I just arrived in Siena this evening and plan to spend a little time looking around here. After that I would like to rent a car and get out into the countryside, but I am not sure where to go or the best route. Everyone I talk to mentions a different place but I am looking for somewhere to get into the countryside and experience real Italy. But at the same time I don't want to spend days driving. Any suggestions?
Also, should we leave our bags in a hotel in Siena and come back here at night or do these little villages have places to stay on a budget?
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Stay in Siena and take public buses out to San Gimi, Montepulciano, Pienza. Then rent a car from Siena and see Cortona, Orvieto, Assisi, Volterra etc. and stay in Assisi area and or Orvieto area. We found this most efficient and relaxing minimizing the map reading, search for parking and kept car rental costs down.
hope this helps a little.
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
From Siena, you could head east for a very short distance on the SS73 and stop in Castelnuovo Berardenga and the surrounding area. We stayed at a lovely B&B there with a pool and awesome views of Tuscany. If you want the name, PM me. You could then continue east to Cortona or head south to the area around Pienza. Beautiful country and lots of B&B's to stay at in that area. Enjoy!