TUSCANY, UMBRIA & ROME
 

Hello FODORITES:

I need your help again. Has anyone in this forum ever visited the Tuscan and Umbrian Regions of Italy such as Maremma, Orbetello, Talamone, Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Orvieto, Todi, Assisi and Spello.? If so, I would appreciate if you can provide me with some feedbacks about each of the places mentioned above in comparison to other regions.

Thank you all in advance.

gosh, Giselle, that's quite a list - how long have you got?

you have picked two of the most popular regions of Italy; I'm not sure what you mean by feedbacks in comparison with other regions- which ones?

Tuscany and Umbria are both full of historic towns and cities, very beautiful areas, and some not so picturesque bits - a bit like most places in Italy. places like Siena, Pisa, Lucca in tuscany, and Orvieto, and Assisi are all very popular, but that's because they are lovely and full of interest.

as for the other places you mention, I happen to have spent a week in Orbetello last year on a language course and IMO it's a terrific place, but very little visited. Ditto the Maremma - loads of interest but very few visitors.

other people will have to help you with the other places.

Well, I've been to almost all those places, but I have no idea what you mean by feedbacks in comparison with other regions - like what other regions?

What have you done thus far to research each of these places? No one here is going to want to duplicate all the information you must have already gathered, especially with such a long list.

Of course--been to all of them.
When are you going and how long do you have. You can easily spend a month just in Tucsany/Umbria---do you have a good guide book?

someone just posted about Spello
We've done Orvieto and just got back from Sienna but as the other posters said, how long are you going and what are you really looking for?

Tuscany and the Pisa/Lucca area can cover quite a range. We just got back from a 19 day trip and spent 6 nights in Florence/Siena plus 2 more in Cinque Terre (should have been 3).

Thank you all to your response.

I have nine (9) days to explore Central italy (May 2013). My base will be in Maremma and from there I would like to spend at least one full day to the places I have mentioned above. Basically my goal is to visit the Tuscan countryside (just like in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun) and other medieval town. The other regions that I would like to have comparison with are Northern and Southern Italy.

BTW - I would like to mention too that I am a slow traveler so even if I don't get to see all of the places I have mentioned with the allotted time --it will be perfectly fine with me. Anyway - There is always a next time.

Thank you all in advance.

Where in Maremma?
That will determine your feasible day trips. It may be 2 hours or more to some of your destinations.

Grossetto, Maremma.

Gisele,

from Grossetto, you can go to Orbetello, [roman town in the middle of a lagoon]

Pitigliano, [a hill town a little like Orvieto with layers of history staring with the etruscans and working upwards, but with far fewer tourists]

Saturnia [natural hot springs where you can swi for free, with excellent restaurants in the nearby town]

as well as lots of smaller hill towns of great charm and interest there are also beautiful beaches [the ones on the lagoon are lovely, backed with woods full of tiny deer] ancient ruins, etc. etc.

no need to go as far as the better known places you mention.

to see the places that our teacher too us to from Orbetello, click on my name to find my trip report.

Thank you Annhig. I will definitely check out your Tuscany trip report.

I absolutely love Siena. It is a medium sized city with wonderful restaurants and the Piazza di Campo is special. Pisa is nothing special and I would take a pass. Lucca, like Siena, is one of the prettier medium sized cities in Italy. Assissi is beautiful but a bit too touristy for me. Orvieto is lovely and is a nice stopover going from Tuscany to Rome. The church in Orvieto is one of the more spectacular in Italy.