Montepulciano/Pienza vs. Orvieto/Civita vs. Assisi/Perugia - need help in choosing 2 out of 3 due to time and logistic constraints
 

For next July we only have the time and opportunity to visit 2 of the above 3 groupings of towns.

I am looking for advice and opinions as to which of the 3 is "most expendable".

Many thanks for any input.

None of the 3 are 'expendable' given your description IMO.

The choice comes down to where you'll be before and after, i.e. which is the least convenient to your itinerary?

Can you share with us how much time you plan to spend in each area? The reason I ask is because Perugia is a larger town than the others listed, and may require more of your time.

I have visited all of these towns. I would highly suggest you visit the Montepulciano/Pienza area. It's a tough one, but I guess my second choice would be Assisi/Perugia.

Will you have a car?

We arrive in Florence late Thursday night by plane from Naples.

On Friday morning we plan to pick up a car, go to Hotel David to drop off our luggage, and go directly to Montevarchi (Fendi outlet).

Hopefully, after (my wife has "promised me") an hour and a half, we will be free to go to one of the 3 areas, spend the afternoon and early part of the evening there, and return after dinner to Florence.

Saturday we plan to spend the day in Florence.

Sunday and monday are free to spend in the other location (with an over-night stay), but I feel that it will be tight to enjoy all of the remaining towns in this remaining 2 day-1 night time frame, so that is the dilemma.

I might add that we plan on arriving in Castelfiorentino on Monday night for 4 nights, but we plan on spending each morning relaxing at the villa, and each afternoon in, respectively, Lucca, Siena and, probably, Volterra, before leaving Friday morning to drop off the car in Spezia.

I guess that our problem originates with the fact that we have stayed in the villa at Castelfiorentino before (le boscarecce) and loved it so much that we want to spend some quality time there again.

Perhaps we could do a day trip from there to one of the 3 areas I am debating over, but the travel distance does not really seem that accomodating as Assisi itself, probably needs no less than a full day to be properly appreciated.

I know that my problem, which I admit is of my own doing because I am probably trying to commit the cardinal sin of trying to do too much in not enough time, is probably easily resolveable when looked upon by more objective eyes, but I, myself, am having difficulties in finding a solution...therefore, I am seeking opinions via this site.

Thanks, again.

Skip Orvieto and Civita. If you have to.. the others are more interesting.

It's simply not feasible to "go to one of the 3 areas, spend the afternoon and early part of the evening there, and return after dinner to Florence."

All 3 locations are too far from Florence for that.

I would head to the Val d'Orcia area (Montepulciano/Pienza) for your "Sunday and monday are free to spend in the other location (with an over-night stay)". You'll have to take a pass on Orvieto and Assisi for this trip.

I thought that by arriving in Mont. at, say noon, would allow enough reasonable time to wander for 4-5 hours, and then go for dinner and some walk-about time in Pienza, which town, I understand, is not so large.

As well, could Assisi be possible as a reasonable day trip from Florence if we were to leave early in the morning (7:30am)?

Thanks.

Pretty much everything in Montepulciano (and most other towns in the area) will be closed between 12 and 3 or 4. If you do literaly mean wandering around the streets satisfies you, then OK, but otherwise it's pointless.

What Tuck said.

Point taken.

Thanks for your help.

From Florence, you're about (plus or minus depending on how much scenery you want to take in en route) 2 hours from any of your 3 destinations and add to that, finding a place to park. (Coming back, I make it a rule not to drive after dark on these roads.)

So, yes, you could arrive "in Mont. at, say noon, would allow enough reasonable time to wander for 4-5 hours and then go for dinner and some walk-about time in Pienza". The problem with that IMO, is that you'd miss out on the lovely rolling countryside (Val d'Orcia) as well as some of the other scenic towns and villages there. This is why I suggested this for your over-night stay.

Also - Assisi (do not include Perugia) is worth at least a full day and therefore, I answer Yes to your question: "As well, could Assisi be possible as a reasonable day trip from Florence if we were to leave early in the morning (7:30am)?"

I would concentrate on Montepulciano, Pienza & Orvieto. We stayed in Montepulciano for a week last spring & had a wonderful time. It is a great home base for exploring southern Tuscany (a car is necessary)--gorgeous classic Tuscan scenery, fabulous food & wine, great abbeys, steep hill towns, etc. The Orvieto cathedral is not to be missed & is now w/out the scaffolding which hid it for several years. Great pottery shops to explore. Perugia is too large a town to rush through--so much history & deserves more of your time--I'd save the Umbrian towns for another trip--there is so much to see in Umbria, you don't want to short-change it. With just 2 days & 1 night, you are still going to be rushed trying to see these 3 towns.