Long stay in Tuscany

Hello Lourdes,
I need help!! I'm going to Italy from 9/22 to 10/6/15 and I'm seriously thinking about staying for 3-6 months. I'm trying to find an inexpensive small apartment in the Tuscany area but I'm kind of lost.
Also I do not want to rent a car, I want to learn to use public transportation and to live on my small pension. I'm a retired 63 year old trying to live my Italian dream. Any advice is welcome.
I will really appreciate any advice or help.
Thank you.
 
Ciao Grandma and welcome to our forum!

I am all for making dreams come true and hope we can be a small part in contributing to making your dream possible. First of all, investigate how long you can stay here in Italy without a special permit or "permesso di soggiorno". Many countries have agreements with Italy so that you do not need a visa to come as a tourist, but the maximum amount of time you can stay is 90 days. After that, you need a special visa to get a permit that lets you stay longer.

Of course, the easiest thing is if you are a citizen of an EU country ;-). You still need to do some administrative things, but then you have no limit as far as time to stay here.

Do you already have someplace to stay at the end of September? You could use that time to visit small towns along train lines - that is the best way to remain autonomous without need of a car.
This means towns between Pisa and Florence and between Lucca and Florence, for the most part, or between Empoli and Siena. Staying outside of Florence is more budget friendly for everyone.
I suggest you take the time then to find a town you will fall in love with, then start the search for a longer term rental after you've seen a place you like.
My suggestions would be: Pistoia, Montecatini Terme (not Alto), Montelupo Fiorentino, San Miniato (basso), Empoli, Castelfiorentino, Certaldo.... to name a few. Many have the "historic" city and a "new" part, so of course there should be differences in cost as well.

Hope this helps to start off your search! Feel free to post any more questions :D
 
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