Destination Advice - northern Tuscany - 3ish days - December
Mar 15th, 2017, 01:06 PM
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Destination Advice - northern Tuscany - 3ish days - December
Hello Fodorites!
After a few tweaks, our Winter Break trip is shaping up as follows:
4 nights 12/19-12/22 - UNKNOWN destination in northern Tuscany (we fly into FLR)
10 nights 12/22 - 1/2 - Montepulciano (we spend 2-3 weeks here annually these days, having fallen into a rather delightful vacation rut of sorts. Have 2 weeks reserved for this coming June but wanted to return to experience the winter season)
Final 3 nights 1/2 - 1/5 - Rome (flying out of FCO. Even after a dozen visits, there's always more to see and experience in Rome and this will be our first Jan. visit
).
We've previously spent time in Florence, Siena and the Val d' Orcia, and the Maremma... but our only foray into northern Tuscany was a few days in Volterra in 2012 with a daytrip to San Gimignano. Hence our thought to spend our first few days in northern Tuscany. Lucca perhaps? Or San Gimignano? Or somewhere else I'm overlooking?
About Us - We have two young sons who will be 7 and nearly 5 by this winter. We (DH and I) love museums (particularly ones with Etruscan collections), markets, food and wine. The boys are great travelers and definitely enjoy their daily "good choices reward" of a playground, park, or perhaps even an ice skating rink given the season! Our days tend to be structured with one sight for the grown-ups and one activity for the kids. We will have a rental car and usually rent apartments although are open to a B&B. Enjoy walking, but given the season, prefer to choose a destination with a relatively compact core.
Thank you for any and all advice!
Jill
After a few tweaks, our Winter Break trip is shaping up as follows:
4 nights 12/19-12/22 - UNKNOWN destination in northern Tuscany (we fly into FLR)
10 nights 12/22 - 1/2 - Montepulciano (we spend 2-3 weeks here annually these days, having fallen into a rather delightful vacation rut of sorts. Have 2 weeks reserved for this coming June but wanted to return to experience the winter season)
Final 3 nights 1/2 - 1/5 - Rome (flying out of FCO. Even after a dozen visits, there's always more to see and experience in Rome and this will be our first Jan. visit
). We've previously spent time in Florence, Siena and the Val d' Orcia, and the Maremma... but our only foray into northern Tuscany was a few days in Volterra in 2012 with a daytrip to San Gimignano. Hence our thought to spend our first few days in northern Tuscany. Lucca perhaps? Or San Gimignano? Or somewhere else I'm overlooking?
About Us - We have two young sons who will be 7 and nearly 5 by this winter. We (DH and I) love museums (particularly ones with Etruscan collections), markets, food and wine. The boys are great travelers and definitely enjoy their daily "good choices reward" of a playground, park, or perhaps even an ice skating rink given the season! Our days tend to be structured with one sight for the grown-ups and one activity for the kids. We will have a rental car and usually rent apartments although are open to a B&B. Enjoy walking, but given the season, prefer to choose a destination with a relatively compact core.
Thank you for any and all advice!
Jill
Mar 16th, 2017, 01:02 AM
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Consider Bologna, 35 minutes by train from Florence. Etruscan museum, food markets & an ice skating rink. Covered walkways in case it rains or snows. An easy day trip to Ferrara for the castle & bike riding.
If you pick Bologna, would suggest skipping renting a car until you return to Tuscany. The winter drive over the mountains to Tuscany is unpredictable Would say the same for other high elevation destinations, even if you stay in Tuscany. Lucca would be a better choice than San Gimignano for that reason.
If you pick Bologna, would suggest skipping renting a car until you return to Tuscany. The winter drive over the mountains to Tuscany is unpredictable Would say the same for other high elevation destinations, even if you stay in Tuscany. Lucca would be a better choice than San Gimignano for that reason.
Mar 16th, 2017, 05:37 AM
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We spent 5 nights in Lucca a few years ago and really enjoyed it. You wouldn't need a car there, we used the train to do day trips to Pisa etc. It is a really lovely place with a wide walking path/park on the top of the old walls and a large circular piazza in the centre.
Mar 16th, 2017, 06:05 AM
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Bologna has been on our wish list for a very long time!
I will have to look into the possibility of flying into Bologna rather than FLR, as I agree - a car would be a hassle and not an asset. If it was just DH and I, training would be perfect. With two young kids... it's just harder logistically. We do our best to pack light but given that we will be hauling a few Christmas gifts in addition to bulkier winter wear, I'm a bit hesitant. Although the kids would love taking the train, I'm sure. If they could stay awake. That's another factor - we would be coming straight off the international flight. Everyone would be tired and discombobulated from the time difference.
What we've been doing for the past few years is going straight from the long flight to get our rental car and driving to a destination no more than 1.5 hours away. Then parking the car and recovering for a few days. That was my original thoughts behind looking into destinations like Lucca and San Gimignano.
Thank you both so much for the input!
