Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Rome/Tuscany phase of 2 part trip..Spring 2013

Rome/Tuscany phase of 2 part trip..Spring 2013

Old Dec 26th, 2012, 04:23 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rome/Tuscany phase of 2 part trip..Spring 2013

Good Morning Fodorites!

I have been reading the message boards for months. Our trip has been evolving and I am ready to nail down specifics. I would love your help and expertise. My husband, daughter sister and I will be arriving in Rome April 18. We plan to spend 4 nights in Rome. Currently I have reservations at Al Centro de Roma B&B. I think my next step here is to try and book the Scavi tour then a group tour of the Vatican. I think the other site seeing will fall into place. We are interested in the sites of ancient Rome. We plan to travel from Rome to Tuscany by train on April 23 (no reservations yet). I realilze April 25 is a holiday so I wanted to be situated before the 25th.

My sister and daughter will fly home to the states on Sunday April 28 from Florence. Here is where I really need some help. I was thinking of basing in Siena or maybe Orvieto for 3 nights then continuing on to Florence for 2 nights. We are interested in seeing Florence, Siena, hill towns and wineries. We could rent a car for a day or 2. My husband and I will definitely rent a car and stay in Tuscany a few more days after my sister and daughter head home. Part 2 of our trip involves the 2 of us continuing on to Naples/Capri and the AC. I'll ask those questions later.

THank you in advance for your help. I think an apartment might be fun for the 3 nights. My daughter already noted there is the weekly farmers market in Siena when we will be there. I think once I nail down the logistics...where to stay and how to get around...I can concentrate on hotels etc. a private tour into the countryside may be a nice choice for one of the Siena days.

Ciao, Laurie
Laurieobella is offline  
Old Dec 26th, 2012, 05:06 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 597
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Salve, Laurie

Few suggestions:

See if you can book that Scavi tour for when you are sure everybody will be over their jet lag.

I think Orvieto may be too small to hold your group's interest for 3 days. it is a lovely town and a favorite of many but the honest truth is that this part of Italy is overloaded with gorgeous towns with lovely atmosphere, so I would not make a special point of lingering in it.

What I would suggest is that you add a day to Rome, and after your Rome stay, take a train to Orvieto to arrive there in the afternoon, pick up a car rental, put your luggage in the car, and take a moment to see the cathedral in Orvieto. And then drive to Montepuliciano.

I suggest you find an apartment on the periphery of Montepuliciano that gives you the best of the countryside views but also allows some of you sometimes to walk into Montepuliciano to shop, have a gelato -- etc. Make it "your" town. With your car, take trips to nearby places of interest -- the hot bath streams, the wineries, maybe the Etruscan museum in Chiusi (very well labeled in English, and not big, in a sweet town).

Spend several days there, drive to Siena, see the town, drop of the car, take the train to Florence for several nights. When your sister and daughter leave for the airport, you can pick up another car there if you like.

Or you could go back to Florence and catch a train for Naples and have more time in that area.
goldenautumn is offline  
Old Dec 26th, 2012, 07:14 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,778
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
To reach Siena from Rome, the bus is better than the train (train requires changes). The bus departs hourly from Rome's Tiburtina station (on the metro line and is a major train/bus/metro hub) and takes about 3 hours.

http://www.sena.it/Home/78-1-en.html

From Siena, you can easily visit a lot of hill towns (Montalcino for Brunellos, Chianti area, San Gimignano for Vernaccia). There are a lot of day trips to both hill towns and wineries offered by tour companies from Siena or you could rent a car for a few days.

If you plan to stop in Orvieto, the public transport from there to Siena is not as easy. You would take the train from Orvieto to Chiusi (about 20 minutes away) and change to a train to Siena (do not get off at Torrita di Siena!)
kybourbon is offline  
Old Dec 26th, 2012, 10:11 AM
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you both. Kybourbon do you think Siena is a good hub or do you like goldenautumn's suggestion of Montepulciano. Also do you think 2 days in Florence is enough? I think we may want to daytrip Lucca and/or San Gimignano....wineries, a cooking class...so much to do!
Laurieobella is offline  
Old Dec 26th, 2012, 03:35 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 597
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It really isn't possible to day trip to Lucca from Siena, with or without a car. If you want to see Lucca, it is easiest to do it as a daytrip from Florence, by bus or train.

San Gimignano without a car means a long bus trip from SIena or Florence.

