Winter Travel in Tuscany
Oct 1st, 2005, 06:32 PM
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Winter Travel in Tuscany
We plan to vacation in Tuscany between Dec. 26 and Jan. 9. Is touring Tuscany by car worthwhile at that time of the year? Would we be better off visiting just a few cities or towns by train?
Oct 5th, 2005, 07:56 PM
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I definitely think it is worth it. Driving in Tuscany is one of the few places I enjoy driving in Italy! The countryside will be a little brown, but still very pretty, and traffic will be much lighter than in the summer months. Tuscany isn't really lush even in summer, so I still think you would find it beautiful, and on clear days you will see snowy mountains in the distance. You may even have a light dusting of snow yourself which will make things very pretty indeed. The hillside towns will be just as charming. Dress for the weather and be flexible, if the weather looks gray and rainy, skip the drive as it may get icy; or head back early if the weather starts to change.
One thing you may find in smaller villages is that restaurants and shops are closed the week between Christmas and New Years, so bring a picnic lunch just in case. Also not sure if all the wineries will be open that week, but the same would be true whether you go by train.
There is a very good walking guide to Tuscany published by Sunflower books. They also have suggestions for tours by car with short hikes. Their website is http://www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk, you can also buy their books at amazon.com. The walking is great in the area as well.
One thing you may find in smaller villages is that restaurants and shops are closed the week between Christmas and New Years, so bring a picnic lunch just in case. Also not sure if all the wineries will be open that week, but the same would be true whether you go by train.
There is a very good walking guide to Tuscany published by Sunflower books. They also have suggestions for tours by car with short hikes. Their website is http://www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk, you can also buy their books at amazon.com. The walking is great in the area as well.
Oct 13th, 2005, 05:18 PM
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We arrive in Bologna on Dec. 27 and fly out of Florence Jan. 9. We plan to spend Dec. 27 (part day) and 28 in Bologna, leaving on the 29th. Jan. 7 and 8 and perhaps the 6th we plan to be in Florence. We expect to pick a smaller town as a base for the rest of the trip and tour the countryside and villages. At this point we haven't decided the routes or villages to be visited but we also are thinking about 1 day in Siena.
