Hello,

DH and I, our 1.5 yr old son, and my parents will be spending a couple weeks in Umbria/Tuscany in late May and early June. We are interested in Etruscan ruins and great Medieval and Renaissance art and churches. We enjoy wine but this trip will not be devoted to winery touring although we hope to do at least one tasting somewhere. As we are traveling with a young child, our itinerary is slated to be slow and flexible. We will have 2 rental cars so as to free up my folks to do some sightseeing without toddler in tow.

On the southern end, we're planning to spend 4 nights in Orvieto (works out to 3 days). We booked Casa Selita B&B which has a garden (great for our son), is within a short walking distance from the walls of the city (to accomodate easy returns to the hotel if necessary), and has easy parking and is in a countryside-like setting. We plan to daytrip to Chiusi to see the Etruscan museum there if it is open in June which I can't seem to figure out.
On the northern end, we're planning to spend 3 nights in Volterra at La Primavera, another small B&B that is situated just outside the walls and has an outdoor space for our son to run around a bit. Probably daytrip to San Gimignano.

The middle part of the trip is what has me stumped. We have 3, possibly 4 nights. I've considered Siena (Hotel Santa Caterina) because I know we want to spend at least a day in Siena. But Siena seems to be a bit big and sounds difficult to drive in/out of, even if you do stay just outside the walls. I thought of Cortona since I know it has an Etruscan museum, but read about the crush of Under the Tuscan Sun fans and did not see any accomodations just outside the town such as we have found with our other two locations. By the way, I'm not knocking the book; I liked it. So maybe Cortona would also be better as a daytrip for us to see some of the art and stop in the museum.

So... any suggestions for a base for this middle part of our trip? Our hotel or B&B accomodation range is up to 200E per night although we aren't really aiming for luxury properties (such luxe amenities are rather lost on a 1 year old . It would be very helpful if there was a grocery/daily market in town since most of our lunches will likely be picnic style. And we really like staying just outside the town but within walking distance.

Many thanks for your advice. I'm not usually wishy-washy about planning an itinerary but this middle portion of the trip has had me going back and forth since October!

The Santa Caterina is actually just outside the city walls at the Porta Romana gate. It is a 12 minute slightly up uphill walk into Il Campo from there. The parking much be requested and is a bit limited, but you can ask.
Four nites near Orvieto seems a bit much. I would look further north.

TexasAggie......my husband and I spent a week at a self catering agriturismo just outside of Montepulciano last September. The villa is centrally located and very ideal for day trips especially if your parents have their own vehicle. We visited a lot of beautiful hilltowns which are an hour or less travel time from the agriturismo.

I fell in love with Montechiello, then there is Pienza, Montalcino, Cortona. The list goes on and on. We would head out about eight in the morning, spend the day at the chosen hilltown of the day, lunch, then head back to the agriturismo, rest up a little bit, be in complete awe of the view of Montepulciano with San Biagio church in the foreground. The dinner will be in Montepulciano which is about five minutes away.

The name of the agriturismo is Villa Mazzi. If this agriturismo does not fit your requirements, look for other accomodations around this area. I cannot say enough of this location.

Have a terrific time in Tuscany.

I agree that 4 nights in Orvieto might be too many. And I personally can't stand Cortona in high season (it's fine in the winter), so I'd make that a day trip.

Consider a stay of a few days around Lago Trasimeno. I fell in love with several of the towns on the lakeshore and found them refreshingly void of tourist hordes, even in mid- to late summer. And Chiusi itself is a nice town, small but large enough to have all services/amenities nearby.

Or pick a smaller town like Panicale or Città di Pieve and do daytrips through the countryside from there.

We've stayed in Siena three times for several days apiece. It is decidedly tricky to drive around,but a good base for trips. If you stay at the hotel you mentioned, be cautious about driving through the Porta Romana gate which can easily get you in trouble on the inner city streets.
I have always wanted to stay overnight in San Giminiano, which I love to visit on day trips. Very near Siena.

Hi bob,
Thanks for the reply; always appreciative of your advice. With the 4 nights in Orvieto, we will arrive late on Night 1. We were figuring 2 days to see Orvieto (museum, churches)and the tombs. Then on the last day, we'd daytrip to Chiusi. Does that still seem like too long?

Hi traveltilican,
Thanks for the info on your agritourismo. Sounds lovely and I will definitely bookmark it. For this particular trip, with our son taking a midday nap many days, it is pretty essential that our accomodation be within walking distance to whatever town we choose. While we will do some daytrips while we may be gone all day, for the days where we stay close to base and explore the town, it would be nice to be really close to the hotel on those days so as to facilitate an easy midday nap. I will take a closer look at the region though.

Hi St. Cirq, thanks for the detailed reply . Lago Trasimeno has intrigued me for a while. Although I think it would be too chilly for swimming in early June, I think my son would enjoy playing in the sand. He loved the beaches in Greece last summer. Would you mind sharing the particular towns you like and any accomodations you recommend?
Thanks also for the heads up about Cortona in the summer. We might just save it for another trip at a slower time of year such as April or October. I think with the Etruscan museums in Chiusi, Volterra, and Orvieto, we might be saturated enough anyway for this trip.


Hi RJD, thanks for the heads up about driving inside the gates. As we have 3 nights in Volterra, we are definitely planning to daytrip to San Gim. Do you have any other favorite spots in that region of Tuscany that you recommend for a daytrip?

I can't speak to Siena in terms of driving in and out, but I think it would be a great place to spend a day with a toddler, if you found a hotel with workable parking. As I recall, in the center there are many pedestrian-only areas, and the Campo would be an ideal place to let a toddler run around, and with lots of nearby cafes for the grownups to have a glass of wine, though not a garden area with grass, etc.

