ITINERARY AND SOUTHERN TUSCANY BASE QUESTIONS
 

WE ARE THINKING OF GOING TO FLORENCE, SIENA, AND SOUTHERN TUSCANY FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND END UP IN ROME FOR TWO NIGHTS. THIS IS OUR FIRST ITALIAN TRIP EXCEPT FOR A GREAT WEEK IN VENICE LAST FALL. FLY IN TO FLORENCE AND SPEND 3 NIGHTS THERE, TRAIN TO SIENA AND ANOTHER 3 NIGHTS WITH POSSIBLE SIDE TRIP TO LUCCA AND PISA. THEN GET A CAR AND CHECK OUT SOME OF THE HILL TOWNS MAYBE SAN GIMIGNANNO, MONTEPULCIANO, CORTONA, MAYBE ASSISI,MONTALCINO, ORVIETO AND CIVITA. WE ARE SORT OF LAZY TRAVELERS AND DON'T EXPECT TO SEE EVERYTHING. DOES ANY ONE RECOMMEND A BASE OR SHOULD WE JUST DRIVE UNTIL WE FIND A PLACE. WE FOUND ONE PLACE ON LAKE TRASIMENO (IL CASTELLO DI MONTEGUALANDRO) ON KAREN BROWN'S WEB SITE. WE DON'T WANT TO PAY MUCH MORE THAN E100. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR SUGGESTION WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

Click on my name and you will find my trip report. I was in many of the places you want to see.

I would go to Florence and then rent a car for the remainder of my trip. You can easily spend some time in Umbria and Tuscany as you make your way to Rome (assume you are leaving from there.
The only "negative" would be driving into Siena.I might train to there, but drive every where else. I also have a trip report of our trip last year.I think it's here and at Slow Talk.
This year we flew into Florence, rented a car and headed to Rome via Tuscany (no Umbria this year)
There are many nice places to stay in your price range, but not necessarily in the larger cities.
Also, please try and not use all upper-case letters. It may just be me, but it's much more difficult to read.
Have fun planning.

Let me add that I would spend ,at least,3 nights in Rome. By the time you arrive, return your car, get to your hotel, etc. most of your first day is shot.
We spent 6 nights in Rome this year and it wasn't enough. We plan to return next year.

I was in Tuscany last month where I spent a week in an apartment in Montepulciano (lots of day trips to many towns), then two nights in Siena and three in Florence. I also stayed in Lucca for our first two nights in Italy. You can read my journal (warning, it is long!) which may give you some ideas. Also listed are my hotels and the apartment in Montepulciano, which I loved!

Take care,

Monica ((FF))

http://www.luvtotravel.homestead.com/home.html (click on Journals)

Hi harvey,

It is easier to get to Pisa and Lucca from Florence than from Siena.
See www.trenitalia.com/en

I suggest the SITA bus from Florence to Siena rather than the train.

You might want to consider driving to Orvieto, dropping the car and spending the night there before taking the train into Rome.

Harvey, certainly recommend a base and using that as a launching point for all the other mentioned towns. We've had great luck with farmhouses in the Arezzo area. I would recommend getting reservations rather than trying to wing it. From this area you can drive to Siena, Pisa, San Gimignanno, Montepulciano, Cortona, etc. You can also use their central train line to get to Florence and Rome. They've got a very large COOP for those days when you want to be lazy, hang out on the deck/balcony and make your own Italian home-cooked meal. Here are two places that have been great for us:
www.marengo.it
www.villadipaloma.com
Best of luck!

-Jonathan