Agriturismo or town for December?

J

Jvu1991

New member
Hi Lourdes,

I will be in Tuscany December 16-23, and have already booked an agriturismo in val d'orcia for the entire stay- right in between Montepulciano and Montalcino, 30 minute drive to both cities. Closest town is 14 minute drive (Quirico d'Orcia). I DO plan on renting a car.

However, being that it will be in the middle of winter, I'm afraid of big snow storms that will prevent me from going anywhere and being stuck on the farm. There is another agriturismo that I was looking at- 20 minute walk to Greve in Chianti. If it snows and I can't drive anywhere, at least I'll be able to walk into Greve and tour the town or take a train to other cities.

Should I stay with where I'm at? Should I take the agriturismo that is within walking distance to Greve? Or should I abandon all agriturismos and just stay in a city?

I had really hoped to witness the vast, rolling green hills of southern Tuscany and stay on a farm, but not sure how the weather will dictate my trip.

Thank you in advance,
Julia
 
Ciao and welcome to our forum Julia!

Stay where you have already booked! That's a great area, even in winter, to go out and explore --- and no snow falls at that latitude! Hills but just not an area that usually gets snow or snowed in at all. I love that area, one of my favorite, being right near San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza.

If you go towards the closest mountain, Monte Amiata, there might be snow up there, at the top (I use the conditional, as we've been having warmer winters and even snow there has been unpredictable, much to the detriment of those who love to ski and the slopes there).

You will need the car to make it easy to move around - your rental should come with snow chains because they are required by law to be carried around in your car between November and April, not because you'll actually need them but are nice to have in case you do.

While there will be some green for sure, keep in mind that vegetation will be in winter phase and thus it won't be as lush as it would be in the spring. Thankfully, cypresses don't lose their leaves over winter so those will maintain the Tuscany look/feel you want to experience. ;)
 
Lourdes said:
Ciao and welcome to our forum Julia!

Stay where you have already booked! That's a great area, even in winter, to go out and explore --- and no snow falls at that latitude! Hills but just not an area that usually gets snow or snowed in at all. I love that area, one of my favorite, being right near San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza.

If you go towards the closest mountain, Monte Amiata, there might be snow up there, at the top (I use the conditional, as we've been having warmer winters and even snow there has been unpredictable, much to the detriment of those who love to ski and the slopes there).

You will need the car to make it easy to move around - your rental should come with snow chains because they are required by law to be carried around in your car between November and April, not because you'll actually need them but are nice to have in case you do.

While there will be some green for sure, keep in mind that vegetation will be in winter phase and thus it won't be as lush as it would be in the spring. Thankfully, cypresses don't lose their leaves over winter so those will maintain the Tuscany look/feel you want to experience. ;)
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Ciao Lourdes,

Thank you so much for replying!

I’m honestly leaning towards staying in a small town because it gets dark around 5pm and I’m fearful of driving in the country at dark (I read the roads get icy!)

Is it possible to have views of the landscape from inside the city walls? I’d like the best of both worlds- views of green landscape with vineyards and olive trees + plenty of things to do indoors (food, wine, shop, cooking class).

Currently my options are : montepulciano, Arezzo, siena

what do you think?
 
In that case, you can definitely avoid renting the car and go on day trips using bus/trains.

I'd highly suggest Siena, that way you also get to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere with all the decorations and the Christmas market/stands set up.
I love Siena, if you choose a place along the walls you definitely also get views of the countryside. It is a pretty small town overall. We've stayed at Hotel Athena and had great views from the rooftop terrace.
Here are some ideas as far as day trips go: https://www.discovertuscany.com/siena/what-to-do/day-trips-from-siena.html
 
Ciao and welcome, Julia!

You've chosen a great area to explore, even in winter—no heavy snowfall at that latitude! I love being near San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza. If you venture up to Monte Amiata, there might be some snow, but it’s become unpredictable due to warmer winters.

A car will make getting around easier, and be sure your rental includes snow chains, as they’re required by law from November to April—just in case! While the landscape will be less lush in winter, the cypress trees will still provide that beautiful Tuscan vibe. Enjoy your trip!
 
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