Italy help, please
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:00 am
Siena or Lucca? Lucca or Siena? We're trying to decide where to spend 3 or 4 nights at the end of our trip. Input? Thoughts? Opinions?
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:54 am
I can't help ya, but I'd look for Vicki's terrific trip report, to see if she was in either place!
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:03 pm
Visited both last October. Stayed in Lucca for 2 nights at a great B&B (Hotel Ilaria)and loved it. It's right in the walled area. Free parking, free bikes, wonderful breakfast spread each morning. Rode bikes, walked, etc.
Returned rental car in Siena and took a cab into the town to walk around.
My personal favorite is Lucca. But why not stay in both? Spend 2 nights in Lucca and then 1 night in Siena?
Lucca is a quick and easy drive to Pisa also.
Where else is this trip taking you? Cinque Terre is so scenic and great hiking.
Returned rental car in Siena and took a cab into the town to walk around.
My personal favorite is Lucca. But why not stay in both? Spend 2 nights in Lucca and then 1 night in Siena?
Lucca is a quick and easy drive to Pisa also.
Where else is this trip taking you? Cinque Terre is so scenic and great hiking.
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 1:52 pm
We're spending 3 nights in Rome, then 3 nights in Florence, followed by 3 nights in.... um....Terry wrote:Visited both last October. Stayed in Lucca for 2 nights at a great B&B (Hotel Ilaria)and loved it. It's right in the walled area. Free parking, free bikes, wonderful breakfast spread each morning. Rode bikes, walked, etc.
Returned rental car in Siena and took a cab into the town to walk around.
My personal favorite is Lucca. But why not stay in both? Spend 2 nights in Lucca and then 1 night in Siena?
Lucca is a quick and easy drive to Pisa also.
Where else is this trip taking you? Cinque Terre is so scenic and great hiking.
I CAN'T DECIDE! I would love to visit Cinque Terre at some point. Boy I think I might need to start planning Italy Trip #2 
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 3:49 pm
canuck-- We'll be in Florence for a week in September.
We were there for a week a few years ago. 3 days just isn't enough!!
Everyone we ran into --who were doing the rome-Vence Florence circle -- said they wished they'd stayed in Florence longer.
You can also use Florence as a base to visit some of the hill towns. Just a thought....
Sounds like fun no matter what you do!!!
We were there for a week a few years ago. 3 days just isn't enough!!
Everyone we ran into --who were doing the rome-Vence Florence circle -- said they wished they'd stayed in Florence longer.
You can also use Florence as a base to visit some of the hill towns. Just a thought....
Sounds like fun no matter what you do!!!
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 5:57 pm
My husband and I just did a late November trip to Italy. The only thing I booked in advance was Rome--we were flying in there and planning to stay for a bit, and I wanted to be sure I would love where we stayed so I researched the heck out of it... research paid off; the hotel was exactly what we wanted (Villa Spalletti Trivelli)....
At the end of the Rome stay, we woke up one morning and said, "Rent a car or take a train? Where to ?" We decided to rent a car and drive to Siena. The vague idea was to stay in Siena for 3 or 4 nights and do day trips. As soon as we got to Siena, we realized we didn't want it to be our base. No hotel there felt exactly right. I had done some loose research, and the hotels didn't match my minds-eye pictures at all (as I said, very loose research). We ended up staying overnight, then driving to Florence. Totally unexpectedly, we stayed in Florence for the rest of our trip because my husband fell in love with it (he had never been there).
Moral of the story---if you can't be free spirits and decide 'on the go,' research the heck out of your options. Anytime I have done that, even though it is SO time-consuming, the effort has paid off.
Only you will know if you prefer Lucca or Siena. Some people love love love Siena. Others find it creepy. Me? I loved seeing it, and was delighted to stumble upon an olive oil harvest market on Sunday morning, but I somehow wanted out of there, as if I had been killed there, in some long ago life! Seriously. Really strong physical reaction to the place. Weird.
Siena at night (iphone pic so low res):
Building in a Siena square:
another iphone pic--old psychiatric hospital:
View from apartment we rented from Santa Caterina hotel---barely does justice to the reality.
At the end of the Rome stay, we woke up one morning and said, "Rent a car or take a train? Where to ?" We decided to rent a car and drive to Siena. The vague idea was to stay in Siena for 3 or 4 nights and do day trips. As soon as we got to Siena, we realized we didn't want it to be our base. No hotel there felt exactly right. I had done some loose research, and the hotels didn't match my minds-eye pictures at all (as I said, very loose research). We ended up staying overnight, then driving to Florence. Totally unexpectedly, we stayed in Florence for the rest of our trip because my husband fell in love with it (he had never been there).
Moral of the story---if you can't be free spirits and decide 'on the go,' research the heck out of your options. Anytime I have done that, even though it is SO time-consuming, the effort has paid off.
Only you will know if you prefer Lucca or Siena. Some people love love love Siena. Others find it creepy. Me? I loved seeing it, and was delighted to stumble upon an olive oil harvest market on Sunday morning, but I somehow wanted out of there, as if I had been killed there, in some long ago life! Seriously. Really strong physical reaction to the place. Weird.
Siena at night (iphone pic so low res):
Building in a Siena square:
another iphone pic--old psychiatric hospital:
View from apartment we rented from Santa Caterina hotel---barely does justice to the reality.
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:19 am
Maryanne, sounds like you had a wonderful trip! Well, besides the reaction to Siena, that is 
We're traveling with another couple, so planning needs to be done in advance. I am SO excited for Florence - I have a feeling I'm going to want to stay there, too!
We're traveling with another couple, so planning needs to be done in advance. I am SO excited for Florence - I have a feeling I'm going to want to stay there, too!Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:21 am
I had considered that, especially since we're flying out of Florence. Hmm.Gromit wrote:You can also use Florence as a base to visit some of the hill towns. Just a thought....
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 9:28 am
My .02 on "Siena or Lucca?"
You can't go wrong, but it really depends on what you like - there is more gothic type architecture and very early renaissance art etc. in Siena, while Lucca has the Pisan/Romannesque look and feel and medieval art. I would probably have to rate the cathedral in Siena as the single best thing of both cities though.
One consideration would be your walking tolerance - if you are into a good walk and some strenuous hills, Siena - if you need (or want) flat and easy - Lucca.
I would try to spend a little time in each - and yes - I think Florence is a great base for both. Siena is an easy bus, Lucca a little farther train, but both are great as full day trips.
You can't go wrong, but it really depends on what you like - there is more gothic type architecture and very early renaissance art etc. in Siena, while Lucca has the Pisan/Romannesque look and feel and medieval art. I would probably have to rate the cathedral in Siena as the single best thing of both cities though.
One consideration would be your walking tolerance - if you are into a good walk and some strenuous hills, Siena - if you need (or want) flat and easy - Lucca.
I would try to spend a little time in each - and yes - I think Florence is a great base for both. Siena is an easy bus, Lucca a little farther train, but both are great as full day trips.