Help us choose destination for 1 week in Tuscany/Umbria!
 

We are fortunate enough to have won a 1 week stay at a villa in the spring of 2012 and have to choose from one of the following locations:

CHIUSI (in the old part of town)
ASSISI (in the countryside outside of Assisi)
AQUALORETO (in the countryside situated in the middle of Todi and Orvieto)
CASCIANO DI MURLO (in a more modern neighborhood)

A little about us: We are 6 people - my husband, my 2 young daughters (7 and 3), my brother, his wife and me. We have all been to Italy before and love everything about it! Our last trip as a group was to the Chianti area, where we stayed in a villa in a remote rural area with stunning views.
My brother and his wife enjoy hiking, history, photography, shopping for food locally and cooking.
My husband, girls and I enjoy art, history, photography, exploring the hilltowns and finding hidden gem locations. My husband has Montepulciano and areas south of Siena as his top choice destinations to explore on this trip.
Ideally, we would like be without a car and realize this would only be possible in Chiusi, but feel we'd be missing out on the charms of a villa in the countryside. Would love to hear from someone who has stayed in Chiusi, or any of the above mentioned towns!

Grazie!

You can't really explore the areas south of Siena without a car (you would need a van or two cars). You can reach Montepulciano by bus from Chiusi and Orvieto is a short train ride, but I think you would still need cars.

Casciano di Murlo seems a bit remote as does Acqualoreto. It would depend on which towns you actually want to see.

Chiusi for me, good (but limited no of restaurants), the national museum of Etrusca on your door step and the new town not far below you. Looking West you have St Orico, Motepuliano, Pienze and just to the north Siena. Finally you are just off the autostrada so easy to get about.

Need a car

I was there 2 weeks ago

Stayed here 2 years ago down in the new town, seemed nice enough

Thanks for the info so far! We are not dead set against a car - we have driven Tuscany before. More interested in everyone's thoughts on the towns we have to choose from.... If you had to choose one of those towns to stay in, which one would you choose? Thanks!

Congrats on your good fortune of winning the stay.! If you stay in Chiusi,you or the other adults can stroll the streets at night with no worries of returning to your car to drive home for the evening. I feel you also get a better feel for Italian living when the day crowds thin away from Chiusi. You could also pick a favorite spot for coffee and light breakfast in the AM.

The car is a must! It will give you access to other hill towns and a spontaneous way soak up the scenery and unique places of the Val d Orcia. Check out these gorgeous photos and you'll know you need the car! http://www.google.com/images?oe=utf-...w=1024&bih=622. A mid sized car might accommodate the 6 of you since your children are small.

Since you've all been to Italy before, relax, try to find the market days for the close by hill towns and enjoy the things that are less touristy. There are some tremendous hiking available in the Val d Orcia area. Some short hikes that even your small ones could enjoy!

I don't know Acqualoreto and Casciano, but a "more modern neighbourhood" sounds awful; the region between Todi and Orvieto is generally very nice, but if your husband wants to see Montepulciano and the area south of Siena, then Chiusi is it, obviously. Assisi is too far away (not just in geographic, but above all in cultural terms) to reasonably do that, plus the countryside around Assisi is not always pretty, and it would be necessary to know where that villa is precisely located in order to advise you. Chiusi is a wonderful example of a provincial Italian town, not at all overrun by tourists, and a very good choice if you want to see the province of Siena and meet some Italians other than waiters.

Thanks clayman and franco!
The Assisi villa is 10 minutes from Assisi; the closest village is Petrignano, a five minute drive.
Chiusi is sounding more and more like the right choice. I do love the idea of getting "a better feel for Italian living" by being right in town with walking access to restaurants, etc.
Thanks for the advice so far and keep it coming!

Even if you base in Chiusi you will still need a car to see the area.

So the location of that villa near Assisi should be fine - if you'd be fine with visiting Umbria instead of Tuscany. Umbria is one of Italy's greatest regions in every respect (art, food, landscape), so certainly worth it. But if you or your husband is set on Montepulciano and Siena, I'd stay, as I said above, in Chiusi.