tuscany & liguria (cinque terre/portofino)

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sgrima

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hi

my wife and I shall be staying in tuscany/liguria for 7 nights (4-11 june 2013). we have already been to florence on a separate trip, so we were thinking of spending 4 nights in tuscany and 3 in liguria (mainly to see cinque terre and portofino).

we will be renting a car.

any suggestions as to what area is - or are, as perhaps it would be better to stay in 2 places - best for staying in? preferably somewhere which is not dead quiet in the evening, such a solitary agriturismo, but at least a small village/hamlet with some osteria/trattoria...

we have already been to firenze on a separate trip, so we can skip that.
thanks
 
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lots of choices!

Ciao sgrima,

Don't worry, even when you are in the countryside, you aren't that far away from civilization ;-). They are often very close to towns where you'll find osterie and trattorie, so you have lots of options.

Considering you want to divide your 7 days between Tuscany and Liguria, you have two options:

1. if you do want to stay in an agriturismo, your best best is one location as June is already considered high season and many won't rent for less than a week. In that case, you could look for something pretty central to Liguria and Tuscany, which would be around the Lucca or Pisa area - not exactly on the coast so that you can still drive into Chianti and Siena, as well as norto the Cinque Terre/Portofino (I recommend parking along the coast before or in La Spezia and then catching ferry to Portofino and Cinque Terre or train to CT.

For ideas, start looking here for accommodation in Pisa and surroundings.

2. if you aren't looking for the countryside/agriturismo experience, you can more easily divide your trip and stay more central in Tuscany, maybe in the Chianti area or around San Gimignano, as an example.
Then move to CT or Portofino to explore that area.

For some ideas in this area, take a look at this page, and in particular, at Casolare di Libbiano and Palazzo Malaspina.

Let me know if there is something that catches your eye so I might think of other properties specifically.... for now, you have to see what's out there and decide what appeals to you more ;-)
 
hi lourdes

thanks for the info.... meanwhile we booked in another place in San Donato in Poggio, as Palazzo Malaspina was booked for part of the time, for the first 3 nights... we then move to another B&B in Moneglia, for another 3 nights, with a final night in Pisa...

I can send you the names, if it is OK with you...
 
No, you don't have to, only if you want to! :) I don't know all of the places in Tuscany either, too many of them ;-)

Sounds like you went with option 2, which sounds like the better option so you don't have to be driving back and forth... so all seems to be coming together pretty well!

If you need any other help, let me know!
 
hi lourdes

i am posting my review of Le Terrazze del Chianti in San Donato in Poggio, as it is through your site that I decided to stay there:


"The B&B is located in the middle of the excellently preserved, peaceful village of San Donato in Poggio, with a view of the hills of the Chianti region from the terrace. It is an excellent base to explore the Chianti region and towns by car. Paolo and Valeria are very friendly, and take time to talk to their guests and help them plan their trip... they serve an excellent breakfast, with home made cakes, and they have placed a good deal of attention to detail in the decor of the B&B, whose rooms are spacious and clean. You can enter the town to drop and pick up bags, and the parking is only a couple of minutes' walk away. I would definitely stay again and recommend this place without hesitation. "

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/le-...m;sid=46da06a464794b908a8e021f52581838;dcid=1
 
Sounds like you had a lovely time at this B&B! Are you still in Tuscany? Hope you let us know how the whole week has gone and share any tips of things you learned or wish you had known before, or things you'd now tell others before making their way to Tuscany :)

Sorry weather has been so gray and wet this year, though... it seems like summer is still a long ways from coming to Tuscany this year :/
 
hi lourdes

our holiday ended today :(

we stayed in san donato in poggio the first 3 days, also visiting siena, montepulciano - wanted to go on to pienza and montalcino but didn't have enough time - monteriggioni, san gimignano, volterra, the "in chianti" villages (greve, gaiole, radda, castellina and panzano), lucca, bagnone ( a lunigiana village) and pisa (last day).

we also spent 3 nights in moneglia, liguria, also visiting the 5 terre and porto venere, as well as sestri levante, santa margherita ligure, portofino, and our favourite, camogli...

PS Weather was not too bad this week....it rained whilst we were in Montepulciano and less in Monteriggioni, and then again when at Portofino and less in Camogli.
 
wow, really impressed you fit in so much in 3 days in Tuscany! hope you're not too tired from your vacation now :D I think you'll just have to come back and see what you missed and more off the beaten track places - such as the Casentino and Maremma :)
 
actually 3 and 1/2 days... and 2 and 1/2 in liguria...

yes, another holiday in this region would not be amiss :)
 
there really is much more to see, and also having more time and seeing things in less of a hurry makes for a different experience as well.... longer lunches and dinners, in any case :D
 
Hello, flying from NY to Milano, arriving by the end of September for about 10 days

Hi Lourdes, I need some tips from your good experience in Italy. Arriving to Milan I will go to Lago di Como for 2 nights (What train is convenient to make fast ?). Coming back to Milano centrale, I will visit Brescia staying one night there(I would like to visit also Bergamo or Lago di Garda, but I think I won't have time beacuase I must be in Torino that night (By train,or cheap flight?). In Torino I'll stay 2 nights without knowing what to do...and after that I will take a train To La Spezia to visit Cinqueterre, staying there 1 night (I don't know if I will have enough time- and energy-..) from there I would like you help me with this: I want to visit Pisa, Siena and San gimignano to avoid Firenze because I was there in another trip. At that point I would like to hava a deep relaxation and massage if it's possible in a Terme. And then, I want to visit Bologna one night (or two) .then Milano, (the last supper) same day airport, overnight and going back Home. SUGGESTIONS PLEASE....!!! Thank you Lourdes!!
 
Rita,

No disrepect here whatsoever, but you are all over the place!

If you have no idea what to do in Torino, why go there in the first place?
What makes you want to stay in Bergamo? It isn't really a destination for visitors, so why make a stop there? Do you already have hotel reservations where you are blocked into some places for the nights or do you still have to decide everything and so we can rearrange the itinerary?

For your 10 days, I would take stuff out and relax a bit more - how about first making the traveling a bit more "circular" so that you aren't going back and forth?

My proposal:
Arrive in Milan, head down to Cinque Terre - choose one of the 5 towns or Levanto as your base and spend two nights there.
Train down to Pisa, spend the night - there is San Giuliano Terme nearby, so you can stay there -- so see Pisa in the day, spend the rest of the afternoon and day at the spa and treat yourself!
Next day continue by bus to SIENA, spend 2 nights here - using it as a base to use bus to go to San Gimignano.
Head back to Florence by bus, then continue by train on to Bologna. Spend the night there before continuing on Lake Como or Lake Garda - not both. Spend 2-3 nights there, moving on to Milan for your last night/s before flying back home.
 
Cinque de Terre tour with overnight

I will be in Florence mid October and I want to go to Cinque de Terre and stay overnight then go back to Florence. Is there a tour agency that does this... pick up from Florence and stay in Cinque de Terre overnight? I will be with my 70 year old mother and I would like the convenience of having tour agency arrange the transportation and tour.
 
It seems you're interested in a private tour - there are many out there who can organize the transport and the guide, except we don't do it ourselves. One such company is Stedop http://stedop.altervista.org/ - running rate from Florence to CT can be anywhere from 450-600 euro (plus vat) depending on length of time of tour.

There are many tour agencies if you search on Google - I'd suggest contacting a few to get a wider offering.
 
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