SCFoodie

We (2 adults) will be arriving at the Florence airport at midday on November 1. Our apartment is in Montepulciano.

We were planning on biting the bullet and hiring a driver to get us from the airport to the apartment, relaxing/getting our bearings in Montepulciano on Saturday evening and Sunday, and then getting a rental car on Monday.

If you've been in Montepulciano, can you let us know if our assumption that cafes and restaurants will be open on Saturday evening (even though it is a national holiday) and on Sunday is correct?

Thanks!

ekscrunchy

I've not visited the town in November. But in January, we found most (not alll) restaurants to be closed on Sunday night.

Traveling_frog

I'd say ask the people/company you are renting the apartment from, they should know.

TuckH

1. May I ask why you wouldn't rent the car upon arrival at the airport? Montepulciano is about an hour and a half away - an easy drive mostly on the autostrada. (I realize you might have some jet lag, but even so, it's doable IMO.)

2. Do you know if there's a rental agency in Montepulciano? (You may have to go to Chiusi.)

ekscrunchy

True. We drove there after flying trans-Atlantic. Very easy as the airport has direct highway access..no need to enter Florence. I would guess that if there is a car rental it would be at the train station which is quite a distance from the town of Montepulciano.

enroute

I am curious too, why you wouldn't just get the car at the airport. The driver might be more expensive and less convenient overall.

hlocke1

I also wonder if there's a rental agency in Montepulciano. The drive is manageable, so I'd also recommend driving straight out from the airport. There are plenty of stops for you to get amped up on coffee if need be, but the excitement of being in Italy will be enough to keep you going! Check out www.viamichelin.com to create a point-to-point map.

Good luck!

goddesstogo

Hi SCFoodie,
I thought you might be interested in this website, not for the apartment because you already have lodging (and wouldn't it be a concidence if it were the same apartment?), but because it's chock full of interesting Montepulciano information. We rented an apartment there in 2005 and our hosts have this info on their website. Our week in Montepulciano was wonderful -- have a great time there!

http://tinyurl.com/4a44oz

melspring1

We have spent a couple of weeks each of the past two Novembers in Montepulciano. I will agree with the previous posters that you should just rent a car at Peretola and keep for your stay. Plenty will be open when you arrive in Montepulciano. You will most certainly enjoy your stay in that great town and the wonderful opportunities for drives in the area. We hope to be back this November as well!

SCFoodie

Thank you all for the great input! Yes, we were concerned about driving after what will be about a 24-hour travel day from CA to Italy. But you have given us the confidence that we can do it! We'll be checking into a car rental at the airport.

hlocke1 - Thank you for the link for the point-to-point map.

goddesstogo - Thank you for the link to all that wonderful info about the town! No, we're not in the same apartment, but will keep that info for a future visit.

melspring1 - Let us know if you are going to be there anytime between November 1 and November 8 (that's when we leave). Maybe we can book a tour or enjoy a dinner together!

Again - thanks to everyone!

Dayle

SCF,

Be sure to try their local wine specialty - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - it's excellent!

weasel

If you can get a GPS unit they are invaluable and takes the stress out of navigating after a long flight. I second that a car is a must to see Tuscany properly

SCFoodie

Dayle - we will DEFINITELY try that wine! We love to taste new (to us) wines. We're heading out to the Temecula wine country in CA this weekend. We thought it would be a pleasant spring weekend, but we're having a heat wave - temps will be in the 90s. But, even more reason to hang out in the cool wineries and tasting rooms!

Weasel - we agree - GPS is a must for us! We hope we can arrange to have one in the car we rent.

jd_dallas

Vino Nobile is indeed wonderful. But I also encourage you to try the lower priced local wine, which I believe is just called Rosso di Montepulciano. It is available at wineries in town, for about 3 or 4 Euro, and it is a very tasty red as well.

Enjoy Montepulciano!

SCFoodie

Hi jd_dallas!

That's a great tip on the local wine. We will be sure to sample it - probably daily!

Have you stayed or visited Montepulciano? Are there any cafes, restaurants and wineries you'd recommend?

macanimals

We stayed in Montepulciano in an apartment for a week last September and will return this September. We only ate out on two evenings but really enjoyed Osteria Aquachetta--a rustic atmosphere and terrific bistecca fiorentina one evening. There are a number of dining options in town as well as several notables w/i reach by driving--La Porta in Montechiello, Latte di Luna in Pienza and others. The Poliziano Cafe is well known and has a spectacular view. You'll enjoy all the vistas from vantage points in town.
Wine is all over the place including underneath (caves) the town. Croiani, Contucci and Poliziano are in town and several others are in the area. There are also several good enotecas in town to purchase wines and in some cases taste. Have fun exploring. Paul

pamela_in_tuscany

Hi! I just have to jump in here because I live in Montepulciano! You are going to love it here! Judging by your sign in name, you are into food, so I want to give you a list of don't miss places to eat:
*La Grotta, upscale but so worth it, in Montepulciano
*Cittino, also Montepulciano, at the other end of the scale, delicious homey food
*La Porta, a fabulous enoteca with great food and wines by the glass, in Monticchiello
*Latte di Luna in Pienza. Menu hasn't changed in 20 years, still incredible
*Pesce d'Oro by Lake Chiusi, get the brustico, a fish grilled over lake canes
I could go on and on, you will find very little bad food around here!
Restaurants will be open on Sat and Sun (lots of things close in Jan, which is why someone found things closed on Sunday). But, this is a huge family weekend, so reserve ahead of time, if you can, as there will be large groups eating out....

Buon viaggio,
Pamela in Montepulciano

macanimals

"Croiani"--should be Crociani

Also want to agree with the "Rosso" recommendation. Brunello and Vino di Montepulciano have to be aged a certain period before release and have a commensurate higher price. The "Rossos" are the younger versions and much less expensive. We've toured the Brunello producers for years and enjoy them but not their prices and they generally require additional ageing(we bring them home). We drink the Rossos--Montepulciano and Montalcino while we are in Italy and have enjoyed them immensely. Also, don't miss the Vin Santo from the area--great way to finish an evening and many producers are very proud of them.

Pamela-thanks for all the great tips. I am not familiar with Citino, where is it located? Paul

sharone

bookmarking

goddesstogo

Pamela,
I'm so envious! We loved Montepulciano. If we ever get a chance to return, I'm going to look you up and take you out for dinner.