joeyrm7

We just finished booking our late June 2011 trip to Italy. I would love to get your suggestions on things to do which may be slightly out of the usual tourist things. We are active and in our 50's. We have been to the Tuscany area a few times previously. This is our Itinerary:

Lucca - 2 nites
Cinque Terre - 4 nites
San Gimignano - 2 nites (with driver/ guide)
Montepulciano - 2 nites (with driver/guide)
Perugia - 2 nites (with driver/guide)
Rome - 2 nites

Thanks for the help

HappyTrvlr

You can take the ferry from Monterosso in the Cinque Terre south to Portovenere for the day.It's a beautifultown.

Lexma90

Just south of San Gimignano are the ruins of an old fortified village from the middle ages that you can walk/hike to, called Castelvecchio. It's located outside San Gimignano to the southwest (though more south than west). From San G., you drive south on the road from San Gimignano to Volterra; we parked in the tiny hamlet of San Donato. We then walked south about .1 mile on the road to a sign marked Cammogio; it also says it’s the path to Castelvecchio. It was pretty and remote; it took us about 40 minutes to get to the ruins, and we were walking quickly. The route was up and down, and some parts were steep with loose rocks, though the beginning was on a rough (four-wheel drive) road. But to arrive at the ruins, in the middle of the forest, was magical and just a bit creepy. The fortress at the front, and the church at the rear, are the most still-together (reconstructed by volunteers, possibly?), with walls and bits of wells for many buildings.

annw

Personally I'd take a night from San G and add it to Assisi or Perugia.

annw

Sorry, you were asking for things to do -- lots of Etruscan sites and museum interest in Perugia, good dining and passagiata in Perugia. Are you interested in a winery tour or a visit to an agriturismo?

joeyrm7

Yes we will do the wine tours. Our guide has always found us interesting wineries to tour. Gladly accept any suggestions. Lexma90, that sounds intersting. Thanks

SAB

In the Perugia area--visit Gubbio, a lovely hill town north of Perugia; visit Lake Trasimeno.

macanimals

In Montepulciano--make a reservation at Aquachetta, a very authentic and popular osteria with
rustic atmosphere and great bistecca Fiorentina. Also check out the tasting room maintained by the Consorzio di Vino Nobile di Montepulciano--its beneath the visitor's center in the Piazza Grande.

South of Perugia is the town of Deruta--an historic producer of ceramics with a charming alto centro.

joeyrm7

Thanks to those who have responded. I really thought that I would get more ideas or is this all there is to do there?

rbnwdlr

All there is to do?? You go to Tuscany for its beauty, its wine, its food, and its....life. If you want to run yourself ragged, go to Rome. I am also going to Tuscany in June and look forward to relaxing.

Sue878

We took a hot air balloon ride over Tuscany. It was the highlight of our trip.

annabelle2

From Perugia, if you decide to go to Assisi (well worth a visit IMO), you can take the easy hike from the town up Mt Subasio, to the hermitage (eremo)of St Franicis. There are pretty views of the Umbrian countryside from the hike, and at the top there is a church and you can visit the small rooms and caves where Francis and his fellow monks lived and meditated. You can drive up there too, but the walk was nice! There was a mellow and spiritual feel to the place, which can be a little hard to grasp in the well-visited sites of Assisi itself.

macanimals

joeyrm--Your itinerary included a driver/guide for 6 nights in the heart of Tuscany and Umbria--are we competing with the guide? Trust me, after 10 weeks in both over the years there is plenty to do and see but I am reluctant to complicate things. We have little to go on as to your preferences and interests. I am assuming your guide has this information.

zeppole

Actually, Joeym, a lot of people are going to scream at me, but there really isn't a lot to do in the vacation zones of Tuscany and Umbria. It is why retirees in particular or the working affluent head there, again and again. The areas of Tuscany you are planning to visit are mainly used as vacations zones in Italy, for outdoor activities.

If you would like the flavor of being in a foreign country rich with history and contemporary flair, with lots of sights to see, you should consider giving short shrift to the international vacation of zones of Italy (the now-famous parts of rural Tuscany, the Amalfi, Lago di Como, the Dolomiti, le Cinque Terre) and instead target areas of thriving Italian culture (Italy is the fifth largest economy in Europe).

If you want a vacation, then rbnwdlr has it right. You don't go to Tuscany to be active, other than walking or pool swimming (if that). Or actively learning, if you want to "run yourself ragged" experiencing historic and today's Italy, you don't go to the vacation resort with Italian restaurants, boutiques and Kodak-ready scenery.

It looks to me like you've probably already booked your air tickets (into central or Northern Italy, and out of Rome?) And it looks like you don't want to rent a car.

