Ask Lonely Planet: Head for the Italian hills

I am planning a trip to Italy next January, travelling north from Rome, and have always wanted to visit Assisi plus some of the hill towns on my way to Florence. Is midwinter a suitable time to visit? Where would be the best place as a base? Which would you recommend are the "must-see" hill towns, and how many days should I allow?
- Josephine Ellis

Alison Bing, author of Lonely Planet's Tuscany & Umbria, Italy, & Venice guides, writes:

You're absolutely right about the irresistible lure of central Italy's hill towns. Give yourself a week to unwind after the hubbub of Rome.

Midwinter is a prime time to head for the hills. January brings bargain rates at B&Bs and room-and-board farmhouses (see www.lonelyplanet.com for listings), open slots in cookery and art classes, and available parking spots inside town walls.

From Florence, make a beeline to Giotto's moving, masterful frescoes of St Francis in Assisi's Basilica di San Francesco. Instead of staying in Assisi amid tides of pilgrim tour groups, head to the hilltop university town of Perugia for bargain stays inside the medieval walls and thick-as-lava hot chocolate at legendary chocolatier Sandri. If you prefer something stronger, make a detour west to the staggeringly steep hill town Montepulciano to taste the Vino Nobile.

Next, you won't want to miss the splendours of Orvieto. The cathedral is an outrageous outburst of Gothic ornament and frescoes of handsome devils. Further west, the ancient Etruscan hill towns of Tuscany's Maremma region await discovery. Sorano features giddy views atop a rocky outcrop, a thriving community of artisans, and well-priced historic inns, while neighbouring Sovana is ringed with archaeological sites, roads running through deep crevasses and Etruscan cave tombs carved into rocky hillsides. Teetering improbably atop volcanic rock to the southwest is Pitigliano, a natural fortress with a historic Jewish community, distinctive figurative ceramics, and pubs serving bistecca di chianina, Maremma's meltaway steak.

A day down Mexico way

We (two adults, children aged 10 and 12) will be in San Diego in September. We were considering a day trip across the border to Mexico. We are looking at organised tours, but don't want to end up having lunch with only the other tourists for company. On the other hand, we are wary of the security situation on the border/Tijuana for independent travellers. Any recommendations?
-Lyn Stanton

Lonely Planet's New York-based US Travel Editor Robert Reid writes:

About 17,000 people cross the border at Tijuana a day - so you won't be alone, even if you go without a tour. The main danger there is to lump the modern, gritty sprawl of a border town of two million as a good representative to Mexico. It's not always pretty, but it can be a classic daytrip.

Many go just for half a day during the day. The best thing to do is walk across, and head to "La Revo", the main drag of Avenida Revolucion, a short walk southwest of the border crossing from San Ysidro, California. La Revo always has something happening, with a dizzying array of souvenir stands, all-hours bars, food. One interesting stop is at Hotel Caesar (Av Revolucion 827), the birthplace of the Caesar salad.

The best food, though, is a short taxi ride southeast to the Zona Rio and Zona Gastronomic - one good choice is Cien Anos (Av Jose Maria Velasco 1407), which offers a mix of high-end Mexican specialties.

If you prefer having a guide, a good option for a guided bus tour is with San Diego Scenic Tours.

Don't forget your documentation. As of last year, even daytrip Americans have to carry a passport to visit Tijuana.

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