Montepulciano - agriturismo questions

We will be on a Greek Isles cruise (Venice to Rome) in July. I would like to spend a few days either pre-cruise or post-cruise in the Tuscany region.

I have been doing some research on staying at an agriturismo in Montepulciano, and using it as a home base for some day trips around the area.

I would appreciate input from you experienced travelers ...

• Have you stayed in Montepulciano?
  
• Have you experienced lodging in an agriturismo? Pros and cons?
  
• Any suggestions for an itinerary for a 3 day stay in that area?
  

Thanks!

We spent a week at a fabulous agriturismo just outside of Montepulciano a few years ago called Le Manzinaie (http://www.lemanzinaie.it/). We had a small apartment, which consisted of a main room (kitchen, dining, living room), bedroom and a huge bathroom. The family who run Le Manzinaie invite all of their guests to dinner one night each week; there were about 20 of us at the dinner the week we were there and it was a highlight of our vacation (there was no additional fee for this dinner, it's considered part of the service they provide).

A car is required to stay here, or at most any agriturismo since, by definition, they are working farms and are not in town. Le Manzinaie is about ten minutes outside of Montepuciano and we easily toured many Tuscan towns from there, including Cortona, Siena, Pienza, Montalcino (and the wonderful abbey at Sant' Antimo, just south of Montalcino), Chiusi, Perugia and Assisi. All of these were within a one hour drive. We also went into Florence one day.

euro cruiser,

Thanks so much for the information. I was really hoping that you would see this and give your input as you always have such helpful information.

I am glad you confirmed that we will need to have a car if we stay at a farmhouse. Renting a car and driving in Italy will be a first for us. I am a bit apprehensive about that, but really want to do it.

I have just started to research driving in Italy. Besides purchasing road maps and getting an international drivers license prior to our visit, is there anything else you would suggest? We will disembark in Civitavecchia, can you recommend a car rental agency there?

Thanks for providing the link for Podere Le Manzinaie. It sounds wonderful and received very high marks on T.A.. Many people commented on how helpful the hosts were with directions/maps, so that reassured me, too.

I am grateful for your reply.

I understand your apprehension, it's natural. I'm a "belt and suspenders" kind of person when it comes to travel, I like to have fallback options and tools, so even when I have a GPS unit I also like to have good, detailed maps. I use Touring Club Italiano maps, which you can buy on line or at the shops along the autostrade in Italy. It's also important to bring along a sense of humor ... and try not to get yourself into situations where you feel rushed to get somewhere, because that's when you'll make mistakes, wrong turns, etc.

As for rental agencies at Civitavecchia, try searching through Hank's posts as he has lots of information on that. I've never rented from the port there and so can't help other than to suggest that if you can find an agency that will deliver the car to the port, you'll be ahead of the game.

A good Italy driving resource is the Slowtrav web site here: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/driving/. I print out the parking and street sign pages and take them with me as a reference tool.

Another good source is the autostrada web site. They have a pdf file you can download that shows you what signs to expect over the toll booths as you exit the highway and what each means. You can find that here: http://www.autostrade.it/pdf/Welcome_Aspi_Network.pdf

The autostada web site is here: http://www.autostrade.it/en/index.html

euro cruiser,

Again, thank you! I will check out the links you so kindly provided. Remembering to pack my sense of humor is a good tip, as well. I am sure to get lost if I feel rushed.

DH will be the driver, and I will be his co-pilot. If I can get familiar with the signs beforehand that will be helpful.

Hank always has valuable information, too. I will research some of his previous posts. Good idea!

Thank you!

We stayed at an agritourism outside Siena. In fact, we could see the lights of Siena from our room. You will need a car and good directions to get to the agritourism. We had a large 1/2 duplex. There was a pool. We always stay at places like this-small pensions, family run hotels, or agritourisms. Driving is not an issue. You need to watch out for the speed cameras and the no drive zones in cities (big fines). I cannot imagine staying at an agritourism without some sort of personal transportation. Enjoy Tuscany, it is wonderful....especially when you get lost on some of the back roads.

