My mother and I are traveling to Italy this summer. I am 30, she is 58. We are visiting Florence, Venice, and Rome and are looking for a place to end our trip for August 3-4 that will be incredibly relaxing and beautiful. I know this may not be the best time for the beaches. We will be coming from Rome and then returning to Florence, so any place in this vicinty would be great. Any suggestions for a relaxing, scenic location and corresponding amazing hotel to end our trip doing absolutely nothing???? Thank you!!!!

Will you have a car???

The most relaxing place I've been in Italy is the hotel, Relais La Suvera, in the Tuscan countryside an hour south of Florence. <www.lasuvera.it> Lovely and serene, it invites you to linger and allow yourselves to be pampered. A perfect ending to your trip!

no we will not have a car. I probably should have mentioned that our trip starts with a 10 day tuscany tour. So maybe we should try something different? any thoughts?

I would go to Sorrento. August will be a busy time and you might have a hard time finding accommodations, but it will be worth the effort. Pick a hotel with a great view and a pool. www.aminta.com (check out the webcam and see if you're convinced).

i do not know if they have a spot, but we have stayed 3x in Sinalunga, which is is the Siena region (by the way, siena is a great place) There is a train that runs to Chuisi, and then to the valley of sinalunga. You have to take a taxi or fairly short walk to the hilltown.. One of the greatest things about sina. is that it is lovely, not far from San gimigniano Montepulciano etc,a nd all of these places can be reached by bus.

We have stayed at Casa Salvi-Mastacci, right in the center of the hill town, and our hostess, Anna Maria is lovely;. The really great thing, is that while it is a traditonal hill town, there is not "great tourist" stuff. You can live as an italian, drink your cappucino (before 10;30 am, of course) play Bocce and just relax in one of the apt. in Annamaria's palazzo. There is one apt. in particular that is so amazing-- and the prices are not bad.
Also in the hill section there are two or more cafes, a nice alfresco pizzaria and a playground. walks abound, and it is one of my favorite places ever.

Down the hill a but is a restaurant which will simply serve you a typical tuscan meal-- no ordering required. Even closer to the rail station is another small albergo/pensione which has wonderful food, just as for una cena tipica and the lovely food as well as carafes for wine and Aqua Minerale will just appear. You won't beleive the price. Seriously . It is heaven on earth.

Also, everyone is friendly and will tell you anything you need to know about your stay
Agtain, train is easy to Florence (one change) A well as Rome.

If there is not a place, email me (we have florentine frineds) and I will ask. Also, try Chiusi, or other locandas and albergi nearby. You never know.

Best,
Barbara

May I suggest Orvieto. You can take the train there, and then get a taxi to La Badia. It's a very interesting 6th(?) century monastery that is now a hotel. We have stayed there, but we toured the grounds, and decided that the next time we are in Orvieto, we will consider staying here. Check it out at www.labadiahotel.it. Maybe it is of interest to you. The taxi ride isn't far, but the location is out in the countryside overlooking Orvieto. If need be, you could taxi (or maybe a shuttle is available???) into Orvieto and go up to the ancient hilltop town for a look around, shopping, and dining. Old Orvieto is charming.
Carol

Ooops... That should say "We have NOT stayed there, but we toured the grounds." In any case, the place looks very inviting and relaxing.

If your trip already starts with 10 days in Tuscany, what about spending a few nights in Umbria (I liked the area around Spello and Bevagna). Umbria certainly isn't as visited as Tuscany, although I'm sure it will have its fare share of tourists during that time of year. Still, you should be able to stay in a small town that is plenty peaceful. I would suggest renting a car though, as this area would be difficult to fully appreciate just by train.

Tracy

Haven't been there myself, but La Posta Vecchia, a small hotel converted from a former home of J Paul Getty, is on the sea about 40 minutes from Rome. It is built over two Roman villas, the subject of an on site museum. It appears to meet your "amazing" criteria, as do its prices. Check out the reviews on trip advisor.

http://www.relaischateaux.com/en/sea...taurant/posta/

I also think a visit to the coast might be a good idea, especially in August. We just returned from a visit to those three cities, and also a three-night stay at Santa Margherita Ligure, which is a lovely medium-sized port town just below Portofino. Our little B&B was the Nuova Riviera, which we loved (there is no elevator, but they are very helpful with carrying your luggage if needed). The owner is very helpful and treats you like his private guest. He's owned the hotel for over 40 years. The rooms have ceiling fans. Ours was a very large triple room, which had a round wall with beautiful large windows.
We really liked the little town of SML. Plenty of shops, restaurants, and a pretty port area. But it didn't seem as busy as other places. You can easily do a day-trip to Cinque Terre or Portofino if you want, but otherwise it's a pleasant place to stay and relax.

Hi Peppatty,

Another suggestion. Santa Margherita Ligure is a wonderful town. Just big enough for a couple day's visit and easy transportation via boat or train to either Cinque Terre or Portofino.

If money is no object, and you just want to park your behind for a couple days, how about the Hotel Splendid in Portofino? Beaufitul views of the tiny marina below. Way beyond my budget, but it does look fabulous and I assume would have service to match.

Buon viaggio!

Try hotel Cenobio dei Dogi in Camogli on the Ligurian Sea. Very beautiful. It is near Portifino but Camogli is much less touristy. Very quaint....scenic, simply gorgeous!

If you are ending in Florence, and you only have two days, the MOST RELAXING thing to do is to stay near Florence and not go running all over Italy looking for relaxation! How about taking the train to Montecatini Terme and staying at the gorgeous spa hotel, Grand Hotel Vittoria. 2 days of pampering ought to fix you right up. http://www.hotelvittoria.it/