Scenic Drive Suggestions for Florence --> Pisa --> Montalcino --> Florence

Tdarchplans

New member


Hi all,

My wife and I are planning to be in Italy to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We are super excited!

We would like to receive suggestions for scenic drives or routes, if possible. We have rented a car in Florence.

1) We plan on driving from Florence in the morning to Pisa. We plan to park at the Free Park and Ride location in Pisa. Is that okay and safe? We will have our suitcases with us. Also, are there any scenic routes or drives we can take?

2)We plan on traveling from Pisa (in the late afternoon or early evening) to Montalcino where we shall be staying for two nights before we head back to Florence. Any scenic routes from Pisa to Montalcino, or from Montalcino to Florence? It seems from the map that part of the ride from Pisa to Montalcino is along the coast of the Ligurian Sea.


Any suggestions or advice would be helpful. Many thanks. :)


 
To be honest, I have heard that the situation in PISA with regards to parked cars with luggage is not good -- lots of broken cars to get to luggage and anything of value in them.

Same goes for large crowds around the leaning tower, with people distracted and lots of pickpockets.

So I would advice against parking in Pisa with a car full of luggage, especially a free parking lot where there is no controls.

I would suggest making Pisa a day trip from Florence or Montalcino, with no luggage in the car.
 
As far as scenic routes, you can take interior roads from Pisa down to San Gimignano and then across - or go down along the coast. I find the internal ones more interesting, even if slower, because of hills and curves.

From Montalcino, I would head up the SS2 to Siena and then continue on to Castellina in Chianti along the SS222 and then to Panzano and to Greve, definitely scenic the entire way!
 
Florence - Pisa and Montalcino

Buongiorno,

I have to second the advice of Lourdes!

You can easily plan a train trip to Pisa from Florence, which means you save a day on car rentals.

The trip down to Montalcino is so lovely, you will want to spend an entire day just wandering the back roads from Florence, through Chianti over to San Gimignano, then down to Monteriggioni, skirt around Siena and end up in Montalcino.

There is also a lovely back road from Monteriggioni which picks up the SS 223, it will definitely take you off the beaten track and I promise it has great scenery.

Buon Viaggio,

Donna Denise
 
Hi

Just picking up on that thread. we were planning on going to Pisa on our way from Florence over to La Spezia. I am hoping luggage locked in boot and out of sight will be OK?

many thanks
 
Deborah, if you know it will be out of sight, then I imagine it will be fine. I would still avoid the parking lots right outside the Piazza dei Miracoli, just to place more distance between those who certainly look there for victims.
 
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