If you were going to stay outside of Florence for a few days, which would you choose and why?

Thanks!

Siena, assuming you have a car -- and even if you don't. Because it's central to a lot of destinations: San G, Volterra, Chianti, Cortona, Montipulciano, Pienza, Montalcino. And you can take the bus into Florence for daytrip.

Siena - hill town par excellence and lots of nearby excursions by bus or car.

S Gimi also nice but i find Siena much ever nicer

Lucca is one of Europe's finest walled towns but i think Siena, royally crowning its hills affording views for miles around a nicer place to stay.

But you can't go wrong.

Lucca has excellent short day trips to Pisa and Montecatini Terme, one of Europe's most venerable thermal resorts and to Collodi, just above Lucca - Pinnochio's town.

Hi M,

I would stay in Florence and visit the other three by bus or train.

San Gimignano.

Just my personal preference, though I've only visited Lucca and Siena once each (on different trips.)

San G as a day trip is just not the same as staying overnight. You just get much more of a sense of its isolation, its history, its beauty when you are able to stroll the streets in the late evening and early morning.

I'd visit all of them, but I didn't care for Siena, no nightlife, no real restaurant scene of note, it's pretty provincial. Medieval San Gimignano, despite the throng of tourists, is lovely day or night, but especially at night, when the tourists have left, wonderful restaurants, and the best Tuscan wine -tasting goes on here at several restaurants-my friends and I had a lovely afternoon drinking wine and taking appetizers in an enoteca off the main drag. Lots of shopping here for souvenirs, foodstuffs, etc. But it's ideal for walking around and just admiring the medieval center.

Lucca is a real jewel, and a real favorite of mine, like San Gimignano; very elegant, lovely Piazza Anfiteatro, the Duomo, ancient Clock Tower, their other ancient churches, the beautiful San Michele, great cafe life here, their national art museum, the ancient wall that surrounds the city, good restaurants, near the beach-much, much to commend this charming town, which used to be the capital of Tuscany.

Always it is interesting to read different people's feelings about places, girlspytravel. While I completely agree w/your comments about SanG and Siena, I did not fall in love with Lucca. Maybe I'd read/heard too many rave reviews and was overanticipatory! I don't know, but my husband felt the same way. Though I don't regret having visited Lucca, I doubt I'd return; while I've returned to SanG several times.

People either love or don't love Lucca, LucieV it seems-my friend and I instantly took to the elegance and charm of a city, but to each his own-I cannot for the life of me understand people who don't care for Florence, one of the jewels of the planet, IMO.

And btw, I WOULD stay in Florence and daytrip to these places...

I loved Florence my first two times there -- I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, on so many levels. (Early 70s, late 70s.) Last few visits I've enjoyed it, but not in the same way. Whereas Rome -- I love it <i>more</i> each time! (and I'm well aware that many people don't like Rome...)

It depends on what you are looking to do.
In terms of cultural touring, Siena has by far the most to recommend it, especially if you have never been there. The Campo is one of the great sights in Italy and the cathedral and baptistery with its bronzes are both wonderful. (the duccios in the museo del duomo are also great if you like that sort of thing and of course siena is full of sienese are. The geography is challenging, lots of ups and downs to see the whole town - weve daytripped there three times I guess and were far from feeling we'd had the whole experience -not a great restaurant town but some good places - I dont know what it would be like at night.

San Gimignano - definitely the least of the three from a cultural point of view - a very small pretty town. I could see it as a base for touring, but its not particularly well located for that. I agree it is nice when the tourists have left but when they are there it is hell - the other two places are big enough to absorb the tourists they see (and many foreign students, in the case of Siena)

Lucca is an elegant flat small walled city totally different from the others with some lovely churches.It felt almost french to me - certainly not as austere in flavor as the central Tuscan towns. It would give you the biggest contrast from Florence and a base to tour Pisa some of the nearby rural regions where there is reputed to be great eating.

I agree with ira - staying in Florence is a good idea and you can day trip to the other places.We took the bus.

Here's another who would stay in Florence.