4 Days in Tuscany
 

My husband and I (late 30's) plan to spend one week in Italy this summer. We love to cook/eat and wanted to spend most of our time in the Tuscan countryside, driving from town to town (we are pretty adventurous), but with one home base. We'd like to see Florence and Sienna, but I think we would prefer to stay outside of the cities. Which part of Tuscany would you recommend that is somewhat centrally located? We are flying in/out of Rome and will spend our last three days there before flying back to NYC. (We will rent a car to drive to/around Tuscany and then ditch it once we return to Rome) Also, looking for recommendations for lodging and cooking classes. Thanks in advance!

Look at Montisi http://montisi.com/. I am making my second trip to Tuscany this May and have accommodations (for the second time) in Montisi. Have 4 other friends signed up for a cooking class at Borgo Casabianca http://www.casabianca.it/eng/tuscany_hotel_offers.htm - about 20 minutes north of Montisi. In the past we have done many day trips to surrounding areas as far as Volterra and Florence and as close as Asciano and Montepulciano, etc. Great area and lovely countryside.

Forgot to include that Montisi is about 2 hours from FCO

It is hard to see Florence from the best Tuscany locations. I suggest you arrive Rome and train to Florence that day--it is only 1:35 by train. Spend 2 nites there and then get your car. Or, forget Florence and spend all of your in rural Tuscany. I suggest you stay in the Siena region in south Tuscany. Good luck!

Your plan sounds good. Getting lost in the Tuscan countryside is the best way to discover it! I would recommend you either stay in the Chianti area, between Florence and Siena, or in the area south of Siena. Montisi recommended by macinpv lies south of Siena. I definitely would suggest a place which has a pool. AC is not necessary according to my experience. The estate La Foce lies south of Siena and offers cooking courses once a week. The chef is an Italian who speaks English, he is very good. http://www.trustandtravel.com/en/tus...e_la_foce.html
All the best!

I'd highly recommend this place, http://www.mulinodiquercegrossa.it/
We stayed Sept 2010 and loved it. Our room had a patio we would use to enjoy wine by the bottle and watch the world pass by us. It's located 8 km from Siena, 35 km from Florence, and 30 km from Greve in Chianti.
It has a restaurant and bar which serve excellent food. Also it has 7 pools and walking trails. We stayed 4 days there and did day trips to San Gimignano, Montalcino, and Montepulciano.
There is a restaurant in nearby (30km) Lamole, where we enjoyed a fantastic meal with one of the best views I have seen from a dining table. http://www.ristorodilamole.it/en/res...e-chianti.html
If you are fortunate, your GPS will take you there via a dirt/gravel road that passes a farm where the pigs roam the road. We loved it! We visited many wineries while there also.
And if you ever get a chance, Greve has a Wine festival in early Sept. and a weekly farmers/flea market on Saturdays

Thanks for your initial replies. I've done some research on where to stay that will be close to both Florence and Sienna, as well as not to far from Rome. The options seem endless! We have decided to spend the weekend in Rome, since our flight to NYC leaves early Sunday morning. This will give us four full days to explore Tuscany. I'd love input not only on the below accommodations but also on their locations. I also would welcome suggested itineraries (we will be renting a car, although I'm not sure if we will rent a car in Rome or take the train to Florence and THEN rent a car). I know this list is VERY varied and some of them I've included just because they look beautiful or have been recommended by friends/family.

Laconda Amarosa
Castello del Nero
Tenuta di Ricavo
Poggio Piglia
L'Andana- not really a consideration since it's close to the coast, but it does look lovely.
Castel Monastero
Villa Bordini
Villa Fontelunga
Villa La Massa- too close to Florence I think since we prefer to be in the country.
Villa San Michelle- same as above.
Villa Borgo Santo Pietro
Castello di Vicarello
Castello Banfi Il Borgo

Thanks again for your input!

It would be helpful if you provided the town names and links to each hotel/agriturissimo...

Here you go...

Laconda Amarosa- http://www.amorosa.it/ Siena
Castello del Nero- http://www.castellodelnero.com/ Chianti
Tenuta di Ricavo- http://www.ricavo.com/filosofia-e.htm Chianti
Poggio Piglia- http://www.poggiopiglia.com/ Macciano
L'Andana- http://www.andana.it/en/l-andana not really a consideration since it's close to the coast, but it does look lovely. Grosseto
Castel Monastero- http://www.castelmonastero.com/en/ Siena
Villa Bordini- http://www.villabordoni.com/ Chianti
Villa Fontelunga- http://www.fontelunga.com/index.html Arezzo
Villa La Massa- http://www.villalamassa.com/en/18/the-hotel.aspx too close to Florence I think since we prefer to be in the country.
Villa San Michelle- http://www.villasanmichele.com/web/o...an_michele.jsp same as above.
Villa Borgo Santo Pietro- http://www.borgosantopietro.com/en/#/1_0_0 Chiusdino
Castello di Vicarello- http://www.vicarello.it/ Grosseto
Castello Banfi Il Borgo- http://www.castellobanfiilborgo.com/ Montalcino

You need a good map---some of these are well off the path and not great locations. Decide your prefered location first. From that list Locanda Amorosa would get my vote. Add these to your list:
La Saracina
Terre di Nano
Fonte Bertusi

Just curious, which ones are not in great locations? Thanks for the additional lodging recs.

I know what you mean about a good map. I find I have two browsers open- one for hotels and the other for google maps. Just trying to get a lay of the land...

It's not just about finding the locations on a map, it's determining the driving time between a given location and where you want to explore. That's why bobthenavigator suggested you decide your preferred area before picking a property that puts you hours away from where you want to go.

If the property is more important to you than what you can easily explore from it, then just pick the one that appeals to you the most.

You can use maps.google.com or viamichelin.com to search driving times. Google is easier for a quick search, but Michelin will calculate costs of fuel and tolls. You might also find it easier to refer to a detailed paper map of Tuscany (like those by Michelin, Touring Club Italiano, or even Streetwise). The Michelin Green Guide for Tuscany is also a great resource and has good maps included.

actravelgirl, what did you decide on your trip all those years back? I'm charting out an itinerary very similar to yours and would LOVE to hear where you landed and any feedback! Thanks!!