We are headed to Italy in June 2007 for our honeymoon. We will have 3-4 days in the Tuscany region and would like to visit Florence and other nearby towns, especially ones with wineries. We will have a car and would like to stay in a town that is big enough that we could walk to several different restaurants and bars in the evenings. I've had several recommendations for San Gimignano and we are leaning towards it because we could take days trips to Siena, Florence and nearby wineries. Bobthenavigator and others, what do you think of this? Thanks again for all the help!

San Gimignano is nice, but very touristy. I usually try to avoid it from about 11:00am till 5:00pm.

I much prefer the Val d'Orcia - around Pienza. I think this area is by far the prettiest in Tuscany. Good access to Siena, but more difficult to Florence. Personally, I would not visit Florence in June - too many people.

One of my tow favorite hotels in all of Europe is la Saracina - half way between Pienza & Montepulciano. Small, charming, great rooms, niced views, pool, tennis court, & more like a B&B than a hotel.

Stu Dudley

I read comments saying that San Gimignano is magical especially after the crowds leave so it's worthwhile to overnight there. We ended up taking a day tour that allotted 1.5 hours total. At first I thought it was definitely too short, but then I didn't enjoy it as much as I did Siena and Florence. It was just too small. But that is just my personal viewpoint. I preferred that we stayed in Florence and after visiting Siena I thought it would be nice to stay there as well. Others like I say differ in their opinions about San Gimignano.

We were in San Gimignano as part of our Tuscan trip in September. Yes, it's touristy, but it's also very scenic, and big enough to spend a few days in. What we did was stay at a farm (winery) b&b just on the outskirts of the city. The place we stayed was wonderful, had a pool and was just off the main road to San Gimi(about 1.5 miles).
http://www.primitaly.it/agriturismo/sovestro/index.html
As Stu mentioned, the Val D'Orcia area is possibly the most rural and scenic in Tuscany. We rented an apartment not too far from Pienza for 6 nights and it was magical.
If you want a town that's very charming but still big enough to have lots to see, I would recommend Montepulciano, San Gimignano, San Quirico, or Orvieto. San Gimi IS the closest to both Sienna and Florence.

desiree:

I agree that San Gimi is best avoided until late in the afternoon...on a recent visit we stayed four nights at the Hotel Pescille (a restored large farmhouse three miles south, pool, lovely landscaped grounds, surrounded by its own vineyard...and an unobscured view of the "towers of San Gimi"..gorgeous. We used it as a base to visit Volterra, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino (San Antimo nearby), San Quirico, etc... returning for dinner a few of the evenings in San Gimi and a quiet stroll within the walls. Highly recommend this as a base from which to fan out in a different direction each day.

Stu T.
http://www.pescille.it/pescille/index_en.php

Hi Stu/Tower~

That looks like an excellent recommendation for a San Gimi B&B. (Was it a B&B? Just curious if breakfast is served there). It looks like they are also associated with a hotel inside the walls- Hotel Belsoggiorno. Does anyone know anything about this hotel? If we plan to do day trips to other cities, but also spend some time in San Gimi would you recommend staying inside the walls or outside because it is difficult to get out? Thanks again for all the advice!

I love SG. I agree it's crowded, but that's because it's so blessed magical. I would definitely, though, plan to stay overnight, INSIDE, not outside. It's a whole different place when the hordes leave. Evening & morning are heaven! We stayed at La Cisterna, right in the plaza, next to Belsoggiorno. Loved it.

Stu Dudley has given you the BEST reason to stay in San Gimignano. Yes, it is touristy and best avoided between 11 and 5 which is precisely the time you will probably be out visiting other towns, so you'll miss all that. But you can't do better than SG, when you return as the day trippers have left and you have it "to yourselves" for the evening.

And I'm with you, desireepratt, about having a choice of restaurants and bars to walk to at night, which eliminates those tiny villages or country places where you'd have to drive to get to anything at night.

>>having a choice of restaurants and bars to walk to at night, which eliminates those tiny villages or country places where you'd have to drive to get to anything at night.<<

There are probably over 10 restaurants in Pienza, over 8 in Montalcino, 5 in San Quirico, and probably 8 in Montepulciano.

Don't pass on an overnight in San G - it's magical, as others have stated. Take a glass of wine to the edge of town in one of the old towers, and watch the sun set & "light up" the huge towers. We've overnighted 3 times at La Cisterna, and also taken 2 day trips to San G in the off-season. Unlike many other towns in Tuscany, shops are open 7 days a week.

Stu Dudley

I agree, desiree-San G. is it-it has a wonderful Tuscan atmosphere-I think of it as the essence of the Tuscan experience-and the wine tastings, (many places to choose from here) the great restaurants you can avail yourselves of just by walking around the narrow medieval streets, and seeing what catches your fancy- the ancient churches and other sights lit up at night-really magical-a great choice in which to overnight in Tuscany.

Oh, don't get me wrong, Stu. I wasn't eliminating delightful Pienza or those other towns as an alternative, but rather referring to the many country villa or isolated "estates" to stay -- something which sounds nice in theory, but I find dreadfully boring at night.

Desiree:
Yes, the Pescille includes a buffet breakfast. I personally think staying out there with the marvelous views of the "city" towers, and the large swimming pool,walking paths through the vineyards..and only a five minute drive into San Gimi, is the choice. By the way, if you should decide, ask for the "Tower Room" which is atop the belltower and offers a two level room, downstairs sitting room and bathroom, with bedroom upstairs, affording a 360-degree view. Magical. We asked for and got it, same rate as other rooms. The manager seemed to get a big kick out of asking DW everyday...Good morning, Mrs. Tower, and how do you like The Tower Room (for all other guests to hear!)