I understand your apprehension, it's natural. I'm a "belt and suspenders" kind of person when it comes to travel, I like to have fallback options and tools, so even when I have a GPS unit I also like to have good, detailed maps. I use Touring Club Italiano maps, which you can buy on line or at the shops along the autostrade in Italy. It's also important to bring along a sense of humor ... and try not to get yourself into situations where you feel rushed to get somewhere, because that's when you'll make mistakes, wrong turns, etc.

Hi euro cruiser,

Thanks for your recommendation for the maps. I purchased them online and they arrived today. My husband thinks the Touring Club map for Tuscany is going to be especially useful. It is huge and very detailed.

I also purchased a Borch map of Firenze that will be helpful.

I appreciate all of the great advice you provide.

Thanks!

Bobbie

Hi euro cruiser,

Thanks for your recommendation for the maps. I purchased them online and they arrived today. My husband thinks the Touring Club map for Tuscany is going to be especially useful. It is huge and very detailed.

 

I also purchased a Borch map of Firenze that will be helpful.

 

I appreciate all of the great advice you provide.

 

Thanks!

Bobbie

You're welcome! If you will be driving to Florence, do be careful around the ZTL lines. It's been a few years since I drove in Florence, and I imagine the lines have moved several times since then. Here is the current ZTL map posted on the Florence city web site: http://www.comune.fi.it/opencms/export/sites/retecivica/materiali/peg/PROGRAMMA_F/DIREZIONE_SVILUPPO_ECONOMICO/schedaZTL.pdf

Also, if you'll be driving around Siena, this is where you really need a sense of humor. For some reason, we found it nearly impossible to find the entrance to the SR2 heading south. It was like a bad movie; we were the first of four cars, and everyone else was following us. We made the same circle around town three times before finally finding the right road.

Which agriturismo did you decide on?

Thanks, euro cruiser!

Yes, we will be cautious and on the lookout for the dreaded ZTL's. Thanks for the link.

We have some friends who were in Tuscany last summer and were unaware of the no drive zones and received tickets for each occurrence. The tickets arrived in the mail right before Christmas... months after they were there.

We will be staying at Agriturismo Villa Mazzi. It looks lovely and received nice reviews. We will be there 4 nights, which was another reason I chose them. Several that I checked require a minimum one week stay.

Here is our thumbnail sketch and tentative plan: Arrive at FCO, take the train to Chiusi, pick up a rental car (automatic transmission) and go to Villa Mazzi. Explore the Tuscany hill towns and then return the car, and take the train to Florence. Stay in Florence (a lovely B&B) for 2 nights, then take the train to Venice. Meet our friends in Venice, explore there for 3 days and board the Star Princess.

I would love to have your thoughts on our initial plan. I would like to figure out a way to visit Cinque Terre, but that may be too much. What do you think?

Bobbie

Bobbie, I'd go with your gut on this one. As beautiful as CT is, you really don't have that much time in Tuscany and it's a pretty long drive from where you'll be. Save it for another trip, it's a great reason to go back.

If you go to Montalcino while in Tuscany, you might consider driving a few miles south to see the abbey at Sant'Antimo. It's beautiful and peaceful there; the last time I was there we happened upon a choir that was performing there, the sound was amazing.

http://www.antimo.it/pagine_en/00FRAME.html

Bobbie, I'd go with your gut on this one. As beautiful as CT is, you really don't have that much time in Tuscany and it's a pretty long drive from where you'll be. Save it for another trip, it's a great reason to go back.

 

If you go to Montalcino while in Tuscany, you might consider driving a few miles south to see the abbey at Sant'Antimo. It's beautiful and peaceful there; the last time I was there we happened upon a choir that was performing there, the sound was amazing.

