Can anybody give me their ideas about how best to spend 3 days/nights in Tuscany?
It's our first time there and I would defintely like to go to Siena, and I have also read that Monte Argentario on the coast is worthwhile.
I will be driving from Civitavecchia and then back to Rome Fiumcino airport
tks

Whatever you do I would pick a single town or area to spend all 3 nights in 1 spot. I like it near Pienza because you are within an hours drive of many great hill towns (Montepulciano, Montalcino, Siena, San Quirico, Monteriggioni, Orvieto, etc, etc,). Some of these are only a 15 to 20 minute drive. There are a lot of good agriturismo's in this area also. One I love is Ceretto near Pienza. We have stayed there twice and love the place. Reasonable prices, a central location and great people.

Coming from that direction, I would prefer to stay in Montalcino and day trip to Siena from there. Check out the route via Grosetto.

Thanks everybody for the info.

1. If I stayed around Grosetto - do you think this is too far from all the towns you have mentioned?

2. Has any body been to Pitigliano and Monte Argenatrio?

I also feel that staying near Pienza is a good base. You will be about 1 hour from Siena. There are plenty of small towns and beautiful landscapes to explore in the area, plus Pienza and Montepulciano.

Pitigliano is one of my favorite places. Be sure to visit Sorano also, which is just 15 minutes from Pitigliano. From Pienza, it is a 1.5 hour drive to Pitigliano.

The Insight Guide Tuscany is a good resourse for planning your daily excursions.

http://www.amazon.com/Insight-Guide-.../dp/1585733008

A great place to stay-

http://www.fontebertusi.it/eng/

Is there any way to add another day or two (or a week!) to your stay in the area?

Yes, that is too far. And, I have been to all of the above, but you only have 3 days--I would pick one location.

Another vote for Pienza. Here is my trip report and photos from our visit there in 2006.
http://travelswithdiane.homestead.co...15Tuscany.html

thanks for the very useful info from everybody

read before you go - or take with you iris origo's war in val d'orcia... it's the val d'orcia (valley of the orcia river) you'll be overlooking from pienza... and pitigliano/sorano are unvisited & striking... be sure to walk some of the vie cave - sunken etruscan roads

what town would be good to use as a base, without a car, using trains to take day trips? I was thinking Florence, or maybe Siena...

As a transport hub, Florence is far better than Siena. From Florence it is easy to reach places such as Arezzo, Lucca, Pisa, Bologna etc, as well as further afield (although Rome is reachabe in 90 minutes).