cslater

We have 14 (16 including travel) days in September. Spending 3 nights in Florence, then train to Cinque Terre (Vernazza for 4 nights), then train to Lucca to pick up a rental car. That day we will drive from Lucca to Pienza which will be our base for 5 nights. From Pienza we plan to do day trips to Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano and ??. We are looking at routes from Lucca to Pienza and looks like we may only have time for either Volterra or San Gimignano. Which would be your choice?

Jean

http://www.comune.volterra.pi.it/eng...ait/citta.html

We enjoyed Volterra a lot, whereas we both thought San Gim was more interesting seen from a distance than inside the walls. San Gim gets huge tourist crowds even in September, but Volterra (even post-Twilight books) remains off the usual tourist itinerary. But depending on how early you start and how much time you spend in Volterra, you could possibly make a short stop at San Gim too. There are a great Etruscan museum and some interesting ruins in Volterra, and the town is known for alabaster carving. Probably too early for you, but on the first Sunday of September, there is a flag throwing/tossing festival.

I'd want to reach the Pienza lodging before dark:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...&afl=-11&day=1

cslater

Thanks, Jean. I didn't make the connection between Volterra and Twilight books, not that it would have factored into my decision. But, I appreciate your input on the two towns. Also for the time and date link. We would definitely not want to be driving after dark when we don't know where we are going.

uhoh_busted

Monteriggioni is kind of cool -- really tiny compared to the other "Ms" with views out over the countryside that are mind-blowing because it is high up on top of a hill.

SeeDee

We have walked from Volterra to San Gimignano so you can appreciate how close together they are; doing both would be no problem.
We preferred Volterra but that opinion is based on our spending a night there and enjoying the buzz of an evening in a relatively non-touristic town, with families out strolling about until 11pm having coffee and gelato.
San Gimignano is more of a tourist trap but well worth an hour or two wandering about, even if there is a high level of fellow visitors.
Monteriggioni is perfectly practicable to include on your itinerary; cute might be a little demeaning of a description, perhaps small and perfectly formed (in a middle ages kind of way) might be better. It won't take too much time to climb the walls, have a coffee and explore, as the town is barely 200 metres end-to-end. You cannot bring your car into the town though so there is a small climb up from the visitors car park.