Info overload - Help picking a small town destination in Tuscany.
 

Too much searching on the "internets" has addled my brain.

Goal: Pick a town in the Tuscany area that is a good home base for exploring the area. We are a group of four adults and will have a rental car. We are staying for five nights. Here is my wish list.

1. Stay in a small town. We want to be somewhere tiny. All we really need is a couple restaurants and a market within walking distance. We love the freedom of two of us being able to walk for breakfast groceries or a coffee while the others sleep in, or a late night gelato if the others have turned in for the night. I really don't think I want an agriturismo that we have to drive 10 minutes every time we want to do anything.
2. Not too hilly. I spent forever looking at charming hill towns and then had a V8 moment. Mrs. turnip has had six surgeries on just one knee and stairs are tough for her. Do I really want to plant us somewhere she has to constantly be climbing just to get around town? Um-mm, no.
3. We want to be within easy day trip distance of some of the scenic hill towns. We'd love to see Volterra, explore some Etruscan ruins, battle the tourist hordes at San Giamignano, check out a winery (or six), take a picnic lunch and drive a winding cypress lined road, shop local markets.

We have seen the Cinque Terre, stayed a week in Lucca, seen Florence and stayed in Sienna. I found a gorgeous place to stay in Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina, but I'm wondering if it's TOO out of the way.

Any suggestions or hot tips?

Many thanks in advance!

Cordially, the turnip

Wow, not easy. Tuscany = hilly. Many of the smaller towns will be built on hills.

not a perfect fit, but maybe an idea:
http://www.artimino.com/

We stayed here, and it may be something to interest you. It is a hotel / appartments combination. The hotel is attached to an old medici villa, which is used for big celebrations (weddings) and conventions. The appartments are included in an old walled-in village. Half is still inhabited by Itallians, the others are suites / appartments. You could either shop and have breakfast there, or go to the restaurant in the hotel. Also Mrs Turnip could stay at the hotel, which would eliminate climbing.
Would be near to Florence though, so maybe not what you were looking for. Sienna also checked off.
Maybe someone else has an idea that meets your requirements better. WE stayed at the Artimino two or three years ago and really liked it. Nice views, some restaurants in the area. Nice destinations. Nice smaller towns. We even did a one day cooking class which was kind of fun and good to meet people.

We've enjoyed staying in Pienza on several occasions. I believe it meets your criteria. Its small but has several restaurants, markets and is flat. The views from the town are beautiful.
From here we've visited the places you mentioned as well as Cortona, Assissi, Orvieto etc....

Pienza or San Quirico are the usual suspects.

San Quirico is perfect.

Bob it has been very calm around here lately. What happened?

Pienza is perfect. It's on top of a hill so the town is flat. The grocery store is walkable from the main town. There are several restaurants so you don't have to drive for an evening meal.

Here's where I stayed:

http://www.ilgiardinosegretopienza.it/

ok, my suggestion [and apologies to those who have read my waxing lyrical about this place before} Orbetello.

Where? small and perfectly formed, it lies on the southern tuscan coast right opposite where the costa concordia went aground. there are loads of things to see in the area, as well as Orbetello itself which is an etruscan/roman/medieaval town sitting in a lagoon. it's a bit bigger than you specified, as it's got at least 6 restaurants, but it is distinctly non-touristy, with only the romans [modern-day] getting there at weekends.

lots of places to visit, Siena is just about within reach, but Pitigliano [think Orvieto without the tourists] roman remains, Orvieto itself, monte Argentario, isolo gi gilio, etc. etc.

oh, and it's flat. great for bike riding, and there are a couple of places that rent them out.

Yes, the silence is deafening.
What a more enjoyable environment where all are entitled to their own opinion.

