Tuscany in February

susan,

Your situation is somewhat of a challenge, and one that will require some thought. A few thoughts and questions.....

• will your S-I-L be busy every day at the conference, or will he mind if you all go touring somewhere else in Italy?
• there's no way to know what conditions will be like in February this year, but probably safe to assume that it will be cold and possibly some snow (ie: not the most comfortable for walking around towns with two toddlers). Shops and restaurants will be operating on reduced winter hours.
• you could stay in Lucca as that's convenient both to the conference location and other sites in Tuscany. Choosing a location that provides easy rail access will save you some money over hiring drivers. San Gimignano or Volterra will likely not be as convenient for transportation.
• although it will be warmer, I wouldn't suggest Malta as that will add to your transportation issues, especially given the specifics of your group. You might want to limit your trip to Sicily or southern Italy.
• If your daughter is five months pregnant, I'm not sure I'd recommend "wine tasting".
• I'd suggest not being too "ambitious" with your trip plans, again given the specifics of your group.
• some "must see" spots may not be too appealing at that time of year (or may be closed).

I'll post further comments if I think of anything else.

A couple of things occurred to me, although they are in Umbria not Tuscany. Assisi is a pilgrimage center so I would guess it is active year round; it's a wonderful hill town. I've been to Orvieto in the winter and really enjoyed it. However I went primarily for the cathedral. Some shops and restaurants were closed, but I found the relative quiet to be very pleasant. Both are easily accessible by train, and from Assisi you can visit other nearby hill towns.

If you're considering staying in small towns, just check carefully to see whether the things that interest you will be open in February. A number of venues will be closed or operating on short hours.

Given her food/wine interests, Bologna might be a good choice for a visit – big enough city that things won't be closed for the winter, and lots of dining opportunities. It also has really good rail connections for day trips

Rome is wonderful during the winter. I've been several times in January and February, and each time the weather has been similar to the San Francisco Bay area – mild with some rain. But no guarantees…

Ken, My daughter, children and I will not stay with my son in-law in Barga. He will meet up with us 6 days later. We have two weeks for the trip total. My daughter found drivers for San Gimignano, Volterra, Florence, Lucca, etc. They are pricey but we would split the cost. Another grandmother ( S-I-L's mom) will be with us too. The trains offer no worries about road conditions but are more difficult with the children then having a driver pick us up and drop us home. Do you think road conditions will be a challenge for hired drivers? Don't worry , my daughter will never go over the 5 oz limit they have for her pregnancy, but a sip or two, of my 1/2 glass could memorable. Thank you, for all your insight.

Sherry, thank you for your suggestions. I guess my biggest questions now are... if we go to the small towns, will we see any lovely countryside views in small towns this time of year, or will it be rainy dangerous driving on narrow flooded/icy roads? Will there be anything open to see besides the church, a few restaurants and architecture to see this time a year? Perhaps we should stay in Florence..but we both are not fond of big cities and will be to Rome with my son in-law. This is so hard to decide since we have both dreamed of seeing Tuscany's quaint towns. Then also, the children are not all that happy for long in museums of art.

Building on a previous response, we were in Orvieto (4 nights) and Assisi (5 nights) in February, 2014. In Orvieto it was cool to cold but I don't recall any rain. In Assisi, it was cool and breezy with drizzle for parts of some days and real rain on one day. If you stay in the old towns (recommended) these are both small towns with beautiful squares, churches, and other sights. You will see countryside views, weather permitting. After Assisi we went to Rome (4 nights) arriving on February 14. The temperature seemed to be in the 70s. So as far as the weather, it is impossible to tell. Which ever towns you pick, you will just have to make your plans and hope the weather cooperates.

My Lucca buddy was chauffeuring us around the Dolomites last December and was very uncomfortable with ice on the roads. "We don't have this in Tuscany!"

Anything can happen but snow is not frequent below 2,500ft above sea level (750mt asl).
Lucca, Florence, Siena, Pisa, are all well below that altitude.

Thank you Roberto, and Sam! That's very reassuring. I appreciate you sharing that.

We did a weekend in Montepulciano last February, cold but mostly dry and few other travelers. Driving was fine. Especially with professional drivers (not DIY) you should have no worries.

The drive from Montalcino through Pienza to Montepulciano is very nice and all three towns are quite charming. The Abbey at Monte Oliveto Maggiore is fabulous. Be sure to visit their little stores for herbal products, wine and olive oil all made by the monks.

I would stay somewhere more central than San Gimignano or Volterra. Arezzo, perhaps, with easier access to Chianti, the above-mentioned drive, and also to parts of Umbria.

Bring one pair of boots you can walk in all day, and one pair of Gortex shoes like these from Ecco. They work well with slacks, jeans or skirts.

Laurel, Thank you so much! This is good news and most helpful. Even your choice of shoes look perfect!