Personally, I would not want that 3 hour bus trip from Rome to Siena, but I just don't like long bus trips. I'd almost rather take the 90 minute train to Florence and then take the bus to Siena from there, because it goes right through the scenic Chianti.

I just noticed that my fast typing managed to misspell Montepulciano no fewer than 3 times in a row! Apologies!

My preference for Montepulciano over Siena is based on its being slightly less mobbed by tourists and having more of a small town feel, with the beautiful views that make the Tuscan countryside more famous.

As for whether 2 days in Florence is "enough", you need to poll your group and get a sense of how many attractions they want to see. Like Rome, it is easy to spend a week or more in Florence and not complete the list of attractions any guidebook puts in its top tier. However, not everybody wants to go to museums, or go shopping, or visit more than one church. For some people, a day in Florence is fine.
goldenautumn is offline  
Old Dec 27th, 2012, 04:29 AM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I guess another choice would be to select a location outside of Florence and stay there for the entire 5 nights. Use public transport where available and rent the car for the balance. For some reason I am having a difficult time making a decision on this

THanks to all!
Laurieobella is offline  
Old Dec 27th, 2012, 05:05 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,778
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
>>>Personally, I would not want that 3 hour bus trip from Rome to Siena, but I just don't like long bus trips. I'd almost rather take the 90 minute train to Florence and then take the bus to Siena from there, because it goes right through the scenic Chianti.
kybourbon is offline  
Old Dec 27th, 2012, 01:05 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks again. I like the idea of picking the must see places of interest to all 4 or us. We can then craft the 5 days around those towns.
Laurieobella is offline  
Old Dec 27th, 2012, 01:24 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 597
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The reason I don't like bus trips is that you can't comfortably get up and walk around. The trains also have tables, food service and wi-fi.

There are only a few locations in Tuscany where you can use public transportation for day trips to small towns and then otherwise fill in with a car rental. Siena is definitely one of those locations, but even there you are limited without a car.

it is actually not difficult to drive in Tuscany except in Florence. The rural roads are enjoyable. What I think you need to decide is whether your group would like an essentially small town-ish experience of Tuscany, immersed in the views of the countryside (for which you definitely need a car) or whether your group would do best with a livelier hotspot of shopping and sights, and some options for public transport to other sights.

If it is the latter, Florence itself makes a good stay for some people, because public transportation takes you to a lot of places, and the in-town options are endlessly interesting. You can book forays into the wine country, or just take walks up in the hills (a 15-minute bus ride away).

Siena is a robust town when it comes to in-town interest, but there are fewer public transportation outings available. But there is a car rental office in town, plus loads of commercial tours fanning out to small towns and wineries.

A place like Montepulciano only works if you would like, above all, to taste something of the tranquility of Tuscany's hilltowns without isolating yourselves on an actual farm. If you think your group would be charmed by a smaller town atmosphere, in a place where it feels time has almost stopped, and can handle heading out into the countryside everyday for mini-adventures in a car, then that can be a special experience of Italy.

But group dynamics are all different. There are some trips in Tuscany I would take with my sister than I don't think would work with my husband's family.

But if you are nervous about driving in scenic Tuscany, don't be. it is not difficult. You park outside the small towns (or Siena) and the rural roads are easy. You just don't drive into Florence.
goldenautumn is offline  
Old Dec 28th, 2012, 08:42 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We stayed outside of Siena in Tuscany at the Frances Lodge (not in the town of Siena) and took many day trips from there. We picked up a car as we left Orvieto. If you do have a car, be sure and see the small magical town of Civita di Bagnoregio on the way out. It looks like a Disneyland town from afar, it's that picturesque.
leslieq is offline  
Old Dec 29th, 2012, 01:59 AM
  #11  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
THanks everyone. I am thinking now that we should base in Florence for the 5 nights. Most say you lose a day relocating. I'm now thinking rent an apartment in Florence for 5 nights. Spend a couple days in Florence, 1 daytrip to Siena and then 2 days pursuing whatever catches our fancy. We could arrange a tour to vineyards and countryside etc. This may be the better use of our days. I guess now I should research Florence apartments. I've begun looking on homeaway.com
Laurieobella is offline  
Old Dec 29th, 2012, 03:19 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 597
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds like a plan. Also look on booking.com for apartments. You can use their search feature to specify you want an apartment and they have good user reviews and you can book online.

http://tinyurl.com/c7uafwp

Just as an aside, I too have noticed "most say" that you lose a day relocating. I have NEVER "lost" a day of travel in Italy switching locations. I have never figured out what other people are doing that is causing them to lose so much time.

