dperry

How crowded will florence be at this time, and the tuscan region in general? We plan to visit Greve, Castellina in Chianti and San G. while there....
Will any of these small towns be so overcrowded we should skip them?

bobthenavigator

They will all still have many tourists but you should go anyway. I would try to hit San G. early or late.

dperry

Bob- when you say late for San G. do you mean late afternoon or in the evening?
Late afternoon is what we had planned for our daytrip (after 3pm)
thanks for the response.

Jean

dperry, after 3 pm will be much better for San Gim (and just about any place else for that matter). Frankly, I find San Gim more interesting from a distance than from inside, but it would be a lovely place for a late afternoon wander and dinner.

Mid-October is still very much high season in Florence and the better-known towns of Tuscany. I might get flamed for this comment, but if it's in a Rick Steves guidebook, it will be crowded. My suggestion is while you're driving to your next destination, don't hesitate to stop in a town you haven't heard of or isn't on your map.

The towns you mention are along the Chianti Road (Strada Chiantigiana). A few of interest on the Via Cassia in Western Chianti:

In Passignano, there is an amazing (and huge) Last Supper by Ghirlandaio in the monastery. It was closed for restoration in October 2006, but we had seen is on a previous trip (tours conducted by the resident monks) and were just stunned by this treasure. Ask your hotel to inquire as to whether it will be open. It's worth a detour if you're interested in pre-Renaissance art. Heck, it's worth a detour anyway just to see the area around the abbey.

At the convent in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, the nuns sell wonderfully scented candles, creams and lotions. Sort of like the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella in Florence without the commercialism (and prices!).

San Donato in Poggio doesn't have much to see, and that's the point. No cars, no advertising, very few concessions for the visiting tourist. Wonderful.

If you have a detailed guidebook, read about the towns that aren't in bold type.

traveleveryday

Your itinerary sounds great, and I totally agree that the best way to explore Tuscany is by stopping at places that you see as you go - no need to plan everything out beforehand.

Having worked at a villa in Tuscany's Val di Chiana region for two years, I know firsthand that October is not a crowded time of year at all. Europeans don't take vacation in October, so at most you'll bump into other north americans who are following the same itinerary as you are, but with so many villages and places to visit, you won't feel crowded at all.

Enjoy!

bobthenavigator

All of Tuscany is best seen before 1000 and after 1500 to avoid the tour bus crowds. Plan lunch at 1300.

fall06

The well known sites of Italy are almost always crowded these days. This is a great opportunity to point out to anybody reading that Italy is filled with incredibly beautiful towns hardly anybody visits. And the people there are very happy to help you find a place to sleep and get something to eat. So if you worry about spending a lot of money to find yourself elbow to elbow with throgns of picture taking tourists, thinking about going someplace other than places you've heard of.

I was San Gimignano last December in the late afternnon, and I had lots of company, and just barely nabbed a lunch spot -- and I suspect that was an uncrowded day there.

I think the frescoes in the church in San Gimignano are absolutely marvelous -- and nobody talks about them! Everybody seems so taken with those towers and climbing up them. If you want to feel alone in San Gimignano, go inside the church. It's really very beautiful.

In Firenze, you can lose some of the mob by going to the Museo San Marco and across the river to the churches and gardens there.

dperry

Thanks for your responses, everyone. They were very helpful.

tuscanlifeedit

I was just about to post about the Duomo interior frescoes in San Gimignano. They are a sight worth seeing. Breathtaking is a good word to describe them. Fall06 is spot on: you should visit for sure.

There are very nice parks around the outer walls, and fantastic views of the Tuscan countryside. They also provide a break from crowds, if there should be overwhelming numbers, which I kind of doubt, if you time your trip well. Check for opening times of the Duomo. They're strict.

Also, exploring any part of the town away from the central piazza will get you away from crowds. I've been in churches at the opposite end of town from where the busses drop, and there were absolutely no people about at all.

annhig

hi, dp,

we were in florence for the last week in october last year and it was pretty busy. in particular, the traffic was appalling, and you should not try to drive there unles you really have to.

but if you walk away from the centre the crowds soon disappear. and in the evenings, when the tour buses have gone, most places empty significantly.

regards, ann