It is so sad !

Bob; Totally agree.

zeppole: Why don't you start your own website for people to visit. I don't think anyone...except you....touts to be an expert. Everyone on this site are visitors sharing their experiences to help others.....politely and kindly.... I'm 60 years old. My family is in Ischia. I have been spending a lot of time in Italy for 60 years. I don't tout to be an expert. I just try to help where I can. A little politeness on your part would help.

Amen. Sounds like its time for another name change. Or revocation of a visa.

Most of us learned how to play nicely with the other kids in Kindergarten--some never did.

And a little respect for other opinions.

Hopefully, remdog will return ... with a new thread/question ... where we can all start afresh ... and try to be helpful ... so we can put all of this behind us!

You are right '2010', but perhaps you have not felt the STING of this particular person. Remdog--Wwere are you.? Go to www.slowtrav.com/ and you will find additional resourses. Richard

Someone must have died and made Zeppole Hall Monitor. Obnoxious and holier-than-thou to the core. And, I'd add, not at all useful, as most people don't want to fart around with donkeys on a farm when they take their first, maybe only, trip to Tuscany.

Sad that someone who has the luxury of living in Italy feels the need to plaster a message board with snooty posts about how not to be a typical traveler. If I lived in Italy, I'd have SO many more pursuits that would be SO much more rewarding. Apparently, zeppole does not. Perhaps that's the reason she feels the need to counsel others about how best to tour the country, because she's stuck behind a computer, and they are actually traveling.

Hey everyone, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, that's why there's red wine AND white wine--and even rose for those who are diplomatic :-)

Another question re: currency: can anyone confirm what I have been told, that is that the exchange rate i'll get going to an ATM in Italy is as good as the one I'll get if i pre-buy euros before the trip? if this is indeed the case, then that's one less thing to worry about (carrying around lots of cash). thx

Yes, ATM is the best---and charge all of your big items if you can. Anytime someone exchages currency for you it will cost you 8% or more.

remdog99: Also don't go to the exchange places like Thomas Cook. Use an ATM attached to a bank building if you can. If you have a problem you can walk in to get help.

Yes everyone is entitled to an opinion...politely and considerately.

>>Yes everyone is entitled to an opinion...politely and considerately<<
and without attacking someone else with misleading information, name-calling, and suggesting another person is "irresponsible". Advice should stand on it's own merits. If another person has a different opinon, throw in "IMO" a few times. There is no need to try to elevate your own advice by attacking & attempting to "lower" the advice or credentials of others.

There is a loooong history here - much of it has been deleted by the Fodors editors. Zeppole once told the OP to ignore advice from me and StCirq - before we even offered advice.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley, StCirq, bobthenavigator, iris1745 all names of highly respected informative posters. I have never seen them so upset at anyone before. We all have good reason. This was a great forum before. Now no matter what you say, zeppole will attack.

I don't mind if you guys want to keep arguing here, as long as you keep on dishing out at last an equal amount of solid advice (in your opinion, of course) that will help me with planning my trip!

What additional questions do you have? Did you follow the link I provided to suggested driving/visiting itineraries in the Val d'Orcia area of Tuscany?

I also have a 20+ page Italy itinerary that I did not get the chance to offer to you before Zeppole attacked. If you want a copy, e-mail me at [email protected].

Stu Dudley

OK, solid advice for your trip. Tuscany is a region: Pisa and Florence are both in it. Umbria is a region: Orvieto is in it.

I'd train from Genoa to Florence and pick up a car there. I'd spend five nights somewhere central at an agriturismo in the Val d'Orcia and day trip. I`d skip Orvieto and Umbria (two days are not enough for a region). I'd return the car at Pisa airport, taking the bus into Pisa for the photo of myself holding up the Leaning Tower, and train to Genoa.

You have to understand that Tuscany and Umbria aren't a huge area. You can stay and drive from a central area. You seem to have 4 days planned for that.

You have a lot of information in this posting.

Regarding picking up a car, someone told me that it was better to rent a car from an airport than a city--so if I were to rent from Florence, would I need to go to the airport, or rent locally?

The difficulty with Florence (and every other city in Italy) is that they have ZTLs, traffic-restricted areas where, if you stray from the few permitted roads, a camera takes a photo of your car and, months later, you get charged by the rental agency for telling the authorities who you are, and then you get a whopping traffic fine in the mail. It's no use complaining about it; it's the way things are. Getting *out* of Florence is relatively uncomplicated, if the rental agency gives you a clearly marked map. Forget a GPS for this; they most often lead you astray. You could pick up the car at Florence airport, a short bus or taxi ride from downtown, or at a downtown location, if you want to risk it.