We will be on a cruise and have about 7 hours our driver suggested the following: Hi Janice, Sorry i misunderstand wine country with winery , ok no vino, just a look to area where the best Italian wine is produced . Shore excursion from Livorno includes a drive along Aurelian road # 1to get to road # 439 to reach the small village of Lajatico where Andrea Bocelli born and still leave , Volterra the best Medieval town , along road #68 we can reach S.Gimignano and Colle Val d'Elsa two beatifull small Village ,driving along road #32 we can reach Poggibonsi and Certaldo two gems in Tuscany , driving along these roads you can admire the fantastic panorama of wine area with several farms , a stop once in a while to appreciate the beatifull countryside Road #42 and Gsc hiway will take us back to Livorno to board the ship after 7 hour of relaxing driving withou traffic.
Does anyone know these small towns are the nice to walk around in? Thanks, Jan
Posts: 52 | Location: Oxnard, CA | Registered: 05 April 2006
We will be on a cruise and have about 7 hours our driver suggested the following
Hi Jan, I just realized who you are. So glad to see you here on Slow Trav. My husband and I worked with you several years ago, but had to cancel our trip.
Just wanted to say Hello. I think we lived in San Antonio during that time.
Sharon J
Posts: 1141 | Location: Houston, TX USA | Registered: 01 November 2003
I think you have too many stops planned and, although the roundtrip is about 140 miles, I think you might easily spend 3.5 to 4 hours in the car.
Also although I don't dislike Poggibonsi, but I would not categorize it as a gem of Tuscany. I think of Poggibonsi as a industrial/manufacturing center.
San Gimignano is pleasant to walk around and you could easily spend an hour there. Volterra similarly could eat up an hour or more.....add lunch and I doubt you will have time for much else.
On the other hand, Italians do like to drive fast so maybe you'll have an exciting ride and have more time than I believe you will.
I'll trust other's thoughts on the timing/selection.
If wine is your interest, certainly San Gimignano is an option with a number of wineries around it.
I would have suggested taking the train to Siena and the enoteca nazionale, but I checked the train times and 2 hours either way seems too far for such a short time ashore.
If visiting a winery does appeal, then perhaps you could choose a suitable one, adjust the trip and make an appointment. IME winery visits in Italy take on average ~ 45mins, plus or minus 15 mins, but can take longer if we're talking too much! However I'm sure they'd accomodate keeping to a timetable as long as it's sensible. Indeed this might appeal to your driver, as he could head off for a coffee and a relax mid-journey. It would mean cutting something else out, but if that's what you were looking for then it may be worth the change.
Whilst yes, this does seem a lot of driving, maybe it's a nice change of scene from the cruise. As long as the stops are frequent, you'll feel you're seeing the place.
regards
Ian
Drink coffee, do stupid things faster
Posts: 306 | Location: UK | Registered: 20 September 2008
I am not quite sure I understand his reply or maybe your question. Do you want to tour vineyards or do you want to hire a driver for a drive/view of Tuscany?
I know all the place but Lajatico. I think that Volterra is a nice town, a little touristy, more shopping than not but nice. S gimignano has a beautiful main piazza, but it is hard to see the buildings because of the tourists. Poggibonsi is one of the uglist towns in all of tuscany. The upper village of Certaldo is charming and worth a stop. And 7 hours in a car is a long long day.
What do you like to do or how small of towns do you want to see?
It seems like I am trying to do to much in one day..can someone send me an itinerary that you think works , that I can email my guide, as I do not know the nice small towns..Say 2 nice towns we like some shopping and some touristy places,a couple of winery stops and lunch somewhere charming..I would really appreciate the help Hi Sharon, I do remeber you and hope you are well..I am still in the cruise business and love it as it keeps me busy!! Thanks to all of you for your answers.. Jancruz1
Posts: 52 | Location: Oxnard, CA | Registered: 05 April 2006
I do not understand what you will be doing in Lajatico unless you have a meeting scheduled with Andrea.
IMHO: from Livorno in seven hours you can have a trip to Pisa (two hours just to have a quick look to main monuments) and Lucca. But probably Lucca alone would be better. Both are close enough to Livorno so that you do not spend too much time in a car.
Or you can choose a single town in central Tuscany - you spend much more time in your car, but the drive is nice. Volterra would be the best one as it is a little closer. In Tuscany, once you leave the flatland all roads are endlessly windy and you take forever even to get to a nearby village.
Forget wineries. The idea of wineries is having time to spend and relax to sip wine in a country setting. But you need time. Wine is everywhere, it is as good in country as in town, and you can sip it a town setting, sparing that couple of hours you do not have.
There is a third choice. You just head to a country restaurant and spend four hours in one of your life's most lavish meals. The key here is finding the outstanding restaurant, and I do not have suggestions at hand now. If you manage, it could be a day you'll always remember...
