Hi, my husband and I are planning a trip to Tuscany in June of 2004. We are actually flying in and out of Milan spending 3-4 days in the Milan/ Lake Como region before driving down. We are planning on spending 1 full week in the Tuscany region; and after reading a whole bunch of previous postings, I'm still in a bind. We have to drive back on Saturday to Milan and catch a flight around noon, so I'm thinking that Chianti would be closer and more central place to stay. However, the Montepulcino(sp?) area seems nicer and cozier. We are really looking for an agriturismo type apartment with a good kitchen (not too rustic) and pay maybe around $70-$80 a day. I'd like to be accessible to the major sites, although we did Florence 5 years ago so that isn't as big a priority now. Sorry for the jumbled questions.
Thanks! Katharine
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Posts: 24 | Location: New York, NY, USA | Registered: 16 October 2003
I don't think you could go wrong in either location (though - I guess that depends on what you consider major sights but there's plenty in each area). Though I will make one suggestion,
return to Milan on Friday not Saturday. It's a 3 1/2 - 4 hour drive from Chianti or Montepulciano (respectively) to Milan, assuming no traffic and no wrong turns and you'd have to rise pretty early in the morning to make it for a noon flight.
We just came back from a trip in which, among other places, we stayed 5 days in Castellina in Chianti, from there driving out to Radda, Greve, Panzano, San Gimignano, etc., plus one one day to Montevarchi for the famous SPACE (Prada et al) outlet, but this one is another story...
For the next trip we will stay somewhere in the South of Tuscany and will slowly explore that area as well.
If you are ready to do the drive, the distance between the two regions can be covered in 1 1/2 hours each way maximum, and so if you stay in Pienza and the urge comes to go to Siena, this is a one day trip.
We chose not to do it this way and we have been last year in Siena, Lucca and Pisa, and this year in Florence, so we limited ourselves to the smaller localities and shorter (with interesting winding roads...) drives.
You can't loose either way. Just don't load the itinerary too much. And, as Kim suggests, don't drive on the day of the flight. Many things happen on the road, and the tension and aggravation if you are late for the flight, plus the ensuing complications, can be easily avoided with spending the last night at a hotel near the airport, and this web site has some reviews of such hotels.
Posts: 5894 | Location: Toronto | Registered: 26 May 2002
I highly recommend Lake Orta,that is if you like small,quaint and romantic places.We find the other lake towns to be too centered on catering to the wealthy,hoity toity,5 star hotels etc.See my review of the hotel Orta.RR
Posts: 6508 | Location: Culver City, CA, USA | Registered: 08 November 2002
If your flight out of Milan is at noon Saturday, and you need to be there at 10 or so, and you need to return a rental car, there is no way you want to return on Saturday. I echo Kim's thought that you drive up towards Milan on Friday, then stay at a hotel around Malpensa or perhaps at Lake Como, which is only an hour plus from Malpensa.
Posts: 2054 | Location: Suburban Philadelphia | Registered: 08 July 2002
If you have a vacation rental for the week, you'll probably have it rented through Saturday morning. You'll either have to check out a day early. Or have you thought about changing your flight to Sunday (if possible)? After we checked out of our rental, we drove back to Milan on Saturday which took about 3 hrs, stayed the night and then left on Sunday. Our rental was in Castellina.
I like both the Chianti region and southern Tuscany. Chianti is more rolling hills with trees, olive groves and vineyards, and southern Tuscany is more wide open fields with rows of cypress trees in the distance. Both are lovely. I would do one this year, the other on the next trip.
I used to think southern Tuscany was less touristed - but I don't think that is true anymore.
I agree with everyone else, drive to Milan the day before. We have some good reviews of hotels near the Milan airport. We were just in Italy and drove from Liguria to Chianti - it took an hour longer than the route planning sites said it would because of backups on the Autostrada around Florence. The traffic going the other way was at a standstill - at least we were moving.
Read through some of our Central Italy - Travel Notes to get an idea of things to do in either area - that might make up your mind. You might also want to read some trip reports - look in the Trip Reports forum or in our new section on the web site: www.slowtrav.com/tr/ .
