Siena Travel Forum

Hi, I would like to soak in the Tuscan countryside around Siena. So I was planning on taking an early morning bus to Siena, then renting a scooter and taking SR2 to Pienza, then up SP15 towards Asciano and back to Siena.

My main goal is to see and take photos of the scenic countryside. Some key questions I have away

1. Is SR2 safe for small (50cc) scooter travel?
2. Are the roads in the area easy to navigate (i.e. will I get lost assuming I have a decent sense of direction and map).
3. Should I stop by any particular places, someone recommended Monticiano and S.Galgano Abbey to me.

Thank you

The SR2 is a very well travelled secondary road. I would think that a scooter may be rather small to hold your own. I don't know where you are starting your day trip but I would think that you could get a rental car and be a bit safer and cover more ground. If I remember correctly, Pienza is at least 45 meandering minutes (time for pix) from Siena traveling with the flow.

You can get a Touring Club Italiano map of Toscana at any good book store and it is an excellent resource.

Do you mean Montalcino or Montepulciano? Montepulciano is a wonderful hilltop town with beautiful scenery. Montalcino is also nice but if you are going to Pienza and Asciano on the same trip then I'd skip it.

You might want to get a good travel guide of the area - Fodor's, Rick Steves, Eyewitness Travel or the like - to get some tips on the area for a more worthwhile experience.

Pete

Ok... reading up... I perhaps I should go with a 100cc scooter. I just got an IDP, but I don't know how to drive stick shift (so I'm limited in driving a car). I have a fodor's, frommer's and lonely planet.

If you book ahead, you can get an automatic car. We had no trouble.

If I didn't get lost, you will be fine. I have no sense of direction and we managed nicely.

San Antimo Abbey is lovely.