Where to stay in Chiusi, italy
 

I plan to travel from Rome to Chiusi by train and stay 6 days in Chiusi in late July 2010. I thought to base myself in Chiusi where I could get the train to travel to places in Tuscany. I would like the details of a good hotel (3 star+) in Chiusi. If not in Chiusi, ideas for another town in Tuscany that has a train service and a reasonable good hotel/accommodation. Should I look at hiring a car instead of travelling by train?

You should look into hiring a car if your reason for going to Tuscany is to explore the farmlands and rural towns. If you are going because you want to explore the small Renaissance cities of Tuscany and art masterpieces, you are better off utilizing trains and not having a car to get around.

I don't think Chiusi has a 3* hotel, and the train station is quite a bit down the hill from the town, complicating day trips. Plus, it is too far from Florence if you want to visit there.

If you are primarily interested in art cities, it is best to base in Florence itself, so you can also visit Siena and Pisa easily by train, Arezzo and Cortona. For a six day stay, you should consider renting an apartment in Florence.

If Florence is too busy for you, the best town on the train line might be Arezzo, where you could more easily find a 3* star hotel -- but I would also recommend that you look for an apartment in the historic center. If you end up wanting a 3* hotel in Arezzo, be sure it is in in the historic center, since there are many modern ones on the outskirts of town. The train station in Arezzo is a fairly easy walk from the historic center, but be sure to ask an apartment owner or hotel about the exact walking distance to the train station.

Cortona is also a nice town but it has the same problem as Chiusi, with the train station being far down the hill.

I have heard that there are many people on the Rick Steves' messages boards who have prefected the art of seeing a lot of scenic Tuscany without a car. You might check in over there.

But if you want you want from your 6 days in Tuscany is a rural experience and exploring small towns, you should look to base in the countryside, with a car, in a rental to save money. An agriturismo with a restaurant and a pool is very relaxing, and there are many. You can find them on tripadvisor or with a good website.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...a_Tuscany.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...o_Tuscany.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...ECK_RATES_CONT

http://en.agriturismo.it/tuscany/sie...te=1&piscina=1

One more thing: The "star" rating system for Italian hotels is more about whether they have an elevator, or a pool, or a restaurant than whether the rooms are large or recently decorated, A 2* bed and breakfast is often much nicer than a dreary old 3* which has a creaky elevator. So use Tripadvisor and Venere.com and read user reviews. And don't be afraid to rent an apartment for a 6-day stay.

hope that helps

You do not want Chiusi as your base. Either Florencee or Siena will give you good transport options to various Tuscan hill towns--I would prefer Siena. But, as said above, having a car is best.

I know Chiusi quite well, and I can't think of a 3* hotel there, no matter what star rating system you're using. The only hotel/inn I've ever been in is http://www.albergolasfinge.it/ita/albergo.htm, and it was quite lovely, but I didn't stay there (I have friends who live nearby). At any rate, I can't imagine you really want to spend 6 nights in Chiusi. It's a lovely little place, but really, the only part you'd probably want to hang around is the upper town, and it's pretty small. Plus, you'd have a major schlep down to the train station. Just not a good idea, especially if Tuscany, not Umbria, is your destination.

I would rent a car and stay somewhere more central in Tuscany: Siena, Montepulciano (bus service, no train), (not Florence with a car), or Arrezzo.

I appreciate the useful information. I have now decided to base myself in either Siena or Arezzo. Still deciding whether to travel by car or train. I'll continue to read other travellers' opinion on the pros and cons of both.

If you stay in Siena, the train connections are not good -- but neither is the parking! So it is better to stay just outside the walls, with a car if you feel like you want to be close to Siena for restaurants etc.

Again, if art touring is a major reason for your being in Tuscany, driving into the art cities to see it is difficult. Most people who rent a car are doing it for scenic driving (and many people go to Tuscany with very little interest in art at all).

It is very easy to rent a car in Arezzo, so you could do both: Stay in Arezzo for several nights, using the train to visit the art cities and museums of Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Cortona/Chiusi, Lucca) and then rent a car, and base somewhere in the Siena countryside for a few nights, including a visit to Siena.

My main reason for wanting to base myself in Tuscany is to have a place to take a break where I can take in the beautiful scenery that I have so much heard about.

With this useful information I am thinking of taking the train from Rome to Arezzo. Get a feel for the place before I decide whether or not to hire a car or get the train to Sienna and surrounding towns. Do you think I need to hire a car in advance because of the busy season or would I be fine to leave it until I get to Arezzo. Any idea whether it would be better for me to buy a train pass before I leave for Europe,Italy, or would I be better to buy a ticket when I make a train trip on the day?

Shinto,

Unless you are going to other countries in Europe, a rail pass is much more expensive than simply buying whatever train tickets you need in Italy.

