I am taking my mom to Italy at the beginning of March for 5 days (Arrive Wed. afternoon and leave Sun. afternoon). It will be the first visit for both of us and my mom doesn’t get to travel much at all so I want to make the most of the little time we have. I originally thought we would stay in Florence the whole time and do a day trip to Siena and Chianti w/ private guide, but now I am wondering if we should do only 2 nights in Florence and 2 nights somewhere in the country. We are not crazy museum people, but want to see the main sites. We are pretty active and really want to walk around, have nice dinners, enjoy the culture, see the sites, shop etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

I am one of those that think the Tuscan countryside is best experienced by car. Early March is a time that I am off there, and I can't tell you that I find it the very best time to experience the country.

I like your idea of using a guide for a day trip, and if you really want to split the time, how about 3 days in Florence and 2 in Siena?

I don't think you have to spend a lot of time in museums, but churches and museums, shops and restaurants, are really the best things in Florence. Siena is a great place to visit churches, too.

But you are really on staying for 4 nights. You should stay in Florence, I think. You'll barely scratch the surface, especially if you take a day trip.

Hi Lkar,

Sounds like you're hoping for a special trip, especially for your Mom. Florence is a nice city for walking, and for shopping. You can do as much or as little with the museums as you wish. They're pretty interesting, because each one is very unique - I could imagine seeing one museum type site each day, and then planning for a walk to a special site or a shopping theme.

What is making you think about more time in the country? I agree that your plan for a driver sounds good. If you are traveling across many time zones, you will also have to deal with jet lag.

It may be more fun for you to stay in the same hotel for all four nights, but consider adding a second day trip, for example to Pisa or San Gimingnano, keeping your plans flexible.

That way, you can find a special coffee bar or gelato stand near your hotel and return there every day, getting a feel for the special culture in your own unique area.

Hope it's a very special trip! SusanEva

We stayed in both Florence and Siena for our first family trip to Italy. Both cities have their loyal fans but I fell in love with Siena! Loved staying at the Palazzo Ravizza in Siena with our garden view, where we could see over the garden out into the hills of Tuscany!

Because I love Siena, I would recommend you stay in Siena, and do florence as a day-tour.

Also loved our half-day driving tour with Roberto Bechi, who is a native of Siena. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and is very knowledgeable about the history and archaeology of the area. Our half-day tour was into the chianti countryside. We had a private tour just for our family, but you cna also join a small tour-group in his mini-van. You will find him at www.toursbyroberto.com His wife was very helpful as well in e-mail correspondences.

I just loved the trattoria where we stopped for lunch with him in the Chianti countryside, though I have lost the name of it unfortunately! All the customers except for us were talking away in italian, it was very memorable with excellent fresh country Italian cooking (Tuscan I would imagine it's called!)

Have a great time.

It is possible, as Melissa5 suggests to fall in love with Siena. But don't let that affection blind you to the facts that Florence is a much more interesting city, filled with many glories of the late middle ages and the Rennassiance. Just a brief study of Fra Angelico's Annuciation at the San Marco can tell you that. Four nights in Florence will fly by. And in March the place won't be as crowded as it gets later in the season. You will be delighted. Get a good guide book such as the Michelin Tuscany for the sights and both you and your Mom will have a ball.

Thanks for the responses. I like the idea of staying in Florence and then doing 2 day trips. That way we can stay in the same hotel, and decide as we go where we want to spend the most time.

Thanks again.