 

http://www.antimo.it/pagine_en/00FRAME.html

euro cruiser,

Yes, it may be one of those kind of decisions for Cinque Terre. If we have the time, I really would like to visit there.

I will check out the link for Sant'Antimo. Thanks again.

Bobbie

Have stayed out of this thread since the advice from Euro is great and we do not want to add any confusion to a darn good thread. As far as car rentals in Civiatvecchia the Hertz office is the closest (and most convenient) to the port. However there are several other decent rental car offices (including Europcar) which are also good options but might require a ride or taxi to get to the port. We also agree that Cinque Terre is a stretch if you are driving in southern Tuscany...and CT really needs a long day (or preferably 2 days) to be adequately explored. Regarding Argitourismos ( a fun concept) each one is totally different and there is no way to generalize the experience. You certainly want to do some internet research on any Agritourismo before you book. To be blunt, they can range from fantastic to totally dreadful (and everything in between). We would book Agritourismos without much hesitation but really prefer to have some references from others who have recently spent some time at the place under consideration.

As to rental cars, if you are going to rent a car for 3 or more days you might want to check the options at both Autoeurope.com and Kemwel.com. These are sister companies (with offices in Maine) who are rental car "consolidators" (discounters) and generally represent both Hertz and Europcar (this can change from year to year). Both companies have toll free numbers and good web sites and can often provide rentals from the top companies at significant savings. However, it is wise to check the offerings from both companies and pay particular attention to their deductables. Ideally, you should get a rental in Italy with a zero deductable since most credit card insurance deals specifically exclude cars rented in Italy. Although Autoeurope and Kemwel work together, they often have different contracts with the majors which result in totally different deductables. Do not hesitate to call both of these companies and ask for the rental car details (also found on their web sites with some agony).

Hank

Have stayed out of this thread since the advice from Euro is great and we do not want to add any confusion to a darn good thread. As far as car rentals in Civiatvecchia the Hertz office is the closest (and most convenient) to the port. However there are several other decent rental car offices (including Europcar) which are also good options but might require a ride or taxi to get to the port. We also agree that Cinque Terre is a stretch if you are driving in southern Tuscany...and CT really needs a long day (or preferably 2 days) to be adequately explored. Regarding Argitourismos ( a fun concept) each one is totally different and there is no way to generalize the experience. You certainly want to do some internet research on any Agritourismo before you book. To be blunt, they can range from fantastic to totally dreadful (and everything in between). We would book Agritourismos without much hesitation but really prefer to have some references from others who have recently spent some time at the place under consideration.

 

As to rental cars, if you are going to rent a car for 3 or more days you might want to check the options at both Autoeurope.com and Kemwel.com. These are sister companies (with offices in Maine) who are rental car "consolidators" (discounters) and generally represent both Hertz and Europcar (this can change from year to year). Both companies have toll free numbers and good web sites and can often provide rentals from the top companies at significant savings. However, it is wise to check the offerings from both companies and pay particular attention to their deductables. Ideally, you should get a rental in Italy with a zero deductable since most credit card insurance deals specifically exclude cars rented in Italy. Although Autoeurope and Kemwel work together, they often have different contracts with the majors which result in totally different deductables. Do not hesitate to call both of these companies and ask for the rental car details (also found on their web sites with some agony).

 

Hank

Hello Hank,

I am glad you jumped in! Thanks for your input. You are right, euro cruiser has given me a great deal of valuable information.

I do appreciate the information you provided for car rental.

I actually have an automatic transmission reserved in Chiusi through Autoeurope.

Regarding Cinque Terre, I am thinking of taking the train (not drive) there. Still figuring that out, to see if we will have enough time.

I had already made our air travel arrangements and lodging when I got the bright idea to try and squeeze in CT. Oh, how I wish I could add just one more day! (Truthfully, I wish we could add LOTS more days, but alas, we must get back to work to support our travel addiction.:))

As always, your experience and insights are welcome!

