Tuscany - Florence vs. Pisa overnight?
 

Hi everyone! We are going to Italy for the last 2 weeks of Sept. for our honeymoon. We are renting a villa in Tuscany in the (very) small town of Volpaia, just south of "Raddo in Chianti".

Here is my question: We have the villa from Sat. the 16th to Fri. the 22nd, then we go to Rome from the 23rd on. So we have an extra night (the 22nd) in Tuscany with nowhere to stay, and we're trying to figure out if we should use the extra night to stay in Pisa or Florence. (Whichever we choose, the other city will become a day trip). Which would you guys recommend? We will have a car, by the way. Thanks for any help!

Florence!!!!! Hands down! Pisa if definilty more of a day trip in my opinion.

Thanks! Since Pisa is about 65 miles from where we're staying, would you bother making the day trip, or save it for next time??

Hi Cari,

I think with a week in Valpaia, you have time to do Florence as a day trip. Pisa is OK, but not a must do for a first trip, IMHO. I would spend your "extra" night somewhere different, like Assisi or Orvieto, then train into Roma!

Buon viaggio!

If Pisa is that far from your base, I'd save it for another time!

Heh, in a day trip to Pisa from Florence, the tour guide for CAF Tours said Florence is the most expensive city in Italy.

BTW, that day tour only spent 2 hours in Pisa, just enough to see the cathedral, the tower and a few squares.

That should give you an idea.

However, went to Siena too and the food (at least the takeaway food on the streets) looked a lot cheaper and better.

But if you're staying in a villa, you might not be interested in big slices of pizza to go.;)

In a day, you'll find Florence noisy and tiring, and won't see enough. Whereas Pisa is great for a day and night - just long enough to seee the sights and enjoy it. We did just that and found a room in a rather crumbling mansion of a hotel on the river, with the biggest bathroom I've ever see - bigger than our entire bedroom at home. You could have fitted 4 average rooms in the bedroom itself!
This was 20 years ago, so no idea what it was called, but I'd pick Pisa every time.

Hi CM,

I suggest driving to Orvieto, dropping the car, staying a day and a night and taking the train into Rome.

Lunch or dinner in the garden of

I Sette Consoli
Pzza Sant’Angelo 1A
phone/fax 011 39 0763 343911

is worth the trip by itself.

Have a nice honeymoon.

((I))