Where to stay in Tuscany?
 

I know I have started a few different discussions in the past few days, so I appreciate all of the helpful tips from all of you! I am looking for advice on where to stay in the Tuscany region for a "quintissential Tuscan experience". We don't mind renting a car and would like to stay in the countryside but within easy reach of a few cities. We are looking for nice but not too expensive hotel or B&B (under 200 euro per night). My husband and I enjoy touring vineyards, exploring cities, riding bikes etc. We spent some time in Florence a few years ago and took a day trip with iBike Italy into the Chianti region but wished we had more time to spend there.

Tuscany is a very broad region, so I am having a hard time figuring out where to stay. Thanks!

nspotz,
This may help http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm

It is a predictable recommendation but....

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_R...a_Tuscany.html

still my favourite town and hotel...in Italy.

Quite a few Fodorites are big fans of southern Tuscany. I guess I'm in that group, though I like northern Tuscany as well (Chianti would probably be my last choice in Tuscany, though still quite wonderful.)

If you like red wine, Brunello in particular, then focus your time in the area of Montalcino. Nearby are many noted wineries, as well as Montepulciano, Pienza, San Quirico. Not too much further from there are Siena, San Gimignano and Certaldo.

If you want the best of Tuscany you want Siena and south.
The hotel above is my favorite location in souith Tuscany and a really cute village.

If you are staying for more than a few days, consider renting a villa instead. We did so, a couple of months ago, and we loved it.

Click on my name if you'd like to see the trip report.

Bob

I have been messing around wondering about going again in May.

In poking at locations I have found an interesting street scene detail on google maps. On the SR2 (greatest road in the world bar none) there is a group of classic supercars following the google car just south Bagno Vignoni. The images aren't great but one appears to be worth over £1m.

Driving a £1m classic supercar in the Val D'Orcia does it get any better?

we loved Villa Cicolina in Montepulciano. We reserved a junior suite at 212 Euro a night, and there were lower priced rooms. You do need a car there.

DickieG, I would love that scene--do you have a link?

There's really only one city in Tuscany, Florence. What other cities did you want to see? Usually, traveling the Tuscan countryside means driving and visiting small towns. With a car, you want to avoid cities -- especially Florence.

You could stay in Arezzo, take the train into Florence, and otherwise explore more of Chianti by car. Or you could stay in Siena, train or bus into Florence, and use the car to explore Tuscany south of Siena.

Bob

It is a great sight. There's seems to have been a rally on the day the images were taken, there are Carabinieri and on lookers at the junctions. so far I have "found" a Jaguar, Porsche, 1968 (ish) convertible Mercedes and the cream..of cream. what looks like an Aston martin DB4 and then what I think is a 1960s Alfa Romeo Zogato which is extremely expensive could be wrong.

You may have different images to our UK format but there is no way of linking. Just go into google maps, an put the "little man" on the SR2 between Bagno Vignoni and La Bisarca. The Aston and the Alfa are racing one another, I found them but have lost them again.

The best place to go is the petrol station at La Bisarca which has a few filling up. I would love to know what the blue car number 724 is.

What a great little view. It is possible to follow the rally back to where it started in Buonconvento, where there is a street party.

There is certainly more than one city in Tuscany. Florence is the administrative capital of Tuscany, but Livorno, Pisa, Arezzo and Grosseto would fit anybody's definition of a city. Most Italians consider both Siena and Lucca cities, and probably Massa as well.

Sorry -- I meant to type that Carrara is a Tuscan city (not Massa).

Great isn't Bob.

I bet the Google car man had a whale of a time. One of my more crazy schemes a few years back was to buy a "farmhouse on the hill" and do B&B (like everyone else) but also offer Porsche 356s for hire. The originals are $120,000 plus but the good new replicas would make very cost effective rentals.

I am sure would have made a packet when offering tourists the chance of a Ford Focus from Avis or a 356 for the same price from me.

My wife wasn't impressed and so I will never know.

Managed to get a url that worked on other PCs of mine
the "spot the sportscar" game is quite fun!

http://tinyurl.com/cpc2cgy

willit

How the bloomin eck do you do that?

I didn't know that it was possible to link into google maps.

Not as old as I thought.

And a couple more:

http://i39.tinypic.com/33xwyae.jpg