Trip IdeasFodor's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria, 9th Edition
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About This Book
Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Italy!
•Your vacation never looked better. This Fodor’s full-color guide paints an unforgettable picture of Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria with vibrant maps, vividly illustrated features, and stunning color photos.
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria.
•Experience Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria like a local! Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria includes Chianti, Pisa, Assisi, and much more!
•Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria includes unique photo-features that impart the region’s culture, covering Florence’s Duomo, Siena’s Palio, Tuscan food, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Full-color pullout map..
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Italy!
•Your vacation never looked better. This Fodor’s full-color guide paints an unforgettable picture of Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria with vibrant maps, vividly illustrated features, and stunning color photos.
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria.
•Experience Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria like a local! Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria includes Chianti, Pisa, Assisi, and much more!
•Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria includes unique photo-features that impart the region’s culture, covering Florence’s Duomo, Siena’s Palio, Tuscan food, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Full-color pullout map..
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Table of Contents
About This Book ............ 7
Chapter 1: Experience Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ 9
What’s New ............ 10
Beating the Euro ............ 11
What’s Where ............ 12
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ Planner ............ 14
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ Today ............ 16
Top Florence, Tuscany & Umbria Attractions ............ 18
Top Experiences ............ 20
Quintessential Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ 22
If You Like… ............ 24
FAQs ............ 27
A Great Itinerary ............ 28
Chapter 2: Florence ............ 37
Welcome to Florence ............ 38
Florence Planner ............ 40
Getting Here & Around ............ 42
Eating & Drinking Well in Florence ............ 44
The Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio ............ 46
San Lorenzo to the Accademia ............ 63
Santa Maria Novella to the Arno ............ 72
Santa Croce ............ 78
The Oltrarno ............ 85
Where to Eat ............ 90
Best Bets, Florence Dining ............ 91
Where to Stay ............ 107
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 122
Shopping ............ 125
Side Trips from Florence ............ 133
Chapter 3: Pisa, Lucca & Northwest Tuscany ............ 139
Welcome to Northwest Tuscany ............ 140
Northwest Tuscany Planner ............ 142
Getting Around ............ 143
Along the Arno from Florence to Pisa ............ 144
Pisa ............ 152
The Road from Florence to Lucca ............ 159
Lucca ............ 169
The Garfagnana ............ 181
The Northwest Coast ............ 191
Chapter 4: Chianti, Siena & Central Tuscany ............ 209
Welcome to Central Tuscany ............ 210
Central Tuscany Planner ............ 212
Getting Around ............ 213
Chianti ............ 214
Siena ............ 239
Monteriggioni & Colle di Val d’Elsa ............ 256
San Gimignano ............ 261
Volterra ............ 268
Chapter 5: Arezzo, Cortona & Eastern Tuscany ............ 275
Welcome to Eastern Tuscany ............ 276
Eastern Tuscany Planner ............ 278
Getting Around ............ 279
Arezzo ............ 280
Cortona ............ 287
Sansepolcro & the Casentino ............ 291
Chapter 6: Southern Tuscany ............ 297
Welcome to Southern Tuscany ............ 298
Southern Tuscany Planner ............ 300
Getting Around ............ 301
Val d’Orcia ............ 302
Le Crete ............ 317
The Maremma ............ 327
Elba & the Surrounding Islands ............ 341
Chapter 7: Perugia, Assisi & Northern Umbria ............ 349
Welcome to Northern Umbria ............ 350
Northern Umbria Planner ............ 352
Getting Around ............ 353
Perugia ............ 354
Around Perugia ............ 363
Assisi ............ 371
North Toward Urbino ............ 385
The Marches ............ 390
Chapter 8: Spoleto, Orvieto & Southern Umbria ............ 399
Welcome to Southern Umbria ............ 400
Southern Umbria Planner ............ 402
Getting Around ............ 403
The Valle Umbra ............ 404
Spoleto ............ 423
East of Spoleto ............ 434
Southwest Umbria ............ 439
Orvieto ............ 448
Italian Vocabulary............ 456
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria Essentials ............ 460
Index ............ 491
About Our Writers ............ 504
Florence, Tuscany, Umbria In Focus
Who’s Who in Renaissance Art ............ 31
The Duomo ............ 56
Santa Croce ............ 81
The Cinque Terre ............ 199
Grape Escapes: The Pleasures of Tuscan Wine ............ 221
Siena’s Piazza del Campo & the Palio ............ 246
Simply Perfect: The Basic Goodness of Tuscan Food ............ 319
Assisi’s Basilica di San Francesco ............ 375
Maps
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ 12
The Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio ............ 47
The Uffizi Floor Plan ............ 51
