Orvieto should not be missed, so if not staying in Orvieto means passing it by, I recommend staying in Orvieto. Hope for a sunny day and try to be there by late afternoon.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/sets/72157622914974923/show/with/4201069529

"My first choice was Montepulciano but seems harder to get back to Rome and longer."

"Orvieto is closer... and transportation seems easier."

I would guess the drive is only 30-40 minutes longer from Montepulciano, but am I missing something? Are you driving all the way to Rome or returning the car along the way or... some other plan?

If you're returning the car before Rome, then Orvieto makes sense, and there are more things to see there. (Don't miss the underground tour.) But I love smaller Montepulciano and would rather stay there.

I would stay in Montepulciano and stop at Orvieto on the way to Rome (assuming you still have your car).

Orvieto does NOT have a "nice view of the Tuscan countryside."

Thank you all for your replies . I guess I should explain that we hired a driver to pick us up in Florence and take us touring through Tuscany-

Originally my plan was for him to drop us off in Rome that same night but then changed my mind and thought we would enjoy a night in the country since we will have already done Rome on the first leg of our trip. We will spend that last night in Rome because we are flying back early the next morning.

So we will only have the driver and car until he drops us off. The next morning we will have to travel back to Rome from wherever we are by best public transportation.

Both places sound so nice - wonder if I could stop at Orvieto on way from montepulciano?
Am I trying to do too much?

If anyone has good info on the trains or buses that also be very helpful.

50cd,
What towns were you planning to visit during you tour withdriver day? Is it going tobe driving & dropping you somewhere or is the plan to visit a couple towns wile the driver waits?

If you start early out of Florence, you could visit one small town before Orvieto. Orvieto is beautiful, but Montepulciano & pienza have the views.

Orvieto has the very easy train (1 hr) to Rome. How about visiting Civita di Bagnoreggio (amazing views!) & and drop off in Orvieto after? Civita is good for acouple hour visit.

Buonviaggio!

If you are dropped in Montepulicano to spend the night, you would catch a bus the next day to Chianciano-Chiusi to catch the train to Rome. You could stop in Orvieto, but you would need to store your luggage. The Orvieto train station doesn't have storage, but there is a nearby hotel that will store it.

Dayle,
The plan was to hit Chianti region, possibly Siena, and end up in Montalcino or Montepulciano. Would Civita di Bagnoreggio be similar experience as Montepulciano?
Kybourbon
Thanks for the tip about the luggage , I didn't think about that.

If I could get the luggage dropped off then I can maybe stay overnight in Montepulciano and spend a few hours in Orvieto on the way back to Rome.

I'm worried that I'm trying to jam too many things into too short a time. It's so hard to decide!

Montepulciano is my favorite hill town in Tuscany and Umbria and I would stay there over Orvieto which I found a little gloomy...except for the magnificent Duomo which is not to be missed.

>>>Would Civita di Bagnoreggio be similar experience as Montepulciano?<<<

No. Civita di Bagnoreggio is like a ghost town. Only 8 or so people live there and only a couple of businesses. It's also more difficult to reach (no cars so you have to get your luggage across the pedestrian bridge and up the hill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20090414-Civit%C3%A0-di-Bagnoregio.jpg

Montalcino is too far from transport to get to Rome easily. You would either have to bus to Siena and then bus to Rome or make multiple changes through small towns where buses aren't frequent.

>>>The plan was to hit Chianti region, possibly Siena, and end up in Montalcino or Montepulciano. <<<

That's really too much for a day. What is the rest of your itinerary? Perhaps a day can be cut from somewhere and added to Tuscany.

Hi 50cd,

Have you ever seen pictures of Orvieto?

You already know that it isn't in Tuscany, but it has marvelous views (in fact, on clear days, some do stretch all the way to Tuscany, but never mind).

I think your concern about racing around trying to cram in too much is real. If you are willing to spring for taxi rides to and from Montepuliciano, fine.

But Orvieto is quite easy to get to, and you can look at these pictures and see whether it appeals to you:

(These aren't my pictures, but they are tourist snaps, which means they haven't been gussied up like a travel brochure)

http://www.ethansellers.com/honeymoon/orvieto.html

I particularly agree with kybourbon's last comment. Taking the slower, scenic route from Florence through Chianti and the Crete Senese to Montepulciano will eat up nearly 4 hours without any stops. Add a lunch stop (Siena with a short walkabout?), photo ops, a random detour here or there the driver may suggest, and pretty soon you're arriving in Montepulciano (or later in Orvieto) with too little time to explore the town other than while walking to dinner.

When is this trip?

Bookmarking...planning a day trip to Orvieto.

Wow- thank you all for the great information and links! I now definitely realize that I have to make a choice and save something for a future trip.

In response to some of your questions, I will be traveling the first week of May 2012, and my itinerary is:
Fly in and out of Rome - 3 nights in Rome- 2 nights Venice- 3 nights in Florence- 1 night Tuscany- last night Rome- flying back early next morning.

I know its a lot but don't know if and when I'll get a chance to go back- so want a little taste of all these places.

The whole point of staying the night in Tuscan countryside is to relax and enjoy the views and of course the wine- I can also spend some time the following day exploring the town before we head back to Rome- which gives us more time there than the original plan of going back to Rome that night.

While I know I would love Orvieto , I'm thinking it might make more sense to end the day in the Montepulciano area and just settle down earlier. From all your responses it sounds like just what we're looking for.

Has anyone stayed at Meuble il Riccio ? Leaning toward that. Also would welcome any suggestions for restaurants , drinks or any must sees.

Thank you all again for taking the time to share your experiences and your thoughts!

Orvieto is closer to Rome. The place is really worthwhile to visit it. Anyway both of them you can see in one day and you could sleep in Orvieto.

Have you already booked the driver?

Because if you haven't, something you might consider is taking a train from Florence to Chiusi and hiring a taxi to take you to Montepulciano. It would cost you probably 50 euros at most, will certainly be a lot cheaper than a driver from Florence. The next day, go back to Chiusi by taxi to catch the train for Rome.

If you can't bear the thought of not seeing the Chianti or le Crete Senesi, another option would be to take the bus from Florence to Siena -- it takes the scenic route -- and have a driver pick you up in Siena. From Siena, the driver could take you on a scenic route (via Montalcino) to Montepulciano and leave you in Montepulciano. The next day, you could go to Chiusi by taxi and take the train to Rome.

For such a short trip, I would pack carry on and treat myself in Florence to having my laundry done professionally. You won't believe me, but if you can somehow talk yourself into carrying one backpack for your trip, you could see Orvieto without having to worry about your luggage. You just get off the train and go to the cathedral. Have lunch. You could actually do the same in Siena -- get off the bus, walk to the campo, have lunch, then meet the driver.


Here is one last possibility:

During your stay in Florence, use one morning or afternoon to go to Siena via bus through the Chianti. On your last day in Florence, make up for the time you stole from Florence by lingering in the morning. Take the train to Orvieto or Chiusi. On the way to Rome, see Orivieto if you haven't already or skip it.

But you are right to think up a scheme that is most relaxing for you. You can add to the relaxation by packing very light.