Trying to fine tune our trip
We will stay in Florence forTwo nights and pick up a car
Drive over to Lucca
Then south Via Siena
Val D, Orcia area
Then travel north back to Florence
We plan to spend 14 days driving
Here is my concern
We are seniors, my husband very slow and a little unsteady
I am looking at all the hill top towns/ villages which look delightful, but how accessible are they once we have parked the car?
I would love suggestions on easiest villages/ towns that we could visit and possibly stay for two / three nights at each area
Thank you so much for opinions
I just don,t know if we are being too ambitious
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16166 posts
I don’t think you need a car to visit Lucca or Siena. They are small cities with the downtown historical center closed to car traffic (except for residents with permit) just like Florence. I think you are better off avoiding the hassle of having a car in those two cities. You can reach Lucca easily by train and Siena by bus from Florence. I would prolong my stay in Florence a few nights and use Florence as a base to visit those two.
A car will be useful to visit the Val D’Orcia and all other small towns.
Pienza is good as a base for Val D’Orcia and is pretty flat. Most towns sit on top of hills but you can park near the walls and the walk from the parking lots to the town historical center is rarely overwhelming.
Posted by
OP
50 posts
That,s good advice. The main part of our trip will be driving scenic areas , stopping at towns along the way.
Which towns would be easiest to navigate seems to be my problem
I have read that some of the villages have an escalator up to the center after parking the car
Thank you again
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16166 posts
Escalators are in Siena, Perugia, Arezzo (from the Pietri parking lot to the Duomo), Assisi. I don't remember others.
Most towns will require you to walk a bit, from the parking to the city center (usually closed to traffic) but it's not an overwhelming walk. All towns that are famous destinations in Tuscany are generally small and easy to navigate. All you need is a map and a GPS app in your phone..