I just came across this thread and maybe you've already made your travel arrangements but we stayed in Cortona and used it as our base to visit Montepulciano, Montechiello, Pienza, Deruta, and Florence. The week we spent there was spectacular and we loved Montepulciano. This is worth checking into--the owners are two of the nicest people I've ever met and drove the 11 of us around in their big van. They even lent us their car for the day trip to Deruta.

http://www.caspin.com/apartments.php5

I just came across this thread and maybe you've already made your travel arrangements but we stayed in Cortona and used it as our base to visit Montepulciano, Montechiello, Pienza, Deruta, and Florence. The week we spent there was spectacular and we loved Montepulciano. This is worth checking into--the owners are two of the nicest people I've ever met and drove the 11 of us around in their big van. They even lent us their car for the day trip to Deruta.

http://www.caspin.com/apartments.php5

GoVacation,

Thanks for the suggestion. We have already made our lodging and travel arrangements. We are staying at Agriturismo Villa Mazzi.

Now we are trying to figure out the best itinerary to visit the hill towns. We will be staying in Montepulciano for 4 nights, then moving over to Florence for 2 nights.

We have purchased some maps and looked at some suggested itineraries on a variety of websites. We do plan to visit Cortona.

We are attempting to come up with a plan for 3 full days in the Tuscan hill towns.

Did you have a set plan for the week that you were there in Tuscany?

Thanks!

We do plan to visit Cortona.

While in Cortona take a minute to stop into Il Girasole, a shop right in the heart of town, and say hello to the owner, Alessandra. She speaks English better than some Americans of my acquaintance and she's a hoot, plus she sells beautiful, Italian made linens. http://www.il-girasole.com/

We will be on a Greek Isles cruise (Venice to Rome) in July. I would like to spend a few days either pre-cruise or post-cruise in the Tuscany region.

 

I have been doing some research on staying at an agriturismo in Montepulciano, and using it as a home base for some day trips around the area.

 

I would appreciate input from you experienced travelers ...

 

• Have you stayed in Montepulciano?
  
• Have you experienced lodging in an agriturismo? Pros and cons?
  
• Any suggestions for an itinerary for a 3 day stay in that area?
  

 

Thanks!

Very helpful site http://www.montepulciano.com/index.eng.php

We stayed at a place very similar to yours, Villa Rosa, not far from Perugia. We had a car and took day trips all over. We never made it to more than two towns a day. We'd have a leisurely breakfast at the Villa, head out and spend the morning in the first town.

Consider the time it will take you to get there. Distance-wise the towns may not be far apart, but the roads are often twisty and only two lanes wide. We had a GPS which I would strongly suggest you get (if your rental car doesn't already come with one!). I used http://www.mappy.com to preview the travel times and gas money expense as well as distance.

Spend a morning exploring your hill town of choice. Have a relaxing lunch and soak up the ambiance. Then head out again for your second town and repeat but enjoy a nice glass of wine at happy hour instead of lunch!

Sometimes a town will grab your heart and you'll end up staying there for hours and hours. Other times you'll take a look, a quick walk through, and leave. You never know. For that reason, I'd have at least three towns lined up for the day's sightseeing but honestly, I wouldn't count on seeing more than three. Not unless you're one of those "if it's Tuesday it must be Belgium" kind of tourists, which I doubt you are.

The travel forum SlowTrav is a veritable gold mine for info on Italy.

Oh, I nearly forgot, but one of the nice things about staying in a villas is that you get your own kitchen. This might sound like the craziest thing, but one night we cooked in. We were tired from exploring the countryside (the road to Orvieto is a killer with the twists and turns, very slow-going!) and we wanted something simple and fast to eat on our patio that night. We went to the grocery store and got a frozen eggplant parmesan dinner and fixings for a fresh salad. It was a fantastic dinner! I read later that Italian frozen food is actually prepared to very high standards. It's nothing like most of the frozen entrees we get. I tell you, it was DELICIOUS! If you are wiped out and simply want to get back to your own villa apartment, give the frozen dinners some consideration. No joke.

