I am traveling to the Tuscany area for four days next June. I would love to hit a "central" location and make day trips from there. (ie...Siena, Pisa, Umbria, Montelpuciano, etc). I have stayed in both Perugia and Cortona, and loved them both, but I was thinking perhaps somewhere else may be a better location. I realize I will not get to see all of Tuscany in four days, but I would like to see as much as possible. I want to stay at a B&B, as part of our trip is "scouting" areas to possibly open our own B&B in the future. (That is our retirement dream). Any suggestions for B&B's and areas that would good to stay centralized would be greatly appreciated. I will be traveling with two kids (16 & 3), but they are great on adventures.

Thanks so much for your input!!!! I look forward to replies....

By the way, I forgot to mention, we would be taking a train from Naples to one of the Tuscan stops and renting a car from there.

Your post is bit confusing, although you may not realize it.

I assume you mean you want to "base" in one location and "hit" several towns from there.

Since you've already been to Perugia (in Umbria), I assume you know that Umbria is not a town, but an entire region of Italy. So where exactly do you want to go in Umbria.

There is no one central place from which you could easily access Pisa and Montepuliciano and towns in Umbria in the same trip.

When you say "we want to see as much as possible", and start talking about visiting small cities like Pisa and Siena from one "base," you should consider staying in Florence and taking public transportation.

Get a good map of Tuscany and Umbria. Put an "X" on everyplace you think you want to go. Check the driving distances using Google. Eliminate the impossible. Pick an area central to what remains of your wish list. Go to Tripadvisor and look at reviews for b&bs in that area.

You want near Siena for a centro location. Heer are a few to consider---there are dozens more:

3. Terre di Nano www.terredinano.com 100 to 155
Both rooms and apartments at rural Agriturismo near Monticchiello

4. Casanova di Pescille http://www.casanovadipescille.com/ 100E
Rural B&B 3 KM from famed San Gimignano—we loved the views of San Gim.

5. Fattoria Tregole www.fattoria-tregole.com 110E to 180E
Has both B&B and apartment accommodations. Near Castellina in Chianti

6. Agriturismo apts. near San Quirico— www.poggiolo.info/ About 110E

7. New historic B&B north of Pienza. http://www.camprena.it/index.htm
Site of filming for THE ENGLISH PATIENT About 90E for double

8. http://www.borgoargenina.it/index.html A special rural B&B in Chianti.
The lovely owner, Elena, will make you feel like family. 170E for double

Excellent ideas and suggestions...I will certainly look at all those site recommended by "bob" and will try pizzocchieri advice .

Thank you both so much for your help......I really do appreciate it..

Coming by train from Naples, you would likely want to pick up the car in Orvieto (technically Umbria), Chiusi or Siena.

GeeFish,
This may give you some ideas http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm

Henry,

Wonderful article, are you the author??? If so, I have a silly question for you.....Will my navigator work well in Italy, your attention to details for the roads you traveled is remarkable, and now I'm concerned that my navigator may get just as confused as I am.....

GeeFish,
Yes, I am the author. "Will your navigator work?" It depends on who is your navigator. If you are talking about a gps device I have heard bad stories but others here have experience and can answer better.

Orvieto isn't just "technically" in Umbria. It is in Umbria!

It is not easy to get to Siena by train from Naples.

We stayed in Montepulciano once for a week and found it lovely, but not very central. Just returned from a full week staying right in Siena and did day trips to San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Florence, Pienza, and Bagno Vignoni. I'd agree that staying near Sienna is probably the best for what you want to do. By the way, we did a stop in Ovieto for a good walk, sightseeing, and lunch on the day we left Siena and were traveling to Lake Bracciano for our final night before flying out of FCO. It would have been a little far for a day trip with return to Siena, I think.

Henry, I have two to choose from: A Tom Tom and IPhones...(the new I phone 5 as well..) I will be bringing both and hope for the best.

Neo, Thanks for the suggestions. I mapped out all that I want to see in the regions and am now looking into the Arrezo area. I'm hoping to find a quaint B&B as my dream is to open one in Italy for our retirement years....

You might zero in on Bucine and nearby as a convenient and pastoral base. Another locality that might work for you is Civitella val di Chiana.

But there are lots of B&B choices around Arezzo:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g1...ny-Hotels.html

There is no subsitute for a good local map---I like the TCI map of Toscana for driving. And, STUDY your day trip route in advance to anticipate your decisions before they happen.

Yes, pizzo, Orvieto is in Umbria, but many think it's in Tuscany and include it in a Tuscan itinerary (esp. if coming from the south).

But that doesn't mean Orvieto is "technically" in Umbria. It is an Umbrian city filled with Umbrian art, and the Umbrians there would take quite a but of umbrage if you told them they were merely technically Umbrian since most tourists think they are Tuscany when they go there. They are actually Umbrian. People could look on that good map bobthenavigator suggests getting -- which reminds me:

GeeFish,

You will need a map for Umbria, not just Toscana.

Oh, brother. Here we go again.

Jean, You just knew it could not last.

And multiple screen names... It's like mold.