Trying to pull together an itinerary for my husband and I in Oct/Nov. I'm not sure of all the details yet, hopefully you all will have some suggestions.
A few notes:
I would prefer to reduce the number of hotel changes, but can't see how to do northern and southern areas from 1 base. I'm thinking possibly we should skip an area. Definately don't want to miss Pienza area, but I'd hate to skip Spello/Assisi, but maybe do Cetona and down to Orvieto instead? That way I can keep one 'home base'? I'm just winging it here!! I have no idea what these towns are like other than the general feel that I've gotten from this site(thank you). We like the smaller towns that are quieter, yet with some quaint shopping & great food(and wine, of course)
I also realize we will be in both Rome and Florence on Mondays, when museums will be closed. Do you think I'll be ok with this setup, or should i rearrange. (Husband prefers not to drive while jetlagged, and prefers to just head somewhere by train.)
That said, here's the rough plan:
Mon10/29 Arrive Rome about 7am, Train to Florence for 2 nights(Calzaiuoli Hotel or Santa Maria Novella, not sure yet.)
Lunch, shop at the markets?, Boboli?

Tues 10/30 Florence- Uffizi....

Wed 10/31 Pick up rental car and head to Chianti area for the day -Greve?, Radda?, Siena?Castellina?
Then head toward Montepulciano/Pienza for 3 nights at either(La Saracina or Il Chiostro di Pienza)
Thurs 11/1 Explore Montepulciano and Pienza

Fri 11/2 Montalcino(winery tour, maybe Fattoria Barbi?) and San Quirico

Sat 11/3 Head down toward Spello area for 2 nights(Maybe Villa Zuccari)Assisi and Spello

Sun 11/ 4 Montefalco?, Deruta?

Mon 11/5 Drop car in Foligno in the morning and Train to Rome for 2 nights
(Hotel Santa Maria or Hotel mConcordia or Caesar House)
Colosseum....

Tues 11/6 Rome-Vatican museum, Borghese? (can we do both in one day)

Wed 11/7 10am flight home

I know it's alot to absorb...Thanks so much for any and all help!
Dee

Here's what I'd suggest...

Drop the Chianti portion and Spello. Focus on the area south of Siena, which includes Siena, San G, Monteriggioni, Volterra as well as the Val d'Orcia towns for 5 nights. Add a night to Rome.

Hi Dosu,

I agree with TuckH that adding a night to Rome would be a good idea. I also wouldn't try to do the Vatican and the Borghese on the same day. The Vatican is huge and totally overwhelming. Personally, I've been too wiped out after trips to the Vatican to immediately take on another museum. And the Borghese definitely deserves your full attention---it's wonderful. Also, it looks like the Vatican museums are open on Mondays: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...fo_Orario.html.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip! October/November is a great time to go.

We have never driven a car in Italy. We have several times in France. You will find that local buses and trains will take you most places. The car in Italy can be nice and i have had some friends say it is safe to drive in Tuscany. But remember you have to have a place to park a car. The trains and buses usually drop you off in the center of the cities, you can then take a cab or the local buses to the sites you wish to see. You can see some of our itenaries on my web site, and a video of some bus rides.
emilyandjim.info... have a great trip.

Thanks for the ideas. We will have a car when we leave florence. It's just a bit hard to tell how long it will take to get to the different areas. Hate to leave out anything, but guess we can't do it ALL.
Is Siena, Volterra, and San Gim a 'must' see? I kind of want to be 'off the beaten path' if at all possible.
We will have 5 days in Tuscany, not 6. My mistake.

first and foremost, make sure you have NeverLost or a navigation system in your rental car. We spent three night sin Florence, picked up a car and drove to Montalcino. Stayed three nights there at La Crociona...would highly recommend it. There are approx 110 vineyards within 6k of Montalcino so you have tons of options. On this particular trip, we then went back to Florence, dropped the car and took the train to Venice. However, on an earlier trip, we spent a full week in Rome and didn't feel we had scratched the surface. Stayed there at the excelsior. Hooked up with a tour guide at the forum and took two additional tours with her. I would recommend the rome at night walking tour and definitely have a guide for St Peters and the Vatican Musuems.

Hmmm, this is hard.

dosu: what do you picture yourself doing in Tuscany? Do you want to see art, architecture, country walks, lots of wine tasting? It is such a large area, and just too hard to cover in a few days. As to Siena and San Gimignano being a "must" see, that is quite depending on what you want to see!

I would not include Siena in this trip, as it is more like a city than some of the small towns you can see.

San Gimignano is a charming small town, but unless you plan on seeing the frescos in the cathedral, and perhaps staying in the area, it may not be perfect for this trip.

Greve, Radda, and other towns in the Chianti area are nice, but don't have the historical/spiritual appeal of Assisi. For me, a lover of San Francesco, Assisi was and is an important destination. But what about you?

Everyone has their favorites in Tuscany, and now we are adding Umbria, so you are going to have to really think about what you want to do and how fast you want to move.

