twoflower

Where else could you stay other than Siena? Well, we did stay a few nights in Siena (great for some places like San Gimignano), but our main base for the region was Montepulciano. Smaller, a lovely hilltop town, great for daytrips to Cortona, Assissi, Orvieto etc - plus a couple of lesser-known beauties: Bomarzo (Sacro Bosco Monster Park) and Vulci (Etruscan archeological find).
But we had a car. For what it's worth, I found Tuscany the most relaxing place to drive in - even more so than home!

julianwill948

My experience is that do not plan too much, otherwise you will find that you are rushing the whole trip, not really enjoy it. So take it slow and just enjoy.

julies

We just returned from three weeks in Italy (and we could be your parents), but we have many of the same interest you do and are pretty much on the go all of the time. And, I agree with what Bob said about not assuming that this will be your only trip to Italy

First of all, you do realize that when you get into Venice you will be jet-lagged and sleep deprived and will need to change your time clock by 9 hours. This will catch up with you, and you will lose our on some precious time just sleeping. Venice is marvelous (away from the touristy parts) and you want to make sure you have enough time there.

Each change of location you make you will lose 1/2 to 1 complete day. There is no way around this....

You say you like to eat. I assume this means that you will want to have nice lunches. Lunch is Italy is usually in the early afternoon only and you can eat up a chunk of time just doing this. Also, be aware that if you have a nice lunch with a bottle of wine, you won't be able to just jump in a car and move on to the next spot because you will potentially be over the legal limit for driving.

I agree with the advice not to overplan; the best experiences are often those you never even thought about ahead of time, and they happen serendipitously.

flieder

Thanks everyone. Your suggestions are invaluable. Also, does speaking Italian necessary in not so much touristy areas, like small Tuscany towns?

Jean

It's always nice to know the pleasantries in the language of the place you're visiting, but fluency is not necessary anywhere on your (current) list of destinations. We've found there is always someone who speaks at least some English.

flieder

Hi everyone,

After a little bit more planning we came up with this itinerary. Any suggestions?

9/8 Arrive Venice afternoon (coming from Los Angeles)
9/9-10 Venice
9/11 AM train to Lucca arriving by 1:30pm. Check in to a hotel or B&B. See Lucca for the remaining of the day.
9/12 Day trip to Florence via Train
9/13 Day trip to Pisa (just to see the tower from outside) and Cinque Terre via train
9/14 Check out from hotel AM and rent a car to drive to Montepulciano. This will be our base in South Tuscany
9/15 Val D'Orcia & Montalcino and maybe Cortona
9/16 Orvieto, Umbria
9/17 relax, drive on scenic routes etc
9/18 AM check out from the hotel and drive or train or both to Amalfi Coast. Check in at a hotel in Positano
9/19 Amalfi Coast
9/20 Amalfi Coast
9/21 AM train to Rome
9/22 Rome
9/23 AM flight back home

Questions we have: We can skip Pisa and Lucca if that will make our trip more enjoyable. We'd like to see Cinque Terre but don't have to see it this time. If we do that we can stay in South Tuscany and take a train to see Florence on a day trip. If we do that we could maybe add one more day to Amalfi Coast.
Also, from looking at some pictures and map we thought Montepulciano is beautiful and central to the areas we want to see. Any other suggestions?

Jean

Disclosures/admissions: I'm not a fan of Lucca, but I'm a huge fan of Florence. So, I would be staying in Florence and making day trips from there to Pisa and Lucca (even both in a single day). Unless you were planning to see only one or maybe two towns out of the 5, I'd leave the CT for another trip when there was time to do more than a "drive-by."

I wouldn't consider seeing "Val d'Orcia & Montalcino and maybe Cortona" in one day. Too much driving (3+ hours), not enough time exploring towns. Whenever you stop to see a town, you have to find parking outside the center and walk in and out. This takes time. Plus, you need to set aside time for lunch.

Not enough time anywhere for my liking... Five hotels in 2 weeks...

Oaktown9

You said you love wine (vineyards). Not stopping/staying in Montepulciano-- doing wine research, and setting up tasting appointments before you go, is almost a wine-sin...

