to Siena and pick up a car at the train station (check AutoEurope, Hertz, Avis - the latter I've read have outlets at the train station). We chose an Agroturismo called Torre Prima near San Gimignano based on reviews (http://www.torreprima-holidays.it/). Good luck

Susan-
Last year we toured both Volterra and San Gimignano and absolutely loved Volterra. San Gimignano was nice to visit but seemed over-touristy. Volterra is covered in Rick Steves' book and definitely worth a stop or stay. Have fun!

Must stay in Siena, day trip stops in SanGigminano (sp?) and Orvieto if you can. If you have a favorite type of Italian wine (or start sampling now), you can pick a region known for that wine in Tuscany and just go.

Some excellent suggestions have been posted, and I don't have anything else to add except to say I think you are right to ask for personal suggestions and experiences above and beyond the guidebook. I read guidebooks when first planning my trips and then ask for personal experiences to help me refine the guidebook information. Don't be afraid to ask questions!