Now that I know why you picked Tuscany as your destination, I am going to add this information, since perhaps you would prefer to be in the true countryside of Tuscany for all six days:

Most people find iteasier to have a car to tour the beautiful scenery of Tuscany, and that includes people from Britain who drive on the "other" side of the road in their home country. The roads are simple to drive. Also, the cost of lodging is less expensive in the countryside, so renting a car doesn't add much to the cost of a trip.

Most visitors who drive in Italy are with a travel partner, which helps the driver. However, you can now rent a car with a GPS, which can make the driving easier.

If you are still reluctant to rent a car but would like to spend all your time in the countryside, I suggest that instead of going to Arezzo, go to Montepulciano, a smaller and prettier Tuscan hilltown with beautiful views. You can reach Montepulciano by taking a train to Chiusi and then taking a 30 minute bus ride to Montepulciano.

Once you are in Montepulciano without a car, there are only some buses and rather expensive taxis to take you you to nearby hilltowns. As I think I mentioned before, I have heard that people on the Rick Steves' message board have a lot of information about seeing that part of Tuscany without a car, so you might ask over there to see if that seems more enjoyable than a car for you.

If you wanted a car, you could return to Chiusi and rent one there -- but I think that in July you might be taking a big risk of not being able to rent a car last minute.

You will probably find it interesting to read this thread about a traveler who went to that part of Tuscany without a car but rented one while he was there.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...an-opinion.cfm

There are many places to stay in all price ranges in Montepulicano, both inside the walled town and just outside it on a farm. I have never stayed here, but it might appeal to you:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...o_Tuscany.html

If you would rather try seeing Tuscany without a car, there are also private drivers you can hire. That will cost you far more than a car rental, but if you don't spend a lot on lodging, it might not matter.

Again, a car really is not a relaxing way to see Florence or other Tuscan cities, especially in July when parking is miserable. If you want to see Tuscan cities, it might be best to go first to Arezzo, see the cities you want by train, and then take the train to Chiusi and stay in Montepulciano for a few days.

Hope that helps. Have a great trip!

You will definitely want a car if touring Tuscany is your aim, and waiting until you get there, despite one traveler's experience, is the way to do it to save both time and money. Renting on the spot in Italy, among other things, means you are entered into a contract with an Italian company, with the paperwork in Italian - are you fluent? Get the picture?

Parking to me is a non-issue. If it's crowded and high season, you park outside the cities or in parking lots. A car is a VERY relaxing way to get around the countryside, which is the aim of a lot of travelers. If your aim is just to see cities, don't do a car; take trains and buses.

<<My main reason for wanting to base myself in Tuscany is to have a place to take a break where I can take in the beautiful scenery that I have so much heard about.>>

I suggest you rent a car in Chiusi and head for the nearby countryside. It is all country roads and very easy driving from Chiusi.

This is where I have stayed 5 times, located 5 minutes outside of Pienza-

http://fontebertusi.com/eng/

TA reviews on Fonte Bertusi-

http://tinyurl.com/yzt3lbw

I find it a beautiful location and very relaxing. A pool is a plus in July.

Check autoeurope.com and kemwel.com for car rental options in Chiusi. Keep in mind that car rental offices usually close for the long lunch break (and reopen in late afternoon until early evening), close around noon or 1:00p on Saturdays, and are closed on Sundays. You will need to time your train arrival and car drop off accordingly.

The Insight Guide Tuscany guidebook has a good chapter on the nearby small towns, villages and sights that you can easily explore from your base-

http://www.amazon.com/Insight-Guide-.../dp/1585733008

Hi Shinto,

If it wasn't clear to StCirq why I gave you that link, maybe it won't be clear to you so I'll be clearer:

I think if you want a car for all or part of your stay, you should book it in advance, not wait until until July. I gave you that link because it contains interesting information about how somebody came to decide they wanted a car once they arrived in Tuscany, as well as where it was easy to go on the bus and where it isn't.

When you sign paperwork to rent a car in Italy, it is often in Italian (no surprise!) even if you have booked over the internet in English.. Personally, I don't know what you'll "definitely" want. But you do have options and you shouldn't drive if you don't want to. You can still see some very beautiful scenery. But I think you shouldn't be reluctant to rent a car in advance. At worst, if you hate driving, you can park it and use the bus!

In Siena in July, it can be hard to find parking even outside the walls. I would try to see it before you get a car by taking a train from Rome to Florence, and then taking a bus to Siena, and picking up a car there after you've toured Siena. If you pick up a car before you see Siena, you can ask your hotel for parking tips in Siena in July or about the possibility of parking the car in Buonconvento and taking the train to Siena (30 minute ride).

Hope that helps!

Shinto,
Keep it in mind that if you do rent a car, you need an international driver's license (get it from AAA) and you should know how to drive a manual transmission-they may say they will give you an automatic but if it is not available, you are out of luck!