Tuscany without Florence

inluvwItaly

New member
I am planning a 10 day visit in Sept or October 2011. Would like to fly into Rome and spend 3 days then take the train to Pisa and begin a tour of the region. I have been to Rome and Florence 2 years ago but do not need to return to Florence. What should we see leaving time to take the train back to Rome for departure and what means of transportation would be best?
 
Tuscany without Florence (reply)

Ciao inluvwItaly,
welcome to DT forum! :)

3 days in Rome sounds great. You'll be astonished by its fantastic monuments and sites like the area called "Fori Romani", that is where the Colosseum is.

As for your plan to go to Pisa and start to tour the region from there....I think it' s not so convenient as the only base for your holiday, since it's pretty far from other important areas you may want to visit.

On the first 2-3 days I'd relocate in Siena or one of the many beautiful towns of its region. Siena is in the middle of Tuscany and it 's the first important Tuscan city you will find coming up from Rome.

With Siena as your base day trips to other Tuscan destinations are feasable, but not to Pisa.

For example you can visit San Gimignano, Volterra, or discover the Chianti region. Since the easiest way to reach these places is by car, you can choose whether to rent one or to rely on a tour operator if you don't want to drive. There are many tour operators specialized in tours of Chianti, San Gimignano and wineries.

As for northwestern part of Tuscany, instead of basing yourself in Pisa I'd suggest to find accommodation in a nearby town: Lucca. It is beautiful and there's much more to do and see than Pisa. Moreover you won't need the car to get to one city from another.

To sum up you can:

- base yourself in Siena during your whole stay (pros: close to wonderful small towns and surrounded by gentle hills like in a postcard; cons: far from Pisa and Lucca, so no day trips to those cities; you will need a car to visit the countryside)

- base yourself in Siena on the first days and then move to Pisa/Lucca (pros: you can discover the typical Tuscan countryside and wonderful towns; cons: you must change accommodation)

- base yourself in Florence once again, even if you've been there already (pros: it would be much more convenient if you want to day tour Siena, Lucca or Pisa just taking the train, or relying on a tour operator to visit Chianti's small towns; cons: it's a city you know already).

Whatever you choose, I sugget to find accommodation in Tuscany before you arrive.

Hope this helps! :)
 
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Rome is one of the most impressive historical cities in the world and it attracts millions of travelers to visit the place every year. Colosseum is one of the most popular tourist destination and your trip would be incomplete if you do not visit this impressive structure.

Such other places must to visit are: Trevi Fountain, Sistine Chapel, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps and Vatican City.
 
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