We travelled to Italy with another couple in September 2014. We covered the central / northern parts – Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Levanto (including Cinque Terre) and Milan before flying to London for a few days.
We booked everything ourselves and found that three nights in each place worked nicely. Bed & Breakfasts were easy to find on Trip Advisor and I made the point to make direct contact with the owners. I will provide links to the B & B’s we liked.
No need to worry about what wine to order in the restaurants as the house wine is quite good and we were never disappointed with the house Chianti. I think it is a crime to serve poor wine in Italy!
We used trains and rented a car for a few days to get around. Unless you book a tour, you will need a car to explore the Chianti and Tuscany regions. They are wonderful to see with small towns and rolling hills and valleys.
We started off in Florence and no need for a car there as it will just get in the way. From Florence, we took the train to Siena and that is where we picked up a car for six days. We covered the Chianti and Tuscany regions from Siena and San Gimignano. We dropped the car back in Siena and took the train from Siena to Pisa, with one train change Empoli. We toured the Leaning Tower of Pisa before boarding a train for Levanto which is at the north end of Cinque Terre (Five Villages). From Levanto we took a train to Milan to complete our vacation in Italy. This all turned out to be a great route and we stayed a total of 14 nights in Italy – three nights in each city with the exception of Milan where we only had two nights.
- Car and Trains
Renting and driving a car in Italy is different from in Canada and the United States. The base rental rates seem attractive until you start adding in the various insurance charges. Some of the insurance is mandatory as part of the rental and some is optional. We took the “super” insurance to provide greater peace of mind and overall we thought the total rental price was reasonable. They have a lot of accidents in Italy so I think you need all the insurance you can get. We did not want to rely on our credit card insurance coverages or our auto insurance at home.
The cars are standard transmission so be prepared for something you may not be used to. The roads are fairly narrow and there is not a straight piece of road in Italy. The curves and hills are great in the country and not so nice in the urban areas. The towns and cities were built on hills for fortification purposes hundreds of years ago and they have not flattened out for the current tourists. In fact, you cannot drive in the central part of many of the cities like Florence and Siena. Parking is also an issue, particularly as you want to get close to the tourist attractions in the cities. If you drive or park in prohibited places, expect to receive a photo ticket that the car rental agency will forward to you upon your return home. This did not happen to us; however, people we know got nine tickets mailed to them.
The streets are not on the “square” so if you are used to “streets” and “avenues” that run in consistent directions with a sense of organization, you will be out of luck. The hills, curves and back lanes have no obvious plan to them. There are lots of “round-a-bouts” with sometimes five ways to get off. Throw in the Italian street names that use at least 10 to 20 vowels and consonants, and you have driving in Siena. A GPS may have helped as the map did not. The gas attendant we stopped to ask some direction from in the pouring rain was rude and not helpful.
Kathy and our friend were laughing in the back seat as I maneuvered around Siena and now this does seem funny – it was all stressful at the time. Everything turned out good with our rental car and I advice you to be very careful if you intend on renting a car in Italy.
We used the trains to move between cities and towns as well. They were good and we had no issues. There are no trains to San Gimignano and this is a place not to be missed. More on that later.
The train from Florence to Siena was direct and easy to manage. Going from Siena to Levanto required a change in Empoli and also in Pisa. The stop in Pisa allowed us to go to the leaning tower. Do you really need to see another picture? Why not…………….
It is quite a scenic train trip from Pisa to Levanto. We went by Carrara where the marble came from for the “David”. We travelled past Cinque Terre without seeing the Villages as they are right on the coast.
Levanto to Milan was a crowded train ride. The train had separate seating compartments with assigned seating. There were six people to a compartment, three on each side, and it was cozy as our luggage had to go above. Best consider one suitcase each plus a small backpack for the trip.
We liked the trains and have also used them in France, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
- Florence
Florence has to be one of the most interesting cities I have been to. It is a good city for walking and the galleries and museums are spectacular. Michelangelo’s David is a highlight beyond compare and worth the trip to Florence all by itself. There is a market where you can barter for leather goods and souvenirs and the park overlooking the City is very nice.