Take some time and taste this wine (lots of them) before you get on the plane. You know what I mean. Start tasting now!

Chat with your favorite sommeliers in LA. Make this stop in Italy count for something you love. Everyone has a different palate, so asking folks here which of these Tuscan beauties they like and which wineries they would (not have) visit is cringe-worthy. This is your journey.

Clearly I am a wine-know. I will be staying in Montepulciano in October, during harvest, which is like a wine-knows dream...

Cars in the center of town are forbidden, so be mindful of this if this is your base.

For Val D'Orcia & Montalcino and maybe Cortona devise a plan.
If it is wine you are after, you have to start your day super early. That said, you need to select one or two of those destinations at the most and make the required appointments for tasting.
For the big wineries (think tour bus parked outside) you don't need an appointment. You just have to be open to having that kind of tasting experience in Italy (Really?).

CT requires much much more time and involves lots and of walking/hiking. That is my humble opinion. Cut something out if this is more of what you love doing.

Finally, I am somewhat of a recovering travel do-it-all, see-it-all, etc. I support your spirit and your can-do attitude. What you have revised is a bit better than what you started with. Unless you have nerves of steel, don't bicker with your spouse--ever, and can stand a few things not going as planned, you will be happy with your "break-neck-don't blink" trip.

Suggestion: Take one more knife to your manifest. Even if you make a small incision, you will be more than ok.

Cheers,
Oaktown Traveler

Jean

"Cars in the center of town are forbidden, so be mindful of this if this is your base." Guests of some lodging in the historical center of Montepulciano are allowed to drive in to reach the hotel/B&B.

tuscanlifeedit

I think skipping Lucca, Pisa and the CT is a good idea. The Amalfi Coast and southern Tuscany have a lot more of what you're looking for.

Your original itinerary was too city heavy, and left you no time for small towns and a lot of scenery.

I like both Montalcino and San Quirico d'Orcia as bases in Tuscany.

I like Assissi, too. I would say two bases, one in Southern Tuscany, and one in Umbria, would be ideal.

Florence is a great town, but it is all about museums, churches and shopping. I got the impression that those weren't your first choice activities.

shoreen

I've been to Italy three times and I fully intend to go back! You can never spend too much time in Italy. That being said, I loved Venice and really did not spend enough time there. I would rather stay in Florence than Bologna (if I had to choose). I'm not necessarily sure the Amalfi Coast is worth it on this trip. I'd rather spend more time in Tuscany. But I definitely think you have to go to Rome! I love that city ... a surprise around every corner. You can also easily take the train from Florence to Rome.

MaloBalo

As many mentioned before, cutting one or two days in order to spend more time in a single location is definately something I'd recommend. Obviously, it depends on how your personal preference but a single day in Venice (considering jet-lag and check-in) as well as two days for Rome are too short to even get the touch of either location. Depending on your real interests the same might apply to Florence.

I can imagine you want to see it all, however, despite of this being possible I'd rather see a place and get to know it without having to rush and travel all the time. That being said, really think about what you'd love to see most, pick three main things and construct a plan around those topics with a trip here and there instead of hopping from place to place every single day. Let there be space for playing something by the ear, too.

msteacher

In your new itinerary, you are on the train or in a car almost every day. I wory that you will spend more time traveling to places than actually enjoying those places. For two weeks, I would suggest choosing three main locations: Venice, somewhere in Tuscany, and either Rome OR Amalfi Coast. That will give you three very different experiences in Italy, with enough time to really enjoy them.

flieder

Any suggestions for charming little B&B's or small hotels in Montepulciano or Umbria area?

flieder

Maybe Assisi?

Jean

You didn't mention a budget, but here goes... We stayed in this very small hotel in Montepulciano for a week. Loved it and would stay again in a heartbeat.

http://www.locandasanfrancesco.it/index.php

flieder

We don't have a very tight budget but not much either..So around $200-300 a night would be good... This hotel looks very nice but they don't have any availability for the days we are looking into... It was the case when I was looking at many other good places...I guess September is a very popular time to go...