LaurenP

My husband and I will be heading to Tuscany from Florence for 5 nights in June (we have 5 full days). Our current plan is to stay in Sinalunga at Locanda Dell Amorosa and do day trips from there. I am also debating whether or not to stay in Siena for 2 nights and Sinalunga for the remaining 3 since there seems to be much to see and do in Siena. I am struggling with the itinerary logistics and which cities to group together. We would like to see Siena, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino, Chianti, San Gimignano, Volterra and Cortona. We plan to hire a driver to take us around. Does anyone have suggestions on 1) whether to spend 2 nights in Siena or all 5 in Sinalunga 2) how best to see the cities over 5 days? Thank you!

carmar

I would definitely spend 2 nights in Siena - one of our favorite towns in Tuscany. Why hire a driver? Driving in Italy is a breeze and then you are on your time. We have been to most of the towns you mention and getting around with a car gives you a lot of flexibility.

zeppole

People have their favorite things to do in Tuscany. I actually don't like Siena, so there is really no consensus about these things, and people's "recommendations" are just based on their personal preferences.

However, there is a lot to see in Siena if you are interested in art, architecture and history, and a day trip can be an exercise in frustration during the crowded season like June if you know you want to do more than just wander and eat gelato.

I agree that your trip will go much better if you are not relying on a driver but rent a car instead. Have you priced out the cost of a private driver, and how long you would need to have one at your beck and call if you wanted to use one to visit Cortona, San Gimignano, Montepulciano and Pienza from a base in Sinalunga? You are looking at thousands of dollars in costs.

From Sinalunga you will need a day to see San Gimignano and Volterra. You will need a day to see Cortona. Pienza and Montepulciano. You will need a day to visit towns in the Chianti and Montalcino.

Just as a note, Florence is the administrative capital of Tuscany. You don't go to Tuscany from Florence. You are already in it.

Maybe if you posted your entire itinerary people could make helpful suggestions.

LaurenP

We have two nights in Florence before moving on (we have been to Florence before) and we fly our of Rome in the afternoon of our last day. We are more interested in food, shopping, wine tasting and wandering than art architecture and history if that helps. We are aware of the costs of a driver and have considered renting a car but were not sure about how difficult it is to get around as well as logistics with pick up and drop off (need to get to Rome airport from Sinalunga early on our last morning). I am still open to renting one and using a driver for certain day trips if someone has suggestions on how best to go about renting a car.

Most importantly, of the cities mentioned, I am curious which people typically group together on day trips.

Thanks

Jean

Hey, if you can afford to hire a driver, I say go for it. Leave someone else to figure out parking, etc., and know the scenic way to get from place to place.

The bigger problem (IMO) is the distance from Locanda dell'Amarosa to some of the towns on your wish list. A day-trip from Sinalunga to San Gim and Volterra is nearly 4 hours on the road. An excursion into Chianti (where exactly?) would mean only slightly less driving time, but, if you wanted to stick to the more scenic secondary roads and avoid highways where possible, obviously the driving time will increase. These two day trips would be easier from a base in Siena.

Cortona would be easy from Sinalunga. Montalcino/Pienza/Montepulciano would also be not much driving from Sinalunga, but seeing three towns in one day would be a dizzying pace. I would spend two days exploring this area and include San Quirico and one of the abbeys to your itinerary.

So. If it were my trip, I'd base in Siena for three days and Locanda dell'Amarosa for three days.

Where are you coming from before Sinalunga and how are you getting to Locanda dell'Amarosa? Where are you headed after Tuscany? Maybe some of your wish list could be addressed another way.

zeppole

If you have been to Florence before, I suggest you consider basing in Siena, which will not only help minimize the time you feel you need to spend in Siena, but if you make a day trip to Florence from Siena, you can take the bus and have it be a scenic drive to Chianti. Best of all? There is a car rental office in Siena which makes it much easier to do a pick-up, so you don't have to worry about the hassles of renting a car in Florence.

It is not at all difficult to get around Tuscany driving yourself to the places you have chosen to go.

I am sorry but you will need to go to Rome or near the Rome airport the last night of your trip. You cannot drive from Sinalunga and count on getting to the Rome airport the same morning for a flight.

Were it me attempting your wish list from a base in Sinalunga, I would group together San Gimignano and Volterra one day, Cortona, Pienza and Montepulciano another day, and Montalcino and maybe Chianti wineries a 3rd day. It depends on whether you are really keen to try specific wines or just make a foray into understanding more about Italian wines in general, in which case you can just hang around Montalcino.

Given your interest in a generalized enjoyment of the region, I suggest you think twice about including Cortona and think twice about making the trek to San Gimignano and Volterra (all of which get hordes of tourists). These are lovely places, but when you get to Tuscany you'll see that all the towns and the scenery right at your fingertips is incredibly gorgeous, and it can be great fun to go driving wherever whim takes you, and you'll be shocked at how many beautiful castle towns filled with good food and interesting shops there are.

But if you want to keep these places on your list, you can do it with a car for a central location like Sinalunga.

