An Affordable, Romantic Day Trip in Tuscany

While completing my MBA in Barcelona last year, I just happened to meet a European man who swept me off my feet. Instead of going back to our respective home countries (the U.S. and Holland) for Easter vacation, we decided to spend our two-week break traveling throughout Italy together – tasting, experiencing and photographing each moment of our romantic getaway. Since we were on graduate-student budgets, we needed to keep this trip affordable. We found great value in booking a personalized, private tour to the Chianti region of Tuscany – and this day trip was hands down the most memorable of our two-week love trip.

The morning of began with a personalized pick-up at the steps of our hotel in Florence. Our tour guide, Monika Iris, offers direct hotel stops or the option of meeting at a designated point in the city for those looking to grab a hot cappuccino and freshly baked croissant from a local café before the start of the day. Since most hotels and even student hostels include a simple breakfast with the price per night, we opted to save some Euros and eat at our hotel.

The author and her beau at Montefioralle Winery.

From there we had the choice of three Tuscan stops within the Chianti region. Depending on one’s interest you can include anything from aged balsamic vinegar tasting to witnessing how terracotta pottery is made from the red clay soil unique to the Tuscan territory. Because we were up for anything and everything, Monika happily led us to her personal favorites.

The drive outside Florence was about 45 minutes. When passing different monuments such as Piazza Michelangelo, where she insisted we stop for a panoramic photo, Monika rattled off interesting factoids about the history we were passing by. Before meeting her husband she spent many solitary mornings exploring the countryside, thus making lifelong friendships with many vineyard and winery owners off the beaten tourist trail. It was these friends who opened their doors to Monika and her visitors, giving us an experience unique to any other.

Loads of terracotta treasures at a family-run farm.

Stopping first in Greve we sampled different sorts of cheeses: sheep’s cheese, pecorino cheese and of course the trademark parmigiano reggiano on chunks of crusty baguette drizzled with freshly pressed olive oil. So simple yet amazingly overwhelming in flavor! Moving on, we then made a short stop at a terracotta farm, where we witnessed a family-run business transform the soil into magnificent pieces of red art. Standing in the still-warm oven rooms we listened to the patriarch of the family tell us the precise and loving process of just how it was done. While surrounded by dust and hundreds of cast moldings, you feel as if you were just trusted with a guarded family secret.

Our last stop was the best of them all. Montefioralle Winery is a small vineyard, which has been passed down the family since 1960. Sitting atop a small hill and overlooking the Tuscan region it’s as if you have stepped back in time and into an Italian postcard.

Fernando, another family patriarch greets us with open arms and a traditional single kiss on each cheek. He shows us his winery, from the neatly lined vines to the aging oak barrel room where the wines mature until its time for them to be enjoyed. After the tour you retreat to his own home, where his wife serves us a late afternoon lunch. We begin with peppery salami and a small cheese plate before the main course, which is a simple meal of his wife’s tomato basil sauce, spooned over pappardelle pasta. Naturally, all of the plates are enjoyed with tasting five different wines from their vineyard.

Rolling hills and bucolic farms dot the Tuscan countryside.

As the afternoon winds down, our hearts feel full from the wine and genuine Italian hospitality. We bid our goodbyes to Fernando and began the drive back to Florence. It was a fun-filled and dreamy day spent amongst the most intimate of places in Tuscany, and one of my favorite memories to date so far. But perhaps one of the best things about this day however, was that this amazing experience didn’t require deep pockets: the cost for our customized day trip was 85 Euros per person, at today’s exchange rate, about $120 each. Sure, it’s not cheap per se, but the tour included hotel pick-up and drop-off, visits to three Tuscan towns, tastings of wine, cheese and balsamic vinegar, plus a filling lunch.

Monika Iris offers many different tours and affordable group rates, and day-trip itineraries are also highly customizable to your time frame or budget. Take a look at your options Monika Iris’ website, and get ready for an unforgettable romantic Italian getaway of your own. Ciao Bellas!

GlocalGirlGal Jeanelle Rabadam currently resides in Amsterdam, Holland. Since moving from California, she has documented her travels from the South to North of Europe on her blog Glocal Girl, which offers a genuine but light-hearted perspective on her new expat experiences.