M and I are off to Tuscany a week today. We are staying in an apartment in Siena but are hoping to make a few day trips to places nearby, Florence, Pisa and other smaller towns. We have decided against hiring a car, but have been told that the train network is pretty good.Have any of you ever been? Any recommendations of where to visit/eat/buy gelato?
How heavenly. If you have time you can get the train to La Spezia then another to the five villages that make up Cinque Terra. Most get the train to Monterosso and walk along the cliff top, past vineyards, to Riomaggiore and pick up the train from there to go home. Our friends got married in Vernazza and it was beautiful - they went to Siena by train as part of their honeymoon. Have a fabulous time!
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinque_Terre
it is impossible to get bad icecream in italy, and once you'vehad it there nothing is ever quite the same again.. everything in Tuscany is beautiful, have a wonderful time. I won't recommend anything because it is yonks since I went, I've spent more time in Rome, but I woulld give my right arm (ha, I'm left handed) to be there right now. nothing is bad over there, just wander wander and wander some more!
ReplyDeleteÇok güzel ve leziz görünüyor.
ReplyDeleteSaygılar.
Perche no in Florence on Via de Tavolini is a good place for gelato. Enjoy your trip.
ReplyDeleteI've never been, am very jealous! Have a great time, take lots of photos! Can't wait to hear about it and see it on your blog!
ReplyDeleteI've not been but have a fabulous time. Take lots of photos too! So we can holiday in Italy vicariously through you.
ReplyDeleteJEALOUS. tuscany is my favorite- ok! for getting around tuscany i would either rent a car or take the bus- the train network throughout the tuscan hill towns isn't too great/ non existent.
ReplyDeletein florence- gelateria dei neri is my absolute favorite in the entire world. it's in between piazza della signoria and santa croce on via dei neri. then, for really good paninis, there is a place on via verdi (near santa croce) called salumeria verdi (not cafe! salumeria is BETTER)
and for tuscan hill towns- siena is beautiful, san gimignano is my favorite, montepulciano and chianti are famous for their wine.. and in case you are a twilight fan... you van visit volterra but the actual movie was shot in montepulciano :)
Hi, I'm a first time visitor to your blog and like what I see so far! Hope I can help a bit. In terms of Florence, I'd recommend the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria Dell'Accademia for their amazing art and visiting the Ponte Vecchio bridge is a must. Built in the fourteenth century is has shops filled with beautiful jewellery. As you are planning to go by train you might find this map link useful which shows a lot of the main attractions in relation to the station. I hope you have as fantastic a time there as I did.
ReplyDeleteSOOO envious! But very happy for you that you are off to one of the most beautiful parts of Europe. Take lots of photos please! The golden evening light is incomparable. I used to work in Tuscany but it was 20 years ago, so all my recommendations of cafes wd be out of date. If you want to go to the Uffizi in Florence, book online in advance if you can, to avoid humungous queues. Lucca is a lovely little town, where you can walk around the top of the medieval walls. Volterra is extremely pretty, not too far from Siena (and less busy) and not a vampire in sight! You could spend every moment 'doing' culture in Tuscany, but I would make sure to spend plenty of time sitting with cool drinks and just looking. (Oh, and remember, in cafes everything costs more if you sit at a table than if you stand at the bar.) Buon' vacanza!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely visit Florence! It's beautiful and you won't regret it. The gardens above the palazzo are worth a trip. You can see over the top of Florence and part of Tuscany's countryside too.
ReplyDeleteSiena looks lovely, but I've never been. I would like to go one day.
I loved florence, blew me away, just wondering as Rebecca said.
ReplyDeleteI went to Pisa though and wasn't blown away. its extremely touristy. I guess i'm glad i went but i wish we hadn't planned to spend a whole day there, we were done in 2 hours!
Have a fantastic time, very jealous indeed!
I second Lucca - that's where my family is from, and many relatives still live. It's beautiful there! We have an apartment in Montecatini, which is somewhat in between Florence and Lucca via train. It's a beautiful little town, known for their natural springs and spas; half of the town is in the valley, the other part - Montecatini Alto - is up in the mountains, and you'll find wonderful views and restaurants there. And lastly, a bit out of the way (south of Florence) is Sienna, quite possibly my favorite Tuscan city - even moreso than Florence. Sienna's famous for a little dessert called Panforte, oh! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Anyway, it's a beautiful town, more rugged than Florence, but still very perfect.
ReplyDeleteOH! And I totally forgot! You MUST go to San Gimingano - google it, I changed my mind, it's my absolute, #1 favorite Tuscan city. It's got some of the oldest architecture, including these ancient towers that are just phenomenal. OHHH yes, you must go there!
I went when I was pretty young so I don't remember much. I love reading everybody's recommendations though; I'm sure you'll have a great time! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYou will have a fabulous time! Whilst in Florence I really recommend Quattro Leoni in Florence for food. It's a great find and off the tourist tracks too.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.4leoni.com/index.php
Thank you so much guys, going to print out all your comments / suggestions and take them with me, so much more real than a guidebook!
ReplyDelete