Tuscany trip

The walled village of Monteriggioni lies just outside of Siena, right in the centre of Tuscany.
You are very close to San Gimignano and Volterra as well as Chinati for drives through the countryside.
http://www.monteriggioniturismo.it/en/

We stayed in an airbnb place in Noce, near Tarvanelle Val di Pesa, only about 30 km south of Florence. No place to walk to a cafe but we had a little kitchen and a private patio (with access to a pool as well, depending on the time of year you are going that might be nice). But (even with the kitchenette) we got used to driving the few minutes into Tarvanelle each morning and having cappucini and dulci at Club Viola along with the locals before heading out. The location allowed for day trips to Volterra and San Gimignano, Siena, Montepulchiano and points in Chianti. Probably the biggest bargain of our 25 day trip to Italy.

You could stay in Siena, my friends and I stayed at a hotel on Via Garibaldi (Hotel Minerva) near one of the gates, 10-15 minute walk to the Campo. They have a garage onsite for guest parking (I think we paid 10€ per day to park).

Zoe took the words right out of my fingers. ;-) Siena seems perfect for your needs.

Monteriggioni, as recommended is so very tiny...I think too tiny for an entire week. Very cute though, and worth a stop while driving to Volterra, for example.

David in Brisbane, did you stay in Monteriggioni? I have never encountered anyone who did and I am curious about the experience. Maybe for one night?

Two friends and I stopped in Monteriggione and we saw only a few B&Bs and some rooms in private homes. We walked around for two hours and we found every street in the town. Nice shopping, and an interesting wall that can be climbed at certain points.

Hi Zoe. We had basically the same experience. I could maybe see staying one night for the novelty, but it is more of a day trip stop, IMO.

No, I haven't stayed in the village. Previously I have stayed at Greve in Chianti (which has a wonderful bakery).
I have looked at this area for a future stay, possibly at an agroturismo.
I think the general location in central Tuscany, near Siena, with good road links makes it an ideal base for exploring with a car.

My husband and I rented an apartment for a week in Siena a few years ago. We also have stayed at an Agrotourismo in the country and very much enjoyed it but our time in Siena was better spent. One of our best trips ever. We toured villages with our rental car during the day and had the luxury of enjoying dinner/wine every night when we got home in the Campo.

Check out Francis Lodge - they are above Siena so you can easily park your car but you can WALK down the hill - a picturesque view - into Siena.

Borgo Argenina outside of Greve and Cretaiole are also wonderful locations because they are great agriturismos !

We pick our locations based on the agriturismo/b&b experience we desire !

On one Tuscan visit, we stayed in the "north" for 3 nights so we could easily access Volterra and the Chianti region, and then we stayed in the "south" for 3 nights so we could easily visit Spoleto, Todi, Montepulciano, etc.

Thank you for the help. We are planning to spend 6 nights in Tuscany. Any recommendations should we stay in one place near Siena or stay 3 nights in one part of region (south) and 3 nights further North. We will be traveling light with h 1 bag each

2 nights north - Lucca
2 nights central - Siena
2 nights south - Montepulciano

Thank you for the help. We are planning to spend 6 nights in Tuscany. Any recommendations should we stay in one place near Siena or stay 3 nights in one part of region (south) and 3 nights further North.

We really like to stay a minimum of three nights so we aren't packing up every other day. But it is a good idea with Tuscany to split North and South as driving times for day trips can be longish.

We favor Montalcino for the southern part of Tuscany. It is very peaceful, especially mornings and evenings, and you can easily see Montepulciano, Pienza, the abbey of Sant'Antimo, and dozens of towns.

We have stayed in Lucca north of Firenze, and loved it, but I am not sure I would recommend it as a base for significant daytrips. I would be inclined to recommend somewhere in Chianti: Greve in Chianti as mentioned is pretty handy. You could perhaps visit Siena on the day you transfer between the two locations.

I agree with Siena. Try Agrturismo Marciano outside the city walls...it feels like you're out in the country yet a 10-minute taxi ride to the walled part of Siena. The Agrturismo is absolutely fantastic. We will be staying there for the second time next year. You can read their wonderful reviews on Trip Advisor and they might already be fully booked for April but definitely worth a try. They have ample parking and it makes a perfect base for day trips around Tuscany and or Umbria.

For a week with a car I wouldn't restrict myself to one base. Changing locations and even one night stays with a car are easy. I like to tour during the day and stay in a town where I can walk to dinner in the evening. Orvieto is a great place to start from Rome and a good place to pick up or drop off a rental car. The beautiful town Montepulciano is central to many Tuscan sights and has some great dinning as well. Sienna for a larger town, we stayed outside the walls near the train station and it was great for parking and an easy walk to the center.