In my original suggestion to you about getting from Rome to Tuscany, I suggested that you spend the day in Rome until 2pm in the afternoon. You'd arrive in Orvieto around 3pm, pick up your rental car and see the cathedral, and then take a 1 hour stunningly scenic drive to Montepulciano. Sure you need a taxi ride to the station in Rome and to spend some time in a rental office, but all the rest of the day is seeing fabulous things.

To get from Montepulciano to Florence, I suggested taking a stunning one-hour drive to Siena, touring beautiful Siena for that whole day, then returning the car to the rental office, and taking a 1 hour train ride to Florence.

I'm not suggesting you now go back to that plan, but how the heck most other people manage to lose a whole day switching locations in Italy is a mystery to me. Even if you take the train from Rome to Florence, if you pack up the night before, settle your bill on the way to breakfast and ask the desk to arrange for a taxi to the station, you are on your way with less than a hour lost to logistics. I don't consider a comfortable Italian train ride with your family through lovely southern Tuscany "lost" travel time.

Anyway, I recommend you buy your train tickets to Florence in advance to take advantage of discounts and also because you are traveling around the 25th.
goldenautumn is offline  
Old Dec 29th, 2012, 06:10 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,778
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
>>>You'd arrive in Orvieto around 3pm, pick up your rental car and see the cathedral, and then take a 1 hour stunningly scenic drive to Montepulciano.>>I am thinking now that we should base in Florence for the 5 nights. Most say you lose a day relocating. I'm now thinking rent an apartment in Florence for 5 nights.
kybourbon is offline  
Old Dec 30th, 2012, 02:13 PM
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Once again thanks. I am going back to plan A. I imagine I can rent a car in Siena for a day if we'd like. I think the bus from Rome sounds very good. Can we purchase bus tickets ahead or when we arrive in Rome? If we leave Siena early in the day to travel to Florence, we will have almost 2 full days there.
Laurieobella is offline  
Old Dec 30th, 2012, 04:10 PM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 36,778
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
The bus company for Rome/Siena is Sena. You can buy online in advance or when you get to Rome. The bus departs Rome Tiburtina station (it's on the metro line and also a major bus hub for Rome so can be reached by various means of transport). I always notify my credit card company in advance when making these types of purchases so they don't block the transaction. I'm not sure how far in advance you can book (probably just 30 days). The Sena website will roll over to Baltour for the booking. You will have to change it to English again at that point. You will need to print each ticket. I've found Baltour very responsive answering e-mails in the past.
http://www.sena.it/Home/78-1-en.html

Sometimes there are discounts on Sena so check during booking. Here's some info about it.
http://www.sena.it/Terms-and-Conditi.../263-1-en.html

The bus between Siena/Florence is Sita (7.80€). These tickets can't be bought online in advance AFAIK. Buy them when you get to Siena. The earliest departure is 6:20 am (too early for me!). There's an underground ticket office at Piazza Gramsci (bus hub area at edge of historic center).

Validate bus tickets on the bus. Put your luggage underneath (they won't do it for you). I always keep an eye on the luggage bin until it's closed and at stops although I've never had a problem with anyone trying to take luggage.

There are several rental companies in Siena. I've only used Hertz there and their office near the train station (it's walking distance). They might have a location more convenient for you or try some of the other providers. One day rentals tend to be expensive (about the same cost as a three day), but you can easily find your way south to Montalicino/Pienza areas or a bit NW to San G, etc or Chianti.
kybourbon is offline  
Old Dec 30th, 2012, 06:18 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
check www.groupon.it for deals
sam94123 is offline  
Old Dec 31st, 2012, 10:41 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
When you are looking for apartments look at airbnb.com and wimdu.com, which is the European version. You can set a budget and size of apartment to your own specifications.
knoxRichter5 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
nomadder
Europe
9
Jan 25th, 2014 01:03 PM
popone
Europe
4
Nov 20th, 2009 06:47 AM
Myer
Europe
14
Aug 3rd, 2009 11:04 AM
miss_tom
Europe
6
Feb 24th, 2005 09:15 AM
DAJ
Europe
6
Jul 18th, 2004 05:12 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -