Where to stay on this trip in Tuscany?? Please help!
 

My "will be husband" (we're getting married in May) and I will be travelling in Italy for our honeymoon in August. After our time in Florence we will be spending 2 nights in the Tuscany region on our way down to the Amalfi Coast and then back to Rome before we depart. We would like to spend the 2 nights in Tuscany at 2 different locations with the 2nd night being as far south as we can get so our trip to Amalfi the following day won't be quite as long. What towns or villages should we stay in and what accomodations should we book in those places ? Nice accomodations are important to me...quaint is such a subjective word and luxury just sound too expensive for Tuscany in August. I suppose that my budget will allow us to be somewhere in between although luxury sounds much better. Please help!!!

It can certainly be very hot in Florence in August. I would want to cool off in places with pools.

Two nights in two places seems like a lot. Do I understand correctly that you want to be as far south as possible and still be within the bounds of Tuscany?

Pitigliano to Amalfi is about 4 hours 30 minutes by car.

If you could consider Umbria, Orvieto is about 3 hours and 45 minutes to Amalfi.

Outside Orvieto, I think both InnCasa and Locanda Rosati have swimming pools.

Stay at one place in south Tuscany and I would opt for AC--it will be hot. Look at these options and check for AC:


BOB’S FAVORITE DIGS IN TOSCANA

A. RURAL LOCATIONS: All have parking and good food options nearby

1. Relais La Saracina www.lasaracina.it 230 to 300E
Fabulous country home near Montepulciano—helpful owners

2. Cretaiole Agriturismo http://www.cretaiole.it/ Good value for families

3. Terre di Nano www.terredinano.com 100 to 155
Both rooms and apartments at rural Agriturismo near Monticchiello

4. Casanova di Pescille http://www.casanovadipescille.com/ 100E
Rural B&B 3 KM from famed San Gimignano—we loved the views of San Gim.

5. Fattoria Tregole www.fattoria-tregole.com 110E to 180E
Has both B&B and apartment accommodations. Near Castellina in Chianti

6. Agriturismo apts. near San Quirico— www.poggiolo.info/ About 110E

B. IN-TOWN LOCATIONS: For walking convenience to shops & ristorantes.

1. Palazzo del Capitano www.palazzodelcapitano.com 130 to 180E
Very nice small hotel in center of San Quirico—perfect location to explore.

2. Vecchia Oliviera www.tuscany.net/oliviera/ 130 to 180E
Nice 4 star hotel at the gate into lovely Montalcino---has pool.

3. Palazzina Cesari www.montalcinoitaly.com 80 to 110E
Lovely small B&B in heart of Montalcino—great value—2 night stay minimum.

4. Locanda di San Francesco www.locandasanfrancesco.it 180 to 200E
New boutique B&B in a lovely location in Montepulciano—great reviews !

5. Politian apartments http://www.politian.com/ Good value apts. with
minimum stay of 3 nights in Montepulciano---helpful host---85E

6. Palazzo Ravizza www.palazzoravizza.it 130 to 180E
Very nice & popular hotel in Siena with parking.

7. Fattoria Vignale http://www.vignale.it/eng/ Four star hotel in Radda in the heart of Chianti. About 230E for double

Are you driving or taking the train? If going by train then the trip from Florence will be much faster than from nearly any other location in Tuscany.

Much of Tuscany is quite rural and not immediately on a high speed highway, so for the most part the same thing is true if you are traveling by car - you won't save all that much overall travel time if you are overnighting in say Montepulciano.

I really don't like moving around from night to night - you will lose a lot of time just changing hotels each day.

Yikes. Is it a pretty drive? Is the trip faster or easier by train? Since we fly out of Rome, we figured doing Rome last was the best way to go, but a 4 hour drive takes up so much of one of our precious days (unless it's a nice drive). So, what's our best mode of travel from Tuscany to the Amalfi Coast and if by train, what city is best (quickest) to depart from in Tuscany? Thanks!

It sounds like you are using the Tuscan countryside as a pit stop between Florence and the Amalfi coast. I would choose one or the other. The Tuscan countryside is so beautiful and there is so much to see there, it seems like a pity to be there for such a short while. I cannot speak for the Amalfi coast but I know from others that it will be SOOOOO crowded and hot in August that it might be worthwhile to leave it for another trip sometime to Italy.

The drive is almost all autostrada and you will by-pass Rome and Naples. I would then drop the car in Sorrento and go on by SITA bus. It will also be hot and crowded--as is most of Italy in August.

I agree about the heat! We lived in Italy for a year or so and August is when everybody goes to the beach, so Amalfi will be jammed with people and very expensive. I'd stay in Tuscany, perhaps in Arezzo which is just 40 minutes by train from Florence and relatively untouristy. From there you can do great day trips by car to Siena, Assisi and the hilltowns around and about - perhaps even into Florence again. There's a good website for local accommodation and information: http://www.arezzotuscanapartments.com/

This is not the furthest place south in Tuscany, but if you decide to scrap the Amalfi idea and just want a recommendation for the Tuscan countryside, the San Savernano is a charming agriturismo just off the A1. It is about 30 min from Greve in Chianti, so you can easily do day trips in Chianti. The owners are lovely and the photos on the website don't do it justice. Check out the reviews. Highly recommended and not too expensive. The dinners are good, and the view from the terrace is gorgeous. We stayed there when there was a heat wave in Florence and we still did not need the AC at night.
http://www.agriturismosavernano.com/...ce-tuscany.htm

I would definitely stay at least 3 or 4 nights in Tuscany so you can really have time to relax and feel the magic atmosphere.

Val d'Orcia is the perfect area for you, as you are looking for the south part of Tuscany (read about it here: http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allt...ia-in-tuscany/ ). You could visit for example:

- Buonconvento (http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allt...ages-of-italy/ )

- San Quirico D'Orcia ( http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allt...he-pilgrimage/ )

Of course there is also Siena and August is a great month because there is the Palio Horse Race (http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allt...rse-race-2010/)

If you need more info, you can contact me via twitter: http://www.twitter.com/aroundtuscany

I work for Tuscany's Social Media Team and I am here to help you. :)

Hope you have a fantastic honeymoon in Tuscany and please give me your feedback.

Ciao ciao

Barbara

Right off Autostrada 1 in Montevarchi is a great 4 star Hotel Valdarno (they have a website) also it is the largest Prada outlet.