Recent Cruisers--anyone done San Gimignano & Volterra tour?

[leighuf]

This Tuscan Countryside tour is offered by RCL and it's the all day excursion. Has anyone taken this excursion recently (2005 Med. season)? I'm interested in the amount of time spent in each town and the lunch served in at the farmhouse-- is it a winery? And are you educated at all in the wine making process? Finally, how large is the 'bus' and was the tour crowded? THANKS

 

Here's the description from the RCI website:

This tour has been designed for guests who have already seen the famous attractions and beauties of Florence and Pisa and want to take in more of the Tuscany region. After a 2-hour drive through medieval hill-towns and beautiful surrounding valleys, you'll stop at San Gimignano, an enchanting medieval village that has taken the name of the Bishop Gimignano, who saved the City from the barbarians. "The Town of the Fine Towers," as it has been called, well earns this name because of its tall, majestic towers. You'll have time at your leisure to explore or shop. For a taste of Tuscany's legendary cuisine, a local farmhouse will serve a generous lunch with typical local specialties.

 

Driving west you'll reach the village of Volterra where the sightseeing on foot will include Piazza dei Priori, one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, defined as a bellicose assembly of towers and palaces. Proceed to Piazza San Giovanni to admire the temples dedicated to prayer, the Baptistery and Cathedral. See the ruins of Roman Theatre (dating back to the 1st century BC), that was brought to life again only at the beginning of this century. This magnificent example of the flourishing Roman civilization could hold up to 2,000 people. Time permitting; you will visit a local alabaster workshop, enjoy a short demonstration by a local artisan and have the opportunity to purchase selected items

[Bruin Steve]

Not this summer, but we did it in August 2003 while on the Millie (it's the same tour)...

We had 19 on our bus (of course I am sure this number varies greatly cruise to cruise, it's not limited to that number, the bus holds a lot more, so it depends on who that sailing wants to go)...

 

There was a fairly decent amount of time in each of the towns (I didn't time it, but there was lots of free time in each, we weren't disappointed by the time allotted...

 

The lunch was in a winery (with 19 of us, they held it right in the wine cellar) and it was OUTSTANDING...I don't recall getting too much of an education on winemaking, but the winery owner was certainly willing to talk and answer questions,,,and we did buy wine to bring home...

 

Hope that helps...

 

Have fun...

[drwong]

It's not one of the more popular shore excursions, given the other shore excursions it's up against (first-timers tend to go for the photo ops), but if you've already seen the wonders of Florence, taken a photo propping up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and walked through the walls of Lucca, then by all means do it!

 

As an aside, you should try to rent "Tea With Mussolini" before your cruise - much of the film was shot in San Gimignano and the surrounding countryside. You might even recognize a few landmarks when you're there!

[cathi]

Did this excursion while on the Millie in June this year. Actually did it on hubby's birthday and it was quite a birthday lunch!!! In each of the towns we were given a short walk through with a guide and then had almost an hour on our own which gave us plenty of time to see most of the towns. The lunch was at an organic farm/winery and was a true Tuscan lunch (many courses and jugs of wine on the table). This tour must be gaining in popularity as there was about 30 of us. We didn't feel pressured for time anywhere and everybody managed to be on time to reboard the bus. It is a long tour (9 1/2 hours) but I felt it was worth the price.

[drwong]

Thirty is still pretty small, considering that RCCL will probably be able to fill four 60-passenger buses for the Accademia tour alone! But that'll make your Tuscan experience even more exclusive and intimate!

[vacationhappy]

We negotoated a taxi for the day and did San G., Volterra, and Pisa in the same day. There was four of us and we paid about $75-100 less than what we would of paid on the organized tour. Our driver spoke excellent English and was very good. In each place, he showed us where to go and gave us the highlights and then we had time on our own.