First Time Visit to Italy
 

Visiting Italy Sept 9th for 2 weeks. Hoping to use a villa in Chiusi, Tuscany area as a home base. We have been told this area is centrally located midway between Rome and Florence, near train station and major autoroute. Will have a rental car. Would love some help with must dos. Love the countryside more than big city life.

barwal,
Send me an e-mail and I will send you suggested day trips in Tuscany.

Henry

Hey - what about the rest of us? Taking the conversation away from Fodors is not the idea now, is it? What's the deal, are you selling something?

Hi B,

Enter <Tuscany> in the "search this forum" box.

Also see Helpful Information: Italy 2
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34568596

((I))

I agree with WallyKringen. Right after I read Henry's post I thought "Is Henry selling suggested itineraries?".

Henry has been very generous to send hundreds of his day trips to travelers. I assume they are too long for this forum.

I was wondering if anyone, who might be familiar with this area, can give ideas of restaurants they might have visited or if they travelled by car or used public transportation to visit Rome and Florence. Anyone ever been to the thermal bath and spa nearby?

Tuscany and environs are large enough that if you used a villa near Chiusi as a home base for day trips to Rome and Florence, you'd spend a large percentage of your time travelling. Also, while Chiusi is pretty enough, I think there are areas of Tuscany that are much more beautiful. Also, having a car for trip to visit the various beautiful towns and other spots in rural Tuscany is a great way to go. But to drive to Rome or Florence for day trips would be a hassle in terms of finding parking in those cities.

Remember that in Italy almost everything closes between about 1-4 every day. Even the shops roll down metal shutters so you can't window shop... that would be the best time of day to travel between towns, in my opinion.

Thank you all for your help. Henry's list was too long to post and helpful. I have gotten so much info from reading other posts. Can't wait to visit. I have never done an "open jaw" so not really sure what it is or if it is worth while. Can anyone help? I will be leaving early Sept and can spend 2-3 weeks in Italy. Living in US, South Carolina, but very open to driving to NY if fares are best from there. Spending first week in villa in Chiusi.

Just returned from Italy. It was our first time to Europe. When spend Christmas in Vatican and New Year's celebration in Zurich. We flew into Rome. Rented a car at the airport. Spend 3 days in Rome, 1 night in Pisa, 2 nights in Venice, 1 afternoon in Verona, 2 nights in Milan. Flew from Milan to Zurich. We had a delighful time. The only problem we had was in Milan when our rental car got vandalized and luggage stolen. Italy was nice but Zurich was the best.

Open jaws flights land in one city, then your departure at the end of your trip, is from another city. Usually they're no more expensive than round-trip flights. They're definitely a good way to go, so your itinerary can be from one place to another, and you don't have to use time returning to your starting point.

Hi Barwal, I'm a South Carolinian too and planning another trip to Italy for Fall. I would NOT plan to drive in Rome or Florence; but, driving in Tuscany should not be a problem. We've flown into Rome (It seems to have the best connections from GSP or Charlotte) You could stay there a few days then rent a car and see Tuscany, drop your car before visiting Florence. Do you plan to see any other areas in Italy? If not you could fly out of Florence.

Thanks for info on open jaw. Definitely going to explore that option once we narrow down places to visit. So many wonderful choices. Seems we can't go wrong regardless of what we end up deciding. Not yet purchased our flight so am seriously considering extending stay to 3 weeks instead of 2 so that Sicily can also be an option. (Relatives live in Santa Ninfa) Have rented a villa in Chiusi,Tuscany for first week.

To WallyKringen and Castellanese - I don't know whether you guys are new to this site or not, but I have been using it for the past 3 years, and have never failed to be thankful to people like Ira, Henry, StuDudley, Patrick (or whomever he is now)and the rest who continue to provide information to us all.

In any event, what Henry means that if you e-mail him (as is often the case with StuDudley) he will take the time to provide, by immediate return e-mail, various recommended itineraries for your use.

Nothing is being sold.

Try it and you will see.