Hi fellow travelers,
My husband and I have been to Italy twice before, but this will be our first time in Tuscany. We plan to travel the 2 middle weeks of Sept. We are both people who have some trouble with heat, mainly trying to sleep if it is too hot. Could any of you please tell me if AC will be a must during this time in Tuscany?

And, we will spend 2 nights in Florence, and then 5 nights each in 2 other locations. I am having a difficult time deciding where to stay for those nights. My head is kind of spinning! There are hotels, villas, agriturismos, etc. Then there is Siena, San Gimignano, Radda, Montalcino, and so on. It is hard to choose. We want places that will make a good base for day trips, but somewhere inviting to return at the end of the day for dinner, sitting with a glass of wine while watching the locals, or evening walks. The lodging should have some nice Tuscan charm and decent beds, but we definitely don't require a lot of luxury or amenities. A breakfast buffet would be good and the rate can be up to around 140-160 Euro per night. I would appreciate any input. Thanks a lot.

Good question well stated !
I do not think that the heat will be bad that late---but !!
You do not say if you are driving---I will assume yes. I would pick either Castellina or San Gim. as your northern base--both offer good food options and shopping. Then, I would stay south of Siena somewheere on the S-146 corridor. I like Palazzo del Capitano in San Quirico for locations and small village ambiance, but Vecchia Oliviera in Montalcino would also fit your criteria. Good luck !

topping

To Ira:
This is my first time participating in this forum, and I really wanted some valid advice. What is your point with the response, topping? - not very helpful!

To bobthenav.:
Thanks for your suggestions. I will check out the place you suggested in Montalcino. As you figured, we will be driving. I notice you didn't suggest staying a few nights in Siena? It looks like a great city! I have read; though, that parking is pretty impossible. I feel that if we don't spend some nights in Chianti, we will be missing out. Your opinion? Thanks again.

Ira was topping your question so that you would rise above all the other posts and get some good answers rather than get buried down around 100 msgs or so. Ira was being very helpful to you. Please thank him!

I and my friend muddled over a good base and finally settled on 3 nights in Orvieto (for trips into Umbria) and an apartment (7 nights) in Pienza. Looks centrally located for both Tuscany. Won't be there until May but we'll report back.

My husband & I traveled to Tuscany with a departure date of September 12th for 10 days - at about the same time you will be there. For us, it was not hot or uncomfortable - but we live in Texas! It might depend on what you're used to. More specifically, it was cool in the mornings & evenings (I needed a sweater) with mild to warm afternoons. We definitely did not need air conditioning at our inn. We did have air conditioning in our rental car. We stayed at Locanda dell Amorosa (Sinalunga) and spent our days in Pienza, Montepulciano, a nearby Abbey, and a winery (Barbi) one day. Hope this helps.

To RSTravelers and all responders: Great questions. This is a help to me as I am looking for a base in Tuscany, too.

We are thinking at this point Oct 2005. Winter Olympics in Milan 2006, so that might impact things. We don't plan to fly into Rome, perhaps another European city and then a "short" flight closer to Tuscany. Pisa? Florence? Any ideas?

Where does it make most sense to pick up the car? At airport and deal with mess having car in Florence for day or two before heading to towns in Tuscany

RSTraveler, what are you doing regarding car?

Thanks to anyone and everyone!

All potential Tuscany travelers need to understand that Tuscany is really 5 distinct geographic areas. You need a GOOD map to mark the places you most want to see and then decide where to stay based on that. With 10 nites it does make sense to change locations. The book TOP 10 TUSCANY by Reid Bramlett is hard to beat for understanding Tuscany. Yes, Siena is the most central location and does make a good base, but we prefer the region south of there for beautiful topography and charming villages. Chianti is nice but more homogenized by many years of British and American tourists. That said, anmy location in Tuscany is wonderful---enjoy !

To nancy:
Thanks for clearing things up for me about the response, topping. Being a first-timer on the forum, I just didn't get it. I am writing to ira next to thank him. And, thank you for your tips.
RSTravelers

To ira:
Now that nancy has cleared up the meaning of your response, topping, I want to thank you. And, I apologize for my abrupt reply. Next time if I don't understand something on the forum, I will just ask! Thanks again.

My husband & I stayed a week in a great apartment on the square in Greve. Great location for exploring. We feel in love with Greve. Check it out.

To ParisAmie:
We are flying into Florence where we will spend our first night partly to just rest up. We then plan to pick up a car at the Florence airport and drive to Montalcino for 5 nights. The Hotel bobthenavigator recommended, (Vecchia Oliviera), looks wonderful. We still have 4 or 5 more nights to decide about. We will then drive the car back to Florence where we will spend our final 2 nights. We find that we can enjoy the "big city" more at the end of our trips when we are not so tired & jetlagged. If you come up with another good base and lodging, please let me know. Thanks to everyone so far for your help.....can't wait to experience Tuscany for the first time!!

we are going to tuscany mid october and found what seems a great little ecoturismo b&b at cetine which seems fairly off the beaten track but central to sienna and san gim. nyone know the area. it is near san galgano which is quite historical

RSTravelers: You aren't flying directly into Florence from the US, are you?? What is your stopover? From Chicago, I can't fly directly into Florence, so we are trying to determine which European city would be the simplest connection. IE, not Heathrow, too much of a hub, etc....
Thanks again.

ParisAmie, this thread may help you decide about where to change planes in Europe: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34519240

To Susan P: What a helpful thread! Thanks so much. I have bookmarked it.

ParisAmie, we are flying out of Chicago O'HARE with a possible connection in Frankfurt, (on Lufthansa), or maybe a connection in Paris on Air France. I know Frankfurt is not a difficult airport as we have been through there 3 times before, but don't know about Paris. We still plan to arrive in Florence, but at this point I am working with our travel agent attempting to get the best rate. I know it is hard to decide. Good Luck!

RSTravelers--I loved my recent stay at the Il Giglio hotel in Montalcino. Their website is www.gigliohotel.com
The staff was very helpful in making reservations for any wine tastings and would park and retrieve our car for us. Another helpful website for you may be slowtrav.com
Let us know what you decide!

RSTravelers: Chicago, too?!! How ironic is that? Did you see the thread that was suggested after my question about European fly-in cities? It may help you decide as well. Nothing like the ease of an airport when you need to make a connection. Good luck to you.