One morning during a quick trip to Siena, I rose early, quickly showered, and left a sleeping husband in our hotel room. I hurried to the train station alone and found myself on an early train to Florence.
I had been to Florence twice before, so you might wonder why I would leave the spoils of day in Siena behind so early in the morning (especially after a the immense carbohydrate and wine fest the previous evening). My destination was not Florence, but Montevarchi.
I had never heard of Montevarchi before, but I most certainly had heard of the Prada outlet. And nothing, but nothing, was going to keep me away from this store during my latest trip to Tuscany.
Before leaving the states, I researched many methods for getting myself from Siena to Montevarchi.
Should I book a rental car? Driving in Tuscany! A scary proposition. I am a good driver, but this had me daunted. I researched renting a car for the day from Siena. It was actually a lot more complicated than you might think. My main issue: trying to find a car that was not a stick shift! This actually was pretty impossible.
Then I scoured the internet for detailed driving directions on getting to the Prada outlet. Not an easy feat. I decided to abandon my rental car plan in favor of a personal tour with driver. I was "this close" to booking this rather expensive option before I discovered the bus tours that run from Florence.
So, when I arrived at the train station in Florence, I walked less than a block and boarded my tour bus. I found it hilarious that a tour bus company was capitalizing on taking tourists to outlet malls in Tuscany.
David? The Uffizi? Pitti Palace? No, thank you. Prada outlet, please.
The other occupants of my half-loaded bus included Asian tourists and four other Americans. I quickly befriended two American girls doing a study abroad program in Florence. One of the girls was celebrating her birthday and was determined to buy something Prada for the first time.
We were on our way! The tour bus wound through sections of Florence I never would have believed existed. Suburbs in Florence? Unthinkable!
First the tour bus took us to the much ballyhooed Prada outlet a.k.a. Space. Space is located in what I would characterize as a "business park" in the states.
I believe we had an hour and a half at Space. This was much more than I needed. The Prada outlet is quite large and you really have to dig through racks of clothes. I just wasn't feeling it. Sorry. Perhaps I should have tried harder. My Prada score: ZERO.
Next the tour bus took us to a small outlet mall with high end stores. I was luckier this time and found a small brief case and purse at the Gucci outlet at seriously low prices!!! I also found some really great stuff at Tod's, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy the sumptuous leather driving shoes I eyed for over half an hour.
Happy with my Gucci score, I boarded the tour bus a bit early and read a book until it was time to go. When we arrived back in Florence, I still had to get myself to Siena. There wasn't a train coming for several hours and I knew my husband would be lonely and wanting a nice afternoon glass of wine in the Piazza del Campo.
But I had this day planned to a tee. I had a bus schedule printed out from home and quickly boarded a bus with all the local Italians to Siena. I was definitely the only American on this bus! I felt very adventurous...and uncomfortable.
I'm not sure if this is the tour bus company that I used to get to the outlet malls, but this tour is similar. Happy shopping!
http://www.grayline.com/Grayline/destinations/europe/florence.go?mode=activityDetail&apid=612&sid=584
Before leaving the states, I researched many methods for getting myself from Siena to Montevarchi.
Should I book a rental car? Driving in Tuscany! A scary proposition. I am a good driver, but this had me daunted. I researched renting a car for the day from Siena. It was actually a lot more complicated than you might think. My main issue: trying to find a car that was not a stick shift! This actually was pretty impossible.
Then I scoured the internet for detailed driving directions on getting to the Prada outlet. Not an easy feat. I decided to abandon my rental car plan in favor of a personal tour with driver. I was "this close" to booking this rather expensive option before I discovered the bus tours that run from Florence.
So, when I arrived at the train station in Florence, I walked less than a block and boarded my tour bus. I found it hilarious that a tour bus company was capitalizing on taking tourists to outlet malls in Tuscany.
David? The Uffizi? Pitti Palace? No, thank you. Prada outlet, please.
The other occupants of my half-loaded bus included Asian tourists and four other Americans. I quickly befriended two American girls doing a study abroad program in Florence. One of the girls was celebrating her birthday and was determined to buy something Prada for the first time.
We were on our way! The tour bus wound through sections of Florence I never would have believed existed. Suburbs in Florence? Unthinkable!
First the tour bus took us to the much ballyhooed Prada outlet a.k.a. Space. Space is located in what I would characterize as a "business park" in the states.
I believe we had an hour and a half at Space. This was much more than I needed. The Prada outlet is quite large and you really have to dig through racks of clothes. I just wasn't feeling it. Sorry. Perhaps I should have tried harder. My Prada score: ZERO.
Next the tour bus took us to a small outlet mall with high end stores. I was luckier this time and found a small brief case and purse at the Gucci outlet at seriously low prices!!! I also found some really great stuff at Tod's, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy the sumptuous leather driving shoes I eyed for over half an hour.
Happy with my Gucci score, I boarded the tour bus a bit early and read a book until it was time to go. When we arrived back in Florence, I still had to get myself to Siena. There wasn't a train coming for several hours and I knew my husband would be lonely and wanting a nice afternoon glass of wine in the Piazza del Campo.
But I had this day planned to a tee. I had a bus schedule printed out from home and quickly boarded a bus with all the local Italians to Siena. I was definitely the only American on this bus! I felt very adventurous...and uncomfortable.
I'm not sure if this is the tour bus company that I used to get to the outlet malls, but this tour is similar. Happy shopping!
http://www.grayline.com/Grayline/destinations/europe/florence.go?mode=activityDetail&apid=612&sid=584
