Just returned from wonderful trip to Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria. Visited:<BR><BR>Florence, Lucca, Villa Reale, Villa Garzoni, Volterra, Siena, Orvieto, Montepulciano, Todi, Spoleto, Assisi. Happy to answer any questions I can!

Well, XXXXX, give us a brief day-by-day description: hotels, restaurants, museum likes/dislikes, train or rental car experiences, etc. I'd love to hear about Orvieto and Assisi especially, since I've not yet been there.<BR><BR>Waiting to hear your story and relive times in Italy!<BR><BR>Mary Kay

I would like to know what the weather is like. I will be with an Elderhostel group in Siena for the first 2 weeks in April, and am packing, want to be warm enough, but not pack too much stuff. I will be in Italy for a total of 6 weeks, and am from Hawaii, so am not acclimated to cooler weather. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks and Aloha

hi, we are going to florence next week. some questions: where did you stay? did you go on any organized tours or day trips? did you have any safety concerns - we are two women traveling together, any other pertinent information...thanks

My hubby and i are going to be in Assisi for 2 days (one being a Sunday) in May....any good restaurants, things to do and see?

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How was Volterra? We're planning on staying there 2 nights - visit San Gimi in the evening - and for the alabaster workshops, Hotel San Lino, in town with a pool. Any recommendations for eating, etc.? Thanks.

Please post more about Assisi. Where did you stay, eat, see etc.. I will be there in 57 days and can hardly wait..<BR>Happy Travels,<BR>Gary

My husband and I will be in Florence, Siena, Montepulciano and other places in Tuscany in a few weeks. I too would like to know how the weather was, impressions you wish to share, favorite spots etc. Did you encounter many tourists this time of year? How safe did you feel? Details..details..details...Thanks!!!

I just wrote a long response and Fodors erased it! I will try again in small pieces.<BR><BR>Weather was warm, highs in lows 60's or upper 50's. Sunny every day. I was pleasantly surprised.

There were tourists in Florence and Siena, though not in huge numbers. We had no wait at the Accademia. We had no wait anywhere else, either. There was a short line at the Uffizi but we had reservations and did not have to wait. Nothing like the horror stories I had heard about mobs of tourists and long lines! The small towns (Volterra, Orvieto, Todi, etc) were very quiet, with virtually no tourists. A few school groups. Assisi was crowded, but not unbearable.

In Florence, we stayed at the Savoy and the Excelsior. My reviews are posted on &quot;rants and raves&quot; under marcie. In Siena, we stayed at Grand Hotel Continental in the center of town. Outstanding hotel with increduble views. Highly recommended! We also stayed at Palazzo Alexander in Lucca (review on rants &amp; raves) and Fonte Cesia in Todi (nice but not outstanding; small baths; managers are very friendly and helpful with restaurant recommendations and travel ideas).

Highlights of the trip:<BR><BR>1. Pitti Palace/Boboli Gardens in Florence. Beautiful palace, great art, outstanding garden. Peaceful and tranquil respite from center of Florence.<BR>2. Villa Reale near Lucca. Unbelievable gardens. We were the only people there.<BR>3. Lucca -- highly recommended. Different from other hill towns, lots to see.<BR>4. Duomo in Siena; Campo in Siena -- most amazing church I saw; nicest piazza in Tuscany<BR>5. Bargello museum in Florence. More interesting to me than Uffizi, much less crowded, beautiful inside courtyard with great statutes.<BR>6. Archeological museum in Siena. Across from Duomo in basement of former hospital (now a museum). Outstanding collection of ancient items and art from Etruscan age in interesting underground tunnels. Different and fun.<BR>7. Dinner at Pane Y Vino in Todi. Outstanding food!<BR>8. Views of countryside from Todi and Spoleto. Incredibly beautiful.<BR><BR>If I had it to do over again, I would skip the following:<BR>1. Montepulciano. Less interesting than Volterra. Views not as good as Todi/Spoleto. <BR>2. Villa Mansi (Near Villa Reale). Do Villa Reale, skip Mansi. Big disappointment.<BR>3. Too many hill towns. Start to look the same after a while. Be selective. Best from my perspective were Lucca (not really a hill town), Siena (definite must), Volterra (great Roman ruins, on high plateau, well preserved), Todi or Spoleto.<BR>

I do not understand how you people are still willing to support the French economy after their mal-intent defiance that has put American troops in harm's way. I wonder what your family, friends and acquaintances who are up late at night wondering if their loved ones will return alive think of those of you who continue to support France after what they continue to do to America.

Last time I looked at a map, Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria were still in Italy.<BR><BR>

Retaurants overall had very similar menus. All were of high quality. We went to moderately-priced or inexepensive places. Nothing fancy.<BR><BR>A few standouts:<BR>1. Pane Y Vino in Todi. Best food we had! <BR>2. Osteria San Spirito in Oltrano. Excellent pasta. Unfortunately, smoke-filled. Try to go in good weather (or early) so you can eat without the smoke!<BR>3. Osteria Tamborino in Siena. Very good food. Nonsmoking! (Yes, this is my pet peeve).<BR><BR>

Regarding Assisi, we were there only for a few hours. Saw the cathedral and walked through town. Town itself is not different from many other hill towns, although the pink stone used in the buildings is very pretty. It is skippable, in my opinion, if you are visiting other hill towns with great duomos, such as Siena, Orvieto, and Spoleto. Much more crowded than other hill towns.

Regarding rental cars: We rented a car from Auto Europe on its website before we left. The location in Florence is on Bogo Ognissanti, a 10-minute walk from the center of the city. It is a 30-second walk from the Grand and Excelsior hotels, which is why we stayed at the Excelsior on our last night in Florence when we returned the car. We received a free upgrade to a very nice Peugeot. It was easy to get out of Florence. Signs in Italy are very good and roads are good as well. The only driving problem we had was in Siena, where driving inside the walls is restricted (but allowed with a hotel reservation when the hotel has parking). It was difficult driving on narrow medieval streets filled with pedestrians, but we did it. Otherwise, driving no problem and MUCH easier than public transportation if you are traveling from town to town in Tuscany or Umbria.

Hi xxxxx...<BR><BR>If you're still online, do you have a dinner recommendation for Lucca? I am here now, and will be heading out shortly for some grub. I will do a search online as well.<BR><BR>glad you had such a wonderful time!

Regarding safety concerns, we had no problems whatsoever. No pickpockets or issues of any kind. Saw a few beggars on the street. We felt safe everywhere we went.<BR><BR>A few people raised the issue of war with us, and wanted us to say we were anti-war. You will be treated better if you say you are anti-war. Overall, people were friendly, although we stood out a bit because there were so few tourists when we visited.