We made it from Lake Orta to Malpensa in 45 minutes,rental car return is very near the terminal,so maybe an hour from Orta until you are standing at the desk to get your boarding pass.RR
Posts: 6508 | Location: Culver City, CA, USA | Registered: 08 November 2002
This summer we stayed in both areas. 3 nights in San Gimignano and 3 nights in Castellina and then one week in Montepulciano. Our preference was MOntepuliciano. We loved the area and loved our apartment in Sant'Antonio. I have posted a review for Sant'Antonio at this web site, because we can't rave enough about it. In fact, it was thru slowtalk that I found out about all the places that we stayed. The kitchen set up is great, and I think you mentioned that you want a good kitchen. Please read my review and others here at slowtalk. Suzie
Consider flying out of Florence or Pisa, instead of driving back to Milan. We recently flew into Rome and out of Florence for the same price as a roundtrip to one or the other city. Florence's airport is SO MUCH EASIER to cope with than the big city airports.
We stayed one week in an apt. in Montalcino, a nice walled hilltown. Then, one week in an apt. outside Montaione near Certaldo, amidst the grape vines and olive trees. Two very different experiences. We made excursions into the surrounding areas.
I admit that I fell deeply, madly in love with south central Tuscany. The vast countryside landscape, undulating hills fading into misty distant mountains, varied hues and textures of chunky plowed-up soil, sunlight and sunset splashing the sky and clouds with so much excitement---it's no wonder this dear Tuscany nurtured so many Italian painters and writers. It's no wonder I fell in love.
Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia, Montepulciano, and any town, village, or farm in that vicinity would be my choice for a week (or longer! why not stay longer?).
I'll write up my Trip Report soon and tell all the details of where we stayed. But, for now, I can say nothing more certain than, "Go to south central Tuscany!"
Charity
Posts: 1484 | Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: 11 May 2003
Thanks for all of the input. I love all of your suggestions. We were thinking about flying out of the Milan airport just because of the rental car situation. From what has usually happened, rental car companies radically increase the prices if you drop off at a different airport. I actually only have my plane tickets to London so far, but I was about to buy my tickets to Milan on BMI; thus the noon schedule. (I got incredibly cheap tickets to London for June $240) and thus my schedule is crimped by my flyback time from Heathrow to New York City. BMI looked like it had the best price to and from Milan (I really didn't want to schlep to and from Stansted since I fly in and out of Heathrow). Anyways, I'm still planning on going to Milan and Lake Como, (have always wanted to go). Our plane takes off from Heathrow at 7PM, and there are two planes from Milan (Linate) to Heathrow; one around 11:30 am and one at 4:00pm. I really want to take the 4pm flight, but I'm afraid that it won't give me enough time to transfer from BMI to American. They estimate 1 hour, but I've found lines at Heathrow to be substantially longer than that at times. Anyways, sorry about the long winded post. I could use at least a month in Italy! But with hubby's job, 12 days is about all I can swing! He thinks that it is so funny that I plan a trip 8 months in advance, but you have to have stuff to look forward to. I've been a little manic reading all the guidebooks and looking at the maps. In my next life I want to have Samantha Brown's job on the travel channel. One of the agriturismos in Chianti near Florence told me that they were only 2 hours from Milan, thus my assumption that it was much closer (maybe if I were an Italian driver!!) This is a great group, thanks for all of the helpful info. I'm glad I found out about this site from the NY Times.
Katharine
Posts: 24 | Location: New York, NY, USA | Registered: 16 October 2003
There are no dropoff charges with AutoEurope. Fly into and out of the cities YOU want.
Don't buy your 2nd leg of plane tickets until you have finished planning your trip. You've got lots of time, and I guarantee that you will come up with plenty of new options over the next few months! Charity
Posts: 1484 | Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: 11 May 2003
What wonderful choices you have to make! We've stayed just outside of Panzano and just outside of Siena. Both areas have +/-. Since you don't seem interested in going to Florence again, I would stay near Siena. We had an apartmentat La Meridiane, which has good parking. You can walk into the old city in about 20 minutes, or take the bus that stops right at the corner. It is easy to take day trips to many of the hill towns. Pienza is also a favorite place of ours. We did not stay in an apartment there, but at Albergo Rutiliano. I agree with those who say to stay in the Malpensa vicinity the night before you leave, even if you have to "eat" one day's rental price. We've stayed at Parc in Sesto Calende and in Angera at Hotel dei Tigli. I recommend the latter town; it was about 40 mintues from the airport.
