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Treasures of Tuscany - 7 days
Travel Information
Arrival:The tour starts in Volterra, which is reached by bus from Pisa, the nearestcity with an international airport. The bus ride takes 2 and half hours, with achange en route at Pontedera. The bus service runs 4 times per day (not onSundays.) Details are given in our route notes.
Alternate arrival airports are Florence or Rome.
Clients could also take the train from Pisa orFlorence to Pontedera and continue their journey to Volterra by bus. On Sundaysit is necessary either to take a taxi from Pontedera (or from Pisa) toVolterra - 2007 price for this is around US$195 equiv for up to four peopleplus luggage or to travel by a different route, taking the train fromPisa or Rome to Cecina, then a branch line train (or railway bus) to Salinas deVolterra and finally a bus to Volterra itself. The restaurant of our preferredhotel in San Gimignano is normally closed on Tuesdays, so this is anotherreason for not starting the tour on a Sunday. Travelers arriving via Romeairport should change trains at Roma Termini and continue by train to Cecina(on Sundays, for branch line to Salinas de Volterra) or to Pisa or Pontedera(for bus from Pontedera to Volterra). Seat reservations are advisable on trainsbetween Rome and Cecina/Pisa. There is also a three times daily (includingSundays) bus service from Florence to Volterra via Colle Val d'Elsa where youchange buses.
As an extra service; we can normally arrange an economical transfer to thestart of the walk from either Pisa (65 Euros/approx US$85) directly toVolterra, or from Certaldo (60 Euros/approx US$79) that is on the railway viaPontedera.
Please note that this transfer is an additionalcost and should be pre booked.
End of Tour: The tour ends after breakfast on day 7 in Siena. Train, changing trainsen route at Empoli to Pisa. The train fare from Siena to Pisa is around 9 Euros(US$12). For travelers who are flying out from Rome airport it is possible totravel by train from Siena to Rome (changing trains en route at Chiusi) withoutreturning to Pisa. Seat reservations are available, but only essential on certaintrains between Chiusi and Roma Termini.
Season:April to November
Level of Difficulty
Grade:Easy to Moderate. There are nonetheless some hills, some fairly steep but shortascents and some paths with rough gravel and stony surfaces.
Fitness:High standard of fitness is not necessary but clients should be able to walkfor up to 5 hours a day in hot sun on dusty or stony tracks.
Waymarking:Part of the route is waymarked with red and white signs; elsewhere it isnecessary to follow the route descriptions provided together with the maps.Most clients find the route finding quite straightforward.
Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation is on a bed and breakfastbasis in 2-3 star hotels, and at a Agriturismo or guesthouse with en suitefacilities when available. Two evening meals are included: Normally one inVolterra and the other in San Gimignano. The other four evening meals canreadily be obtained locally without pre-booking. Night 5 (in or near Monteriggioni) is normally spent either at asmall unclassified guesthouse with private facilities or at an unclassifiedagriturismo (farm guest house). Picnic lunches are not included in the tourprice, but materials for picnics can be purchased in each of the towns andvillages where you stay or pass through. As the walking days are quite shortclients may in any case reach their destination in time for a late lunch.According to Italian Law, all hotels must close their restaurants on one nighteach week, so it is not uncommon for clients to be given a voucher to eatdinner at a nearby restaurant, or be given the equivalent amount of money toeat in a restaurant of their own choice.
(Subject to variation. This is a very popularroute and we sometimes have to use alternatives to the hotels listed below. Thealternatives are however of a comparable standard.)
Nights 1 & 2 : These are spent at Volterra, one of the oldest cities inItaly, in a welcoming and comfortable 3 star hotel, which is in fact a villafrom the late 17th century that has been restored. It is situated in a peacefularea near the medieval town-wall. The hotel commands a magnificent panoramicview. All rooms have their own shower and toilet. The hotel also boasts an outdoor swimming pool.
Night 3: Westay at San Gimignano where our first choice is a 3-star hotel set in thepulsating heart of this town of towers, little changed for 600 years.
Night 4: Thisnight is spent in the town of Colle di Val d'Elsa, normally in an historicbuilding dating from the 15th century in the old Upper Town (Colle Alta). It isa 3-star hotel with 32 en suite rooms.
Night 5: Eithera small guest house within the mediaeval walled village of Monteriggioni; oncethe day-visitors have gone it is a haven of peace; the rooms (limited innumber) are simply furnished, but all have private facilities; or (if all therooms in the guest house within the walls are fully booked) at an agriturismo(farm guest house) 2km/1.2mi away from the walled village along a white road.We provide full instructions on how to walk from the walled village to theagriturismo and back. On escortedwalks the 5th night will be spent either at Monteriggioni or inSiena.
Night 6: Inthe lively and sophisticated city of Siena we stay at a small, comfortablehotel in rooms with en suite facilities, telephone, and TV.
Extra nights
Siena is certainly a beautiful city, yetdespite its size, it has something of a village feel to it. There is so much tosee and so many good places to eat that it is worth an extra day. We canarrange extra nights here or in Florence which is only about an hour away bybus.
It is possible to include extra nights in any ofthe towns en route or in Florence or, if you would like to do more walking, inthe "Cinque Terre" a beautiful coastal region centered at Monterosso.Or why not head off to the beautiful Tuscan island of Elba? Details and priceson request.
On Self Guided Tour we provide you with . . .
