Tuscany Travel Experiences

Dear Friends,

Today I will publish a letter from a reader of our blog, Mr Alfredo Felipe Mendoza Buendia which I really appreciated. The participation of our readers in offering ther first hand information about the areas of Tuscany that I do not know so well or that I have not visited in a while.  

The Letter:

"Hello everybody,

I wish to firstly thank this blog and its collaborators for all the help that they offer selflessly in getting to know this beautiful region. I just got back from spending 6 wonderful days in this region, and the truth is that your advice has helped me a lot. Thank you.

Our journey began in Bergamo, a city far north of Tuscany, but for various reasons we flew there. I know that there are more direct options from Madrid, but in this case it had to be this way. From here we rented the car and off we set on our journey. Our first stop was in the Cinque Terre towns. I know that this is not Tuscany, but it was worth the trip. These are five little towns situated on the coast, very close to the city La Spezia, fixed to the north of the region. They are very pretty, totally built against the cliffs. The coast is an extraordinary view. It's undoubtedly worth going there if you find yourself in northern Tuscany. There is a train that runs stopping at every town and each one has its unique charm. There are also boats that make the trip by  the coast. I think that this is a very good choice, since the best views are from the sea no doubt.  

From here we followed the road on the outskirts of Lucca, where we spent the night at the Hotel Principessa. It's a little bit tricky to get there, but it's worth it in the end. It is an old palace with comfortable facilities and well priced. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, and the truth is that it was pretty good value. The buffet breakfast was also very good.

The next day we did Lucca in the morning and Pisa at noon, and from there we moved closer to Colle di Val d'Elsa, where we rented a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rural apartment for its exceptional value for money, treatment, facilities, cleanliness, etc. www.casasisti.com. They also spoke Spanish. Really, really good accommodation for its location and for all the reasons stated above. Here we had a base from which to make our daily excursions.

Day 1: Monteriggioni - San Gimignano - Volterra.

A review: Do not pay to climb the wall of Monteriggioni. It is a walk of 50 meters in 2 parts and I found it to be a rip off. It's a small place and it took about 15 minutes to look around. The best views are from outside the village. The picture is better than the content. The other two have already said this already, enough said.

Day 2: Pienza - Montepulciano - Cortona.

We loved Pienza. That place was so cozy and nice. We ate deliciously and at reasonable prices for Tuscany, it's worth eating in Pienza. Montalpulciano was worth it for the views and good wine (very expensive). Cortona will make your legs suffer a bit with the slopes, but it has a privileged location.

Day 3: Siena in full. There are no qualms for praise for this city.

Then we moved to Florence, where we stayed 2 nights. I recommend climbing the dome of the Duomo Brunellesqui, book the entry to the La Academia and the Uffizi museum early, and enjoy an evening of film from Michelangelo Plaza with amazing views of the city. The rest only you can discover...

I hope that I have helped in some way.

Thank you."