While in Cortona take a minute to stop into Il Girasole, a shop right in the heart of town, and say hello to the owner, Alessandra. She speaks English better than some Americans of my acquaintance and she's a hoot, plus she sells beautiful, Italian made linens. http://www.il-girasole.com/

Thanks, euro cruiser. As always you contribute great tips!

Very helpful site http://www.montepulciano.com/index.eng.php

I have checked this site, thanks!

We stayed at a place very similar to yours, Villa Rosa, not far from Perugia. We had a car and took day trips all over. We never made it to more than two towns a day. We'd have a leisurely breakfast at the Villa, head out and spend the morning in the first town.

 

Consider the time it will take you to get there. Distance-wise the towns may not be far apart, but the roads are often twisty and only two lanes wide. We had a GPS which I would strongly suggest you get (if your rental car doesn't already come with one!). I used www.mappy.com to preview the travel times and gas money expense as well as distance.

 

Spend a morning exploring your hill town of choice. Have a relaxing lunch and soak up the ambiance. Then head out again for your second town and repeat but enjoy a nice glass of wine at happy hour instead of lunch!

 

Sometimes a town will grab your heart and you'll end up staying there for hours and hours. Other times you'll take a look, a quick walk through, and leave. You never know. For that reason, I'd have at least three towns lined up for the day's sightseeing but honestly, I wouldn't count on seeing more than three. Not unless you're one of those "if it's Tuesday it must be Belgium" kind of tourists, which I doubt you are.

 

The travel forum SlowTrav is a veritable gold mine for info on Italy.

Oh, I nearly forgot, but one of the nice things about staying in a villas is that you get your own kitchen. This might sound like the craziest thing, but one night we cooked in. We were tired from exploring the countryside (the road to Orvieto is a killer with the twists and turns, very slow-going!) and we wanted something simple and fast to eat on our patio that night. We went to the grocery store and got a frozen eggplant parmesan dinner and fixings for a fresh salad. It was a fantastic dinner! I read later that Italian frozen food is actually prepared to very high standards. It's nothing like most of the frozen entrees we get. I tell you, it was DELICIOUS! If you are wiped out and simply want to get back to your own villa apartment, give the frozen dinners some consideration. No joke.

dln929,

Thanks for the great suggestions! I am definitely going to have a plan/itinerary, but it will be "fluid". Like you said, if we see an area that we just love, we will stay longer to explore more.

We will get a GPS unit with our rental car, and thanks for the link to mappy.

THANK YOU to everyone who has given me great tips!

GoVacation,

Thanks for the suggestion. We have already made our lodging and travel arrangements. We are staying at Agriturismo Villa Mazzi.

 

Now we are trying to figure out the best itinerary to visit the hill towns. We will be staying in Montepulciano for 4 nights, then moving over to Florence for 2 nights.

 

We have purchased some maps and looked at some suggested itineraries on a variety of websites. We do plan to visit Cortona.

 

We are attempting to come up with a plan for 3 full days in the Tuscan hill towns.

 

Did you have a set plan for the week that you were there in Tuscany?

 

Thanks!

We were in Italy for three weeks and Tuscany/Umbria was where we spent the last six day so I tried not to plan too much. My favorite day was the day we spent in Montepulciano/Montechiello and Pienza. It was a leisurely day absorbing the history and culture of these beautiful towns. And the entire group loved it--ages 15-50. I love pottery so the day in Deruta was like being a kid in a candy store. I especially enjoyed Maioliche Nulli where the owner let me throw a pot on the wheel and Ubaldo Grazia--where we toured the artists studio and watched them paint.

