Driving from Venice to Montepulciano on a Saturday mainly via the A1. Can anybody suggest a nice little place near the Autostrata, somewhere near Florence area, for a lunch stop. I'm picturing something with a view or an easy to get to place in a small town right off the highway-- but please save me from another highway lunch stop at the AutoGrille.

Definitely not an Autogrille, but about a 15 minute drive off the A1, is Ristorante Da Delfina in Artimino. Superb food served on a vine-covered terrace overlooking a Medici villa and the rolling hills near the Arno. The only downside is that you'll want to stay the entire afternoon. Take the FirenzeSigna exit and head west along the Arno on the #67 until you see a sign for Artimino and cross the bridge. Well worth the slight detour.

If the suggestion from Grinisa "counts"... as <<near the Autostrata>>, then you might also consider simply going up the hill to Fiesole once you arrive in Florence and eat the Blu Bar. "Nice enough" view from up there, and competent, even if uninspired, food from a nice staff, and decent value. Not sure that it will inspire you to linger there all afternoon (which might be what you wanted!)

Best wishes,

Rex

Grinisa's choice sounds great. If you get hungry a little sooner, try the Baberino di Mugello exit about 35 km north of Firenze, and follow signs to the village of Cavellina, to restaurant Cosimo de Medici, not far from the autostrada exit.

Or about 30 km southeast of Firenze, take the Incisa exit toward the village of Incisa in Val d'Arno. The restaurant Galileo will be near the autostrada service area.

Good luck on your trip.

Thanks for the suggestions, Fiesole is out, since the A-1 loops around the west and south of Firenze, and I don't want to have to go that far off, especially through the outskirts of bustling Firenze.

Wayne's suggestions both sound great. I looked at the map and see both are quite close to the highway, depending on our time frame driving from Venice. I'm sure we'll be anxious to get to our apartment in Montepulciano, so don't want to linger all afternoon anywhere.

And Grinisa, your suggestion sounds great. But in googling it, I see it is "wildly popular" and "requires booking for fair weather lunch", so that is probably out for us -- we wouldn't know what time to book anyway. But it does look great -- maybe one of our days when out and about we'll aim that way.

Patrick, I can't suggest a specific place, but from our experience on three driving trips in Italy, you'll find a place worth stopping at in almost any town in Italy! Seriously, that's one of the joys of a driving trip....the discovery of that little out-of-the-way place, where you'll not only be the only Americans but likely to be the only non-locals!

Howard, of course you are right, and I guess we've always found the same thing too. Guess I'm just getting overly bored with nothing left to plan for the trip this summer -- the downside of planning way ahead.

Patrick, you are my planning guru. Not even March yet, and you have completed the planning for an extensive trip next summer down to where to stop for lunch on the highway. I can not hope to come close. (I also am in awe of your use of frequent flyer miles, but that's another subject.)

Actually on June 26 at 2 PM I may have to do a restroom stop and I haven't planned that yet. Can anybody suggest a spot near Genoa? No, never mind, guess I'll just wing that one. LOL

Alternatively, you COULD make extensive notes on curbing your beverage intake that morning...

Hi Patrick,

>on June 26 at 2 PM I may have to do a restroom stop and I haven't planned that yet. Can anybody suggest a spot near Genoa? <

If you'll becoming up the A12, there is a nice rest stop at exit 19, just before Genoa.

I know you're making a joke, ira, but I'll mark that on my map. It just may come in handy.

UH-OH, I see a new file starting -- good places to 'go'. I think I'll file it under "P".