When in SG, the Cisterna has a very good restaurant on the top floor with stunning views of the valley.

My favorite, which I'm sure still exists, is La Vecchie Mura, on a side street off the main drag, with outside tables overlooking the scenic value. Ths is SG's most romantic dining, excellent menu.
http://www.vecchiemura.it/

Another good choice for dinner is the crowded but very good Ciribiri, just inside the main gate (to the left).

With a car, I suggest , especially for Sunday lunch, the Casa Chino just a few kms. north of town on the Gambassi road west, it's a farm with poplar trees, long driveway and approach loaded with wildflowers. Mostly local families having after-church lunch.

Enjoy SG..

Stu T.

As Stu T. says, the "top floor" restaruant at La Cisterna is delightful. However, on two occasions when we were there, this entire foor was already booked by large tour groups. Once, we dined at another dining room on a lower floor (it may have been the same floor) - which was not nearly as scenic. The second time when we found out we could not dine at the "top floor" scenic section at La Cisterna, we dined elsewhere at Dorando, which was excellent. It's a "slow food" place. We returned a few years later for lunch.

Stu Dudley

I'm one of those folks who think San G. is magical after the tourist crowds leave, so we've stayed there several times. But all the other towns and cities mentioned are wonderful too! It comes down to personal preferences. When we stay there, we're out of the town by the time the tourists arrive, and usually return in the early evening, in time to easily find a parking place and have lots of time with a glass of wine at a cafe in the center of town.

This last visit, we stayed at La Cisterna. Good-sized room, with a small balcony overlooking the countryside; just gorgeous. On previous visits, we've stayed at Bel Soggiorno and Pescille. La Pescille is great if you like countryside lodging; I prefer walking around small towns, so we tend to stay in towns. Bel Soggiorno was also very nice; we were upgraded to a large room with a balcony overlooking the countryside.

On this last visit, after dinner at La Cisterna's restaurant, we walked up to the Torre in the dark and watched a full moon rise over the towers. In the early morning, I went for a memorable run, as the mist rose from the hills. There is a gravel path that runs the entire way around the outside of the town walls; I would recommend walking (or running!) at least a portion of that.

In terms of restaurants, we have eaten at Dorando several times. It was one of the best meals we've had in Italy; traditional foods with a novel twist. And as Stu mentioned, a Slow Food member. La Cisterna's restaurant, La Terrazze, is very good, and in June the sun will set late enough for that gorgeous view while you eat. We've also eaten at Bel Soggiorno; not in the same category as the other two, but very good.

Whether you stay in San Gimignano or just visit, you MUST get some gelato from Gelateria del Cisterna. It's won a bunch of awards, and it's fantastic gelato. My favorite from the last trip was "formaggio e pera," which is cheese and pear. A subtle pear flavor, with small chunks of cheese. MMmmmm.

I second the vote for Gelateria della Cisterna. I third it, too!

I can also recommend Hotel Pscille outside of S.G. town. Great place to relax, no problems parking. The pool is nice, food good (try the seasoned chicken), and it was great just getting a bottle(s) of wine and siting under the trees looking out over the countryside. We ended up liking Volterra much better than S.G. Spent a half day strolling just outside the main gate to old town during a "market" day - when the trucks selling goods come to town. Great people watching. The hotel location and access to the car was good for taking back country drives as well. The one thing I noticed about this hotel was that it had more mature trees (meaning shade) than other B&Bs and inns we considered, which was nice during the hot days.

Hi All~

Thanks so much for the great recommendations and feedback. We have definitely decided on San Gimi, now we're just narrowing down the hotels, which I'm hoping won't be too hard with all your help! I think we'd like to stay inside the walls to be there at night and within walking distance of our hotel. It seems like La Cisterna and Hotel Belsoggiorno are both popular, so I've emailed both of them for their availability. Any other recommendations? This is our honeymoon, so we'd like a nicer hotel. Any input about La Cisterna vs. Hotel Belsoggiorno? Thanks again!

I've only stayed at La Cisterna, twice, but if I remember correctly, Belsoggiorno is pretty similar. I mean, they're not diametrically opposed in style, service, etc., so I think you'd be happy at either one.

Another option to consider is L'Antico Pozzo. It's located right in town, easy to walk to restaurants and shops. We only stayed there one night, but it was very nice. The room was large and the breakfast was amazing!

I would agree that La Cisterna and Belsoggiorno are pretty similar. The last time I stayed at the latter, however, was 8 years ago.

Belsoggiorno is on the street that leads up to the main Piazza, so you'll always be walking up or down to get to it. Lots of tourist traffic on that street. La Cisterna is ON the main piazza, which is level. It was nice to sit in the piazza, and be able to zip into the room if I needed something. Re La Cisterna (we stayed there this fall), they were only able to confirm that we had a reservation for a room either overlooking the Piazza or with a balcony overlooking the countryside. When we arrived, they placed us in a room with the balcony. I suppose it's possible that you might end up with a room overlooking the Piazza, which IMHO is much less desirable than the countryside. If Belsoggiorno can confirm a room overlooking the countryside, I'd probably choose that. Also, our room in Belsoggiorno had a balcony, but I don't know how many of their other rooms do.