Posts: 414 | Location: Boulder, CO | Registered: 22 May 2002
Would you consider going to Tuscany first and doing the lake portion at the end of your trip? Since Malpensa Airport is north of Milan, it is quite easy to get there for a noon flight from Lake Como locations.
Posts: 256 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 24 April 2003
Autoeurope are good. You will only be charged a one way fee if you are changing countries. Southern Tuscany gets my vote too but as everyone else says most of Tuscany is worthy of a visit. You may like to read some of the books by Iris Origo if you do choose S Tuscany. Please allow time to vist Varenna and Bellagio on your trip to The Lakes. Lake Orta is charming too but is not in the same league as Lake Como for sheer dramatic beauty. We frequently fly with BMI and find them very very reliable but as H'Row is so very busy we wouldn't risk meeting a tight connection deadline.Prices are incredibly good at the moment as they are launching several new routes.Their current offer finishes on Oct 31st. We are flying with them to Venice for £30.00 each.in April ( my health allowing) Wendy
Posts: 2747 | Location: Lightwater Surrey U K | Registered: 30 March 2003
Katharine -- I've been in the travel business for 17 years now, so have some background from which to advise you NOT to plan to drive from anywhere in Tuscany to Milan Malpensa for a noon flight! Malpensa is north of Milan, for starters. You need to be at the airline counter by 10 AM, secondly...with rental car already turned in. There are just too many things that can go wrong and mess you up with that far to go and that tight a schedule. My advice is to overnight somewhere no more than an hour's drive from Malpensa itself, and to depart that point by 8:30 AM at the latest.
Best wishes,
SALLY WATKINS, Certified Travel Counselor sally@century-tvl.com www.sallywatkins.com Italy Specialist Certified Swiss Specialist Certified Aussie Specialist My business depends on referrals - please tell someone today!
Katharine, if you are flying into London and then to Italy, there are several convenient flights to Pisa (much better destination than Milan for Tuscany!) from Gatwick. There is an easy transfer from the arrival terminals at Heathrow to Gatwick via an express bus. The selection of flights from Heathrow to the continent is miserable, and they are expensive. Allow yourself four hours (five is better) from touchdown at HRO to flight time at GTW. You will find the desk where you get tickets for the bus between the initial passport check and baggage claim. The bus ride is about an hour and very comfortable. Even allowing that extra time between flights you will arrive at your destination sooner than if you land at Milan and have to drive into Tuscany. On the return there is almost no way that I know to leave in the a.m. from Tuscany and make a flight the same day from London to the U.S. (don't know about Canada). But there are worse fates than an evening and overnight in London! (No penalties for drop-offs of rental cars at different airports within Italy, BTW)
Posts: 2054 | Location: Suburban Philadelphia | Registered: 08 July 2002
Hello, The point was that H'row might be congested and awful but the prices of BMI flights from there next Summer are incredible bargains. I must agree tho that we always prefer to pay extra and fly into one airport and out of another as this is always better value in the long run if anything more than a hundred miles is involved. We frequently fly into Pisa and out of Milan for example.We are lucky because we can fly out of Gatwick and back into H Row as we live close to both so that is a help. Wendy
Posts: 2747 | Location: Lightwater Surrey U K | Registered: 30 March 2003
Wow, thanks for all of the info you guys! I will definitely not fly out of Milan if I can help it. Honestly though, there's this squirrly (sp?) part of me that loves looking at maps and schedules (adds to the excitement I guess) I am so glad that I am not the only one who loves planning trips. The only fear is not to overdo it...after reading about all that there is to do in Tuscany, I will probably be dragging my poor husband out at the crack of dawn to see everything. (ok! we have to get up and go relax!!! we're in Italy!) I will definitely look into the Gatwick option, that may work very well for us returning from Tuscany....sigh... Do you guys think that Gatwick is better than Stansted? I have never flow out of either, so I wouldn't know.
Ciao, Katharine
Posts: 24 | Location: New York, NY, USA | Registered: 16 October 2003
Topic Closed
I've been a little manic reading all the guidebooks and looking at the maps. In my next life I want to have Samantha Brown's job on the travel channel. One of the agriturismos in Chianti near Florence told me that they were only 2 hours from Milan, thus my assumption that it was much closer (maybe if I were an Italian driver!!)
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