How to see the best of Tuscany without a car in 5 days

C

Carminethecat7

New member
My fiance and I are going to be in Tuscany for a few days in September and have lots of questions that maybe some of the pros can aswer :)

We are flying in Bologna and plan to spend the night there and then do some miandering about. Then we are thinking of staying 3-4 nights in the center of Poggibonsi because it's near the train and bus stations and we can take day trips from there around Chianti and other parts of Tuscany. We are likely flying out from Florence after that so we will try to spend the last night or two in Florence.

Overall, we are interested in relaxing in the gorgeous country side, soaking in the view, maybe by a pool, visiting some wineries, some picturesque villages and castles and maybe doing some hiking. We are big food and wine enthusiasts. We would also like to visit some combination of Cinque Terre, San Gimignano, Siena and Cortona. But are open to suggestions on this one?

Although we will most likely end up staying in the center of town in Poggibonsi, we are still considering some villas in the surrounding outskirts. We are just worried about getting to and from those villas without a car. Are there any local buses that run through the country side? I was looking at ACV and SITA. I tried to find a good map of all the different bus lines and bus stations but am having a really hard time (although I did find the horario). What about taxis from Poggibonsi to the surrounding countryside? What would the rates be?

***Oh and we are trying to do all of this in the least expensive way possible :)

We welcome any tips and/or advice you would be able to provide on how we should organize all of this?
Thank you much!
 
Taxis in Italy

Just a quick note about using taxis in Italy - especially the smaller towns. They are not like the TV images of NYC...its not always easy to find them "hanging out" or flag one down which is bee bopping around from place to place. There are taxi stands, however in the smaller towns they will not be there at all times of the day. You should make a note of the phone number for the taxi office in the area you are staying and keep it with you so you can call and either make a reservation so it is there waiting for you or call when you get in (especially if you are arriving at late or super early hours).
 
Ciao!

I have to be honest and say that Poggibonsi is great as far as a hub for traveling around but it isn't very well-known for being an attraction on its own.
It is quite modern, the historical center is quite small... so you'll definitely be using it as a base as you travel around. In that sense, it will be great.

You either have to stay in the center to be close to the train station... or past the urban sprawl that surrounds the town which has become quite industrial/commercial in nature to get to the beautiful Tuscan countryside beyond. Head either in the direction of San Gimignano or Castellina for the best views ;).

Having said that, these are the bus lines that work within Poggibonsi (called urbani):
http://www.tiemmespa.it/index.php/Viaggia-con-noi/Orari-e-linee/Siena/Urbano/Poggibonsi
the second link at the bottom is a map of the lines, a conceptual map more than an actual map but might help when viewing possible places out in the countryside.

You know what would be a better base? San Gimignano!
There are lots of buses that go from there to Poggibonsi, and then from there you can move on to other areas... there are "agriturimo" within walking distance out of San Gimignano as well and you can do walks around that area. We ourselves did a walk recently on a "white road" just outside of town and there were lots of lodging choices along that road. I've started mapping out the route which you should be able to see here: https://goo.gl/maps/rnPiz
and eventually will add it to the site ;) Check out the accommodations here: http://www.discovertuscany.com/san-gimignano-accommodation/
the Torre Palagetto and La Lucciolaia are outside and within "walking" distance, if you like to walk... the Torre is closer but not on my map as it is right below SG past the first parking lot (which I consider easy walk into town)... the Lucciolaia is on the red line on the map so it is farther away. If you zoom in on the map, there are others that start coming up.

In any case, wherever you consider staying - ask the owners directly for info on moving around. Clearly having your own car in the area would be ideal but it is also possible to do it with buses - just plan for it to take longer, and to see a little less than you would like. Last 2 nights in Florence are a must, for sure!
 
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