Lonely Planet Tuscany Road Trips

Duncan Garwood

Description

Whether exploring your own backyard or somewhere new, discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet's Tuscany's Road Trips. Featuring four amazing road trips, plus up-to-date advice on the destinations you'll visit along the way, you can taste wine in Montalcino, be enchanted by medieval Siena and find the freshest produce at San Gimignano's weekly market - all with your trusted travel companion. Jump in the car, turn up the tunes, and hit the road! Inside Lonely Planet's Tuscany Road Trips: Lavish colour and gorgeous photography throughout Itineraries and planning advice to pick the right tailored routes for your needs and interests Get around easily - easy-to-read, full-colour route maps, detailed directions Insider tips to get around like a local, avoid trouble spots and be safe on the road - local driving rules, parking, toll roads Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Useful features - including Stretch Your Legs, Detours, Link Your Trip Covers Florence, Arezzo, Cortona, Pisa, Siena, Chianti, San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Lucca, Rome, Lazio, and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Tuscany Road Trips is perfect for exploring Tuscany in the classic way - by road trip! About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

Sujets

• Tuscany
• Italy
• My Last Duchess

Informations

• Publié par: Lonely Planet
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781788689526
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 16 Mo

Extrait

CONTENTS

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Tuscany
Tuscany Highlights
Florence City Guide
Need to Know

ROAD TRIPS

1 Tuscan Wine Tour 4 Days
2 Tuscan Landscapes 3–4 Days
3 Piero della Francesca Trail 7 Days
4 Monasteries of Tuscany & Umbria 5 Days
DESTINATIONS

Florence & Eastern Tuscany
Florence
Arezzo
Casentino Valley
Sansepulcro
Cortona
Siena & Southern Tuscany
Siena
Chianti
Val d’Orcia
Montepulciano
Assisi & Umbria
Assisi
Perugia
Orvieto

ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS

Italy Driving Guide
Driving Licence & Documents
Insurance
Hiring a Car
Border Crossings
Bringing Your Own Vehicle
Maps
Road Conditions
Road Rules
Parking
Fuel
Safety
Radio
Italy Travel Guide
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Car & Motorcycle
Sea
Train
DIRECTORY A-Z
Accessible Travel
Accommodation
Electricity
Food
Health
LGBT+ Travellers
Internet Access
Money
Opening Hours
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Language
BEHIND THE SCENES
OUR WRITERS
WELCOME TO TUSCANY

As Florence’s Renaissance skyline fades into the background, the open road beckons. Motoring through Tuscany’s voluptuous, wine-rich hills is one of Italy’s great driving experiences – and one of the many on offer in this fascinating part of the country. When people imagine classic Tuscan countryside, they usually conjure up images of central Tuscany. However, there’s more to this popular region than rolling hills, sun-kissed vineyards and avenues of cypress trees. The real gems are the historic towns and cities, most of which are medieval and Renaissance time capsules magically transported to the modern day.

Florence Diners on Piazza Santo Spirito CHRISTIAN MUELLER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

TUSCANY HIGHLIGHTS
Florence
With unrivalled architecture and exquisite arworks, Florence is magnetic, romantic and absorbing. See it on Trips 1 3 & 4

RASTISLAV SEDLAK SK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Val d’Orcia
Taste some of Italy’s great wines and enjoy the provincial pace of some pretty towns. See it on Trips 1 & 2

PHOTOCREO MICHAL BEDNAREK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Siena
An enchanting, beautifully preserved medieval city. See it on Trips 1 & 2

OLGYSHA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
CITY GUIDE

DENNIS VAN DE WATER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
FLORENCE
Florence (Firenze) is one of the world’s great art cities, with Renaissance icons and a wonderfully intact medieval centre. Beyond the Michelangelo masterpieces and Medici palazzi (mansions), there’s a buzzing bar scene and great shopping in artisanal workshops and designer boutiques.
Getting Around
Nonresident traffic is banned from much of central Florence, and if you enter the Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) you risk a fine of up to €200. Rather than drive, walk or use the city buses; tickets cost €1.50 or €2.50 on board.
Parking
There is free street parking around Piazzale Michelangelo and car parks (about €3.80 per hour) at Fortezza da Basso and Piazzale di Porta Romana. Otherwise, ask if your hotel can arrange parking.
Where to Eat
Florence teems with restaurants, trattorias, osterie (casual taverns) and wine bars catering to all budgets. Top neighbourhoods include hip Santa Croce, home to some of the city’s best restaurants, and the increasingly gentrified Oltrarno.
Where to Stay
To stay right in the heart of the action, the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria areas are a good bet with some excellent budget options. Near the train station, Santa Maria Novella has some good midrange boutique/design hotels.
Useful Websites
Firenze Turismo ( www.firenzeturismo.it ) The official tourist site is comprehensive and up-to-date.
Visit Florence ( www.visitflorence.com ) Practical advice and info on accommodation, sights and tours.
Firenze Musei ( www.firenzemusei.it ) Book tickets for the Uffizi and Accademia.
Trips Through Florence 1 3 4
Destination coverage: here
NEED TO KNOW

CURRENCY
Euro (€)
LANGUAGE
Italian
VISAS
Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days (or at all by EU nationals). Some nationalities will need a Schengen visa.
FUEL
Filling stations are widespread. Expect to pay around €1.46 per litre of unleaded petrol (benzina senza piombo) , €1.29 for diesel (gasolio) .
RENTAL CARS
Avis ( www.avisautonoleggio.it )
Europcar ( www.europcar.it )
Hertz ( www.hertz.it )
Maggiore ( www.maggiore.it )
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Emergencies (Police 112, 113; Ambulance 115)
Roadside Assistance ( 80 31 16 from an Italian landline or mobile phone; 800 116800 from a foreign mobile phone)

