We are hoping to visit La Foce in the Val d'Orcia when we are in Florence for two weeks this fall. We need to do it as a day trip and we won't have a car.

I understand this is not a trip for public transportation. Does anyone know of a guide or small group arrangement that would get us there?

We'd like to spend the day getting there--see the countryside, stop for lunch--or is there something great on the way? La Foce gardens are only open Wednesday afternoons, starting at 3pm--very limited hours. But I am starting Iris Origo's books and really, really want to visit La Foce. Hope someone can help.

La Foce is not normally open, but the gardens are open, as you say, on Wednesday afternoons. It is about 83 miles south of Florence, southeast of Pienza. We visited in September 2006 and the garden tour tickets were 10 euros each. The guided tour is for an hour visit. The family cemetery is not on the tour, but can be reached by driving to it.

Lat/Long coordinates for La Foce are 43.0241°N, 11.7793°E on highway SP40 at the intersection of SP88.

Bill

Have you looked at the La Foce website?

Thank you for the replies but I do have that information. My question is about getting there from Florence with a driver or guide or small group.

If you google "tours from Florence" you will find a lot of hits offering tours. Some are self designed and basically just provide a driver. I have read that Peter Curzon does tours of La Foce sometimes but I don't know anything about these.

I think you would really enjoy just renting a car and driving there by yourself. You could stop at Monteriggioni in the morning, walk around Pienza and have lunch there and visit La Foce in the afternoon.

Bill

Indeed, as Bill says, renting a car is the only way to go. You can take a train to Chianciano Terme, but you still have a few miles to drive to La Foce. I stay there almost anually and it is beautiful. I would recommend renting a car, and driving to Pienza for sight seeing and lunch (at Latte di Luna), a quick trip to Montepulciano and then to La Foce for the Wednesday garden tour. You'll be back in Florence by 8:00 p.m. for dinner.

Just giving this question one last try. Thank you for the replies but my question is about a driver/guide/small group tour from Florence.

We don't want to drive ourselves. We know public transportation is not an option. I have done an internet search for what I'm looking for but with no luck. Just hoping someone here knows about such a tour. Thanks.

hi Ginny -
Looking at the Slow Trav classifieds for car/tour services in Italy, I found a Florence based company that offers personalized touring itineraries.

You can send an inquiry directly from their classified. Good luck!

Thanks, Colleen. And I just returned last night from your beautiful San Francisco Bay area, altho it looks beautiful right here in Boston in springtime.

I will check out this company and hope to get recommendations from someone who has used them. They do go to Montepulciano and the Val d'Orcia so this might work. Thanks again.