Kristine

I'm leaving Aug. 31 for 2 weeks to Italy. (Rome 4 nites, Florence 3 nights, Tuscany 3 nights, Venice 3 nights and Como 2 nights) Upon leaving Florence, I will rent a car and drive to Tuscany then head back to Florence and catch the train to Venice. Does this itinery sound reasonable for those 3 days in Tuscany?<BR><BR>Leave Florence (Sunday) and drive thru the wine region visiting wineries for the day. <BR>Staying in Sienna at the Santa Caterina for 3 nights. Next day (Monday) spend in and around Sienna. Last day (Tuesday) drive up to Pisa to go up the tower in the morning. Then head back and stop at San Gimignano for the rest of the afternoon/sunset. Leave the next AM early for the train.<BR><BR>Am I trying to pack in too much for the last day? I want to see Pisa and was thinking about taking a 1/2 day tour out of Florence when I'm there, but that would cut out a part of my 3 days that I think I need there. Suggestions, please? Thanks so much!

Alice Twain

In first place I would cut off one day in Florence and devote it to Visiting Pisa and Lucca by train. In Pisa you will need but a few hours: the city was heavily bombed during WW2, therefore there is little left to see beside the towers and Santa Maria della Spina. One you are done, you can move back to Lucca and spend a few hours in my favorite Tuscanian city. Pisa is far closer to Florence than to Pisa and there are bunches of trains going back and forth between the two cities.<BR>In Florence you will have better tastes of wine by visiting one wine bar or enoteca, where you will be able to taste several wines. Use a couple of hours of your fist day with the car visiting one winery, but keep in mind that unless you have any specific interest and knowledge in wine making, wineries are all more or less the same (and you do not want to drive, not even in Tuscany, after drinking several glasses of wine, do you?). Instead use the rest of the day just in getting lost in Chianti and visiting come small villages. If you have a car staying at a hotel in Siena doesn't sound a good idea: you will have to leave the car in some parking lot because cars can't reach the centerof the city, or you will have to sleep in some suburb (yes, also Siena has suburb) and end up walking tpo the center of the city anyhow. Much better to find an accomodation at some agritourism (www.agriturismo.regione.toscana.it) and daytrip to Siena. The last day, use your time to do a short visit of San Gimignano and than move on to visit some other place: Chiusdino, Monteriggioni, Casole d'Elsa, San Galgano are all worth a visit, short or long, and within easy reach.<BR>If you really want to spend three days in Firenze, than cut off one day from either Venice (if it were up to me I would cut off 3 days from Venice... ) or Como. Not so much for Pisa (the leaning tower is much talked about, but actuially less impressive than most people think. If you really want to see leaning towers, go to Bologna woth its two leaning towers: they are just as impressive as the tower in Pisa, but the city is much better!) but for Lucca: it is really a great place!

Ann

I agree that you need to take a day off of your Florence stay. Pisa is only a two hour stop if you don't want to go up in the tower at most. See San Gimignano in the late afternoon. The sunset there is to die for with great places to watch and take pictures from. The last time into the church is 7:10PM and others sites may close before that including the tower that you can climb. <BR>We also visited Volterra which is only 30 min. from San Gim. We did Pisa, San Gim, and Volterra in one day by car. A lot to see but doable if you are trying to squeeze things in. The alabaster shopping and the Etruscaen museaum in Volterra were great.

Wayne

Kristine---You've gotten some good advice from others, so I will just add some nit-picking. First, please spell it "itinerary." Second, you don't drive to Tuscany from Florence; you are already there. And Siena has only one "n."<BR><BR>As for a real suggestion, consider your entire 6 days in and around Florence and Siena to be Tuscany days. Pick a spot somewhere outside Florence and Siena for all 6 days, and drive your car to those 2 cities and to all the other Tuscany villages you want to visit.

kristen

I'm kind of in the same boat trying to figure out what to do with my "day trips" around Florence.<BR><BR>Quick questions:<BR>1. Siena in the day, then San G late afternoon/dinner is perfect by bus/train from Florence, right?<BR><BR>2. Is Volterra only do-able by car? And it's not missable, right?<BR><BR>We will only have a car once we leave Florence, and are heading towards Sinaluga. I would drive to Volterra on my way down there, but it does seem pretty out of the way. I was thinking I could do Volterra and San G one the day, but I don't want to drive to Sinaluga after dark. And of course, I want to see San G. as the sun sets! What a dilemma!<BR><BR>Any advice on which way to do it?

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staci

Hey that wayne guy has issues.<BR><BR>I have been advised by friends to stay overnight in San Gim.....does anyone agree and have hotel ideas?