Day Trips from Florence
 

Staying 4 nights in Florence in March. Any great day trips we should take? And should we rent a car, or do train? My husband usually drives on these trips, but I'm going with a friend and our teen daughters. Would like to visit some hilltowns, etc.
Thanks!

Siena is a larger hill town but IMO the best of close-by ancient hill towns to Florence - an hour or so by bus or driving - buses are dirt cheap - a few euros a pop. Lovely old town center draped over the top of the hill - awesome cathedral on an awesome cathedral square - a homogenous medieval look and feel to the whole town.

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Yes, Siena or Lucca by train or bus.
The smaller hill towns do not have train connections---you could hire a driver.

Lucca is one of the finest old medieval looking towns I've been to and is still completely walled with a plethora of old towers from medieval days when rich folk literally tried to live far above the rabble and plagues raging below - but it is flat as a pancake so if it is hill towns you are after look elsewhere.

Go by bus--they will let you off at the top of the hill at Gramsci Park and you won't have to take a taxi up. The train stops at the bottom of the hill. The buses are clean I would do it again.

Trains also take a lot longer as they ply a round-about route - buses go in a direct line and yes dump you off near the top of the hill - train obviously far below in the valley.