I will be traveling for 10 days in Italy in late April alone (unless I can find someone who wants to go with me). I am arriving in Pisa and planned on renting a car for the duration. - Is Pisa an easy place to rent/return a car? - Where to stay (Orvieta, Florence, Bologna, villages, farms, etc). I am thinking a few nights in the city and some in the country would be a nice mix. Love the countryside, but don't want to be alienated for 4 - 5 days. - Very interested in wine tours, local foods & restaurants, markets.
- Can anyone suggest any local cooking classes that would be fun (pasta, etc)? Or perhaps a farm stay that includes cooking with the owners? The possibility of meeting other solo travelers would be nice for any of the above. Thanks so much in advance. Yvonne
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
320 posts
Yvonne: For cooking classes in Tuscany try Divina Cucina run by Judy Witts. Judy is an American ex pat who has lived in Tuscany for over 20 years. Just google her up and you will find her website - her site also has very informative restaurant recommendations for places all over Tuscany. Have fun.
Posted by
Edenton, NC, usa
76 posts
Yvonne, I leave the 17th for a 6+ week solo trip to Italy. I am already signed up for 2 cooking classes, one Convivo near Toffia, a day trip out from Rome in March and one near Varenna at Il Caminetto (recommended by RS & others) the end of April. For Il Caminetto I am staying at their villa/B&B. I have an apartment for the month of April in Florence and have done a lot of research about classes & excursions in & around Florence (and beyond that would be day trips/1-2 day with overnights) but haven't signed up yet. I will PM you later with the info I have. LaVee
Posted by
Edenton, NC, usa
76 posts
Yvonne, did a "cut & paste" of info & sent it in a PM. Ended up having to divide it up because it was too long. (So there are several) In the last PM I put my email address and if you want I will email this info (perhaps it will be less garbled that way). Just let me know!
Posted by
Chicago
6 posts
Hi Yvonne. It is easy to pick up a rental car in Pisa, however if you are heading to one of the cities (Florence, Siena etc) it is better to take public transport to your destination as having a car in the city can be a real pain with the limited traffic zones and fines. Maybe just rent it for those days you wish to visit the surrounding villages. GPS's are always an excuse for the rental agency to bump up the daily price but it may well be worth it for your first time. I would recommend staying in Florence, Bologna or Siena where there are lots of things to see and do: the countryside is still a little bleak in Tuscany during April and you may appreciate the lively city streets to return to at the end of the day. As for tours, Slow Days do day trips from Florence -just do a google search to find them. You may need to book a cooking class ahead, as all the small group classes get booked up. Try Cook Eat Italian, also in Florence, for lessons in Italian home cooking.
Good luck with the trip!
Posted by
atlanta, ga, usa
9 posts
not sure if my lengthly message reached you. RS sent a not that there were tech problems.... quick summary: have 2 apt leads for you in florence (one i have stayed in) links to help for a cooking/villa stay suggestions on where to go and how to get there from the pisa airport directly. let me know if i need to send it all again
leelaurino http://www.hometoitaly.com
Posted by
atlanta, ga, usa
9 posts
such an exciting trip home to italy! have you been before? do you plan to remain in the Tuscany area? i ask because i blog about italy as an Italian American and just got back from a trip to Puglia. My contacts in Puglia and Sorrento can put together ANY kind of adventure you wish but if you are staying in Tuscany think about the train from Pisa to florence: the train is RIGHT out side of the airport, no cabs, no buses! direct trains go to florence or you could stop in pisa, leave your bag in left luggage and see the tower, return to the train and on to Firenze. (i only do trains so i can not help you with cars or buses) a friend of mine is in real estatein florence and has 2 apts for rent. do not know if you would be interested but one of them is posted on http://www.hometoitaly.com it is in the center of town and near il duomo (the cathedral), an easy walk to the trains. i have stayed in the other apt and it was very nice. in april you may find some great hotel prices. i sm sure there are agriturismo's near florence that have cooking lessons. i just dont have direct links to those. you can check with Kathy at Dream of Italy, in addition to her great newsletter she has done cooking/touring events in a villa in tuscany. Kathy McCabe would know who to contact. from florence on the new fast train you can be in rome in 1 1/2 hrs for a day trip if you wish, can visit siena, lucca, go to the sea and north to the Cinque Terra. i try to spend 4 to 6 weeks a year in italy to reasearch and write for my blog and there is so much i still have never seen..... if you go south, let me know i can send you more info. I travel solo on all these trips and am ALWAYS looking for sugestions on where to eat solo. so if you can share later, let me know! be a traveler, not a tourist, learn something new
experience the local life
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8173 posts
I would suggest staying in Florence and take some day trips. Some of the agriturismos are very quiet living, and might be a little boring for one person. Siena is a 1 hour bus ride, and a great one day trip. It's the same for San Gimignano. You could also rent a car for a day or two to tour the countryside, and maybe get out to Volterra. Wine tours are available in Florence, and so are cooking classes.
The markets and bazaars in Florence are also great places to visit.