Tuscany/Umbria?
Nov 1st, 2005 | 01:29 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Oct 2005
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Tuscany/Umbria?
Going to Italy in June with my wife and two children ages 18 and 4.
Flying into Venice for three nights, followed by a week (as of now) in Tuscany. Probably somewhere around San Gemignano. We figured we'd rent a car and take day trips: 1)Train into Florence for a day or two
2)Train to LaSpezia and then Cinque Terre for a day
3)And then spend the remaining days driving around Tuscany and Umbria
before heading to Salerno for three days and finally Rome for three days.
My question: Does this sound do-able? Can I cover a portion of Tuscany/Umbria in two or three days or should I just focus on one or the other?
Any thounghts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Flying into Venice for three nights, followed by a week (as of now) in Tuscany. Probably somewhere around San Gemignano. We figured we'd rent a car and take day trips: 1)Train into Florence for a day or two
2)Train to LaSpezia and then Cinque Terre for a day
3)And then spend the remaining days driving around Tuscany and Umbria
before heading to Salerno for three days and finally Rome for three days.
My question: Does this sound do-able? Can I cover a portion of Tuscany/Umbria in two or three days or should I just focus on one or the other?
Any thounghts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Nov 1st, 2005 | 02:59 PM
#2
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,707
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>>Can I cover a portion of Tuscany/Umbria in two or three days or should I just focus on one or the other?<<
My answer is to focus on one, namely the area around San Gimignano/Siena. From there you can reach the best of Tuscany from Chianti to the Val d'Orcia.
Why Salerno? Do you mean Sorrento? (That would be more like it.)
My answer is to focus on one, namely the area around San Gimignano/Siena. From there you can reach the best of Tuscany from Chianti to the Val d'Orcia.
Why Salerno? Do you mean Sorrento? (That would be more like it.)
Nov 1st, 2005 | 03:03 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2004
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The part that looks hard to me is doing Cinque Terre for just a day. I would rather stay around there for a couple of days or skip it. It is a place, in my opinion, to hike, relax, enjoy the sea views and eat the delicious local fish and pasta w/pesto.
On the other hand, I stayed in Florence on one trip but have also done two different daytrips there on two different trips. I think it works well as an organized daytrip, if you just focus on a couple of sights, especially with your little one in tow.
I like your idea to take the train into Florence even though you have a car; on both those mentioned daytrips I voted heavily for the train but lost out to other opinions. Both times we wasted precious time looking for parking in Florence.
On the other hand, I stayed in Florence on one trip but have also done two different daytrips there on two different trips. I think it works well as an organized daytrip, if you just focus on a couple of sights, especially with your little one in tow.
I like your idea to take the train into Florence even though you have a car; on both those mentioned daytrips I voted heavily for the train but lost out to other opinions. Both times we wasted precious time looking for parking in Florence.
Nov 1st, 2005 | 04:04 PM
#5
Joined: Jul 2003
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Park for free at the easy-to-get-to Piazzale Michelangelo (beautiful overlook) and walk down into Florence in 30 minutes.
Yes, Umbria is gorgeous, but Tuscany is gorgeous-er despite being "touristy". (Except for Florence itself where the crowds can indeed spoil the visit.)
Yes, Umbria is gorgeous, but Tuscany is gorgeous-er despite being "touristy". (Except for Florence itself where the crowds can indeed spoil the visit.)
