Travel to Tuscany and Cinque Terre

Questions & AnswersCategoria: Planning Trip to ItalyTravel to Tuscany and Cinque Terre
Anonimo asked 9 anni ago
Travel to Tuscany and Cinque Terre

Hi Elena:

Wonderful resource you offer and I appreciate very much being able to inquire with you.
We will be flying to Florence in late May, renting a car and traveling to Tuscany area, looking to find rural rustic accommodations for 3 nights or so , then hoping to drive to Cinque Terre for 5 nights. We like the outdoors, hiking, biking, sea kayaking. Not sure if we will have time for all those activities but certainly want to explore on foot. Not overly interested in museums or typical tourist attractions , just the natural beauty of the country,,people, and culture. Sorry for rambling. We were thinking of the Radda area as a base. Do you think it is representative of Tuscany and a decent choice ?
I have heard that the Cinque Terre is not car friendly. Would we be able to drive to any of the 5 towns and park at our lodging ? We wondered if B and B\’s or villa\’s offer parking for guests. We are not sure yet which town we would stay in or near but thinking Corniglia as it is the centre town. If that isn\’t an option what do you suggest as the best alternative?

1 Risposte
elena nacci Staff answered 9 anni ago
Glad to help with your trip to Italy!
 
First of all I would split your stay this way: 4 nights in Tuscany and 4 in the Cinque Terre. As you like outdoor activities like biking, I think staying a bit more time in the beautiful and scenic Tuscan countryside would be ideal. Of course, also the Cinque Terre are perfect for biking and other activities, but consider I’m a Tuscan
 
As for the choice of your base in Tuscany, I generally suggest choosing between Chianti or the Val d’Orcia, because of their scenic landscape and enchanting countryside. They are very different from one another though. In this post I try to explain which one is the best place as a home base in the region. Both are perfect, so also take a look at the pics of each area and just choose the one that is most inspiring to you.
 
Radda is in Chianti and is a very nice place to stay, though I’d recommend other hill towns in the area, like Castellina in Chianti for instance.
 
Exploring the Cinque Terre by car is generally not recommended, as parking areas are located outside the 5 charming villages. Train is the best way to move around. In any case, Monterosso is the village with the nearest parking area to the town’s center. Here is a very useful article with info on where to park in the Cinque Terre.
 

Do not hesitate to contact me again for any further question,

 
ciao from Florence,