Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Unique Way to See Tuscany

This summer I had the opportunity to fly in a private plane above Tuscany. Before 2005 I lived in Tuscany for 3 years. But this summer, as I looked down from the plane, I felt like I was seeing the region for the very first time. Whether you've visited Tuscany before, or are planning your first trip, I highly recommend going on a trip with TuscanWings (tuscanwings.com).

The pilot and owner of the company, Francesco, met me at the train station in Arezzo (I was staying in Florence, but Arezzo is a fast hour train ride away) and took me to the small airport nearby. It was my first time in a non-commercial plane, and Francesco took the time to explain everything to me so that I would feel secure and calm when we were in the air. He told me what each of the dials and devices were for inside the plane, and even brought along his own GPS for extra security.

We took off from Arezzo and flew over the fruit, wine, and olive fields nearby. We passed over countless villas with private swimming pools, small hilltop villages, and sprawling expanses of agricultural landscapes. It was so exciting once we got to the coast of Tuscany, and even though we were high in the air, I could see the bottom of the Tirrenian (Mediterranean) sea below us ... the water was crystal clear! We flew over the water for a few minutes, and reached the Island of Elba. Napoleon was expelled to here back in the day, but now Elba is lush, green, and covered with villas and island communities. We landed in the small airport at Elba, where a car was waiting for us. I felt like such a VIP going from a private airport to a seaside lunch, and that's exactly what we did! The small restaurant where we ate was less than 50 feet from the beautiful sea, and we sat on the patio which was open to the ocean air. The owner of the restaurant came out to greet us, and showed us the day's fresh catch, and while his staff went back to prepare the very fish we had just seen, we quickly changed into our swimsuits and took a dip in the warm and refreshing ocean. We dried off and came back to find our fish just being served - it was fresh and delicious, and the grilled vegetables that came with it were also incredible. After lunch, the car was again waiting for us to go back to the airport, and before long we were back in the plane, ascending over Elba.

On the way back to Arezzo, we took a slightly different route and flew directly over Siena. We dipped over to take pictures of the magnificent black and white duomo and the Campo where the palio takes place. On the flight home we also flew over the beautiful village of Civitella, with its majestic fortress atop the hill that was partially destroyed during World War II.

This was hands-down one of the most memorable days of my life. Francesco is a quintessential italian host, and took the time to make me feel comfortable and safe. He also knows so much about his native land, and with his impeccable english he shared his passion for his region. I've known Tuscany in many ways and through all the seasons, but this day once again opened my eyes to the wonder that is Tuscany. Flying from Arezzo to Elba, we saw how diverse Tuscany is - from the fields that were browning with the coming of fall, to the rolling hills around Siena, and the green seaside towns around Grosseto and Pisa.

If you have any questions at all, I'm happy to try to answer them for you.

I hope you have the opportunity to experience this once-in-a-lifetime trip over Tuscany!

Buon viaggio :)