Rome needs to be at the beginning because our son is coming with us initially and he wants to see Rome. Being from Wisconsin, weather doesn't affect us all that much. But thanks for the suggestion.

>>>Have a VRBO apartment picked out in Rome and in San Gimignano<<<

San G is tiny. How long are you planning to stay there? Is that the only base you are planning for Tuscany? I would prefer somewhere south (Val d'Orcia area is much more scenic IMO).

>>>then finding some lodging in the country around the Sienna <<<

If you are searching the forum, it's Siena. In October, you might consider staying in a bit bigger town like Siena for one of your weeks since it gets dark so early. You might tire of trying to get to some rural location in the dark if you want to have dinner out.

SO right now here is our itinerary - but I"m sure I will be making changes.

9/28-10/3 - Rome
10/3-10/16 - San Gimignao
10/16-10/22 - Padua
10/22-10/24 - Piran
10/24- 10/27 - Lljubljana
10/27 - 10/28 - Milan
10/29 - Departing for home

Arrive in Rome on 9/28. Departing Rome on 10/3. Both my husband and I have been to Rome before. We will revisit some highlights to show our son. Arriving at San Gimignao on 10/3 and departing on 10/15. (I believe this is where we will need to make a change. We thought San G would be a great base for visiting most of Tuscany, but have been advised that maybe it is too small. We like to spend most of our evenings in, relaxing, after touring all day.) Need your thoughts on a better place to stay during some of this time. On the 15th we will head to Padua - departing on the 22nd. We decided to briefly visit Slovenia and Croatia. Spending 1 night in Piran and 3 nights in Ljubljana. We will then go to Milan and depart from Milan on the 29th.



We have lodgings booked at this time, but all can be changed.

I agree, that's a long time to stay in San Gimignano. Pienza makes a good base for touring the Val d'Orcia.

Have you looked into Umbria? Lots to see there and not so touristed. There's Spello, Spoleto, Todi, Assisi, Perugia, Bevagna, Orvieto, and so on.

But I agree with Stu. The Val d'Orcia is one of the most beautiful countrysides in the world.

>>>We thought San G would be a great base for visiting most of Tuscany, but have been advised that maybe it is too small.<<<

I wouldn't find San G a great base for most of Tuscany.

Are you flying from Ljubljana to Milan? If not, you need to put that part of your trip before Padua.

What kind of all-day touring do you like doing before staying in for the evening? If it is visiting walled villages and doing scenic driving, then renting an apartment in an agriturismo with an on-site restaurant in the wine areas of Tuscany south of Siena can be ideal.

If you the daytime touring you envision is taking in sites of significant Italian art & history, you'll do much better to position yourselves with access to trains and maybe even to stay in an art city of some size and substance, at least part of the time, and making your rural stay only a part of your overall experience of Tuscany. The art & architecture cities of Tuscany with real oomph are Florence, Pisa, Siena, Arezzo and the smaller Lucca and Pistoia. Heading into Umbria the choices expand to Perugia, Spoleto, Orvieto, making it possible to visit Assisi.

For what it's worth, I've been in most of Italy and do not think the val d'Orcia the most beautiful in Italy -- not even the most beautiful in Tuscany (which to me would be le crete Senesi, just north of the val d'Orcia -- and certainly not the most beautiful in the world. For me, in Italy, the Dolomiti, the western Alps, and much of the northern lakes area is far more stunning in the sense of awesomely beautiful, and for sheer delight in nature, I much prefer the colourful flower-filled Italian Riviera over the val d'Orcia. But there are plenty of pictures of the val d'Orcia you can see on the internet and elsewhere, and if that is the landscape you are looking for, then there really are no substitutes, and the scenery around San Gimignano and in Umbria is not as neatly picturesque as that of the val d'Orcia.

Thank you for your responses. We are doing some more research. The point of San G. was just to use as a base so we would not be during the day with the tourists. We also love the sea - so maybe will head north a way to the coast for a few days.

bookmarking

Going to the sea in October runs a very high risk of getting non-stop deluges for some days you are there.

I have altered the time spent in San G. As of now we will spend 7 days using San G. as a base. Then we booked an apartment through VRBO in Torre del lago Puccini to be closer to the sea and will stay there for 6 days.