Easy-to-follow maps (including color maps of Tuscany, central Florence, and greater Florence) Trip planning: When to go, pre-trip checklist, festivals and holidays, recommended books and movies You can look at the map and add a "way point" on your GPS route to keep you going in the right direction. Welcome to the Rick Steves Travel Forum for Europe and beyond! For only $65 EU/nite we had an apt overlooking the pool and with a view to die for. A Garmin Nuvii that will accept an SD card will be your best friend. Photo: Cameron Hewitt. Answer 1 of 10: I am relying on the Rick Steves travel guide to set up an itinerary for a trip to Florence this March. Smaller text Larger text. If you rent a car in Florence, do so from the airport to avoid driving into or around the city center. How do I get to Tuscany and what are the best ways to travel in Italy? If any of you any have other valuable recommendations, please send them my way. Our first Agri (Agri. As a lead guide with Rick Steves' Europe, Francesco shows travelers the joys of his homeland on several of our Italy tours, including (naturally) the Best of Tuscany tour. Noté /5. About Rick; Explore Europe; Our Tours; Travel Tips; Watch, Read, Listen; Travel Forum. Tour Account › Travel Forum › Home / Travel Forum / Italy / TUSCANY; Please sign in to post. Wedged between Florence and Rome, rural Tuscany offers the quintessential Italian experience: sun-soaked hill … Driving is easy in Tuscany. we have four days before we return to car to rome. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. I don't recommend driving at night though, as the Italians are very creative drivers. 2) Rent/buy a GPS (and Italian maps that are compatible w/ GPS). Monday Night Travel. Visit the slowtrav site, check out these directions (http://www.ballofdirt.com/entries/8228/163992.html) to Saturnia, or google Saturnia hot springs. In Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany you'll find in-depth Rick-tested information on:. My Account. there are some bus services but with a month and more than 1 person a car is a must. We relied heavily on Rick Steves 2017 guidebook for our planning, and it was a lifesaver. We were thinking Lucca so we would have access to transportation (trains) to visit Tuscany. Shop Rick's Travel Store. Get it as soon as Wed, Feb 5. I did a weekly rental through Autoeurope last May, and it was under $250. This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity. It was fantatic. Get a small car so parking will be easier. Rick Steves. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy, http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm, http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/index.htm, http://www.ballofdirt.com/entries/8228/163992.html. Frallarenza) was just outside of Orvieto, and we used it as a base to explore the area for four days. Next Entry » Italy and the British Isles. The GPS will sometimes try to take you on routes that aren't the way you really want to go. This will help me as I plan our trip. My inspiration for this piece is the arrival of our just-announced Best of Tuscany in 12 Days Tour , which weaves together, in some form or another, virtually all of the experiences I’ve described here. Train service is minimal in and thru Tuscany. Jump to bottom. Ask a question or share advice. Wow! Any suggestions? 4.8 out of 5 stars 10. Rick Steves Pienza « Previous Entry. Rick Steves at the Siena’s Palio: an experience not to be missed. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion I would add one more thing. I am well traveled but, not in Italy. Roads are easy to navigate. In the video here on the right, Rick Steves describes Tuscany with fondness, showing us beautiful images of the Siena and Florence countryside. Home / Blog: Cameron's Travels; Posted on November 25, 2020 by Cameron Hewitt. Be sure to take or rent a GPS, which will make navigating in rural Tuscany much easier. Picked up at Rome airport and dropped off at Florence airport. We've been contemplating renting a car, but won't need it for the whole month. Be sure to buy a Michelen print map to take with you! What is the easiest way to get from the Florence airport to a small Tuscan town? Smaller text Larger text. By Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw. Travel Forum; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. Also, you might add hot springs to your list of things to do. Retrouvez DEL-Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2005 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. Both places were central locations that we used as bases to explore the surrounding hill towns and places of interest. 1) Rent a car. Both had great owners who would spend as much time as you wanted providing tips on what to see, where to eat, etc. Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany (Rick Steves Travel Guide) Part of: Rick Steves Travel Guide(32 Books) | by Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw | Dec 3, 2019. We use their web site, and then book and pay for our car here. Home / Blog: Cameron's Travels; Posted on July 31, 2019 August 7, 2019 by Cameron Hewitt. We wanted to limit car rental but not totally against it. Posted by James (Florida) on 03/25/11 05:37 PM. We only had three weeks and wanted to visit the smaller towns, so we rented a car. Make sure you get a small car like a Fiat Panda (we got a great rate from Hertz and it made checking in for the car a piece of cake because we reserved stateside prior to our trip). Definitely get the Garmin with European maps. Try a search if people don't post argiturismo suggestions, as that topic has come up several times in the past. How to choose? Achetez neuf ou d'occasion A Memorable Thanksgiving in Tuscany. Take a cooking class — … Don't venture into these zones or you will be heavily fined, especially in Florence. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon . Noté /5. Our next stop was in the Chianti area, and the self contained apt was wonderful at the Agri Borgo Sichelle. Choose a message board from the menus below or see the latest from All Topics. Getting lost is fun (if you're going to get lost in Italy) but the road signs are confusing and frustrating. I have EyeWitness Rome, Lonely Planet Italy and Insight Guides Italy. Paperback $16.79 $ 16. Rick Steves: Tuscany for beginners. Noté /5. Rick Steves writes terrific European guide books, especially if you are on a budget and like to do nerdly things, like visiting small and odd museums. TUSCANY. I would also go to the slowtrav site (http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/road_signs/index.htm) and gather/print (in color) all the road signs and rules into a handy reference guide. Smaller text Larger text. Travel Forum; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity. Extensive coverage of Florence's many museums, down to individual pieces and gallery layouts. And it’s becoming clear that nobody will (or should) be going anywhere this winter. Both agris were self-contined, giving us the option to dine in or out. I suggest you rent a car. Home / Blog: Cameron's Travels; Posted on July 31, 2019 August 7, 2019 by Cameron Hewitt. Advertisement. We spent one week in Tuscany/Umbria, and absolutely loved it. Learn to use it before you go. Buon viaggio! There are scads of posts about the infamous ZTL (zona traffico limitato) in Florence and the fines that can be racked up there. We found that dinners out were so cheap, and fantastic, that we could not pass them up. Got us from Florence to Siena, to Montelcino, to Lucca, to La Spezia, to Pisa and back to Florence. These detailed maps will be very helpful in navigating to parking areas. I was Italy in April and Tuscany is very difficult to navigate (several Italians agreed with me on this point). Answer 1 of 4: We are liking the basic concept of the itineray laid out by Rick Steves: Rome 3 nights Sorrento 3 nights then heading to/through Tuscany. It can easily be returned in Siena (Avis) if you only need it for a short time. Or…let someone else do all that planning. I stay away from Hertz because they automatically charge any fines you may incur to your credit card (don't drive in Siena or Florence or you will loose many $$$$$ in ZTL traffic zone tickets!). Also, I suggest adding your routes in as "favorites" before you go. Public transportation is limited, but available on certain routes. Have a wonderful trip. In this travel class, Rick Steves describes Italy's Tuscany and Umbria — adjoining regions famous for their scenery, food, wine, and fine cities and hill towns (including Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Volterra, San Gimignano, Orvieto, Civita, and Assisi). Let me echo Scott & Frank. We're hoping to travel by train mostly. On our Best of Tuscany in 12 Days tour — among other things — you'll need to happily… Carry/roll your luggage over uneven pavement (possibly several blocks) and up stairways to reach your hotel, then up several flights of stairs to reach your room. Just be aware that many, if not all, of the historic hill towns will have restricted traffic zones which help to reduce traffic in their historic centers. Thanksgiving in Tuscany: A Treasured Travel Memory. If staying at an agriturismo, a car is a must. If you do rent a car in Italy, DO buy a GPS with European Maps. About Rick; Explore Europe; Our Tours; Travel Tips; Watch, Read, Listen; Travel Forum. tuscany - Rick Steves Travel Forum we are driving from milan to cinque terre, then to