Any recommendations?

We’re going to be in Europe almost a month from the middle of December into January. We will have a car and have booked various Agriturismos for lodging to make a 2 week loop through Tuscany. Couple of items we have planned.

- train into Florence to see the Duomo and museum with advanced purchase tickets.
- Florence American Cemetery
- smaller towns sampling wine and food

Any other ideas?


Will also be taking the wife to Christmas markets in the Alsace, as well as Switzerland and the Black Forest in Germany. Probably take her to Lorraine American Cemetery and will pass by where Audie Murphy earned is MoH. I’ve been there but she hasn’t.

Cortona is the bomb.

Florence is worth several days. Way too many museums and restaurants for just a 2 day stop.
In tuscany there are a few towns worth visiting. I would spend a night in sienna.
Visit San Gigminano, castle in monteriiggioni, and maybe a few others. There is a winery in Castellina en Chianti that serves a wine paired 5 course lunch…poggio amorelli… …if you partake the wine is great, food is really good, and you will not be able to drive afterward, and it isnt terribly priced for what you get. They ship wine to the US from there so be prepared if you go and partake, you will send some home.
Visit the chinqueterra (sp) and the city if vernazza is great. Smaller and not as touristy, but there are some really reataurants and a wonderful cafe at the top of the town that serves delicious baked goods and has amazing sipping chocolate (i was told they have great coffee too but i dont do coffee)

Piza isnt far away from those areas so stop and see the leaning tower, its very different than i expected. If you can get tickets to climb it that would be fun.

Lots to see in tusxany and in italy in general. Time of year might be tough, dont know how winter affects them
Over there.

If you want some switzerland stops to hit, let me know.

We got lost in Sienna and couldn't find the parking garage where we parked the rental. A girl pulled up on a Vespa and parked and the wife told me to go over and ask her. (I'd taken a little Italian before the trip.) The girl pulled her helmet off as she turned and looked at me. It was like one of those shampoo commercials with the gorgeous hair cascading down. I was looking into the face of an Italian angel...and I couldn't remember my own name, much less what I was gonna ask her. I could see the wife outa the corner of my eye, just shaking her head.

Picking up the rental in Florence and getting out of town was an adventure in itself.

Leave the car in florence and get a guide with a van to take you around. Then you dont need to worry about drivinf after having lunch with too much wine.

I’ll second Florence. The statue of David is almost mind boggling. That cathedral there is inspiring.

The smaller towns have open markets weekly and many locals do all of their shopping there. These are interesting and can be rewarding.

Northern Italy enjoys an interesting German/Italian mix. They had a little conflict just prior to 1920 which redrew some national boundaries. Consider Hotel Stephenoff where the Dolomites loom on the horizon in Brescia or as referred to by the locals, Brixen. 2/3rds of the business is done in German and it is quite charming. Think Heidi - it’s in the region know as Tyrollia.

For me, Tuscany was engaging and well worth it. Northern Italy was bomber. Really liked it.

If ypu can swing it while in europe, hit bavaria. Munchen (munich) is a really cool city with some rich history. Lots to see in bavaria.

Think Berchdesgarten. Avoid northern France. Their “Yankees” are just as rude and unengaging as ours

Interesting, I found the people in northern France to be very friendling and grateful towards Americans. They still remember. Never came across anyone rude once we left Paris and went north.

I’ll have to agree with the “once we left Paris” sentiment.

Yeah i have no desire to go to paris simply from reputation. I have never been and most lilely wont ever go.

I will say the french candadians in montreal were some of the most rude people i have come across.

I did not experience any rudeness or bitterness when in Caan. Only stop we had in france while on a med cruise woth the kids.

Yes, northern France was awesome, and just as Paluxy stated. WAY better than Paris. If you make it up there, recommend Mont Saint-Michel, Bayeux for the Tapestry, and of course all the D-Day stuff.

In Switzerland, hit up the Swiss Army Knife museum in Brunnen. You can make your own knife there as well, including engraving your name and date on the knife case.

In Bavaria/Black Forest, check out Triberg for the cuckoo clocks and the waterfalls. Head over to Munich for Dachau and the BMW Welt.

In Italy, Asiago was nice and definitely get some cheese too. Then drop down to Venice for the water and all the sites there. Of course, Rome is always great too.

If you are looking for an incredible Tuscany facility to stay, check out the below link. We had an awesome visit there several years ago and would return in a heartbeat. It is a rural wine estate which has several villas for rent (daily/weekly). Views are breathtaking, facilities and service are awesome, reasonable access to Pisa, Florence, and many other cool Tuscan historical cities . Good access to rail ventures to other Tuscany areas. The staff is most helpful and will arrange trips/guides as desired. (we got a guided trip to Portofino and Cinque Terra.)
https://www.poggioalcasone.com/en/

Enjoy the trip! If you get a chance take a short train or drive north up SS1 to Portofino. Breathtaking coastline, and I think it's the most picturesque village on the Italian Riviera. Everything is picture postcard perfect.

Thanks for all the input and ideas. I used to travel a lot to Europe on business, particular Germany around Karlsruhe and would often visit WWII locations like Normandy in France and the Ardennes in Belgium. So many things to see on this trip. Our major focus is on Tuscany but I wanted to show the wife the Alsace Christmas markets and some of the Black Forest on the way back. Tuscany is active in December/January but fewer tourists. Also instead of staying in Florence we will stay outside and and take a train or bus into the city. It's easily accessible from each of our Tuscan bases. We will have a car. Uber, Lyft and other similar services are also available.

This is what we are working with and have booked mainly bed & breakfast, boutique hotels and agriturismo type places. An agriturismo is a type of accommodation in Italy (most often in Tuscany, Umbria, and Sicily) where a working farm has converted some of the rooms in the farmhouses into guest rooms. We are staying close to these cities in Tuscany but a few miles out in the countryside.

Itinerary
Arrive into Frankfurt
Strasbourg, Alsace, France: 2 nights
Colmar, Alsace, France: 1 night
Bellinzona, Switzerland: 1 night
Arezzo, Tuscany: 4 nights
Montalcino, Tuscany: 4 nights
San Gimignano, Tuscany: 4 nights
Laglio, Lake Como, Italy: 1 night
Triberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany: 1 night
Albstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany: 1 night (very near to Hohenzollern Castle which will still be done up for the holidays and open)
Frankfurt Airport hotel: 1 night

That there be a sweet itinerary.

Yep, that will be one heck of a trip!

Totally jealous of that itinerary!

Will there be bière stops?

Definitely. Alsatian beer is very good. Like it better than German beer and Alsatian wine. Italy will mostly be red wines. Will be enjoying German beer again in the Black Forest.

The Alsatians take German influenced beer and food to a whole new level.

Sounds like a great trip. Keep us posted.