Me? I love Florence and I think the art there is the best. But I can understand your 2 nights for such a short trip.

I don't really think you can keep one "home base" and see as much as you write about in your original post. And without a car? That would be impossible. Tuscany in not the easiest place to get around by public transportation, but again, that depends on what area of Tuscany we are talking about. Anyway, I'm glad you have a car.

So what about

2 nights Florence (although with arriving, I assume, from the US via Rome on your first day, there won't be that much sighteeing. The central food market will almost certainly be closed or very near it by the time you get to town; you'll want to see the Duomo and the Baptistry. If you like sculpture don't miss the Bargello, and what about the Accademia? I wouldn't think the Boboli Gardens are at their best at this time of year, but they are nice to visit in nice weather)

3 nights in the Val d'Orcia (visit as many of the local places as you can; remember closing time in the afternoons for shops)

2 nights Umbria (Assisi and Spello; drop the car in Orvieto and you'll get to see that town briefly, too)

3 nights Rome

I know it is one more stop than you planned but I would prefer that to long hours in the car, going from town to town from one base.

Also, perhaps do some reading about each town, and look at pictures. Think about what you want to see. I've picked towns based on attractions, mostly art, and been very happy with my choices. But it might be different for you.

Everyone here will have an opinion, sometimes based on merely having been to just those places; other times their opinions will be formed from more extensive travels. However, none of us will have exactly the same tastes as you.

It is all very attractive. Have you seen the books, The Most Beautiful Villages in Tuscany and I think The Most Beautiful Small Towns in Tuscany? They'll confuse you even more! ;-)

Anyway, I think a little more research will go a long way, as will defining your specific interests.

I would consider just staying put in Rome upon your arrival rather than immediately taking the train elsewhere. I don't know how far you are flying from, but you do mention jet lag being a factor. I've flown to Rome twice from the US west coast and couldn't imagine continuing my travels after arriving.

Just my two cents...


P.S. Hopefully this won't happen to you, but on my last trip my suitcase didn't make my plane connection (although my childrens' suitcases did). I ended up waiting another four hours for it at the airport as I wanted to be sure it would get to me. Other people I waited with had train tickets, hotel reservations in other cities, etc. and were really at a loss as to what to do.

Rome is so big and a lot to see, that one extra day wouldn't hurt (if time allows) - so you won't feel overwhelmed or tired. We were in Rome for 3 nights, saw a lot but didn't have time for the Borghese. Also keep in mind that the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel closes early in the Winter. I researched this trip like crazy but overlooked the fact that it closes at 1pm when we were there mid-November. I was disappointed but I guess we'll have to catch it next time.

You'll have a wonderful time experiencing any of the small towns mentioned. Many say that Pienza and San Gimagiano are getting overcrowded with tourist. But it wasn't the case for us last November. There were so many times we felt like we were the only non-locals.

Cmeyer,Thanks for the tips... and the reminder to get a navigation system. 110 vinyards!We will be happy! Since we only have two nights rome, we will most likely take a tour or two to maximize our time.
Tuscan, We'll probably skip Orvieto but i think we'll have enough time without rushing to have a second base near Spello. the drive from Montalcino to Spello is about 2 hours.. can't possible enjoy doing that roundtrip! We do want some down time to just sit and relax too. I have done so much research, my head is spinning.
KTravel, yes, i have thought of starting the trip in Rome... because it would be a good way to end our trip on a relaxed note(in the countryside) problem is that we would have to check into yet another hotel in Rome for our last night to head home. We're coming from the East Coast, so hopefully our jet lag won't be too bad. Sometimes we like to do carryon luggage only, but with all the restrictions, not sure if we'll be able to this time. For me it means having to do laundry.. which i'd rather not!! It will take awhile to have luggage catch up to you if it's delayed.(if it ever does) hopefully we'll be ok.
Any other off the beaten path town suggestions appreciated.
Thanks all...
Dee

thanks, ricerco.. i know 2 days is very short for Rome, but we much prefer the small towns away from the crowds. Might even skip the Vatican as I hear it gets very crowded. Although i'd love to see it, crowds will just ruin it for me. Maybe another time.
So it's good to know Pienza might be quiet in November.

>I kind of want to be 'off the beaten path' if at all possible.<

One of my favorites: Montecchiello.

dosu – I know what you mean on wanting to spend most of your time in the quieter towns. We went to Rome after Tuscany. Rome was great, but Tuscany was a highlight and we were spoiled by the serene atmosphere. Following a week in the countryside, Rome served as a rude awakening, in the reasons you just mentioned. I couldn't image visiting during in season. Since there are a lot of tourist traps in Rome, definitely research restaurants before you go and listen to the advise of fellow travelers and locals. Our favorite restaurant was a recommendation from the b&b owner

Thanks Tuck, I'll put Montichiello on my list.
Ricerco, yes i will be sure to take some of the restaurant recs from this site. Any standouts that u recommend?