Ask around about favorite summer destinations, and Tuscany (a.k.a. Italy) is sure to come up in the answers. Tuscany has long been a highly favored vacation destination among us Dutch travelers. One reason for this? The distance between the Netherlands and Tuscany is quite manageable by car. Just a drive away, you’ll find rolling hills, a coastline (with sandy beaches!), picturesque villages, delicious wines, and endless vistas. Tuscany ticks all the vacation boxes. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the best accommodations for staying overnight and attractions for an ultimate route through Tuscany.
Tuscany Route Including Spots to Stay Overnight
→ Handy: Rent a car for your road trip through Tuscany
→ Accommodation tip: Lupaia, Agriturismo Ai Linchi & Rancone Lodges
5 Delightful Places to Stay in Tuscany
A road trip through Tuscany goes hand in hand with finding wonderful and appealing accommodations. Of course, going spontaneously is an option (our favorite!), but if you want to enjoy the anticipation, here is a list of accommodations we would definitely recommend for your vacation in Tuscany. Naturally, we have also included some agriturismos in this list. An agriturismo? These are Italian farms where agriculture comes first, followed by tourism. They often produce and sell wines, olive oil, and other delicacies. In the evenings, you can usually join for dinner. This approach – where the farm takes precedence – results in sustainable, unique accommodations in Italy. Just what we love. Often, you stay in the vineyards surrounded by hills and olive trees, and agriturismos guarantee hospitality and quality. On the way to Tuscany.
Agriturismo Pieve Sprenna in Siena
With a 9.6 rating on our favorite site Booking.com, you know you’re in for a treat. Pieve Sprenna is proudly positioned on a green hill and surrounded – could it be more Italian? – by cypress trees, vineyards, and olive trees. Although Pieve Sprenna is known as an agriturismo, it is actually a stunning large estate with an old farmhouse. Pieve Sprenna has a restaurant for breakfast and dinner, a lovely swimming pool (which is welcome when you visit Tuscany in the summer; it gets extremely hot here), and as the cherry on top, you can look out over the vineyards from the jacuzzi. You pay about 165 euros per night for a double room, including breakfast.
→ Book your stay at Pieve Sprenna
Lupaia in Montepulciano
We have often traveled to Tuscany, and Montepulciano frequently tops our must-visit list because what a lovely place it is. To immerse yourself in luxury while staying in Montepulciano, visit Lupaia. This location also serves as an ultimate Italian wedding venue. Carefully cultivated gardens with cozy seating areas, an incredible swimming pool, and top-notch food: that’s what you get at Lupaia. It’s not cheap at around 500 euros per night, but it’s worth it (sometimes).
→ Book your stay at Lupaia
Agriturismo Ai Linchi in Lucca
We were quite charmed by this delightful agriturismo in Lucca run by a welcoming family. Or rather, in Lucca… Just a 15-minute bike ride and you’ll find yourself in the city. It’s the best of both worlds: the ‘city of a hundred churches’ and a green environment. At Ai Linchi, they understand how we love to spend our vacations. Ai Linchi offers camping spots (tip: choose a spot in the back field, as those trees are more grown-up) for about 40 euros per night in high season. If you don’t have your own camping gear, no worries: Ai Linchi also has apartments and a villa. An added bonus is the breakfast – more of a brunch, as it is very extensive – is delicious and costs you only 15 euros per person. After a day of wandering through the charming Lucca, do you fancy a refreshing swim? Ai Linchi has a large swimming pool, so you’ll be able to get your swimming fix here.
→ Book your stay at Agriturismo Ai Linchi
Farmhouse and Agricampeggio Podernuovo BP in Volterra
To be honest, we must say that there are few more beautiful places in Tuscany than Volterra. Volterra is a gem, with a capital G. Located on a high hill – you’ll definitely get your elevation here – and surrounded by incredible cliffs. You will stay on a farm, which means: guided tours to the bees, the vegetable garden, homemade bread, and joining for the delicious meals that are served here, the latter at very reasonable prices. Agricampeggio Podernuovo is surrounded by birds, wildflowers, and plants, and you will feel one with nature. A swimming pool – with saltwater – is included, ha! Podernuovo is small with its 16 spots but delightful. What does it cost? 28.50 euros per spot in high season, 9.50 euros per adult, and 7.50 euros per child. For one of the two apartments, you pay 700 euros in low season and 900 euros in high season per week. A good price, we’d say.
