Tuscany/Coast of Italy or Costa Brava, Spain?

First you need to decide whether you want to visit Spain or Italy, then you can decide on which coast.

Hi Roberto, We actually don't know, as we've never been to Spain, but we really love Italy and Italian culture. We've been to Rome, Florence, Venice, the Almalfi Coast and Cinque Terre, but never to Tuscany. Either place we like to rent a car and get lost in tiny villages. We were thinking either the Costa Brava or Umbria to the coast...I think Sicily would be too expensive. Thanks!

If you have been to Florence you cannot say you have never been to Tuscany. Those are two mutually exclusive statements. Florence is in Tuscany (it's Tuscany's Capital, in fact). At most you can say that you have never seen anything of Tuscany outside of Florence. Your options are two different types of vacations. The Costa Brava is primarily a beach vacation. Nice place, but early October may be a little late for a beach vacation in Catalonia (but hard to tell with global warming). If you opt for Spain, I would concentrate more on Barcelona (beautiful city) and visiting Spain in general, more than on the beaches. You cold even venture into France and visit all the way to Carcassonne, which is not far from Catalonia. Tuscany and Umbria is more a vacation devoted to art, history,small towns, countryside. There is no coast in Umbria (it's landlocked) and the best Tuscan coast is actually in the islands of the Tuscan archipelago and the Argentario peninsula. Both Tuscany and Umbria have plenty of country roads and villages where you can lose yourselves. It's a choice only you can make. For Tuscany's towns and countryside take a look here: www.borghiditoscana.net
(select the language you prefer by clicking on the flag)

Thank you all so much! We decided on Tuscany for 6 nights and Ravello on the coast for 4. I think we are going to stay near Pienza -- any must see small towns? Thanks again!

in tuscany: volterra siena monteriggioni san gimignano lucca
pisa