Hi guys, we are heading to Tuscany at the end of September/early October for 4 nights. We are staying exactly in Volterra at the Toscana Amore Mio. What are some of the top must see attractions/sights, places to visit etc? Not just in our area but in general for Tuscany. Tuscany is the third of four stops on our honeymoon and it’s the one I’m least familiar with in terms of where to go and what to do. So any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! :)
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16129 posts
https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/things-you-cant-miss-in-volterra/
There are many famous villages you can visit within one hour drive from Volterra. San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Colle Val D’Elsa are the closest but there are many more. You can google Tuscany or villages of Tuscany and you can find plenty of resources online.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7224 posts
Welcome!
4 nights is a nice amount of time
Where to before/after?
Starting point here
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy
Search this forum for anything of interest
Filter by Type and Date
Happy honeymoon and congrats
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8337 posts
We stayed between Certaldo and San Gimignano in an agriturismo. We'd get out and ramble in a rental car from town to town. We were very impressed with Volterra, but you have to put the car in the parking garage and stay out of the ZTL's. It's not hard to tell by the signage. There are many villages throughout the region--many with incredible vineyards.
The roads are well paved and well marked if just a little crooked. Just drive the speed limit as many of those small towns are in the ticketing business with radar cameras snapping license plates.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7982 posts
We stayed in this part of Tuscany in late September/early October for 2 years in a row, 2021 and 2022: 25 miles west of Volterra (by train) is Cecina, and 10 miles south of there is Bolgheri, and a few miles south of there are Donaratico and Castagneto Carducci. This is southwestern Tuscany, on the Mediterranean Coast and 3 miles inland. Bolgheri is where Super Tuscan wines come from. Castagneto Carducci is a Tuscan hilltown without crowds. Donoratico and Cecina are coastal towns with beaches, and at that time of year, you’ll pretty much have the sandy beaches to yourselves. Scenery is magnificent. There are Etruscan (the society before Julius Caesar Romans) ancient sights. Great food. No Top Ten attractions that are on 99% of Tuscan tourist’s highlights lists.
When you say “Visit Tuscany,” 99% of people will say Florence, with phenomenal Renaissance art, and Sienna and other magnificent hill towns. You also get 99% of the crowds in Tuscany. There are other sights and destinations that make up most “must see” lists, but if you want a part of Tuscany where you would have it virtually all on your own for your honeymoon, head south and west from Volterra.
Do your other three stops provide the kind of attractions that mean “Italy” to most folks, along with the crowds that come with that? Those also have ZTL “no drive” zones. Would going to southwestern Tuscany fit in with those other stops in Italy, perhaps a “vacation from your vacation?”
Posted by
Park City, Utah
53 posts
I would get the Rick Steves Tuscany book and go from there. It would depend on your interests--so much to see and do. Enjoy your honeymoon!