We stayed at a B & B that was an easy walk for us to central Florence for the tourist attractions. There were good restaurants in the area as well as bus service. There was a winding staircase up to our rooms at the B & B and the host was helpful with suitcases. The room was quite large for Europe and very quiet. We always book accommodation that has in-room bathrooms and this one was fine. Keep in mind the age of these cities and buildings. You can get quite a variety of accommodation in Europe. Here is the contact information for the B & B.
1900 Arte Vita
http://www.1900artevita.com/
VIALE RAFFAELLO SANZIO
50124 FIRENZE
Ph +393471252290 / +393496434924
The breakfast was continental, which is very typical in Europe. Do not expect much, if any, meat options. Nothing special, typical croissants, cheese and fruit. This turned out to be a good location for us and we would stay here again.
- Siena
Siena is built on a hill and the central part is not open for driving or parking. Very nice city to visit and one day is enough to cover the main attractions. You need at least another day to drive around the Chianti region to the north of Siena. Take your time and it is well worth it.
We stayed at a B & B just outside of Siena and would not stay there again. It was okay but I think there are better options to be found. You need a car in this area if you hope to explore the city and region.
The train and train station worked well for coming in and leaving Siena.
- San Gimignano
San Gimignano was another highlight for us in Italy. There is no train service here so you will need a car or go on a tour bus.
We stayed at a B & B “I Coppi” about a 10 to 15 minute walk into the town. The parking was good at the B & B and the views of the valley were spectacular. We sat outside with our wine and took in the scenery. This is the place to stay.
We were with friends so we booked the two rooms on the lower level of the house and there was an adjoining sitting area. Lots of room and comfortable. Breakfast was an exceptional continental with eggs made to your liking. The owner and her mother served the breakfast and it was more than enough. The conversation was pleasant as well. They also sell bottles of wine and the price was fair. Very convenient to enjoy on the well set out patio overlooking the valley.
There is no doubt we would stay here again if we come back. It was not expensive and the location is perfect. Below is the link to the website.
The town can be explored in a day and the restaurants for lunch and super are good. There is a torture museum that is interesting, but not suitable for everyone. The gelato will make your afternoon and they say it is world-famous! There are shops and churches to visit. It does get busy in the late morning as the tourist buses roll in.
The drive in the Tuscany area around San Gimignano took a full day. Get a map and start driving. We went to Volterra and other small towns. No problem finding a lunch place and a cold Moretti beer. We liked the Moretti better than the Peroni. The colours in September were wonderful and this is where the hills and valleys are special. On one gravel back road that I was not keen on trying, we came across a dog herding sheep in a valley. These two photos give a sense of the beauty of the countryside.
- Levanto and the Cinque Terre
This is a place we could have used another day to enjoy the town. We spent our two full days visiting the Cinque Terre (Five Villages) by boat and train and really did not get to see the town the way we wanted. Levanto is on the north end of the Cinque Terre and is a really good place to stay for exploring the Five Villages.
The service provided by our B & B was excellent. The owner met us at the train and took us to the B & B. On the first night he also took us downtown for supper and picked us up. There recommendations for restaurants was very good. The other two nights we walked downtown and back for supper and it was no problem for us. When it was time to leave, he drove us back to the train station. Talk about first class service! We had their only two rooms and they were spacious and comfortable. The continental breakfast was provided on the deck outside our rooms. The contact information for the B & B is as follows.
Affittacamere La Lanterna Sopra il Moggia.
- Milan
I liked Milan, whereas, Kathy was not as much inclined sit is very big. We arrived by train and had a B & B close to the train station that worked well. Very quiet and no issues. There were good restaurants within walking distance and the underground metro was easy for us to use.
The B & B was the BioCity Hotel and it was quite modern as you can see from the bathroom picture below. The price was reasonable and the breakfast was excellent. The contact address is.
We took the metro to see the Cathedral and check out shopping. The metro stop was right in front as we came up from the underground station. There was lots of people in the square and you best be careful for pick pockets as it seemed many people were just hanging around with no obvious purpose. If you look at the following picture closely, you will see video advertising on the side of the Cathedral. Kind of sad because the building is very nice. There were high-end shops next to the Cathedral as well as restaurants and a great ice cream shop. Needless to say, we opted for the ice cream.
Two weeks in Italy and we just touched a few places as there are far more to explore. This was a great trip and one that will stand out for a long time.
My second cup is now empty…………………………..