Siena or Pienza??
Jul 18th, 2004 | 01:58 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Siena or Pienza??
I am in search of a base while in S. Tuscany in September. I plan to pick up a rental car in Florence and spend the night, then drive to S. Tuscany as the wineries and landscape are a must see for my husband and I. I have heard Siena and Pienza are excellent bases for us, however, I need to make some decisions or at least have a few hotel choices before boarding the plane from the US. Can anyone provide assistance as to which area is better, if there is one.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Jul 18th, 2004 | 02:02 PM
#2
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
I just returned from my honeymoon in Italy, and we spent four nights in an agriturismo just outside of Pienza. We fell in love with it, and with the village of Pienza.
We visited Siena on a day trip. It was a nice place to visit, and it certainly had more stores and restaurants, if that is what you are looking for. But we much preferred to visit the towns like Siena and San G and to stay in the solitude of Pienza. It is so incredibly quaint, and the countryside is beautiful.
We stayed at the Agriturismo Castello la Grancia.
We visited Siena on a day trip. It was a nice place to visit, and it certainly had more stores and restaurants, if that is what you are looking for. But we much preferred to visit the towns like Siena and San G and to stay in the solitude of Pienza. It is so incredibly quaint, and the countryside is beautiful.
We stayed at the Agriturismo Castello la Grancia.
Jul 18th, 2004 | 04:25 PM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Towns like Siena, San Gimignano and Montalcino offer you a wider choice of restaurants and shops and is especially charming in the evening when the daytrippers leave. If you are planning to stay in one town for any length of time, you might appreciate having those amenities.
The one nice aspect of staying in towns which have more offerings is that you can park that car and walk to the restaurants, have as much wine as you like, and then don't have to worry about driving, especially in the dark.
Having said that, the small hilltowns are also charming and definitely worthy of a stay and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Castelline in a hotel that sat in the middle of its own vineyard. It just depends on your preferences.
The one nice aspect of staying in towns which have more offerings is that you can park that car and walk to the restaurants, have as much wine as you like, and then don't have to worry about driving, especially in the dark.
Having said that, the small hilltowns are also charming and definitely worthy of a stay and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Castelline in a hotel that sat in the middle of its own vineyard. It just depends on your preferences.
Jul 19th, 2004 | 04:30 AM
#4
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 0
If you have a car, you can stay most anywhere in those areas and find great food.
Pienza and Siena are entirely different. One is a city (Siena) and the other is a town.Both have a lot to offer, it depends on your wishes.
I advise more than "a few hotel choices before boarding the plane from the US".
I recommend that you have your choice reserved. September is a great time of year in Italy ,and popular. Expect many places to already be reserved.
Pienza and Siena are entirely different. One is a city (Siena) and the other is a town.Both have a lot to offer, it depends on your wishes.
I advise more than "a few hotel choices before boarding the plane from the US".
I recommend that you have your choice reserved. September is a great time of year in Italy ,and popular. Expect many places to already be reserved.
