Hotels

Hotels in this most popular hill town aren't cheap. The Siena Hotels Promotion office, Via San Giovanni 125 (tel./fax 0577-940-113; www.hotelsiena.com), will help you find a room. It's open daily March through October from 9:30am to 7pm and November through February from 9am to 12:30pm and 3 to 6:30pm. Because of this, and the difficult parking situation and the sheer beauty of the countryside, you might prefer to find a farmhouse bed-and-breakfast, or agriturismi, nearby, of which there are dozens.

You can sort through a list of agriturismi at www.sangimignano.com. Several agriturismi are centered in the neighboring hamlet of Pancole. Wander into this wine-producing countryside and you'll find clearly marked signage pointing you directly to dozens of agriturismi. One good choice is Fratelli Vagnoni (tel. 0577-955-077; www.fratellivagnoni.com), run by an extended family that not only makes prestigious San Gimignano wines, but also has built a spacious guest house with a new pool in the vineyards. Doubles there are 60€ to 70€. For an even cheaper option, the matriarch of the same family rents out clean, simple town-house units next door, called Casa Maria, for as low as 50€ per apartment.