Take the train from Livorno to Lucca (one hour train ride) Spend the day roaming around Lucca which is charming and surrounded by Roman Ramparts. Lunch at Buca di Sant Antonio. If you are there the 3rd weekend of the month there is a large antique market.
Train to La Spezia, transfer to Cinque Terre trains.(1 1/2 hours total) Hop from town to town. Lunch in Vernazza at Gambero Rosso. You will see charming little coastal villages
One of Italys best wine areas is just south of Livorno. I know of a guide that would pick you up in Livorno, take you to a great winery and then lunch in Bolgheri.
A loop drive, stopping at Certaldo Alta, S Gimignano and Volterra or visa versa. There is a wonderful restaurant in Certaldo (can't remember the name but it is also a hotel).
If you have not been to Siena it is well worth a day. Drive down the coast and take 68 to Siena. Stop in Volterra. Lunch at either Osteria Le Logge or La Taverna di San Giusseppe. Siena is not a small town but it is a very beautiful walled city with a wonderful Piazza and Duomo.
Okay a few more that I thought, but Italy is so magical that it is just too hard to make a couple of options.
One of Italys best wine areas is just south of Livorno. I know of a guide that would pick you up in Livorno, take you to a great winery and then lunch in Bolgheri.
I would appreciate your posting the name and contact information for this guide.
Peter
Posts: 1632 | Location: Essex Fells, NJ and Longboat Key, Florida | Registered: 21 July 2002
I may be confusing everyone as I am confused myself..I have hired a guide and there are 8 of us that are going to spend the day in Tuscany from Livorno..no trains, no busses that day..I have already been to Pisa and all of the major towns in the area..I have one gentleman with me in the liquor business that would like to stop at 2 winerys..I need a simple day exploring pretty small NOT tourist towns (as I have been to most of them)dont want to be in the car all day..I have been to Cinque a Terre and am going there a different day.. If anyone has any really interesting small places to see..I would love to hear about them..(I also have 6 other people to please!! Thanks, Jancruz1
Posts: 52 | Location: Oxnard, CA | Registered: 05 April 2006
I would appreciate your posting the name and contact information for this guide.
Her name is Doumina and she can get you to some good small wineries in Tuscany. Her email is whyman1@aol.com.
Another wonderful option would be to drive to Chianti, tour a winery, have a wonderful lunch and then tour another winery in the afternoon. We are in the wine business and because your friend is in the same business you will be able to get wonderful private tours. Two of the best tours are Monsanto and Fonterutoli. Both are in Chianti and it would be about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Livorno. There are a few great restaurants in the area but our favorite would be La Scuderia in Badia Passignano.
Please just email us if we can arrange anything. jnjfraz@cableone.net
I will be in contact with her. I have often organized winery tours by directly contacting wineries. That approach has worked quite well for me in the past.
But, this inquiry arises for my brother, who will be taking a cruise this coming September or October as he wants to visit a winery or two in the area in lieu of any winery further inland of Tuscany from Livorno. Since he will have almost two full days to roam around before continuing on the cruise, I will also suggest to him that he rent a car and drive north to Pietrasanta to spend the night. It shouldn’t take longer than an hour for this trip.He can then explore that proximate area to include Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio and perhaps some towns in the mountains above Pietrasanta. Or he could just lollygag in the area! One thing for sure is that I will urge him to use the SS1 as he goes by Pisa for the view of the Piazza dei Miracoli from that vantage point is awesome.
So he will have three good choices from which to choose for his two days in western Tuscany: Tour Maremma and visit wineries with guide; drive to Pietrasanta and stay in or close to Livorno. The latter will take more research.
Peter
Posts: 1632 | Location: Essex Fells, NJ and Longboat Key, Florida | Registered: 21 July 2002
I'd like to ask the question what day and what period. This is a pretty big variable in what you intend to do.
For example, if you're travelling in August or at the weekend between now and September you need to plan a trip that avoids all the main roads as they back up incredibly. You should make sure that you have Aircon in your car.
The SR206 that runs from Vada through to Orciano passes through, in my opinion some of the most divine countryside in Tuscany. I would aim to hit the road on the way back from wherever you plan to go, (sunset in these days is at 2100, and the weekend gone it was simply beautiful).
Poggibonsi is not a place to visit. Although I will say that just outside there is a restuarant called La Sosta del Piu VII which is one of my top restaurants in all of Tuscany.
Aim to just hit one town. San Gimignano is a good choice as it is quite easy to reach. You can plan to visit a winery.
If you get back to Livorno in time you have to try the local dishes of "Cacciucco alla Livornese" (a fish soup) or "baccala alla livornese" (cod in Tomato sauce).
