Tuscany area - farmhouse/vineyard

McLau,

I can't help you with agriturismo recommendations, since I've not stayed in one yet.

I'm a bit confused by your comment here:

We are leaving a larger group of family from our Rome trip. Our plan is to fly to Florence from Rome,

I don't know if you realize that you can easily travel via (high speed) train from Rome to Florence. Travel time is only about 90 minutes.

You can check train schedules here: http://www.trenitalia.com

Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you for the suggestion of "Trenitalia". We have used Trenitalia on several occasions before. The "group of family" are finishing the end of a cruise...they are staying in Rome for 3-4 days. We have stayed in Rome on 3 other occasions and prefer to visit Tuscany instead.

Any suggestions on the vineyards/farmhouses in the Tuscan area?

You'll really enjoy Tuscany in April, as the weather's really good. The faster, more efficient and cheaper way is to take the train from Rome to Florence vs. an airplane.
I'm sorry, but rural Tuscany is a place that really requires a rental car--especially if you're at a farm stay/Agriturismo. Roads are well paved and easy to navigate. We enjoyed rambling from town to town--and especially liked Volterra.
You might want to decide on one city to stay close to, as your desired cities are not very close to each other.
Virtually every farm in the region has apartments and rooms as a secondary source of income--hundreds and hundreds of places to stay. We stayed between Certaldo and San Gimignano on a olive/wineery farm. And we shopped for food, etc. in Poggibonsi as they have a couple of huge modern supermarkets.

Thank you very much David. The information you'd given is very useful. I will keep that in mind when searching for a place. And definitely...going by the train instead. Much appreciated.

If you don't want to rent a car, you can search for places close to transportation connections on a booking website, but buses and commuter trains near agriturismi are few and far between. By definition, an agriturismo is a working farm.

Can anyone in your party drive a manual transmission? These are the easiest cars to rent.

Thanks for your knowledge and suggestions Zoe. I'll try to persuade my husband to drive. It may be something to consider if we go the "Agriturismo" route.

My husband and I are planning to visit the Tuscany area this coming April as well. We have never been here before and are hoping to rent a car (first time) eeeek. I am a little apprehensive about it but this seems to be the way to go if we want to explore the countryside. I think it will just be a matter of researching the rules of the road, getting International Driver's license which sounds easy through your local AAA or CAA office. Plus being very careful about insurance. What my husband does is he goes on Google Earth and follows some of the roads where we will be heading. It gives you a very good feel for what to expect with regard to road signs, and the lay of the land.

allofus2, the International Driver's Permit is not a license (no test), just an internationally accepted translation of your state driver license.

Driving in Italy is not difficult, I would do it more if I did not travel solo most of the time. If you or your husband can drive a manual transmission, it will be easier to find a smaller size car to rent. Keep in mind that even small towns have pedestrianized historic centers or limited-access zones (Zona Traffico Limitato), but there are signs before you enter. Good to park a little further and walk into the historic center (usually just a few blocks). There are public parking maps that you can find online for each city, I am sure someone here will have a link.

I would strongly consider rethinking your plan of no rental car if you want to stay in one of the agriturismos in the areas you are looking at.
How would you get to and from the Wine Tours you mention doing?
Without one I would fear you will feel isolated and bored for a full week's stay, with one you can explore the countryside and not limit yourself on finding a place to stay where you might be able to walk from a town or bus stop.

Thank you for all the useful information and suggestions Zoe, mreynolds and "allofus2". It will definitely assist with my planning towards the winery visits in Tuscany. Much appreciated.

We stayed at Tenuta Santo Pietro for four nights in May, an agriturrisimo five minutes from Pienza, which was wonderful. (Recommended to me here on this forum so paying it forward.) Cost was $158 per night, which included a huge and amazing breakfast buffet:
http://www.tenutasantopietro.com/index.php

You will need a car though. It was a great base for our visits to Montepulciano, Montalcino, Siena, Bagno Vignoli and an absolutely gorgeous drive through Querico D'Orcia to one of the best meals of our trip at tiny Ristorante Ana in Piancastagno (no tourists, incredibly cheap, nothing much to recommend this village except fabulous food!)

Chris

Hi,
Recommend you have a look through Trip Advisor Agritourismo recommendations to find something close to a bus stop or close to a town with good transportation. The site has many listings and a useful mapping feature. I was doing this search this past summer and am sure I did come across a place close in to Siena with a bus stop adjacent to the property. We were in Florence last February and will go back to Italy next April, getting to Siena/Florence in early May 2017. While there on our first trip we did not wish to rent a car. But after taking a tour bus to Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa we saw the roads and surrounding area and it is doable. Nice roads with good signage. But if not interested in a rental car have a look for agritourismo places located adjacent to a town, like Siena with its train station, cabs, and bus services. You can catch a bus from Siena to San Gimignano, 30 minutes. The place I reserved for next May is a 20 minute drive from Siena, would not work for you.

My wife and I purchased a villa three years ago near Volterra and are in the process of renovations. It was owned by a family who run an Agriturismo.

I would recommend the train v plane option to get to Florence. Renting a car is easy. They offer GPS rentals or bring your own. We have one and it works like a charm. Driving is easy especially outside of the cities. You will need a car to get around. Volterra has fewer tourists so if you want to see what life of a local is like its a good option.

I can recommend several places to consider if you have not found a home base yet.

As a side note, we prefer to fly in and out of Pisa. It's easier to navigate than Florence or Rome. The rental car is just a short walk to the terminal. We can get in and out very quickly. If you have ever flown to Denver or Colorado Springs you would choose Colorado Springs almost every time. It's less crowded and easier to get in and out of. Just a thought.

Ciao!

Hi again,

Just found a link that lists a place close to Florence and offers other suggestions here http://www.discovertuscany.com/forum/accommodation-in-tuscany/5574-accomodation-using-only-public-transport.html

Just had a chance today to read and acknowledge the resourceful information from the more recent contributors. Thank you very much: "ckroman555" (Chris); "ttmom12" and "riparbilla.volterra".

We will most likely rent a vehicle as suggested by everyone on the forum. We will also use the train vs the plane; and finally...we will pick a neighbouring big town like Pienza or Siena.

Molte grazie!!

If you haven't been to Orvieto I'd take the train there before renting a car. Look for an agriturismo in the Val d'Orcia. Minimal driving and lot's to see. Being familiar with a GPS makes it low stress for me.

Hello Richard,

We visited Orvieto last year during a "day tour" of Tuscany. We loved it very much! I've heard quite a few good things about d'Orcia. I'll do some more research in that area then...

Many thanks!
McLau