huixin

We will travel to Italy this April. After staying in Rome, we will pick up a car and drive to Tuscany. We will be base in an agriturismo half an hour east of Siena. Can some one recommend any towns that worth to stop by on the way from Rome?

We will stay in the agriturismo for 4 nights, here is my plan:
Day 1 Open for suggestions(driving from Rome to the agriturismo)
Day 2 Siena and San Gimignano, will stop by Volterra if possible
Day 3 train to Florence
Day 4 open for Suggestions(might do Florence again)
Day 5 leaving Tuscany for Cinque Terre, stop by Pizza and Lucca

Any recommendations and advice are appreciated.

Thanks!

Ackislander

You could drive to Florence and park in one of the big lots outside town. IIRC It is superhighway all the way. Florence itself is completely walkable.

bobthenavigator

Siena deserves a full day.
So does the combo of Volterra and San Gim.

I would hit Montepulciano for lunch as you drive north.
Where are you staying?

HappyTrvlr

When we drove from Rome to Tuscany, we stopped for lunch in Orvieto which I recommend highly. Visit Siena another day as it deserves more time.

HappyTrvlr

Whoops, I see you're heading to Siena.. Great choice. However still recommend a stop in Orvieto.

Dickie_Gr

Could try the coast road.

Monte Argentario and the Maremma national park are beautiful.

Porto Ercole and Porto San Stefano are both very 1950s laid back style. Great seafood restaurants.

neckervd

Every town along this itinerary is scenic. Stop just at the place you like best.
Sights:
Orvieto: cathedral, historic city center
Tarquinia: Etruscan museum and etruscan tombs, small medieval city center
Chiusi: Etruscan museum and etruscan tombs
Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey: just a nice place
Lago Bracciano, Lago Bolsena, Lago Trasimeno: all 3 lakes are lovely, so are the small medieval towns around them.

huixin

Thanks everyone!

We will stay in Rapale; I am thinking to stop by in one of these three towns:Montepulciano, Orvieto or Pienza. Which one is easier to approach by car and park without get into trouble with ZTL?

Ackislander

Pienza had extensive parking that was sufficiently well-marked that even we found it! Charming town, great views.

neckervd

That's the first time I hear that people don't wat to go to the places there are most interested in but to the places with the easiest car parking possiblities.

ira

Another vote for Orvieto.

Dickie_Gr

Neckervd

You have obviously never driven around Tuscany on a tight schedule, in 36oC, in a car without aircon and a spouse who uses maps to hold her takeaway latte.

Bamaman

I would suggest you take a regional train from Rome Termini to Orvieto (70 minutes.) Spend one night there. Next a.m., pickup a Hertz car across the street from the train station. Go SW to Civita di Bagnoregio, an incredible medieval hill town.

Then drive up the motorway to your accommodations. By all means, don't bypass day trip to Siena and another day trip to San Gimignano and Volterra. The region is easy to drive in.

Turn your car in at the Florence Airport or a city location. I would suggest going on the train to La Spezia and the C.T. bypassing the very quiet Pisa and Lucca.