Forgot to mention we do have a rental car the whole time, so we'll still be able to branch out from Florence if desired.

Craig, I would prefer the 5 nites in rural Tuscany than in Florence. And, you do not want to drive in Florence at all---ditch the car.

So Bob, would you break it up in different rural towns? We do not have the option to extend our stay at the hotel we are booked at in Montepulciano.

Also, we will be doing a full day hike tour to Cinque Terre on one of our days in FLorence.

Everyone is different. I can't get enough of Florence, but I think your current plan (3+5) is a nice mix.

FWIW, we've stayed in Montepulciano for a week. I think you could explore the entire town easily in a half day or two late afternoons before dinner.

Where will you be staying in Florence with a car that will allow for easy driving in/out? What towns did you want to see on your way from Montepulciano and Florence?

BTW, where are you staying in Montepulciano?

Still researching to get a feel of small towns we'd like to visit. Also still looking for a place in Florence but I am taking parking/location into that decision.

We are staying at Palazzo Carletti

If you're taking one day from Florence for the CT, I wouldn't reduce your time there any further.

Craig,
This may help your research http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm

We stayed in Firenze for 6 days and broke it up with a jaunt to Cinque Terre, Pisa and Parma. Use Florence as a staging post.

Lucca, Sienna, Arrezo, Parma, Bologna are all amazing and easy to get to. Enjoy.

The Carletti looks lovely. You may have trouble leaving your room!

Will you want/need the car after Florence? If not, consider turning in the car on arrival. If the CT is your only contemplated day trip from Florence, IMO can do that just as easily by train and eliminate the parking issue at both ends.

I think other than maybe a day and a half we will be venturing out of Florence so I would like to have the car for that. We are continuing on from there for a couple more stops and returning the car as we get to Venice.

I am looking at some the day tours to Cinque Terre from Florence, right now http://forums.offtopic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=11 looks like our choice.

Thanks everyone for the tips & suggestions. Our trip has been evolving and we have made some serious changes to our itinerary thanks to so much of the great advice from the forum. Much appreciated!

ignore that link, sorry ... this is the day tour to Cinque Terre:

http://www.walkaboutflorence.com/tours/cinque-terre-trek

Craig,

If I read your last comment correctly, you plan to stay in Florence 6 nts, but only do 1.5 days of sightseeing in the city?

If so,thenstay more days in the countryside! There is much to see, eat & drink. On my last trip, Istayed in Montalcino 3 nts. I honestly would have loved2 more to dothe things I didn't have timefor- and this was my second trip to the region.

Plus driving a car in/out of Florence multiple times (just to leave andsee other places) is asking for major fines according to what many here have reported.

You are not allowed to drive in much of Florence as it's restricted to people with permits (residents).
http://www.bella-toscana.com/traffic_violations_italy.htm

Well, that's the basic question. What do you want to see in Florence (and will 1.5 days be enough) and what do you want to see in the countryside (and how much time will that require)? You could spend all of your time either in Florence or out of Florence, and you wouldn't run out of things to see/do but you wouldn't see everything either. Tuscany is 9,000 square miles; the number of art and architectural treasures in Florence is just mind-boggling.

There is no wrong answer, only what you decide.

BTW, it's possible to have a car when you stay in Florence and not get a ticket for violating the no-traffic zone. But you need to select your hotel carefully (it won't be in the historical center) and plan your driving routes with precision. Directly ask every hotel you're considering whether they are inside the limited traffic zone and whether there is parking. You don't want to be searching around for parking (possibly in the dark) after a long day of exploring. (FYI, sunset will be at about 6:45 p.m.)

Are you able to cancel out of that CT day trip if rain is predicted? I wouldn't go if the weather will be bad that day.

Link to the map of the Florence ZTL (basically everything inside the red lines). South of the Arno, east and west of the zone, is not in the ZTL and still reasonably close to the sights. I don't think the ZTL is enforced on Sundays, but you should investigate that.

http://www.serviziallastrada.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=33&Itemid=430&lang=en

Jean, I have not booked the tour yet but I do plan to make sure it can be cancelled/changed last minute if I do. I may wait until we are there and can check the weather. We still may decide to do it ourselves by driving to La Spezia and taking the train from there(?).

Thanks for the ZTL map, is both zone A & B the same? I have noticed a lot of the hotels offer parking but obviously I need to check further into it. We are currently booked at Grand Hotel Villa Cora but thinking of changing that since we don't have our whole time in the region there.

I have been researching other hotels in the area and interested in Eden Rock Resort. While it looks really nice and is out of the ZTL I am torn on staying in such a 'resort feel' place and missing out on a more authentic Florence experience.