Need help in planning our trip to Tuscany

[davidandrosa08]

My husband and I are planning a 14 day trip to Tuscany in April/May 2020. We are thinking about flying either into Florence or Pisa and renting a car. We would like to visit Lucca, Pisa, Montalcino, Brunello, St Gimignano, Chianti, and Siena. We are interested in seeing beauty, taking cooking classes, perhaps spa treatments, eating good food and drinking good wine. The reason we thought about renting a car was to be able to visit all these little cities at our leisure and also due to the uncertainty of how to move around all these cities in public transportation and potentially with luggage. Any suggestions as a home base for day trips? We thought that perhaps Siena would be a home base to go to Montalcino, St. Gimignano, Chianti and Brunello and perhaps spend a night or two in Lucca. How about the parking situation in these cities? We are definitely open to suggestions on other cities to visit and everything else as we are feeling a bit lost. We would really appreciate any help you can give us!

[DonnaDenise]

Buongiorno,

Both cities are lovely choices as bases while visiting Tuscany.

Siena has so much to offer and to see it "after-hours" will only make it more enjoyable. It is filled with incredible monuments, a maze of antique roads and it will certainly capture your heart with the genuine pride the people of Siena have in their traditions, culture, and menu!

I personally love Lucca and though I live in Tuscany, I did opt to spend the night there when some friends came in and we loved it. Small enough to walk and enjoy every corner - we also found a surprise organ concert in the cathedral and a lovely restaurant.

A car is definitely the best way to appreciate the diversity of Tuscany! Here are two articles that suggest days trips from both Siena and Lucca, which will give you an idea of some of the great small towns around these two destinations:

Number 7 is a great surprise:
https://www.discovertuscany.com/sien...rom-siena.html

I personally loved the villas, but all of them are worth doing:
https://www.discovertuscany.com/lucc...und-lucca.html

Buon Viaggio,

Donna Denise