Cassie

I'll be spending 2 days driving through Tuscany with my homebase being a bed and breakfast in the Chianti region about 15km West of Siena. I've been trying to plan which hill towns I want to see. Many guidebooks give km distances between towns but don't say how long (as in minutes) it takes to get between towns. I know that with smaller, winding roads it will take longer, but how much longer? How long will it take to get to San Gimignano or Volterra for example? What about Cortona? Any help from those of you who have "been there and done that" would be greatly appreciated!

Dawn

Going from hilltown to hilltown will take longer than you think. Most of the roads are small, and winding, but spectacular. I've traveled extensively through the area. One suggestion though is San Gimignano around 4ish, when the tour buses are getting ready to leave. Cortona is on the other side of Tuscany. You might want to see Cortona and Arrezzo together. Another suggestion is to pick out two towns that are relatively close in promimity. One of my favorite areas is Gaiole/Radda/Castellina or another further south Montepulcianao/Montalcino/Pienza. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Sherry

Hi Cassie. I believe if you use Mappy.com, it attempts to give you a concept of time and mileage. I used it and was surprised when the estimate was 45 minutes for 15 miles for some distances. But it does take a lot longer on some of those roads to go from town to town.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Cassie, It is hard to say without knowing your exact location, but I suppose I can estimate for you. I would expect about :40 to San Gim. and about :50 to Volterra. Cortona is a long way---about 1:45. I would expect to average about 40 MPH on the smaller roads. Did you pick the B&B based on location? Good luck !

Nanci

It took us about an hour to drive to Siena from Volterra and from Volterra to San G. it took about 30-40 mins. <BR>Expect anything, you may spend the whole time behind a slow-moving truck, <BR>like we did (well, it seemed like the whole time) but enjoy the scenery on the way.

RJD

Let me add the note that the hills in parts of Tuscany can be tiring to drive, particulaly in a small manual transmission car. Drove from Perugia to Gubbio which looks easy on the map but in reality took about two-three hours of shifting and driving uphill. And Gubbio itself is nearly straight up a hill side. (Defense was a paramount concern.) Be prepared for strenuous exertion.