May I suggest this train-friendly itinerary with a lot to do and learn instead of the one you're considering:

Parma - 3 nites (with a day trip to Modena, including visits to a cheese producer and a vinegar producer, plus the artistsic sights)
Bologna -- 3 nights, with a day trip to Ravenna
Perugia - 4 nites, with day trips to Assisi and Gubbio
Oriveto -3 nites, preferably at a highly regarded agriturismo/winery, and a driver for a daytrip to Pitigliano
Rome for the remainder

Actually, that's just a shot in the dark, without knowing what you really would find engaging about a trip to historic and contemporary Italy. There is plenty to do in Italy, everywhere you turn. But in recent years, many people have come to treat it as another vacation destinate -- like the Greek islands, Scotland's Isle of Skye, scenic Switzerland, the Caribbean -- a place to turn off the brain, wander and "soak up the atmosphere."

Italy offers much more than that. If you post what you are hoping to find in Italy, some people here might be able to help you.

I'd also like to add that most people find very little to do in Lucca, le Cinque Terre and Montepulciano other than walking around (or hiking and biking) "soaking up the atmosphere." People tend to visit San Gimignano the same way, although there are tremendously beautiful frescoes in the churches people skip (they cost a few euro to see) and interesting saffron and wine cultivation nearby, as well as the via Francingena history.

Perugia is a tremendously interesting historic city with unique geography and one of Italy's finest and most enjoyable museums. It makes a good transportation base for other sights of incredible history, going back to Hannibal and thensome, and great chocolate, wines and ceramics.

I'm saying all this to say that if you dig a bit, you can get off the vacation track. And keep in mind, wherever you go in Italy, that almost every un-famous town you take a chance on visiting is likely to have artistic treasure, great food, charm, and friendly, sophisticated people, many of whom speak Englsh. You don't need to stick to the vacation enclaves.

You've got a lot of time before your trip. There are all sorts of places in Italy that have more to offer than scenery, wine, food and doing nothing but sharing all that with other vacationers.

annw

Just adding that the train station for Assisi has luggage storage capability if you need it at the little shop/Tabac adjacent to the station. The basilica itself is uphill, but near the train station is the Santa Maria Degli Angeli church (may be a basilica) which holds St. Francis's original tiny church inside.

We also liked Spello as a day trip from Perugia. Just another nice small town, with lovely flowers, great gourmet dining, and wonderful views.

I've been to Perugia twice and find it a really interesting, enjoyable town to visit, again with the great views, great dining, strolling, shopping, museum viewing. They have little red tram cars to take you up from the train station area to the old town above, as well as escalators around town. It was amped up a bit the last time I went there due to the trial of the young American woman. I found it an excellent base for exploring Unbria. I wish I had made it to Gubbio and Deruta, though, and I have a long term goal to make it over to Urbino, for which, though, I understand a car is best. BTW Perugia does have a small open market with the Deruta pottery and other items on some weekends. I picked up a few small very nice pieces for extremely good prices.

As to winery tours, we enjoyed Castello Verazanno in Chianti, easy to Google. They have a reasonable tour and then a lovely 2 hour multi course lunch with wine pairings.

annw

I do recommend Buca di San Antonio in Lucca for dining. Do make a reservation, as I saw them turn people away the night we were there.

Lucca also has an open air market/antiques etc. in the main square, I don't know the days/times.

joeyrm7

I know it's hard for some people to imagine, but not everyone enjoys spending a vacation lying by the pool or at the beach. I certainly don't, but what I enjoy doing is taking in the scenery, culture, medieval villages, wineries and of course the food. What I really want to do is find interesting ways of doing this as well as different areas off of the beaten path. We have been to Tuscany on 4 other occasssions and italy as a whole 7 times. As SUE878 suggested, a balloon ride certainly fills the bill. The last time we went we had booked a horseback ride through the countryside but unfortunately it was cancelled due to weather.
Interesting areas and places that fodorites have been to will help us supplement the "usual" areas that the tour guides go to. Many of the suggestions above will be incorporated in our trip.

Please keep those ideas flowing. Thanks again

Sue878

joeyrm7: We also went to The Abbey of Sant'Antimo (Abbazia di Sant'Antimo) which is a beautiful Romanesque church, it is in a picture-perfect setting just south of Montalcino in southern Tuscany. We got to hear the monks chanting and it is beautiful area. The abbey was recommended to us and well worth the drive from Siena; where we stayed.

FYI: Sant'Antimo is about 10km south of Montalcino. Follow the road from Montalcino to Castelnuovo dell'Abate. You will see Sant'Antimo on your right, down in the valley, just before Castelnuovo dell'Abate. Drive down into the valley and you will see parking along the road.

Annie1129

eat eat and eat

charnees

La dolce vita di fare niente. That is, the sweet life of doing nothing. Don't need balloon rides. Thank God they don't have zip lines yet!

Stay in a little village. Shop for groceries. Have a coffee. Go the to the butcher and the bakery. And the gelateria. Drive Into the countryside and buy pecorino. Have a picnic. Sigh!