We are looking for a base to explore Tuscany and a beachside town along the central/northern Italian coast for our honeymoon. Thank you for all the help!
Hi Everyone!
My fiancé and I are trying to plan our honeymoon to Tuscany for 10 days in July. We have already spent time in Florence and Sienna so we are looking to spend more time in smaller cities/towns, visiting vineyards and eating delicious food. We have also thought about splitting our time and spending part on the coast.
We are hoping to stay in villas/B&Bs and are having trouble deciding where we should base ourselves for both inland and on the coast.
For inland, we have been suggested Greve-In-Chianti. Is this a good idea? Do you have other suggestions?
What about a good seaside/beach area along the central/northern coasts?
As other background information, we are both 26, will be renting a car, and want a variety of activities (ex. biking/hiking/vineyard touring).
Thank you for all your input and happy travels!
[Edited: 2012 Jan 25 04:39 - Travel Guy:31249 ]
[Edited: 2012 Jan 25 11:41 - Mell:49612 - Moved to Europe Forum. 😊]
Reply to this We love our time in Italy. We wrote several blogs and here are two of them. You can read all of them if it interest you. We went to the island of Elba and highly recommend it. It was a nice ferry ride. Elba is not on the east coast but on the west coast but we loved it.
San Gimignano and Cortona were a couple of our favorite towns.
D MJ Binkley
[Edited: 2012 Jan 25 05:06 - D MJ Binkley:42569 ]
Reply to this I too loved San Gimignano; and it had the bonus of fantastic gelati!
Reply to this Thank you for the advice!
Any other coastal suggestions?
Reply to this Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. My daughter is also getting married in June and our original plan was to have her wedding in Cortona or Positano. However, our extended families on both sides wanted to be at the wedding and couldn't afford to go to Italy. So they are getting married in Maryland and honeymooning in Europe.
To respond to your questions, we enjoyed Villa Norcenni in Figlini Val D'Arno...you can check their website. Recently we stayed in Cortona and San Gimignano. See our blogs starting with
Switzerland, Tuscany and Bavaria Summer Vacation . But there are many villas all over Tuscany...including the one featured in the movie "Letters to Juliet," something to watch in anticipation of your own visit. While you are at it, watch "Under the Tuscan Sun," should you need additional inspriation, which I doubt.
As for seaside towns, we loved the Italian Riviera between Portofino and Rapallo. We have used the beaches along the Tuscan coast west of Pisa although they had oil globs in the sand so this may be a problem all along the coast. I like Dave and Merry Jo's recommendation of Elba as island beaches seem to be cleaner, and island life is always more carefree. As for islands, I have been to Sardinia and the beaches there were great. I haven't been to the Cinque Terra, which is supposed to be very quaint, despite recent rains and mudslides which should be cleared up by summer, but I don't know whether they have good beaches.
But our favorite beaches are along the French Riviera where we stay in Antibes (the beach across from Hotel Royal, also a great place to stay, is our favorite) It's not too much of a drive from Tuscany (about four hours) and absolutely fantastic coastal scenery on the way, not to mention famous towns such as Monte Carlo. Have a wonderful honeymoon.
Reply to this I am a big fan of Italy after living there for 3 years (Sofia was born there)
For Tuscany, if you are going to visit wineries, I highly recommend staying in Montalcino. This is where Brunello di Montalcino is made which in my opinion is one of the best wines of Italy (up there with Barolo and Amarone). While Chianti is better known in USA, Brunello is a "bigger" wine and one that ages well. It is 100% sangiovese (grape) the same main grape in Chianti. I can recommend some producers if you send me a message.
A slightly more picturesque town is Montepulciano where they make Vino Nobile di Montepulciano which is also made from the Sangiovese grape but different clone. I little less full bodied. Can do it in a day trip from Montalcino or stay there.
San Gimignano is a really cool town/medieval, they make a white wine there, (Vernaccia de San Gimignano) I am not a big fan of this ones.
Most big Supertuscans are made in Bolgheri which is more on the coast, but I am not familiar with this area and the wines tend to be overpriced.
Reply to this Thank you all for the wonderful advice!
Bob, congrats on your daughter's wedding!
ThroughMyEyes, thank you very much for the offers. We will certainly be contacting you by message once we have confirmed the details of our trip.
Happy Travels!
Reply to this Hi!! My name is Lory I'm so happy that you have chosen my country for your holidays!! I've just created a blog dedicated to Montaione (Florence) and i would be happy to give you advices and suggestions. Please, for any information, write me I will be happy to help you!!!! In the blog you can find everything about Montaione, and a lot of things that only a person who live in Montaione could know! http://tuscanyholidaysmontaione.blogspot.com/
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