Hello,

A group of four adult couples will be going to Tuscany Oct of 09. We will be staying in Villa Aquilea which is north of Lucca and doing day trips to Pisa, Siena, and Florence. I have been researching other itinerary ideas and have found several suggestions.

We would arrive in Lucca on a Sat and as this would be hard to travel through Italy that day, will be staying around the villa, I think. I know we will be also leaving the following Sat. Are there better days to see the cities I mentioned? I know Mondays are typically days that shops are closed , but will there be festivals we should see on specific days? I also think we want to spend a full day in Florence and one full day in Sienna. When we go to Siena we may also travel through stop in afew smaller towns.

For a basic itinerary how does this sound? And when we are in Pisa what should we also visit? I think the Chianti region would also be a good area to visit,...

Has anyone had a similiar plan that would want to share ideas with me?

Any help would be greatly apperciated,..bay66

Hi. You might try a more specific title, e.g. "Help with Trip to Tuscany 2009". Good luck with your trip!

You must stop make a stop at San Gimignamo. This is a town from the middle ages. In it's day it had 72 towers and now I believe 12 stand. This fortress town is completely walled in and the views of the Tuscan hills are very beautiful. I actually got some inspiration here for my paintings.

They also have many shops selling pottery that can be shipped home. A wine museum, torture museum(very creepy) and a Civic Museum. All very worthwhile. We found this town to be one of the most interesting we've ever visited. i hope you look into it. It's not far from Sienna.

That is a beautiful place and a beautiful locale that you will enjoy.
I hope you realize that any day trips to mainline Tuscany will be a long trip. Siena will be more than 2 hours each way as will many parts of Chianti. The hill towns south of Siena are probaly not feasible. Do include a day trip to the Cinque Terre and a drive up to the Apuan Alps via Castelnouva. Have fun !

Thank you for your help. I had been thinking about Cinque Terre and San Gimignano as other potential destinations.

Has anyone heard of Villa Aquilea?

We would also like to enjoy alittle nightlife in Lucca. Any suggestions to a place to enjoy some music and afew drinks?

Thanks, bay66

Have dinner one nite at Buca di San Antonio---best in town. Bagno di Lucca also has a good place---the name escapes me.

How did you find your villa? This a a trip we are taking next spring (but with 8 people) so I'll be saving this! Did you find many villas with 4 bedrooms?

The post titled "La Fonte agriturismo" by JeanneB lists a farmhouse with 4BR flats.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35125304

My mother in law found it as one of her friends stayed there afew years ago.

One of the features is a pizza oven which we will be using one night!

bay66

When in Sienna, of course you must go to the "old town", but if you have time, try to have lunch at Ristorante Ezio. It's in the newer part of town at Via V. Emanuele II 32-34.

They start you off with a complimentary glass of prosseco. I had the pumpkin ravioli, which was to die for and my husband had some sort of gnocchi dish with a green sauce that he pronounced "heavenly".

It's been 2 years since we were there, but hopefully, it's still there and still as good. BTW, we were in Italy for 2 weeks and never had a bad meal!