We will be travelling to Tuscany for a week in July, flights in and out of Pisa booked. We want to spend the Friday to the Monday in that area.
I would love to see more than that of Italy, so my question is, where can we go from there and get back to Pisa in time for our flight, which is late on the Friday.
I was planning on renting a car, definitely for the Tuscany bit, but can do car or train thereafter. Do we go south somewhere nice or north? I looked at Cinqe Terre/Milan? We love pretty villages, mountains and lakes and good food!
Posted by
Boston
1816 posts
Spend the week in Tuscany - it's quite big with a huge variety of things to do. Get Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany Guidebook for ideas.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
So tempted to see and do more than just Tuscany.
We have been to Venice, Rome and Florence, but no where else and I’m scared we won’t be able to do another trip to Italy.
Posted by
35 posts
If you have a car, I suggest visiting hilltop villages in Umbria. Trevi, Assisi, Gubbio, Spello are options. I am sure there others. To the north, you could visit Vicenza and the Palladio villas in the surrounding area.
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1207 posts
How many nights do you have? Assuming you have 7 nights and are planning on first and last nights in Pisa you have 5 nights.
Pisa and Florence are both in Tuscany but when people say "Tuscany" they are usually thinking of film and photos with rolling hills and rows of Cypress trees. That Tuscany lies south of Florence and really mostly south of Siena.
I would recommend either
- Rent a car in Pisa and spend 5 nights exploring rural Tuscany and then return to Pisa.
- Travel by train to Siena and spend a couple of nights there and arrange some day trips - either rent a car or tour - some of the rural Tuscany areas.
Volterra is about 1:30 from Pisa by car and would make a great start maybe combined with San Gimignano area for a night or two and then three nights down near Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano and San Quirico d'Orcia which will fill all of your peautiful hill town needs.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7339 posts
Tuscany is very large. Looks like you have just 7 nights?
I wouldn't stray too far. End your trip in or near Pisa since that is where you need to depart from. Head to your furthest destination on arrival
I would pick 2 bases in the region- one somewhere near Siena/SG/Volterra and another further south in Val D'Orcia - Montepulciano, Pienza.
From these 2 locations you can visit many hill towns easily without having to drive back and forth each day
Make sure your lodgings have AC and easy parking. And I would look for a pool as well.
From Val D'Orcia area you can easily reach some Umbrian towns- Orvieto, Assisi, Spello.
Make sure all drivers have an IDP, do your homework on driving in Italy and always have a designated driver if you plan any wine tasting
Posted by
8474 posts
Agree with Salty. Consider Umbria.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you to all who replied, this is so helpful!
We got tickets for Andrea Bocelli for the Saturday, thought we can stay in Volterra or San G from Friday to Monday and explore surrounding areas.
Then we still have 4 days left to explore something else, will see what you suggested and what is doable.
Any tips on the Bocelli concert?
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1772 posts
The Bocelli concert is a recurring subject so you could run a forum search.
Basically, Lajatico is a tiny village overwhelmed by the event, transportation to/from the venue will be your major issue. I do not attend the event since a few years, and when I did I was on the performing side with our own rules, but I believe that if you are going by private car you will be likely have to park at a large area at the foot of the hill and take a bus shuttle to the venue. Be there on time and consider that when all the people have to go at the same time there will be queues, so more time will be needed to go back home.