lucca, then to florence. Feel free to browse to post questions and answers. In case you missed something, here are 8 great ideas for your upcoming visit to Tuscany. Retrouvez Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2008 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. Adding gas and tolls, total cost for the car was about $350. I’ve just wrapped up a blog series on my Tuscan Thanksgiving. Smaller text Larger text. You should check it out. 99 $23.99 $23.99. Posted by Debra (Tampa, FL, USA) on 03/25/07 03:44 PM. Thanks again. We flew into Rome and picked up our car at the airport, and headed North. There is also a 30-day trial program you can download that will ding dong the heck out of your ears warning you about the traffico controller cameras. It would have been impossible to do without the rental car. We simply enjoyed the freedom to go where we wanted, when we wanted and the confidence that it was accurately guiding us. First 2 weeks in October is a fabulous (free) chestnut and jazz festival in Soriano nel Cimino near Viterbo. To help you get started, we've listed our top picks for where to go in Tuscany, and our plan for your best two-week trip. What is the easiest way to get from the Florence airport to a small Tuscan town? Africa; Antarctica; Asia; C. America & Caribbean; Europe; Middle East; N. America; Oceania; Oceans & Seas; S. America . I spent under $50 for an Italian map set card and it worked with excellence. Retrouvez Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. When he's not guiding Rick's tours, Francesco, along with his wife, Annie, offers virtual wine tastings, Italian language lessons, and trip-planning services. Written in typical Rick Steves style, which I appreciate as offering practical day-to-day tips (for example, how to avoid ticket lines at major attractions), and a straightforward approach on what is a "must-see" versus what is over-hyped. Get help planning your trip. Join our lively community of travelers who exchange advice, tips and experiences. Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Pienza April 23rd 2016. We had a great time driving to Montelcino, routed back through Volterra and on to Lucca. Travel Forum; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. My Account. Noté /5. The place was out in the countryside, located in a beautiful area. The time he recommends that each of his tours take seems rather short to me, eg. It's an essential part of the Rick Steves tour experience. where would you suggest we stay? JP, The rustic farmhouse called Cretaiole perches on a ridge overlooking postcard Tuscan farmlands, less than a 10-minute drive outside of Pienza. Travel Forum; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. I just picked up the 2017 edition of the Rick Steves book on Amazon for $10. 8 Things to Do in Tuscany in 2016 . Smaller text Larger text. Find everything you need for packing — and planning your dream trip to Europe. However, visiting Tuscany and Umbria is best done by car. I stayed in Montalcino, but somewhere in the Siena area would be more central for exploring Tuscany and provides for shorter day-trip drives. But found a few errors that we wanted to mention to help other travelers in Florence: - The Firenze card does not allow you to "skip the line" to climb the Dome. We are on a tight budget and we like rustic! Tuscany is marvelous in all seasons. Wonderful helpful owners. More Buying Choices $12.80 (37 used & new offers) Kindle $16.99 $ 16. It proved to be in an excellent location to explore the area; it was only about 2 miles from the freeway, but out in the country just the same. Posted by JP (Salem) on 06/12/10 05:17 PM. we could split the time up - 2 days each place. Travel Blog » Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Pienza » Blogs » Rick Steves Pienza. Travel Forum / Italy / Tuscany; Please sign in to post. Very rustic, but they had a pool. Get Started; Community Guidelines; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. Smaller text Larger text. Retrouvez Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany 2017 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. New to the forum? … Thank you ALL for your advice! Check Trenitalia website to see train routes. You have just been given some excellent advice by a lot of great people! Renting a car is your best option to get to affordable agriturismos, small towns and wineries. I prefer Garmin products. I will Home / Blog: Cameron's Travels; Posted on February 8, 2016 January 4, 2018 by Cameron Hewitt. Get Started; Community Guidelines; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. (Note; you pay many more $$$ if you pick up a car at an airport, but nothing extra if you drop your car off at an airport). Jump to