Thread: Livornio- Tuscan tour

Livorno, Italy
Today I arranged a private tour to the Tuscan towns of Monterriggioni, Siena and San Gimignano. We used Papillon Services and rented a Mercedes Van and driver for the day for 550 Euros. Our driver, Michele, picked us up at the dock promptly at 8:00AM and drove us through the Tuscan countryside, on the back roads as much as possible as we wanted to see the Tuscan countryside. Livorno Florence Naples cruise ship services shore excursion taxi tour–Papillon Service

Monterriggioni is a very small mountain top walled town that was a reliable fortress back in the Medici time. It is well preserved and was totally charming. Had it not been but 10 am, we could have (and should have) eaten there, as the smells from the local Trattoria were heavenly.

Our second stop was the town of Siena, which is bigger and was a hub of activity during that time. It was also a place of great wealth, as evidenced by its beautiful Cathedral with alternating white and black marble. Unfortunately the front of the Cathedral is being renovated and was covered with scaffolding. The area in town where the Palio was held was big and beautiful, but the pasta we had for the outrageous price was lacking sorely and all in all, we felt we spent far too much time in Siena with our short time in Tuscany.

Our third stop proved to be our favorite town of the day as agreed by all of us. The town of San Gimignano was absolutely charming old walled town with towers that reach high into the sky. It also has fantastic and reasonably priced shopping. Unfortunately we had little time to stop and browse but we were able to find a tablecloth, and some glassware in rich cobalt blue, as well as some homemade sausage. Before we left, we got to taste our final gelato in Italy. Our driver Michele was very good, but his recommendation for a meal in Siena was disappointing.

Note: If I were to do the tour again, I'd recommend Volterra vs. Siena. Papillion is happy to do either!