Rome to Montalcino Drive

I’ve done a ton of searching in the past but not sure I’ve seen anyone highlight this drive. I’ve left Sunday open for our drive from Rome to Montalcino. We’ll be heading out around 11am. Curious if anyone has some recco’s for stops to explore and perhaps a light lunch. No wine tasting but something interesting to check out.

thanks

Done this drive a couple of times. Last time we just took the train to relax. Anyway, here are 2 very noteworthy stops:

For lunch, stop and admire the Umbrian town of Orvieto. Have lunch at I Sette Consoli (reservations required):
https://www.isetteconsoli.it/?lang=en


Another stop, no lunch, just to view is Civita di Bagnoregio:

1 Like

I can second the stop in Civita di Bagnoregio simply to walk across the bridge and spend a half hour exploring the old town, just charming and unique if admittedly a bit touristy. If you want a quick nice casual meal on the outskirts of Orvieto, we really enjoyed Bottega del Mastro Norcino which is a roadside salumi-centric stop - also had nice cheese selections and a really good porchetta sandwich. Exploring the old alleys of Orvieto is also great (the cathedral is among the more impressive in the region), depends on if you want a quick meal or have a few hours to explore.

No specific experience, but I’ll put a few thoughts for different types of stops (general approaches we’ve tried before)

  1. Plan ahead, grab a picnic from a gastronomia or similar and a cool bag. Plan to stop at a rural (e.g. woodland) stop where you can get fresh air, a short walk and feel more normal before carrying on. If there is a somewhat isolated ‘point of interest’ or what the local maps mark as panoramic, then that’s probably as good as anything, and likely will have bench and/or a picnic table.
  2. Find an inconsequential village at a suitable lunchtime stop and eat in what will probably be a simple trattoria. The food will likely be merely competent, but can surprise. However it gives a window into small village Italy, away from the rest of the tourists and can be a pleasing counterpoint to the touristic. A short walk round the village after eating, and onwards to the destination.
  3. Factor a little more time in, and probably an earlier start / later arrival, and go somewhere of genuine interest. We rarely do this, hating the feeling of being rushed (we definitely lean towards slow travel) and sometimes fretting over a car full of wine / luggage etc. For such stops, plan well, including planning which car parks (I like to have backup options) you are aiming for, and if eating, book in advance, or ensure there are multiple options nearby. With such a short time, and not knowing the location, it can be disconcerting if things aren’t straightforward. In addition, if arriving at lunchtime, so many places feel utterly underwhelming, with shutters down and doors shut. They’re always more appealing in morning or later afternoon, but that’s not especially practical on a ‘transfer day’
  4. Hearty breakfast, break the drive merely to stretch the legs and rest the eyes (as frequently as the journey demands). Have something basic to snack on, or have a quick break at the fairly mundane (but better than UK) service stations and save yourselves for a proper meal that evening after arriving in good time.

p.s. Looking on the map, two lakes would be my first thought (Bolsena and Corbara). No idea what they are like, but both might make for a welcome change of scenery / pace.

Last time I did this I stopped in Orbetello, had a really nice waterside fish lunch. Passed on the wine as there was another 1-2 hours to drive…

Thanks guys, all great ideas. Orbetello or Orvieto look like good options depending which route we take and how long it takes us to get out of the hotel and grab the rental car.

I’ve driven the reverse and stopped in Orvieto for lunch and a tour of the underground Etruscan caves on the way to Rome.

shhh, we don’t talk about Orbetello :wink:

Was so nice there…