San Gimignano would offer the same options, I think. The main piazza is pedestrian with room for a toddler to roam, as is the garden-like area by the towers. Busy during the day, with tourists, but quiet at night. Parking right inside the walls, but good hotels inside the walls. San Gimignano is very close to your Volterra location, though, in terms of a good location for day trips.

I take it that you're looking only for small towns/cities, and not considering Florence?

TA, I can't recommend accommodations on Lago Trasimeno, as I was staying for several weeks just outside Paciano and did many day trips (though if you're interested, the place I stayed was Vacanze Ideale - I rented a little chalet there for 6 weeks and just loved it). On Lago Trasimeno I liked Passignano (though that is arguably the most touristed spot on the lake) and Magione (where there is a wonderful hilltop castle ruin where they have magnificent concerts in summertime). Castiglione del Lago, while a bit gritty, has a lovely beach, a great weekend outdoor market, and every amenity you might imagine, and is a bustling town with loads of cafés and restaurants and shops. It's not really "pretty," but it feels very down to earth and I loved it. From Passignano you can take a ferry out to Isola Maggiore, which is a journey back in time to a tiny island filled with elderly lacemakers. I found the whole area to be enchanting.

Hi Lexma90, we spent a week in Florence in 2004 and additional time there in 2002 and while we loved it, we aren't planning to return for this particular trip. Thank you for the rest of your advice .

Hi StCirq, your experience sounds just wonderful. I've read about Isola Maggiore and the lace making tradition there. It would be fascinating to see in person. I'll spend more time researching this area if little one takes a nap this afternoon, though with the emergence of 3 molars, that doesn't seem likely to happen today! At least he is an excellent sleeper at night .

With your interests, while in Orvieto, do visit the area around Pitgliano, Sovana and Sorano.

This article about the Etruscan Pathways near Pitigliano should interest you-
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscan...o_etruscan.htm

With your extra days you might consider the area of Tuscany that many find the most beautiful- the area near Pienza/Montepulciano/San Quirico d'Orcia. Montalcino is also nearby and makes a good base for exploring. You can visit Siena as a day trip (~45-60 minute drive) and only have the congestion of Siena to deal with one time.

aggie,

here's another idea - what about the coast? i spent a week on the southern tuscan coast in May last year at a language school in a place called Orbetello [no, I hadn't heard of it before either] and really fell in love with it. it's in a lagoon so it is surrounded by wonderfully sheltered beaches and sea that is [just about] warm enough to swim in even in May. your little one could paddle in perfect safety.

there are lovely places to visit nearby, forests full of tame deer, nature reserves, roman ruins, and, apart from at weekends when the Romans invade, there's barely anyone there. great food in very untouristy restaurants too.

Whether you get there or not, I can 2nd [or is it third?] the suggestion to see Pitigliano is a great one. also the [free] hot springs at nearby Saturnia are worth a visit.

Hi zoe,
Wow, thank you for the link! Sounds right up our alley. DH's first undergrad degree is in ancient Greco-Roman history and he is really looking forward to a lot of Etruscan ruin exploring.

Hi again annhig . So appreciated your advice re: our rental car location. Your language school experience sounds great. DH and I have been (slowly) learning Greek for the past 5 years. Italian is next on the list if we ever get a good mastery of Greek! I will look at the region you mention. Certainly it will be bookmarked for the future even if it doesn't work for this trip!

If you include Civita Bagnoreggio and/or Pitigliano from Orvieto then I agree. I see Chiusi as too far and can be seen as you transition to the north.---giving it 3 hours.

Hi bob,
Thanks! We will swap the Orvieto-based daytrip from Chiusi to Civita and/or Pitigliano. Chiusi will be saved for a travel stop as we transition to our as yet undecided base. We are definitely aiming to keep the daytrips within an hour or less radius of our base towns as much as possible.

Here's another vote for Pitigliano. The town/village (and nearby Sorano and Sovana) is nice to visit, and the Etruscan pathways were interesting (and a bit eerie). There's a Roman arch in the walls of Pitigliano, too. On the outskirts of Sorano, there's a ruined Orsini castello; you can walk among and climb on the ruins.

well, zoecat beat me to it. The area around Pitigliano is not only interesting for Etruscan tombs, but Pitigliano is a lovely town built in Etruscan fashion on a bluff with river valleys on three sides. And the countryside is pretty, too. There is also Lago di Bolsena, just to the west of Orvieto, which is ringed by little towns and also full of Etruscan history.

And for a tourist stop, Civita di Bagnoregio is an amazing sight. It's a small village perched on a Mesa that is crumbling away, taking little pieces of the town with it. They have been trying for 600 years to find a way to save the town and haven't succeeded yet. The view from across the valley always
makes me think it was the inspiration for the Wicked Witch of the West's castle in The Wizard of Oz. There's a nice restaurant at the head of the footbridge leading across to the town (closed Tuesdays).

South of Bolsena there is Ferento, a "ghost town" Roman and Etruscan ruin currently being excavated. The roman amphitheater is standing and all around it are empty fields covering an earlier Etruscan settlement, although we were not able to get into it. But. the isolation is somehow appealing: seeing the ruins all by themselves of a once-bustling town. It is, admittedly, a bit hard to find.

We really enjoyed walking around Civita Bagnoreggio. It's a tiny little village. Something like one shop, one restaurant etc. We walked around totally by ourselves for a few hours. The walk across the bridge to get to it is fun too.

I'm fond of Chianti. Castellina has an etruscan tomb, look for signs on the main road "Tombe Etruca". It's a mysterious place. Also fond of Radda and Greve.

We stayed at Santa Caterina some years ago ... it was fine for Siena, San Gim and a day trip to Assisi. And the young man at the desk was kind enough to park our rented car skillfully in their small courtyard.