I will have to look into the possibility of flying into Bologna rather than FLR, as I agree - a car would be a hassle and not an asset. If it was just DH and I, training would be perfect. With two young kids... it's just harder logistically. We do our best to pack light but given that we will be hauling a few Christmas gifts in addition to bulkier winter wear, I'm a bit hesitant. Although the kids would love taking the train, I'm sure. If they could stay awake. That's another factor - we would be coming straight off the international flight. Everyone would be tired and discombobulated from the time difference.
What we've been doing for the past few years is going straight from the long flight to get our rental car and driving to a destination no more than 1.5 hours away. Then parking the car and recovering for a few days
. That was my original thoughts behind looking into destinations like Lucca and San Gimignano.Thank you both so much for the input!
Mar 16th, 2017, 08:29 AM
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Hi bvlenci!
I hope you're well
We spent close to a week in Volterra in 2012. LOVED it! We had a 1.5 year old and I was pregnant with our second son at the time, so we didn't do much daytripping. Just took our time exploring Volterra and did a half day in San G.
I hope you're well
We spent close to a week in Volterra in 2012. LOVED it! We had a 1.5 year old and I was pregnant with our second son at the time, so we didn't do much daytripping. Just took our time exploring Volterra and did a half day in San G.
Mar 16th, 2017, 08:58 AM
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If you can switch to flying into Bologna, great -- but I would still recommend not driving from Bologna to Tuscany in the winter. Take the train to Florence or Chiusi if convenient and rent the car there.
Also, if you haven't bought plane tickets yet, have you considered flying into Rome? Your chances of encountering snow in December in Rome are much lower. If you didn't visit Tarquinia as part of your Maremma stay previously, that would make a fun destination for Etruscan lovers -- it has a spectacular Etruscan museum + tombs -- and it's only an hour from FCO. You can find other things to do in the area that are Etruscan (Cerveteri, Tuscania, Viterbo), and it's not too far to visit either the Bomarzo monster park or the Tarot gardens for the kids. Possibly flamingoes in the coastal lagoon near Orbetello on a nice day.
If you've already done that, then if you've got a sense of adventure, I would recommend doing some research into the areas around Palestrina, just beyond Rome. Some of these places are considered day trips from Rome but they could be fun bases as well. Palestrina has an important Etruscan history, and there are other enchanting places to visit in the vicinity, including Tivoli, although the fountains will not be operating in winter.
http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/palestrina.html
The risk of encountering snow/ice in December would keep me away from committing to a higher elevation like Volterra.
Also, if you haven't bought plane tickets yet, have you considered flying into Rome? Your chances of encountering snow in December in Rome are much lower. If you didn't visit Tarquinia as part of your Maremma stay previously, that would make a fun destination for Etruscan lovers -- it has a spectacular Etruscan museum + tombs -- and it's only an hour from FCO. You can find other things to do in the area that are Etruscan (Cerveteri, Tuscania, Viterbo), and it's not too far to visit either the Bomarzo monster park or the Tarot gardens for the kids. Possibly flamingoes in the coastal lagoon near Orbetello on a nice day.
If you've already done that, then if you've got a sense of adventure, I would recommend doing some research into the areas around Palestrina, just beyond Rome. Some of these places are considered day trips from Rome but they could be fun bases as well. Palestrina has an important Etruscan history, and there are other enchanting places to visit in the vicinity, including Tivoli, although the fountains will not be operating in winter.
http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/palestrina.html
The risk of encountering snow/ice in December would keep me away from committing to a higher elevation like Volterra.
Mar 16th, 2017, 12:48 PM
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Hello massimop! Thank you for such a detailed reply with such great info!
Looking through your reply, it seems like we have had rather a "hit or miss" approach in our forays north of Rome. We've been to Tarquinia twice and to Cerveteri once. We missed Tuscania and Viterbo (except for Villa Lante), however. We have not been to Palestrina and I admit to not knowing anything about it! (working on that
. We have visited Tivoli - both Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este.
Very helpful to know about avoiding a drive from Bologna down into Tuscany. We have experience driving in inclement weather from our years in Chicago and in Colorado, but definitely prefer to avoid it!
I'll spend some time looking at what we might could do in north Lazio for those first few nights in addition to continuing to look at north Tuscany options.
Thank you again!
Jill
Looking through your reply, it seems like we have had rather a "hit or miss" approach in our forays north of Rome. We've been to Tarquinia twice and to Cerveteri once. We missed Tuscania and Viterbo (except for Villa Lante), however. We have not been to Palestrina and I admit to not knowing anything about it! (working on that
. We have visited Tivoli - both Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este. Very helpful to know about avoiding a drive from Bologna down into Tuscany. We have experience driving in inclement weather from our years in Chicago and in Colorado, but definitely prefer to avoid it!
I'll spend some time looking at what we might could do in north Lazio for those first few nights in addition to continuing to look at north Tuscany options.
Thank you again!
Jill
Mar 17th, 2017, 04:10 AM
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As we are continuing to look at all these great ideas, I did go ahead and research airfare. We could fly into Bologna and out of Rome for a very insignificant price difference. Our normal M.O> would be to pick up the rental car as we departed Bologna. Looking into just how difficult that drive from Bologna to Montepulciano might be in late December right now. Also looking into logistics of training out of Bologna to Florence and getting the car there.
Thanks again, everyone!
Thanks again, everyone!
