Tuscany - best places to stay
 

We are going to Tuscany for the first time and our travel agent recommended that we stay 2 nights in each of the two hotels. Are these locations the best for getting a feel for Tuscany?

Badia a Coltibueno Wine Estate
Relais Borgo Scopeto

both look a little secluded from everything, but maybe that's good?

I prefer staying in small cities/large towns. It gives us something to do in the evening after dinner. We stayed in Siena and liked it.

No, that is where the agent gets the best commisions.
What is your preferred budget per nite and what do you hope to see? I prefer south Tuscany--have you done some reading about the regions of Tuscany? Location is important.

I'm just starting reading up on Tuscany now - we like the wine tours!

What region to you like the best?

We are planning some time in Tuscany area also. Do you have any good resources that explain some of the differences in the region ? Thank you

sharonliz- Those places are located in the Chianti area which is very popular and well worth visiting. My favorite areas are south of Siena (Pienza, Montepulciano, Montalcino), the Maremma area, and NW Tuscany. With you interest in wine tours, Chianti or the area south of Siena might be the best areas to base.

This link provides a lot of information about travel to Italy and Tuscany. Scroll down until you see Where to Stay and Where to Go for a section on descriptions on parts of Tuscany.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/planning/index.htm

We've been to Tuscany twice and have stayed in both Siena as well as Florence. Of the various hotels that we've stayed at, we really liked The Palazzo Ravizza (http://www.palazzoravizza.it/). The rooms are absolutely huge, have wonderful views of the countryside, there's a great patio to have some wine and cheese. It's also a very short walk to Il Campo.

On our last trip to Siena, we hired a tour guide through "Luca per HILLS AND ROADS" ([email protected]). The guide has her own van and drove us around for approx 10 hours to some of the hidden villages in Tuscany. This was our kids favorite day in Italy and the restaurant that she took us to in Colle di val d'elsa for lunch, delicious! It's a bit pricey, but definitely maximizes your time in Tuscany and shows you some of the local spots. About 300E.

All good advice above. Hub and I liked to base in a city or town so we could unwind after our day of trips by going out to a resto or bar. Or just walking around the main square.

I like the idea of actually staying at a winery or someone else driving for a day of wine tasting. This has to be your call though. Are you renting a car?

Matt2Vacation, what is your definition of a short walk? But was it an uphill walk? I guess after Positano, sharonliz and jason wouldn't mind. LOL The Palazzo Ravizza looks gorgeous.

oops, sorry about the wrong names. Went to LaLa Land. sharonliz and ?

we were thinking of renting a car, but will also check out someone else driving instead (so we can do wine tastings!). While the winery stay is nice, walking around in the evening in a town is lovely. I'll look into the The Palazzo Ravizza (thanks Matt2vacation). So Siena / south of Siena seems to be the place most are recommending

I agree with Zoecat that south Tuscany is best. Look at Palazzo del Capitano and Casa Lemmi in San Quirico, or Terre di Nano near Montepulciano.

Last May we did just the same as Matt2vacation. We spent 3 nights at Palazzo Ravizza in Siena and spent one full day with Luca from Hills and Roads. Our day with Luca was a highlight of our trip. He will customize your day to suit your interests. We included only one winery (at our request) to taste Brunello near Montalcino, and we really enjoyed it. The biggest thrill was going to the archaeological site of Roselle.

TDudette, the walk from Palazzo Ravizza to Il Campo was 5 to 10 minutes maximum, and there was only one block of a very slight incline - not really a hill - on the return. We loved walking around Siena at night.

I'm sure the area in south Tuscany would be marvelous as others have suggested, and I wouldn't mind broadening my horizons next time.

Thanks for your suggestions - I think we'll switch to the Palazza Ravizza and I've already emailed Hills and Roads.

One other thing on staying in Siena. If you have the opportunity, and some extra Euros, take one night and have dinner and Cane e Gatto Restaurant Via Pagliaresi, 6, 53100 Siena, Italy
+39 0577 287545), about a 3 minute walk south of Il Campo. Plan on a minimum of 3 hours of a full-on gastronomic experience, but it's also very expensive and they charge you one price for the entire meal including wine. But, enjoy! Also, be sure not to confuse this restaurant with Gatto e Cane, which is not even comparable.

Couldn't bear to eat at a place with dog and cat in the name :)

Also loved Il Carrocio for dinner (about a block off Il Campo)
and Di Trombicche for lunch. Delicious and fun. Not expensive.

Checked Palazza Ravizza and it was unavailable unfortunately. It looked stunning. Any other locations you enjoyed ?

yes--if in Siena look at Santa Caterina---good location for day trips south from there.

Bob.,.once again we agree on lodgings..we stayed at SC and loved it..the view from the back terrace over the valley was superb. Only drawback was very tight parking in its lot. Good point of departure, though, for day trips without having to drive throuugh Siena...it's just outside the south gate (Porto Romano).
stu