I agree with a previous poster about eating in. On our last night in Italy, we hired a local chef to come in and give us a cooking lesson. That was a spectacular meal as the vegetables and spices were from the farmhouse garden and we rolled our own pasta! If that sounds interesting to you, check with the owners of the home where you are staying to see if it can be arranged.

I like what you said about the "bright idea" to go to CT. I had the same bright idea and was deteremined but once we got to our farmhouse we ditched the idea. Tuscany was so lovely that I just didn't want to give up an entire day. We had been in Positano for 6 days and decided that was enough water and hiking for this trip and we did not regret it.

We were in Italy for three weeks and Tuscany/Umbria was where we spent the last six day so I tried not to plan too much. My favorite day was the day we spent in Montepulciano/Montechiello and Pienza. It was a leisurely day absorbing the history and culture of these beautiful towns. And the entire group loved it--ages 15-50. I love pottery so the day in Deruta was like being a kid in a candy store. I especially enjoyed Maioliche Nulli where the owner let me throw a pot on the wheel and Ubaldo Grazia--where we toured the artists studio and watched them paint.

 

I agree with a previous poster about eating in. On our last night in Italy, we hired a local chef to come in and give us a cooking lesson. That was a spectacular meal as the vegetables and spices were from the farmhouse garden and we rolled our own pasta! If that sounds interesting to you, check with the owners of the home where you are staying to see if it can be arranged.

 

I like what you said about the "bright idea" to go to CT. I had the same bright idea and was deteremined but once we got to our farmhouse we ditched the idea. Tuscany was so lovely that I just didn't want to give up an entire day. We had been in Positano for 6 days and decided that was enough water and hiking for this trip and we did not regret it.

Lucky you to spend 3 weeks in Italy! Sounds like you had a wonderful time! How fun that you got to experience working with pottery. Those are the kind of things that make a trip memorable.

I love the idea to hire a chef, that would be so fun. We will have a kitchen, but not sure how well equipped it is. Taking a cooking lesson sounds awesome!

Cinque Terre may have to wait. I just don't see how to squeeze it in on this trip. I think we will enjoy Tuscany so much that it won't matter!

Thanks for your great ideas!

I love the idea to hire a chef, that would be so fun. We will have a kitchen, but not sure how well equipped it is. Taking a cooking lesson sounds awesome!

You might want to reach out to Bill & Patty Sutherland at Tuscan Women Cook (http://www.tuscanwomencook.com/hosts.html). Their classes are more involved than what you're thinking about, but they're located quite near Montepulciano and may be able to steer you toward someone who would do a half or full day cooking lesson with you in their home, so you wouldn't need to worry about the state of your kitchen.

Another option, a little further away in Cortona, is Alessandra Federici. A native Italian, Alessandra speaks nearly flawless English and she's a riot. I know that she does cooking lessons in her home, in addition to owning a shop in Cortona. Her web site is here: http://www.il-girasole.com/

You might want to reach out to Bill & Patty Sutherland at Tuscan Women Cook (http://www.tuscanwomencook.com/hosts.html). Their classes are more involved than what you're thinking about, but they're located quite near Montepulciano and may be able to steer you toward someone who would do a half or full day cooking lesson with you in their home, so you wouldn't need to worry about the state of your kitchen.

 

Another option, a little further away in Cortona, is Alessandra Federici. A native Italian, Alessandra speaks nearly flawless English and she's a riot. I know that she does cooking lessons in her home, in addition to owning a shop in Cortona. Her web site is here: http://www.il-girasole.com/

Thanks, euro cruiser!

I think I need to add another week to our vacation! Just too many fun things to do and places to visit.

You should bobalink, can't wait to read your reviews :)

I agree with the OP. Relax, enjoy Tuscany. If your schedule is too tight and you simply rush about from one hill town to the other you will not enjoy Tuscany to it's fullest. We will be back in Tuscany/Umbria next month for our third visit. We find that each time we go we seem to wind our schedule down a little but enjoy the experience more.