Tuscany advice

Rome to the CT is 300 miles of driving one way, that's if you made no stops or deviations off the fastest route, and of course you will. One of the challenges will be getting out of Rome and that depends partly on where in Rome you pick up the car. Another challenge will be overnight parking in 4 of the 5 CT villages, especially on a Friday or Saturday in the summer.

Jan, One of the most significant cities in Tuscany is Florence, however not the best idea to drive there due to the numerous ZTL areas (ie: expensive tickets!). Another location you might consider is Orvieto, which is in Umbria and not far from Rome. That's a LOT of driving for two days! I suspect you'll be seeing a lot of "Bella Toscana" through a windshield, rather than enjoying the towns you're visiting. Travel to Siena, Lucca and the Cinque Terre would be quicker and more efficient by train. One point to note is that each driver will require a compulsory International Driver's Permit, which must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. A GPS along with a good Map would be prudent also. Cheers!

Hi Jan, We were in Tuscany in September and really liked Voltera. Have a great trip and don't forget to wear comfortable footwear!

Please stop in Pisa and see the tower and Duomoit won't compare to Siena, but the Duomo square is beats any picture you've seen, and, you have to go through Pisa to get to the CT. There is a convenient parking lot steps from the Santa Maria gate. We were just there this last Friday. Oddly, the tours seemed to disappear right after lunchtime, however, in the morning you could hardly move. We did get a free demonstration of the acoustics of the Baptistery which was stunning.

I would suggest San Gimignano, which is very close to Siena and also Volterra.

Jan- As you can see from the responses there is always a train vs. car personal preference on this board. I think the last poster has the best idea for your trip between Siena and CTI would check out San G or Volterra. If you have the time between Rome and Siena I would check out Pienza or Montalcino. My personal opinionthe view from the windowshield is a lot more fun and picturesque than from the train.
Enjoy.

Thanks for the info. We are going to leave the car in Lucca and take the train to CT, so the car time won't be too bad. Should we try to stop in Orvieto on our way to Siena or is that too much for 1 day?

Think about Montepulciano. Just a short hop off the autostrada, easy parking, and well worth the visit. Enjoy, Jeff

Thanks Jeff, so are you saying we should bypass Orvieto? We only have time for 1 of the 2 cities, anyone else want to give their opinion on which we should stop at and how much time we need to see the sites?

Orvieto is a little out of the way if you are on your way to Siena, and being that you are just off of a very long flight....just saying.