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Tuscany itinerary

Posted by (New York) on

Looking for thoughts on our 8 night (mostly) Tuscany itinerary for early July. We will be driving:

3 nights in Volterra (we prefer staying in town to staying in countryside) from where we can visit Certaldo, San Gimignano and maybe one other depending on when we actually get into Volterra on 1st day. As things currently stand, we will be arriving in Volterra late afternoon on a Tuesday. Thinking about heading to Certaldo on Wednesday morning for market day and spend a few more hours exploring the town. Then Thursday morning to San Gimignano for their market day and all the sights to see there.

So my guess is we’ll have some time Wednesday afternoon for either more Volterra or another town. On Thursday, I’m guessing we’ll spend more time in S.G. than we will in Certaldo, but might still have time for another town, if not back to Volterra.

At some point Friday morning we will head to Montepulciano for 3 nights, on our way to which will visit San Quirico d’Orcia for lunch and exploring and then probably spend the rest of the day in Montepulciano. Saturday morning we will head to Cortona for market day (we like market days) and exploring. Later in the day, we could either then find another town or spend more time in Montepulciano. Sunday we plan on visiting Pienza and Montechiello.

Monday morning will head to Orvieto where we will return our rental car and spend one night. Considering stopping at Pitigliano on our way to Orvieto, but all depends on how early we get out of Montepulciano. We do want to spend some time Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning in Orvieto before we take train to Rome for last night before flying home on Wednesday. We’ve been to Rome so we’re planning on just spending late Tuesday afternoon there.

We’d like to see as much as possible, but without always worrying about getting to the next town with enough time to see it. We’re hoping this itinerary will give us a chance to see the towns in a relaxed way.

In a prior post responses were very helpful with all my questions about driving through Tuscany, but I had one more question, how is driving at night in Tuscany, is there good lighting, signs clearly visible???

Any thoughts, suggestions, tips, etc, are all greatly appreciated. Thank you again.

Posted by
125 posts

I was in Volterra last year on an RS tour. The Etruscan Museum has some interesting artifacts. On the outskirts of the city central is remnants of an Roman amphitheater, you can view it form a walk above too. We saw a demo at an alabaster shop and I couldn't resist bringing a souvenir home. Vena di Vino is a small bar. Check with them if you can get a wine tasting. I learned a lot in just a short time and discovered the crisp white, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, and Vin Santo, a desert wine if you're a little adventurous.

Posted by
83 posts

Hi David,
Your itinerary seems completely reasonable - but allow for flexibility. Most of the towns you are going to are small enough that wandering around them for a few hours will give you a great feel for the town.

As for driving at night, it is completely fine, but Italy is big on eliminating light pollution. There generally are no street lights unless you are in a town. When driving through the countryside, it can be quite dark, but it is nothing to be worried about. My one big suggestion is that although most cars have GPS standard, install Google Maps on your phone if you can. Google Maps is generally more up to date than the car GPS. Also, you can download the Italy maps into your phone so that you can use them without using data.

Last but not least - I am very familiar with Montepulciano - been going there for years. If you need accommodation or restaurant suggestions, just let me know!

Have a great trip!

Posted by
305 posts

Thanks RC. Vena di Vino is on my list. Thanks for the heads up. Will email them in advance if possible.

Thanks for your recommendations Charmed hawk. I also see that it's pretty easy to visit Pienza and Monticchiello by bus form Montepulciano. Haven't found schedules yet though.

Agreed on Perugia G. Spent four nights there as base for Umbria, wow, has it already been nine years ago?
Thanks to all.

Posted by
3112 posts

I wouldn't try to add a third day trip from Volterra. It has much to offer and you'll want the extra time there. Since you'll have a car, I'd suggest using it to visit Pienza and Monticchiello. That's much easier than having to work around bus schedules. On the road from Montepulciano to Pienza, there's a nice free parking lot on the left just before you reach the historic center.

Posted by
305 posts

Thanks Frank. We definitely want to allow enough time to enjoy Volterra.

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