eatdrinkbike

We're quivering w/ anticipation about our upcoming trip to Tuscany. Do any of you seasoned veterans have any insights on the locale you'd care to share?

pwrshift

You might find this BBS of interest in your research of this area of Italy:

Italy - Forum Slow Travel Community

Tuscany is a wonderful area to relax and enjoy the good life. The HCC location seems to be a fair distance from the major sites you may want to visit, so you'll need wheels for sure for a ton of day trips unless you've done it all before. Enjoy.

Gabby

We spent 3 weeks there last spring. While it sits in a gorgeous rural setting near Cortona, it is very conveniently located for many wonderful daytrips to Tuscan and Umbrian hilltowns. Yes, a car is a must, although we used the train (also very close to the station) for longer daytrips to Rome and Florence, about 1.5 to 2 hours by train. Villa Petrischio also can arrange guided tours to towns throughout the area. We took their Brunello winetour to Montalcino and another to Assisi and they were well worth the expense, knowledgeable guides and got to enjoy the trip rather than concentrating on driving. Daytrips that are a must: Siena, San Gigamino (sp), Assisi and Deruta in Umbria, Pienza and Montepulciano, Lake Tresimento, Greve en Chianti, and Montalcino in Tuscany as well as Rome and Florence, of course, if you haven't been there.
The Villa itself is surrounded by beautiful gardens and vineyards. You will enjoy every minute of your stay.

eatdrinkbike

Great advice, thanks

3DH

If you rent a car, make sure to read the fine print, you may need to get an "international driver permit" from your local AAA office. It is a very minimal fee, but is required in several countries, especially when renting vehicles.

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"Boutique" is better! Another extremely satisfied LUSSO member!

rob

We stayed at the Tuscany location last fall and had a wonderful time. I agree with what has been written especially when it comes to mobility. If you have the courage to drive in Italy by all means rent a car. We rented a car from the Rome airport and had no trouble driving in Italy. The Italians are actually very good drivers...its their passion...just stay out of their way. The small roads that you will use in Tuscany are not that dificult and a car will allow you to visit many of the wonderful and beautiful small towns and will also give you a much better feeling for this country side. If you plan visit a winery make reservations well in advance. We waited till the last minute and could not get a reservation at the better wine tours.
The high point of our stay was a two day hike to the Cinque Terra. You have to plan this in advance and take the train to the coast...I am a seasoned hiker(Africa-Alps, etc)and I must tell you that this is one of the most picture perfect hikes that I have seen. It think it is a must if you like a little challange.(look this location up on the internet or ask Chris Stock to help).
Good Luck...High Country has provided us with a great take out point in their location in Tuscany

eatdrinkbike

Rob
Thanks for the advice.
What wine tours would you recommend?