bottom. Experience Tuscany: Lick Artisanal Gelato. Debra, if you know you can get the train from where you are staying you can at least visit the main cities, but the smaller town would probably require taking the bus and you could spend a lot of time waiting. In Chianti there was a wonderful!osteria right down the road. Retrouvez Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2012 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. They now require reservations and they are typically sold out for same day and next day, so make sure you get your reservations when you arrive. The best price they offered this time was with Hertz, but I paid a little more and used their second choice; Europecar. Sagras are a local festival that lots of towns have. Get started! Tuscany offers a dolce vita mix of hearty cuisine, fascinating history, and gentle beauty. For all of the details on everything described here, check out our Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany guidebook. They are all a little different and kind of specialize in different things. Tuscany. For people staying more than three weeks a lease is usally a better deal than a rental, plus you get a new car. 1. Home / Blog; Posted on November 23, 2016 by . Learn about Rick Steves' small-group tours with more than 40 great itineraries for 2021! We were rather suspicious about the accuracy of this as the Italians went zooming by while we were going the speed limit. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion Tour Account › Travel Forum › Home / Travel Forum / Italy / Tuscany; Please sign in to post. We've been contemplating renting a car, but won't need it for the whole month. Jump to bottom. We used this continuously when we came across a puzzling sign. Practicalities. See http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm. We just got back and spent two weeks driving throughout Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. Experience Tuscany: Visit Off-Season — and Have the Place to Yourself. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion Noté /5. Once out of the cityscape and off the autostrada, you will truly enjoy driving the Italian countryside. Forum; Photos. Destination Q&A . Home / Blog: Cameron's Travels; Posted on July 31, 2019 August 7, 2019 by Cameron Hewitt. 79 $23.99 $23.99. I have done it and was very glad I did. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion So much to see, so little time. Our spacious well equiped one bedroom apt only cost $75 EU/nite. Tuscany. My friends and I are renting a villa in Tuscany (near Siena)for 1 month in July. Eight months later, our world remains upside-down. He has never steered me wrong on accommodations. There are some incredible knock-your-socks-off free hot springs in Saturnia. Uffizi tour 2 hours, Medici Chapels tour 1 hour. My friends and I are renting a villa in Tuscany (near Siena)for 1 month in July. Also, do some research for holidays during the time you're going. Noté /5. I am planning a trip to Tuscany for our 7th wedding anniversary. The Roman amphitheater at Volterra is quite a find. My wife wants to stay at Agroturismo's, visit farmers markets, cute villages, eat, drink wine, ride bikes, walk, and enjoy the Tuscan landscape. We just got back last week. Travel Forum; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. Our favorite restaurant in Orvoieto was La Palombo. Maybe 10 kilometers from Orvieto, so we dined there each nite. Tuscany - Rick Steves Travel Forum Going to spend a week in Tuscany in mid March and would like to stay in one location. Retrouvez Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2009 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. JP - Tuscany is a big, rural area. Travel Forum / Italy / Tuscany; Please sign in to post. We usually use Auto Europe, an rental broker in the US, to find the best price. Just to repeat what others are saying: 1) rent a car and 2) get at a minimum a good detailed map- but you really should get a GPS if possible. Start planning your trip to Italy! Amazing gelato abounds in Italy — and Tuscany is no exception. Join Rick and his team of travel-savvy teachers every Monday night on Zoom as we explore Europe (and beyond) together. As we anticipate the arrival of Thanksgiving, my fellow guidebook writer Cameron Hewitt shares a beautiful travelers’ holiday message on his blog. 3) Visit the named Agri's. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion Only two self-contained apts. Travel Forum; Shop Online; Rick Steves' Europe. Travel Forum / Italy / TUSCANY; Please sign in to post. AND, I would print out detailed city maps for the smaller towns from Google or Mapquest to also use as references. Experience Tuscany: Sleep (and Eat) at an Agriturismo.