When to Go
Climate

High Season (Jul–Aug)
A Queues at big sights, and congested roads, especially in August.
A Prices also rocket for Christmas, New Year and Easter.
A Late December to March is high season in the Alps and Dolomites.
Shoulder (Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct)
A Good deals on accommodation, especially in the south.
A Spring is best for festivals, flowers and local produce.
A Autumn provides warm weather and the grape harvest.
Low Season (Nov–Mar)
A Prices up to 30% lower than in high season.
A Many sights and hotels closed in coastal and mountainous areas.
A A good period for cultural events in large cities.
Your Daily Budget
Budget: Less than €100
A Dorm bed: €20–35
A Double room in a budget hotel: €60–110
A Pizza or pasta: €6–15
Midrange: €100–250
A Double room in a hotel: €110–200
A Local restaurant dinner: €25–45
A Admission to museum: €4–18
Top End: More than €250
A Double room in a four- or five-star hotel: €200 plus
A Top restaurant dinner: €45–150
A Opera ticket: €40–210
Eating
Trattoria Informal, family-run restaurant cooking up traditional regional dishes.
Ristorante Formal dining, often with comprehensive wine lists and more sophisticated local or national fare.
Vegetarians Most places offer good vegetable starters and side dishes.
Price indicators for a two-course meal with a glass of house wine and coperto (cover charge):
€ less than €25
€€ €25–€45
€€€ more than €45
Sleeping
Hotels From luxury boutique palaces to modest family-run pensioni (small hotels).
B&Bs Rooms in restored farmhouses, city townhouses or seaside bungalows.
Agriturismi Farm stays range from working farms to luxury rural retreats.
Room Tax A nightly occupancy tax is charged on top of room rates.
Price indicators for a double room with private bathroom (breakfast included) in high season:
€ less than €110
€€ €110–€200
€€€ more than €200
Arriving in Tuscany
Pisa International Airport
Buses LAM Rossa (red) buses run into central Pisa (€1.20, 10 minutes).
Trains PisaMover automated trains run to Pisa’s Stazione Pisa Centrale (€5, five minutes); regular trains run to/from Florence’s Stazione di Santa Maria Novella (€8.70, 50 to 80 minutes).
Taxis Taxis cost €10 to central Pisa.
Florence Airport
Trams Trams run to/from Florence’s Stazione di Santa Maria Novella (€1.50 from ticket machines at tram stops or €2.50 on board; 22 minutes).
Buses Volainbus shuttle buses (€6; 20 to 30 minutes) head to the central bus station.
Taxis Taxis cost a fixed €22 to central Florence (€24 on Sunday and holidays, €25.30 between 10pm and 6am), plus €1 per bag and €1 supplement for a fourth passenger.
Mobile Phones
Local SIM cards can be used in European, Australian and some unlocked US phones. Other phones must be set to roaming.
Internet Access
Free wi-fi is available in most hotels, hostels, B&Bs and agriturismi (farm stays), and in many bars and cafes.
Money
ATMs are widespread in Italy. Major credit cards are widely accepted, but some smaller shops, trattorias and hotels might not take them.
Tipping
Not obligatory but round up the bill or leave a euro or two in pizzerias and trattorias; 5% to 10% in smart restaurants.
Useful Websites
Lonely Planet ( www.lonelyplanet.com/italy ) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveller forum and more.
ENIT ( www.italia.it ) Official Italian-government tourism website.

For more, see Road Trip Essentials .
Road Trips

1 Tuscan Wine Tour 4 Days
Slow down to a provincial pace and enjoy stunning vineyard scenery and rustic cuisine, accompanied by a fine drop or two.
2 Tuscan Landscapes 3–4 Days
Cruise through green-gold hills dotted with cypress trees and lovely Renaissance towns.
3 Piero della Francesca Trail 7 Days
This classic art trail reveals Renaissance masterpieces and Apennine landscapes.
4 Monasteries of Tuscany & Umbria 5 Days
Remote sanctuaries, frescoed monasteries and rugged forests in Umbria and eastern Tuscany.

Perugia , Umbria PAVEL068/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Tuscan Wine Tour

Florence
Castello di Verrazzano
Greve in Chianti
Badia a Passignano
Panzano in Chianti
Castello di Ama
Montalcino
Montepulciano
Tuscan Wine Tour

Tuscany has its fair share of highlights, but few can match the indulgence of a drive through its wine country – an intoxicating blend of scenery, acclaimed restaurants and ruby-red wine.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

4 DAYS
185KM / 115 MILES
GREAT FOR…

BEST TIME TO GO
Autumn for earthy hues and the grape harvest.
ESSENTIAL PHOTO
Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia panoramas from Montepulciano’s upper town.
BEST FOR GOURMETS
Tuscan bistecca (steak) in Panzano in Chianti.

Chianti Wine tasting MATT MUNRO/LONELY PLANET ©

Tuscan Wine Tour

Meandering through Tuscany’s bucolic wine districts, this classic Chianti tour offers a taste of life in the slow lane. Once out of Florence (Firenze), you’ll find yourself on quiet back roads driving through wooded hills and immaculate vineyards, stopping off at wine estates and hilltop towns to sample the local vintages. En route, you’ll enjoy soul-stirring scenery, farmhouse food and some captivating towns.

Top of Chapter
1 Florence
Whet your appetite for the road ahead with a one-day cooking course at the Cucina Lorenzo de’ Medici ( 334 3040551; www.cucinaldm.com ; Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Mercato Central