Hi - I'd very much appreciate any suggestions on the easiest way to do this. (we'll be there next month, around the 20th-26th). Train to Siena or Chiusi, then bus? Or bus all the way?

At the end of our Montalcino stay we'll then be heading back to Rome - so the same question applies.

Hi RMW,

How many days are you planning to stay in Montalcino? It's a very small town and as much as I love it, 1 full day there would be enough. I stayed 3 days and did lots of wine tasting, dinner every night at Grappolo Blu (yum, yum) and drove to Montepulciano, Pienza, Monte Oliveto and Sant' Antimo.

Is there some reason you don't want to get a car? Tuscany really is best enjoyed by driving and being able to explore and stop where ever appeals!

We are staying for about 2 1/2 days - we are also planning loads of wine tasting and just relaxing (it's our honeymoon). We'd rather not deal with renting a car - we'll be coming from Florence and then heading to Rome, so between the pickup/dropoff logistics, added expense of one way fees, high gas prices, plus the fact that neither of us speaks Italian -- just seems like more hassle than we want to deal with.

Hi again RMW,

Great! If it's your honeymoon and you want to relax for 2.5 days in Montalcino, it's a great place for that.

I will tell you that the logistics of renting a car are no harder than trying to bus. There are no expensive one way fees and not speaking Italian is no barrier at all. Most of the Italians you will deal with in the places you are visiting will speak more than enough English.

If you wanted to make renting a car easy, I would train to Chuisi and pick up and drop there. It's not very far to drive to Montalcino from there (I did it solo) and it's a gorgeous drive.

Congrats!

Here's another vote for renting a car. All the cars are Diesel, so the gas cost is extremely low. Just rent it in Florence and drop it in Rome. There are so many great places to see in the surrounding countryside that it would be a crime to miss Pienza, Montepulciano, Bagno Vignone, San Antimo Abbey, Banfi Vineyards etc.

Also you could stop in Siena on the way to Montalcino and wander around and have lunch on the main square.

Montecino is a great town and the wine is great and everyone speaks English. I dont speak a word of italian and we had no problems. We rented a little Fiat Punto and it was fine and easy to park.

Another vote for renting a car. You will miss the best of this region without a car. Although Montalcino made a very good base with a rental car to see the region, The surrounding countryside was the real highlight of our visit.

I would not miss visits to Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Montipulciano, Pienza, Montichiello and Sant Antimo Monastary.

Here are my photos of the region

http://www.kodakgallery.com/crazy4travel/main?view=1

All: Thanks so much for the advice! Much appreciated.

Since you prefer to not drive (which I respect since I love 2 hour lunches with wine), you will find train connections from Florence/Rome through Chiusi very frequent and easy to use. There was a bus to Montalcino as well as to Pienza etc, although it does not run even hourly. Your hotel/guesthouse can tell you the frequency of the buses prior to your arrival, or the younger cousin will drive down to pick you up perhaps. Oftentimes bus departures are coordinated with train arrivals. Everyone (including me) thinks you should drive (pick up at Chiusi is simple, and you avoid the crazy freeways), but this is your trip so do what makes you comfortable.