Tuesday18th- drive to sam gimignano on potto venre late lunch, end day in Monteresso

I don't recommend this. There is more driving on slow roads and looking for parking than you think in getting from Montepulciano to San Gimignano (touring the down) and then driving to Portovenere. I don't think you will be in Portovenere by lunchtime at all -- even a late lunch.

You might consider skipping San Gimingnano because, lovely as it is, it will be a mob scene. Or consider driving directly to Cinque Terre and taking the ferry to Portovenere, either the same day or the following day.

fall06, so you don't think we could make portovenere even by late afternoon lunch. San gim was our only stop that day and i thought we would get there around 10am? We were going to drop of our rental car in la spezia late that afternoon and then take the train to SML. Our plans have changed a little, i've heard CT has become over run by tourists-i was there 10 years ago and thought it was spectacular but since I have not been to SML we will be staying there instead.

Cinque Terre is certainly overrun by tourists. What might be more enjoyable is to drive your car to Portovenere and stay there. Return the car a little later, or keep it until Milano. Take the ferry to Cinque Terre if you feel like it. But it ain't hardship duty to hang around Portovenere or use the car to visit someplace like Sarzana or a different piece of the ligurian coast, either Tellaro or Sestri Levante or even Camogli if you don't mind driving a bit.

So you get to San Gimignano at 10 am. Let's say you luck into a parking spot pronto. Then you need at least 2 hours in the town, and I think you'll spend longer. But let's say you are pulling out of the parking lot at 12:30pm. You've get to get to Portovenere and park by 2:30 to grab the lunch hour. It's probably doable, but I might stop on the way to Portovenere, at one of the other pretty locations by the water if time was running out unless you're going to be happy with a sandwich.

OK -- so the car rental offices closes at what? 7pm? You've got to be through to Portovenere by 5pm latest because La Spezia traffic is lousy.

Everything hinges on not getting lost, no traffic, finding easy parking, waiters who don't disappear when you are looking to pay your bill, and hot-footing it through the sites you came to see.

I'd go to San Gimignano, stay for lunch, go to Portovenere, bed down there and drive the car to Lago di Como.

Sounds more relaxing.

Or if you're now thinking of Santa Margherita Ligure as your "base," then drive to there after San Gimingnano. Return the car the next morning to La Spezia if you feel like it. Take the bus to Portovenere. Have lunch, take a ferry to Cinque Terre, and from there take a train back to Santa Margherita Ligure.

Va bene?

fall06 the second option sounds great. I think you're right a lot rides on so many things happening just right. Keeping the car and return it the next day bus over to portovenre from lunch hit monteresso on the way back. i'm sure so much will change between now and then! thanks

Tracy,
i got a email from villa adriatica, (teo) and he asked for me to send csh western union or deposit money in his bank but NOT to put "reservation" on the deposit. Does this sound right?

frommemphis, I went through the same thing with them. I was a little nervous at first, as it sounded a little fishy, but everything went just fine. I think you will love it there; the view alone is to die for!

Tracy