Volterra? Too touristy with Twilight?

Re: Volterra. Best answer on that is to check the detailed itineraries for Heart of Italy under the "Tours" icon of this website. All those small Rick Steves' groups (and it is a VERY popular tour) go to Volterra. We went on the tour three summers ago, and friends just returned. Everyone on their trip loved Volterra as much as our group did. They (and we) found it less touristy and very enjoyable. It's quaint, friendly, and easy to navigate.....and the views of the Tuscan hills from there............you just have to see for yourself. If you think you may have heard Rick is no longer recommending Volterra, I'd suggest picking put the phone and calling his staff (they are very helpful and kind). If you do get confirmation re: that, please post an update.

We were in Volterra in Sept 2009 & I felt that it was less touristy than Siena and San Gimignano. There were certainly people there but I didn't get the sense that it was overrun with tourists the way San Gimignano seemed (or even Siena). I enjoyed Volterra & would definitely go there again. If you do go, be sure to visit the Etruscan Museum.

We were in Volterra last September. I only saw one store that had any mention of Twilight. It had no more people than any other hill town and we enjoyed our visit there very much. We were only there for half a day. Like most places, I'm sure it is very different after the daytrippers leave.

Thank you for your responses! we are adding it back into our itinerary.

I was just in Volterra last month and it was way less touristy than San G., or Siena.

I, too, was in Volterra this May, and I was a bit put off by the 'Twlight' crowd threat, but such was not the case. In fact, I believe most of the tourists were Italian day-trippers. Part of the reason for its peacefulness is that it is not served by trains. In three days I did not see any tour groups. I will second the other's comment about the views of the Tuscan countryside from Volterra. It is breathtaking especially morning and evening. And here was a surprise: for a mere 5 Euros I attended a professional performance of opera arias in Volterra's beautiful opera house. No regrets with my choice of Volterra over the other more popular hill towns. Travel to and from on a Sunday can pose problems with the infrequency of buses and trains.

Robin, we were in Volterra in Sept 2009 and it was really lovely, one of my favourite towns - no vampires visible.
Christine

Great to hear so many positive reviews of Volterra! Any recommendations on lodging?

The Twilight fan crowd belongs to a demographic group that is rarely found on cultural travels in Europe. So very very few of them end up in Volterra. It is still a very nice destination, not quite as touristy as many other places in Tuscany.

I had a pleasant room right in the heart of the town for about 65 Euros/night. Here's the info: Albergo Etruria Hotel Lisa [email protected] Ph. 0588 87377 Via Matteotti 32
Volterra (Pisa) It's a B&B and has a roof garden with grass, trees, and a couple of cats.

Volterra was one of our favorite towns in Italy. We never expected it to be so wonderful. I t looked like a true Roman Town....wine and cheese was so good and everyone is so friendly.
You will love it!

We were also in Volterra this spring, and we enjoyed visiting a small hilltown without tour groups everywhere! In fact, Volterra was our favorite of the 8 hilltowns we visited! I would definitely visit Volterra again, something I can't say for some of the others. We saw a few Twilight t-shirts in the shops, but those were easily ignored. I loved the alabaster fruit and wish I had more room in my luggage! It was beautiful, but I was already at my weight limit for the trip back home.

I was in Volterra last week, and didn't see a single Twilight Fan. Although, I'm not sure what they look like... Saw a few pics of the actors at one or two shops, but not a single vampire vibe. We hit Volterra for a day trip, and regretted not staying there. We vowed to return and spend a few nights. One of my favorite towns in tuscany. I would spend at least two nights to really take in the town.

Just for a little input: while the books just talk about Volterra, a lot of it was actually filmed in Montepulciano. When my Italian cousins talked about visiting a city connected to Twilight, they talked about Montepulciano instead of Volterra. I have not been to either so cannot personally comment, but wanted to throw that fact out there.