→ Book your stay at Agricampeggio Podernuovo
Rancone Lodges in the Garfagnana Region
This is an insider tip, as we might call it. While the rest of Tuscany – especially in summer – appears to be flooded with tourists, this area in Garfagnana still feels relatively quiet. Undiscovered, we’d say. Authentic Italy is present here. You can find both camping spots at Rancone Lodges, and in high season – a bummer for the spontaneous travelers among us – we recommend reserving here. For about 65 euros per night, you’ve secured a spot. Not a camping fan but still want to enjoy Rancone Lodges? No worries: you can rent a villa with a private pool for the luxury lovers among us. Additionally, bell tents and furnished lodges are available. An accommodation costs you about 200 euros per night in high season. You get a lot of amenities, such as a large, beautiful swimming pool and a fantastic restaurant. For a fee, you can take yoga classes and reserve the hot tub and sauna with stunning views over the valley.
→ Book your stay at Rancone Lodges
5 Recommendations to Add to Your Tuscany Route
Your accommodations are sorted, and you know where you’re going to stay. Now you only need a few tips to make your Tuscany route as beautiful as possible!
Florence
We keep throwing superlatives around in this article about Tuscany, but here comes another one because if you want to visit one of the most beautiful places in all of Italy, you’ll want to go to the city of Florence. The birthplace of the Renaissance is drenched in splendor, glory, and art. Of course, you will visit the Duomo, check out Michelangelo’s works in the Uffizi Gallery, and plant yourself in one of the many lovely squares that Florence has to offer with a good cup of Italian espresso.
→ Read more: Discover the Heart of Tuscany: 15 Things to Do in Florence
La Torre Alle Tolfe Near Italian Siena
Of course, we enjoy the highlights and popular hotspot locations, but we secretly love insider tips even more. This is one of them. Just a few kilometers from the bustling Siena, you will find this incredible estate. The estate has a restaurant with its own vegetable garden, vineyard, and olive grove. From La Torre alle Tolfe, you look out over Siena and the green – in high season, more yellowish – hills of the Chianti mountains. Reserve a table here for an afternoon (day drinking is entirely allowed in Italy) or evening and enjoy the fresh and local products presented by the chef on your plate. If you happen to be in Tuscany during the off-season (highly recommended), instead of sitting on the terrace, you will find yourself in the villa’s living room during the fall and winter months. Here, with the crackling fireplace, the menu is served, accompanied by matching wines. Delicious.
Lucca
Enchanting Lucca should be on your Tuscany road trip list, the cultural center of the entire region. Enjoy a drink at Piazza dell’Anfiteatro (a former Roman amphitheater) – just be aware that this is relatively pricy – and for a good aperitivo (including snacks, a staple in Italy), head to bar Osteria Stellario. In the evenings, your best bet is Bistro Paris Boheme, where you can enjoy fantastic meals. The best sandwiches we had were at Pan di Strada: just outside the busy tourist center, where you pay about 8 euros for a carpaccio and burrata sandwich with house wine for 3 euros. You’ll be surrounded by Italians, so you know it’s good. A tip just outside the city? Villa di Corliano. A restaurant on an incredible estate where you can also grab a cake or a good pizza. We would recommend the tasting menu (costs about 30 euros, a steal), letting you immerse yourself in all the delights of Italian cuisine.
→ Read more: City Trip to Lucca: What You Should See and Do!
The Cable Car in Certaldo Alto
Park for free at Funicolare (Basso) and walk 6 minutes to Piazza Boccacio. For €3.20, you can take a round trip on the cable car to Alto, the old part of the city that is situated high up. Certaldo Alto is charming in one word. Though beautiful, it often doesn’t appear on standard itineraries that always highlight places like San Gimignano and Volterra. Certaldo Alto is small and lovely: one capital with various small narrow side streets, and that’s it. A restaurant tip here is La Dolce Vita: an adorable shop and wine bar, where you can sit on white bistro chairs overlooking the hills. In the shop, they sell homemade products such as the – apparently world-famous – cipolle marmelade.
Volterra
Busy in high season, yes, but one of our favorite places in Tuscany: Volterra. It is located on a hill, surrounded by those rolling hills that you see all over the area and also by high ‘Balze’ cliffs. The large green park is nice for walking and taking a break. Grab a sandwich at the sandwich shop in the park, and a ‘riposo’ (the Italian form of siesta between 12:30-4:00 PM) beckons. Feeling refreshed? Then it’s time for a round of famous sites: the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci and the Roman theater (well, the remains of it) are must-visits.
→ Read more: 8 Things to Do in Volterra: The Coolest Attractions in the City of the Etruscans
What Does Your Tuscany Route Look Like?
Every year, the region of Tuscany attracts millions of tourists from all over the world, and it’s no wonder: you can effortlessly find the ultimate vacation feeling here, and a road trip through Tuscany is delightful. The region has so much more to offer than the well-known big cities like Florence; it’s the small places that are delightful: San Gimignano – the ‘Medieval Manhattan’ – or nature in the Val d’Orcia. In short, a route through Tuscany has something for everyone. La dolce vita! Oh, and do you have any great tips for an unforgettable route? Or know other beautiful places to stay? Share your recommendations below!
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