Hi turnip, yes not easy to match all your requests. When I started reading your post I visualized Castellina in Chianti. It is a tiny village, as you desire, with a choice of 20 restaurants (Albergaccio is definitely my favourite http://goo.gl/zO400). And be watchful with wine, you are in the Chianti Gallo Nero area! In Castellina tiny village there is Borgo di Pietrafitta http://goo.gl/pZAzE which is another Middle age tiny village completely transformed in farmhouse with rooms, flats and villas to rent for holidays. When you arrived you can ask to find a basic shopping set, so you don't have to go out again. But yes, you have to drive 4 minutes in order to reach Castellina, so perhaps you can think about San Gimignano. There is a supermarket and great icecream shops (everyone says Dondoli is the best one, but try Bar della Cisterna instead). You can stay in the central square (right in front the icecream shop) at Leon Bianco Hotel http://goo.gl/PsHf6 and see the towers from your window, but yes, it is hilly. However, I guess you can have special permission and enter the city with your car if you ask for this. Both Castellina then San Gimignano are half way between Siena and Florence, so you can go and see them with one-day-trip. Now it depends on how many people do you want to see around. In san Gimignano you will find much more people, but towers are breathtaking, no way. I hope you will find the best solution. However don't be worried: tuscan are very polite and they'll do all their best in order to help you and your friends.

Really surprised the Tazmanian devil blew itself out. It got to such a ridiculous state of affairs I just smashed deregister one night, that was 2 months ago.

Citta Della Pieve will fit your definition of tiny. It's maybe a 6-7 minute walk end to end - lol! Took the train to Chiusi (there's an Etruscan museum there, BTW), then rented vehicles and drove to Citta, which is maybe 5 miles away. It's a delightful town, and I really liked it. Also, it was very convenient to the other towns that we explored - Pienza, Siena, San Giminano(sp), Civita Di Bagnoreggio and Montepulchiano, among others.

These are amazing suggestions! Looks like someone has quite a bit of homework to do.

Thank you for all the ideas. I will report back.

the turnip

We stayed in Montepulciano and loved it. It's just as you described - small, with a few markets and restaurants, and it's on the highest hill in Tuscany. It's an easy drive to Montalcino, Pienza, Sienna and several other towns. Many of the tourists stay at the hotels outside of the town so when they leave in the evening, you can have your dinner at a local restaurant, go for your passagiata (walk) and have gelato while you sit on the piazza overlooking the valley.

Sigh.

I too think Montepulciano is the perfect Tuscan town but much too hilly for Mrs. Turnip. Rented an apartment there for one week and my friend said she felt she was climbing even when going downhill.

Montepulciano is rather steep so doesn't really fit the criteria. Pienza is flat. Pienza is also easy to drive in and out for day trips. It's also centrally located in southern Tuscany so easy to reach many other towns (Volterra and San G would be a long day trip). Lots of Etruscan ruins nearby and a museum in Chiusi.

If you want more amenities than Il Giardino Segreto (I've stayed there too), there are a couple of hotels with pools within a minutes walk of the old town.

I think Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina looks steep for someone that had lots of knee surgeries.

Oh, sorry. I missed the 'not steep' part. Oh well.

Buonconvento at 43.134063,11.482916

http://www.comune.buonconvento.siena...line/Home.html

Flat, market, two restaurants, nearby wonders

I second the Buonconvento suggestion. We stayed just outside of town a couple of years ago and had a couple of great dinners in Buonconvento. Charming town with at least part of its walls intact. Great location. Very local feel.

My other suggestion would be Pienza.

Try Torre Alfina, which is on the southern end of Tuscany near Orvieto. It is truly tiny, but does have a cafe-gelateria next door to a baker's, a tiny grocery store, two butcher shops. And another cafe that's not as nice as the gelateria one. Plus two hotels with restaurants, especially Albergo di Nuovo Castello, which has a fantastic restaurant (roast suckling pig for Sunday dinner?). We will be returning there for a second visit this fall.

What to see? Orvieto, Assisi, Val d'Orcia, Ptitgliano, Lake Bolsena, Civita di Bagnregio, or some of the coastal towns to the west, Etruscan tombs, etc.