Route notes and maps at 1:25,000 scale.
Escorted Departures 2008
Please note as mentioned in the text: onthe escorted departures, night: 5 will be spent either at Monteriggioni or inSiena, this depends on the group size. The walking itinerary will be the sameas on the self-guided tour, except if you are staying in Siena
Escorted dates are as follows :
Wed 14 May- Tues 20 May
Mon 8 Sep– Sun 14 Sept
Mon 6 Oct –Sun 12 Oct
These 4 departures are 7 day guided trips terminating in Siena with thepossibility of adding on the 4-night Chianti (Siena - Florence) extension self-guided.Many customers have chosen this combination. The extension starts with atransfer from the hotel in Siena on the morning of Day 7.
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ITINERARY |
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Day 1: Arrive Volterra via Pisa. Either a bus or train is taken from Pisa to Pontedera, where you change onto a local bus service (not Sundays) to Volterra. Journey from the airport to the first hotel is not included in the tour price. The combined train and bus fare is around 13 Euro (US$16) per person. It is possible to reach Volterra by public transport on Sundays, but by a more circuitous and expensive route. Day 2: By road to Pignano, walk back to Volterra. (8.75 miles/14 km) One option for today, involving about four hours walking, is a short bus or taxi ride (1 Euro approx by bus, not included in tour price) to the hamlet of Pignano, from where it is an easy walk back to Volterra, mostly along white roads which follow a broad winding and panoramic ridge. Halfway through the walk there is normally the opportunity to stop for a welcome drink at a retreat center, from where you can contemplate exploring the steep and somewhat overgrown Monte Voltraio- a mysterious attraction on account of its peculiar truncated cone shape. A paleontologist's dream as the ground appears to be scattered with fossils. On a hot day the less adventurous will be more inclined to continue on to Volterra. Overnight Volterra. Day 3: Pignano to San Gimignano. 4 - 5 hours' walking (8 miles/12km). The hotel arranges for a taxi to take you to the starting point of the walk at Bivio di Castelvecchio (taxi fare included in price of holiday). Alternatively the taxi at yesterday's starting point, Pignano, can drop you off from where it is about 30 minutes' pleasant walking to Bivio di Castelvecchio. This extra half hour would enable you to cover the whole distance between Volterra and San Gimignano on foot in the course of days 2 and 3. You walk between vineyards and through oak woods with wild cyclamen in flower in autumn and fine views of the old ruined fortifications of Castelvecchio. You continue to the pretty village of San Donato and the small hamlet of Montauto with fine views of San Gimignano, before continuing by farm track and / or road to San Gimignano, known as the town of the beautiful towers and has dominated the hills south of the Elsa Valley since Etruscan times. There is much to explore in this small town, in particular the narrow streets and squares of the medieval quarter. Overnight San Gimignano. Day 4: San Gimignano to Colle Val d'Elsa. 3.5 hours walking (10 miles/ 16km). You follow a white road along a broad panoramic ridge with fine views back to the towers of San Gimignano. On either side are vineyards (source of the local dry white Vernaccia), olive groves and cypress avenues. Later we climb up through shady woods to the small village of Montecchio and across level fields to Borgatello, and on into Colle Val d'Elsa, where the fascinating old town occupies the crest of a ridge high above the valley of the Elsa. Overnight Colle Val d'Elsa. Day 5: Colle Val d'Elsa to Monteriggioni. 6 hours' walk (12 miles / 20km). After walking out of Colle through a small industrial zone you cross a broad and mostly treeless agricultural plain, with farming hamlets such as Scarna and Acquaviva. As you approach the base of the densely wooded Montagnola Hills you reach the attractive village of Strove, with the nearby manor house of Castel Petraia. At the village of Abbadia a Isola you should stop to see the abbey church. Eventually you arrive at the base of the little hill, clad with vineyards, on which is built the mediaeval walled village of Monteriggioni with its famous watchtowers. Overnight either within the walled village Monteriggioni or, if the very limited accommodation in the village itself is fully booked, at an agriturismo (farm guest house) 2km/1.6mi away along a white road. In the latter case we provide full directions on how to reach the agriturismo. Note that on escorted departures due to limited accommodations in the village and depending on reservations, you may, but not necessarily, not stay at Monteriggioni, but have two nights in Siena instead. In this case you will be transferred to Monteriggioni directly and do tomorrow's walk today, giving you a whole extra day in Siena compared to the self guided program. For those who do not want to spend a whole day in the city there is the opportunity to have a good escorted half day walk to the south of Siena. Day 6: Monteriggioni to S. Columba. 4 hours' walk (8 miles /12.8km). From Monteriggioni we walk uphill past farmland and descend through woods to the small village of Funghaia. We continue on small peaceful farm tracks through farms to the village of San Colomba. A magnificent villa, now almost derelict and a beautifully frescoed church, is situated here. From here we can take a taxi or bus into Siena (not included in the tour price). After setting in to the hotel you will find all the famous places of this city within walking distance, with the Palazza IL Campo being the famous center of this medieval city. There are many museums, churches, and the huge Pisan Romanesque and Gothic cathedral. You can easily get lost in the warren of streets, all arranged into areas called "Contrada," as they have done for hundreds of years and where the Sienese population gain their group loyalties and rivalries. Overnight Siena. Day 7: Return to Pisa by train, changing at Empoli (fare around 10 Euros/US$13 per person, not included in price). |