Where to stop between Siena and Florence?

Monteriggioni has a nice circle of walls, but can be seen in half an hour as it is very tiny. Colle Val d'Elsa could be another possible stop. If you rule out San Giminiano, there are not many more of them. The SR 222 itinerary through Castellina and Panzano would be much slower.

Hi, Karen,
For help with advice, how did you like Lucca, Siena, San Gimingnano, and Volterra?
Looking for a different feel or what you have enjoyed already?
I hope you are having a great time!

Lachera, do you mean slower driving?
Sunny22, we enjoyed all those places. So something similar or something different would be nice too.

We stopped in Monteriggioni and really enjoyed it, had a nice lunch. Walked along the walls. Very pretty.

Karen,

I'm so glad you enjoyed Monteriggioni! We didn't there and our other experiences were all south of Siena so I did have any recommendations. Did you get your car returned ok? Enjoy Florence!

Karen
There is a magnificent American cemetery outside Florence that you could stop at. Think of Arlington cemetery in a Tuscan landscape. It’s a few miles outside the city.

Marie, thank you for your suggestion. We are in Florence now so we won’t be able to visit the cemetery.

Sunny, yes we returned our car without too much difficulty. I will describe what we did on the thread about returning cars to SMN.

Florence is extremely crowded. It’s 10pm and still going strong. People criticize cinque terre for the crowds but right now we think Florence is more crowded. On the CT the crowds thin out starting around 5pm and the evenings are so peaceful and beautiful. The villages are small so we felt comfortable. Crowds don’t usually bother us. Hopefully we will get used to it here in Florence.

We stopped in Monteriggioni and really enjoyed it

I am glad you liked the suggestion

Florence was incredibly crowded when we were there and I bet for you being there on the weekend, even more so.

CT was incredibly crowded during the day but there aren't that many accommodations in some of the towns so it did clear out. The mornings and evenings were delightful. I think going there as a day trip would be a nightmare. Looking up the cruises in port and how many passengers those ships hold and deposit there is crucial in planning your dates.

Hey, Karen, it sounds like your trip is going well! I love Italy and everytime I read about someone being there, I feel this urge to start planning another trip there. Sigh. Enjoy!

Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and Volterra :)