So I suggest you go to Siena for 3 nights, Locanda dell'Amorosa for 5 nights, Rome/airport for 1 night.

bobthenavigator

I agree---split it up and stay in Siena.
Groupings for day trips:

1. Volterra and San Gim.
2. Cortona and Motepulciano
3. Montalcino and St. Antimo

I would skip Chianti.

Buon viaggio !

LaurenP

I want to start in Florence for two days because we will be with our parents and they have never been there. So I really only have the remaining 4/5 nights to work with. Zeppole - how far is the drive from Sinalunga to Rome? If I leave very early in the morning (6 or 7 am) I thought I could catch a 1pm flight. So currently the plan is

2 nights Florence
5 nights Sinalunga OR 2 nights Siena/3 nights Sinalunga
Fly out of of FCO

Thanks for all of the input.

Jean

I would have the driver pick you up in Florence and drive through Chianti to Siena.

Spend the second day exploring Siena.

On the third day, either rent a car or continue with a driver to see San Gim and Volterra and then head to Locanda dell'Amarosa.

On the fourth day, see Cortona and Montepulciano.

On the fifth day, see Pienza and Montalcino.

Driving in Tuscany is easy, but there's no question you lose time renting/returning the car, looking for legal parking everywhere, etc. Drivers cost money because they save you time and know the area.

Since you have to be at the Rome airport early on the sixth day, you face either (1) driving yourself and dropping the car at the airport (about 2.5 hours drive plus rental return time) or (2) losing a couple of hours on your last day as you return the car (probably Chiusi) and get back to the hotel.

At one time, Amarosa offered car rental service on-site, but I see no mention of it on their website. You might ask about that. Of course, I'm sure any amenity is available for a price.

zeppole

It is less than a 90 minute drive from Locanda dell'Amarosa to San Gimignano. It is 70 minutes from Locanda dell'Amarosa to Panzano in Chianti or Greve in Chianti.

If what Jean is saying is that once you leave in your car in the morning, you could end up spending 4 hours that day driving before you return to Locanda dell'Amarosa, then that is true. But we are talking about a day that includes lunches, walking, exploring, shopping, coffee and gelato breaks, and stopping to take pictures because the entire area is so scenic.

I encourage you not to undertake more driving than you want to do out of the belief that there are "must-see" towns in Tuscany. But a great many people go to Tuscany to enjoy the easy driving through the beautiful countryside.

For me, the problem with hiring a driver would be all the twisting roads. I'd be car sick! I'd rather drive or be sitting in the passenger's seat, and have the freedom to change my plans and do what I wanted, even if I could afford a driver.

zeppole

Jean and I were posting at the same time.

I also wouldn't want to have an appointment every morning with a driver. I'd want to start my day when I felt like it, meaning if I got up eager to go, I could go, rather than wait around for my driver to show up. Likewise, if I wanted to sit in the morning over coffee and just enjoy the view, I wouldn't want to be committed to some plan I made six months before.

I would also feel like I had a clock ticking in my head when I want to these small towns if I had pre-arranged to meet back up with the driver in two hours. I'd want to be able to linger over something I was interested in.

zeppole

Sorry, Lauren P, I didn't see your post

For a 1pm flight, you need to be at Rome's airport by 11am. Under ideal conditions it is a 3 hour drive, so you need to leave at 6 in the morning to allow for traffic around Rome. I would probably spend the last night closer to the airport.

If your parents are coming with you the entire trip, and you decide to spend 2 nights in Siena, then having a driver take you to Siena sounds like a treat. If you want to go straight to Sinalunga from Florence, take a taxi to the Florence airport and rent the car for ease of travel to Sinalunga.

LaurenP

Thanks for all of the helpful advice. I think we might do the two nights in Siena after Florence - have the driver take us through Chianti on the way, spend the second day in Siena and either have the driver take us to Sinalunga or pick up a car ourselves in Siena and take it to Sinalunga. I have decided we may skip Volterra and Gimignano based on zeppoles comments. Once in Sinalunga I plan to spend two full days exploring Val'Dorcia either by car or bike or both (let me know if anyone has experience biking through this area wihtout a tour). How does that sound?

Jean

"... biking through this area without a tour." Where would you get the bikes?

On cycling in general, are you experienced road cyclists? We haven't cycled in the Val d'Orcia, but we've driven the roads. They're are fairly narrow with little shoulder. Lots of elevation changes (although not extreme), and likely lots of traffic. The local/Italian drivers are respectful and attentive to cyclists, but tourist drivers can be unpredictable. The scenery is gorgeous, but you would have to concentrate more on riding. It could be pretty hot.

This is something I'd rather do with a tour. They're responsible for all mechanical issues (can you fix a flat on the road?) and you personally (sag wagon, anyone?). They know the safest, most enjoyable routes.

If Locanda dell'Amarosa has bicycles, you could do short trips in the immediate area. Take your cell phone and call the hotel if you have a problem.

LaurenP

Ok good to know. Locanda does have bikes but sounds like a bad idea to go out on our own. Car it is..

Piccolina

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