Tuscany day trips
 

We will be in Florence for 4 days, 3/27-3/30. I'm trying to plan those days, and would like to see a bit of the hill country. Appears the main museums are closed on Monday. Thanks to Fodorite help, I've figured we should do a day going to Lucca and Pisa, and was looking for perhaps a small tour for Siena and San Gimignano. Any recommendations for specific companies? Any advice on how to spend those 4 days will be appreciated. Cannot do bike tours. Thanks again.

Hi GN - The Florence bus-tour companies CAF Tours and SITA both offer Siena/S.Gimignano as a tour. For details:

http://www.caftours.com/en/regtoursac.htm
http://www.sitabus.it/ToursCENTRAL/S...nGimignano.pdf

Alternatively you could plan a trip to Siena & San Gimignano inexpensively by public transport (- bus).

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Hi GN,

Do be sure to take the No. 7 bus from the SMN train station up to Fiesole in the evening to watch the sun set over the city from the terrace of the Bar Bleu.

You can go earlier to see the Etruscan ruins, as well.

You aren't planning on Pisa/Lucca and Siean/San G on the same day, are you?

((I))

No, Ira....I've gathered that we should go with the flow and enjoy....don't you think one day for each trip? I'm not having much luck with the small tour idea. The other two days I think we'll stay in Florence. Since we have Thurs-Mon, do you have suggestions as to which days to do what?
I know Monday should be one of the trips since the museums are closed. And I haven't made reservations for the museums..is it a good or bad idea?

I second the recommendation of spending some time in Fiesole. The archeology museum is quite good and the ruins are pretty and the grounds offer a beautiful view of the rolling Tuscan countryside. One of my all time favourite souvenirs is a replica of a little bronze Etruscan horse that I bought at the museum gift shop. I'd allow for at least an hour to see the museum and an hour to walk and sit in the small ruin complex.

As for Florence, everyone has their own opinions on this but with 4 days I think I would only take one daytrip, either Lucca/Pisa or Siena/San Gimignano. I've only been to Siena, we spent the day there and I was very reluctant to leave at the end of the day. I know it's popular to combine Siena with San Gimignano but personally speaking I couldn't imagine having to rush in Siena any faster than we did when we spent the entire day.

Two or three days in Florence is not a whole lot, there are a lot of mixed feelings about Florence but I'm in the camp that loves it and I would definitely want to spend as much time as I could in the city.

I would definitely recommend making advanced reservations for the Uffizi and the Academia.

Why do you need a 'small tour'? I suggest you follow Steve's advice...

"Alternatively you could plan a trip to Siena & San Gimignano inexpensively by public transport (- bus)."

Hi GN,

Make reservations for the Academia and Uffizi in Florence.

A day for Pisa/Lucca and another day for Siena/San G is fine.
You can take the SITA bus from the station on Via Santa Caterina da Siena (near the SMN) station to Siena. See http://tinyurl.com/ybe6xk

Buses to San G are at
http://www.sangimignano.net/tourist-...-timetable.php

Enjoy your visit.

((I))