San Lorenzo to the Accademia ............ 64
Santa Maria Novella to the Arno ............ 74
Santa Croce ............ 79
The Oltrarno ............ 86
Where to Eat in Florence ............ 94
Where to Stay in Florence ............ 110
Cities West of Florence ............ 147
Pisa ............ 153
Lucca ............ 171
The Garfagnana & the Northwest Coast ............ 183
Chianti ............ 219
Siena ............ 242
Hill Towns West of Siena ............ 258
San Gimignano ............ 262
Volterra ............ 270
Arezzo ............ 281
Cortona ............ 288
Val d’Orcia & Crete ............ 303
The Maremma & the Tuscan Islands ............ 330
Perugia ............ 358
Northern Umbria ............ 364
Asissi ............ 372
The Marches ............ 391
Valle Umbra & Eastern Umbria ............ 407
Spoleto ............ 425
Southwest Umbria ............ 440
Orvieto ............ 449
Chapter 1: Experience Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ 9
What’s New ............ 10
Beating the Euro ............ 11
What’s Where ............ 12
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ Planner ............ 14
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ Today ............ 16
Top Florence, Tuscany & Umbria Attractions ............ 18
Top Experiences ............ 20
Quintessential Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ 22
If You Like… ............ 24
FAQs ............ 27
A Great Itinerary ............ 28
Chapter 2: Florence ............ 37
Welcome to Florence ............ 38
Florence Planner ............ 40
Getting Here & Around ............ 42
Eating & Drinking Well in Florence ............ 44
The Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio ............ 46
San Lorenzo to the Accademia ............ 63
Santa Maria Novella to the Arno ............ 72
Santa Croce ............ 78
The Oltrarno ............ 85
Where to Eat ............ 90
Best Bets, Florence Dining ............ 91
Where to Stay ............ 107
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 122
Shopping ............ 125
Side Trips from Florence ............ 133
Chapter 3: Pisa, Lucca & Northwest Tuscany ............ 139
Welcome to Northwest Tuscany ............ 140
Northwest Tuscany Planner ............ 142
Getting Around ............ 143
Along the Arno from Florence to Pisa ............ 144
Pisa ............ 152
The Road from Florence to Lucca ............ 159
Lucca ............ 169
The Garfagnana ............ 181
The Northwest Coast ............ 191
Chapter 4: Chianti, Siena & Central Tuscany ............ 209
Welcome to Central Tuscany ............ 210
Central Tuscany Planner ............ 212
Getting Around ............ 213
Chianti ............ 214
Siena ............ 239
Monteriggioni & Colle di Val d’Elsa ............ 256
San Gimignano ............ 261
Volterra ............ 268
Chapter 5: Arezzo, Cortona & Eastern Tuscany ............ 275
Welcome to Eastern Tuscany ............ 276
Eastern Tuscany Planner ............ 278
Getting Around ............ 279
Arezzo ............ 280
Cortona ............ 287
Sansepolcro & the Casentino ............ 291
Chapter 6: Southern Tuscany ............ 297
Welcome to Southern Tuscany ............ 298
Southern Tuscany Planner ............ 300
Getting Around ............ 301
Val d’Orcia ............ 302
Le Crete ............ 317
The Maremma ............ 327
Elba & the Surrounding Islands ............ 341
Chapter 7: Perugia, Assisi & Northern Umbria ............ 349
Welcome to Northern Umbria ............ 350
Northern Umbria Planner ............ 352
Getting Around ............ 353
Perugia ............ 354
Around Perugia ............ 363
Assisi ............ 371
North Toward Urbino ............ 385
The Marches ............ 390
Chapter 8: Spoleto, Orvieto & Southern Umbria ............ 399
Welcome to Southern Umbria ............ 400
Southern Umbria Planner ............ 402
Getting Around ............ 403
The Valle Umbra ............ 404
Spoleto ............ 423
East of Spoleto ............ 434
Southwest Umbria ............ 439
Orvieto ............ 448
Italian Vocabulary............ 456
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria Essentials ............ 460
Index ............ 491
About Our Writers ............ 504
Florence, Tuscany, Umbria In Focus
Who’s Who in Renaissance Art ............ 31
The Duomo ............ 56
Santa Croce ............ 81
The Cinque Terre ............ 199
Grape Escapes: The Pleasures of Tuscan Wine ............ 221
Siena’s Piazza del Campo & the Palio ............ 246
Simply Perfect: The Basic Goodness of Tuscan Food ............ 319
Assisi’s Basilica di San Francesco ............ 375
Maps
Florence, Tuscany & Umbria ............ 12
The Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio ............ 47
The Uffizi Floor Plan ............ 51
San Lorenzo to the Accademia ............ 64
Santa Maria Novella to the Arno ............ 74
Santa Croce ............ 79
The Oltrarno ............ 86
Where to Eat in Florence ............ 94
Where to Stay in Florence ............ 110
Cities West of Florence ............ 147
Pisa ............ 153
Lucca ............ 171
The Garfagnana & the Northwest Coast ............ 183
Chianti ............ 219
Siena ............ 242
Hill Towns West of Siena ............ 258
San Gimignano ............ 262
Volterra ............ 270
Arezzo ............ 281
Cortona ............ 288
Val d’Orcia & Crete ............ 303
The Maremma & the Tuscan Islands ............ 330
Perugia ............ 358
Northern Umbria ............ 364
Asissi ............ 372
The Marches ............ 391
Valle Umbra & Eastern Umbria ............ 407
Spoleto ............ 425
Southwest Umbria ............ 440
Orvieto ............ 449
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