A week in the Tuscany region

Amusicum

New member
Hello all,
Myself and my friend are doing a 2 week tour of italy in August and we plan to spend a week in the Tuscany region. Our plan is to base ourselves in Florence for 5 nights: we plan to spend 2 days in Florence, 1 day exploring Pisa, 1 day exploring Lucca and a 1 day trip to Greve in Chianti for wine tasting in Le Cantine. We then plan to go to Siena for a day, to stay there overnight and the next day to visit San Gimignano.
I'm just wondering is this the very best way to use our time in Tuscany? We would rather base ourselves in a rural area (probably Greve) for a few days, but having looked up information I see that public transport is not so good in the region and that we cannot get easily from Greve to Siena, or from Greve to San Gimignano, whereas if we base ourselves in Siena for a day we can get to San Gimignano. Also, is a separate day needed to do full justice to both Pisa and Lucca or could both of these be fitted into one day? Additionally, are there any other must-sees in the Tuscany region which i am overlooking. Thanks!!!
 
Siena and Florence daytrips arriving to Rome

Ciao Amusicum and welcome!
Early July is a perfect period to visit Tuscany, and Florence and Siena are extremely beautiful:)
You are really spoilt for choices as for the day trips you can take, and considering your vacation length, you can enjoy them at the fullest.
From Florence you can start taking day trips to the wonderful Chianti region, all around Florence and Siena. Chianti is no doubt the most popular area known worldwide of Tuscany. The magic landscapes of Chianti, its soft rolling hills and mainly the superb Chianti wine will enchant you. Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti are not to be missed, as well the many wine tastings you can partake in. You can reach Chianti both by train and by bus. You will find useful and detailed info on how to get around Chianti at this link: Tips for moving around Chianti, while you can find all you need to know about the area, including itinerary ideas on Chianti.com

Near Siena I strongly suggest you visit the enchanting and unique hilltop towns of San Gimignano and Volterra. San Gimignano and its skyline of medieval towers is literally a jewel, amongst the best known villages of all Italy, while the Etruscan Volterra is lesser known but not to be missed. You can get to San Gimignano by taking a train from Florence's SMN station to Poggibonsi, and from there reach San Gimignano by bus; the journey is very short. Here is the SITA bus schedules to reach San Gimignano and Volterra and back: http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/Firenze-Siena08.pdf.
For train schedules, have a look here: www.trenitalia.com

Along the route from Siena to Rome, that is all amazingly scenic, I suggest you visit Montepulciano, south of Siena, and then Orvieto in Umbria, both reachable by train and by bus.
In order to reach Montepulciano, you need to take a train from Siena to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme train station, and then from there take the bus right in front of the station to Montepulciano. You can check train schedules here:
http://www.sienamobilita.it/EN/index.html
You can then go on and reach Orvieto by train from Chiusi train station, again train timetables at this link: www.trenitalia.com

I'm here for any other help you may need,
Have a great holiday!
 
Where to Stay in Tuscany

Welcome to the Forum!

Much depends if you plan to move by car, or instead use public transport.

Moving around Tuscany by car is the best way to explore all the beauty of the region and appreciate all its surprising and hidden corners. A car will also give you more freedom in terms of schedules and places to visit and stay at.

On this page you can find useful information about moving around Tuscany by car, while here about renting a car in Tuscany.

If you choose the car, then I recommend staying in the fantastic and beautiful Chianti region, so full of charming farmhouses and other beautiful accommodations.
I recommend Il Romitorio di Serelle or Il Cellese, two beautiful farmhouses with swimming pool and outstanding locations and spectacular views over the scenic Chianti countryside.

In case you prefer a more elegant and refined accommodation, still in Chianti, then you may consider staying at Palazzo Malaspina B&B.

While in Chianti you can make a lot of day trips and visit Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and Volterra.

Depending on the length of your stay, you might pass the second part of your holiday in the wonderful Val d'Orcia region, to the south of Siena, where you can visit Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza and many other lovely medieval villages atop hills.

While here, I recommend staying at Podere Cunina or at San Giovanni in Poggio, both splendid farmhouses with unique Tuscan sceneries :)

If you get back to us with more details, we can give more precise suggestions ;)

Ciao from Florence!
 
Ciao Elena
sorry I forgot to mentioned i am on public transport.

actually i may intend to move from Rome to Sienna then to Volterra then to San Ginamagno then to Chianti area. from that head to Florence for a few days + shopping.
then head back to Rome with bagful of shopping bags
 
Tuscan Itinerary from Siena to Florence

Ciao :)

Well, in this case choose Siena as your first base from which make your day trips to San Gimignano, Volterra and the Chianti.

Siena, famous all around the world for its Palio, is actually one of the most beautiful and most charming medieval towns of all Italy, simply wonderful ;)

You can choose your accommodation in Siena from this listing of good hotels and properties; from the same page, also check all hotels with instant booking as you may find some good hotels' deals.

I would also recommend Camollia B&B in Siena, located right on the city walls leading to the historical center and near the train station.
It can be the ideal accommodation for your day trips.

You can easily reach San Gimignano from Siena by bus or taking a train to Poggibonsi station and from there using a local bus. On this page you can find bus timetables:

An alternative to public transport would be to book professional tour guides in Siena, that will give you the opportunity to visit the top sights of Tuscany, including Volterra, the Chianti, and many other beautiful places.

You can easily reach Florence from Siena by train; you can check trains’ timetables and ticket fares at this link.

In Florence, you’ll have plenty of accommodations to choose from! I highly recommend Johanna I B&B, a charming bed and breakfast in the heart of the historical center, and Casa dei Tintori, again in the center offering elegant and spacious rooms.

Moreover, here you can find the complete list of selected accommodations in Florence.

Finally, some information on moving around Tuscany using public transport.

To make a good shopping I suggest a walk in Via dei Tornabuoni and in Via dei Calzaiuoli ;)

Enjoy planning your trip to Tuscany and have a great day!

Ciao from Florence!
 
cIAO eLENA
thanks for your promt reply.

1) is it nice to stay in Chianti area for one night? am using public transport. anywhere B&B countryside that is accessible by bus
2) if so, any B&B to recommend?
3) are there buses to Florence from Chianti area?


I have a few places to visit around Florence do you think i should use Florence as a base or stay in those areas?
eg I want to visit Pisa and Lucca, should i stay there or a day trip will do.

I also want to visit Cinque Terre.

hear from you soon :)
 
Last edited:
Welcome back :)

It's very nice staying in the wonderful Chianti region for one night!

You can reach Chianti and its villages by bus from Florence using the SITA service.
You should check the bus schedules of line 365 running from Florence to Greve, Radda, Castellina and Gaiole in Chianti.
For useful information on how to move around Chianti using public transport I suggest this link.

In addition to the charming Palazzo Malaspina B&B in Greve in Chianti, I would also recommend the beautiful B&B Villa il Poggiale, that can be more easily reached by bus.

In addition, on this page, you will also find a full listing of B&B and properties in Chianti:

In order to visit lovely art cities like Pisa or Lucca, but also the beautiful Cinque Terre, Florence is actually the best solution!

From Florence you'll be able to reach any destination more easily.
Here some useful info for moving around Tuscany using public transport, while on this past thread all info to reach the Cinque Terre from Florence.

For selected accommodations in Florence, I recommend to have a look at this website,

For any further help, do come back to us :)
 
Hey I am going to Tuscany this month. Can I know about the best accommodation there?
 
Top