Edward Hendriks
It's that time again: this autumn holiday we are going to Tuscany. Now I have been to Tuscany countless times… Well, more often than in all other regions. There is a good chance that you will also visit during the autumn holiday period la bella tuscany want to travel. That's why I'm sharing some tips about our preparations with you here.
the transport
There are five of us, so it is quite logical to choose the (own) car. The plane is too expensive, and the car is also much more environmentally friendly. By train to Italy, as Merel has recently done, is certainly romantic. But less practical with a company that also includes young children.
Of course it is useful to have a subscription to the Roadside Assistance with Europe coverage with an older car (our Volvo is over 18 years old). Or to arrange travel insurance, which makes it possible for you to continue your holiday in the event of a breakdown.
In terms of costs, you also have to take into account a vignette for Switzerland (the Switzerland route is the most logical if you drive to Tuscany) of € 35 and costs for the toll roads in Italy, which cost about €60 round trip.
Kids in the backseat
Tuscany is quickly about 1.200, 1.300 kilometers away from the Netherlands. An entire seat for adults, let alone for children in the back seat. You can make the trip more enjoyable with laundry things to do. Coloring books, games and a DVD for the back seat are doing well.
We take it easy ourselves with regular stops along the highway to play, have something to eat and stretch our legs. It also makes a difference that we don't drive it in one go, but in two.
Staying overnight en route?
We drive to the area of Arezzo and Cortona, which is too long to drive in one go. Since the children still have to go to school on the Friday before the holidays, we only leave at the end of the afternoon and we drive on until the evening (late).
We have sometimes driven Tuscany in one day, but that is a tough task with 3 kids in the backseat. So we take it nice and relaxed and we take a hotel in southern Germany. That is cheaper than Switzerland, although we do know a good and affordable motel beyond the Gotthard tunnel.
Here are more by the way hotels we recommend along the route on the way to Italy.
What clothes do we bring?
Always the question when you go on holiday outside the main season: what kind of clothes do you take with you? This depends on the one hand on the type of holiday and on the other hand on the weather. In terms of weather, you have to take everything into account in Italy in October. The ratio of good weather to bad weather is in my experience at the end of October about 50-50.
So you can be lucky with sun and temperatures above 20 degrees. But you can also only have a rainy week. So it is certainly not the case that the weather in Italy is guaranteed to be good. The average temperature in Tuscany during this period is between 11 and 22 degrees Celsius.
A little further south (as in Sicily) the chance of good weather in October is a lot higher.
Shortly before departure you can study the weather reports a little better, but that does not give any certainty either. In addition to the T-shirts and shorts, it is therefore better to pack the sweaters and long pants.
The stay
We stay in an agriturismo, a completely renovated farm that houses several apartments. In my opinion, an agriturismo is an ideal accommodation as a base for the area. From here you can visit several villages and towns and enjoy the beautiful Tuscan landscape.
I have specifically chosen an accommodation in the east of Tuscany, because we have not yet taken many steps in this part of this large region.
What do we do?
Our stay in the area of Cortona and Arezzo offers a great opportunity to visit both cities. Siena isn't too far away either, but we've been there several times. I think there is a good chance that we Lake Trasimeno with its beautiful sunsets and maybe even pay a visit to Perugia. So no very definite plans yet, but that is actually my ideal Italy holiday.
In addition, I was told that the swimming pool of the agriturismo has remained open especially for us. Italians think it's too cold to swim in October anyway, but we, as 'Scandinavians' are hardy and can handle it.
I can already see myself sitting with a good book and a glass of wine by the side of the water. With a little luck it will work again!
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