Pienza as a central location to tour Tuscany...
May 8th, 2014, 09:53 AM
#2
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We stayed in Pienza last year and found it very convenient to Montalcino, Montepulciano, etc. and just a wonderful area. Keep in mind that you will be further out from Chianti, San Gimignano, Volterra, even Siena, so it depends on what you want to see and what is important to you. If you are trying to "see it all" (maybe impossible) then you may want something more central, i.e., Siena, but keep in mind it can be tricky to extricate yourself each day from the city if you plan to drive out to explore small towns.
May 8th, 2014, 10:04 AM
#3
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Tuscany is a big region, so you should tell us what places you want to visit. I don't know where you're from, but it's about the size of New Jersey. Princeton is centrally located in New Jersey, but it wouldn't be a good base for visiting Cape May or the Delaware Water Gap.
May 8th, 2014, 10:12 AM
#4
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Traveling with my adult daughter, I have been to Tuscany, she has not. I remember well eh nightmare traffic around Sienna and don't want to stay there. Unfortunately, we have to visit in July when it will be extremely crowded. So, hoping to visit a few quaint towns....open to suggestions. Staying 3 days. Any advice greatly appreciated.
May 8th, 2014, 12:20 PM
#6
Tuscany is 9000 square miles, 23,000+ square kilometers.
Whether Pienza is "central" depends on what you want to see and how many hours you want to spend in the car every day. Generally, I don't like destinations more than 60-90 minutes from our base town. This means you have lots of time to explore the day trip town and other places along the way.
Where are you coming from before Tuscany and where are you going after your 3 days there? Where are you picking up and dropping off the car?
Whether Pienza is "central" depends on what you want to see and how many hours you want to spend in the car every day. Generally, I don't like destinations more than 60-90 minutes from our base town. This means you have lots of time to explore the day trip town and other places along the way.
Where are you coming from before Tuscany and where are you going after your 3 days there? Where are you picking up and dropping off the car?
May 8th, 2014, 12:47 PM
#7
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We have been to Pienza several times when visiting Tuscany, and on our last trip also spent several nights there and made it our base. It is a good base if, as workerbee writes above, you want to visit Montalcino, Montepulciano, and that Val d'Orcia region. It is completely flat, as opposed to most of the other "hill towns" if that is important to you. It has several very good restaurants, and is very walkable. Hope this helps.
May 8th, 2014, 01:15 PM
#9
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Having visited Pienza earlier this week and having had a more difficult time leaving Montalcino just today, I would also vote for a Pienza base for southern Tuscany. We are actually staying just outside Montepulciano and are having a truly wonderful week.
