seeking local advice for my trip...

[JudgeM]

Hi, Thank you for this website.
I'm planning a solo three weeks in September in Tuscany hoping to make local friends and enjoy a lifetime experience. I wish to pay a fee to someone to assist me in planning my trip.
To narrow things down, I want to ride a bicycle and Vespa a lot, meet local people and experience the culture, learn and grow. I am an outdoorsman who loves life and people, who loves to work and socialize, and one open to new experiences.
I don't know where to begin selecting a base, but I really like the idea of Siena.
I've never been to Italy and am very excited to go.
Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[Lourdes]

Ciao and welcome to our forum!

Siena would make a great base, especially if you're going to head out with either a Vespa or on bike.... just know that Siena is "hilly" so you need to have good legs (cycle often) or think about an e-bike there are also buses to take you to nearby towns and also guided tours that take care of transportation out of the city, particularly essential if you'd like to go wine tasting on any day and don't want to deal with the driving there and back.

First, you need to decide whether you want to spend the entire 3 weeks there or to move "a bit" and maybe even have two bases.

We generally don't help directly in planning trips but do offer lots of suggestions and you make decisions and book yourself.
So for now, if you're comfortable working with that, we can offer ideas and go from there, feel free to keep posting and asking, maybe even focusing on one aspect at a time.

I say start from thinking about what you'd like to do during those 3 weeks - stay put some days or be out and about every single day? Do you want to stay at a place that offers a pool and lounge around on some days or does that not matter at all? That choice will guide you whether you stay in the city or countryside. Do you want to "settle in" and cook some meals? That will guide you on deciding whether you want to stay at a hotel or in an apartment with its own kitchen. There are countless options so try to imagine where you see yourself when you are at your "base". Do you need to also "work" remotely during those 3 weeks or are they completely for emerging yourself in local culture? I ask because some places offer essential WiFi but not great enough for connecting for zoom meetings.

So just some things to get you going forward, I can see you're already dreaming of creating a special lifetime experience and have given some thought to the general dream, now to make it a reality the next step is to start thinking more concretely! Hope we can help you get there