I like Montecatini, but whether it makes a good base for a week depends on your sightseeing plans. Obviously, Lucca, Pisa and Pistoia are close. But, for me, the CT would be too far for a day trip either by car or train. To Riomaggiore, it's at least 1:45 hours one way driving or 2:35 hours by train.

A couple of driving destinations I can recommend: Castelnuovo di Garfagna and Pietrasanta. The drive between these two towns is very scenic, but driving the entire loop in one day doesn't leave a lot of time to explore the towns. We also enjoyed visiting Vinci for the Leonardo museum, house, etc., and scenery, and there are some walking trails in the area. Montespertoli is a nice stop for crafts, castles and wine. If you didn't visit Fiesole when you were in Florence, it would be a good destination for lunch and a wander.

My daughter and I were based at San Ruffino Resort, between Florence and Livorno, and literally drove all around Tuscany a couple of weeks ago. In my opinion, the drive itself embodies the saying "it's all about the journey". Beautiful scenery at every turn and, if you're taking your time, you can stop at any little village, hilltop, or winery along the way before moving on. My favorites in the area were Siena and San Gimignano, with Volterra another favorite. If you're staying in Florence and are interested in a great afternoon or evening diversion, check out a cooking class. We did this one at a farmhouse on a hill above Florence and had so much fun! https://www.walkaboutflorence.com/to...mhouse-tuscany

Attached is my Italy itinerary, with a heavy dose of Tuscany. My favorite spot in Tuscany is the Val d'Orcia.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley Hi Stu, I am planning for a Italy trip in 2020 and I am interested in Tuscany particularly Val D'Orcia area. If you have 10 days to spend what do you highly recommend to visit for first-timers like us. We like beautiful scenery, landscapes, wine & food, small villages, countryside. We are coming from Los Angeles. Where can we base ourselves to be able to visit the neighboring villages? Reading your itinerary, we really need a car to drive to these towns. Thank you in advance.

Stu detailed ininerary includes a week in the Val d'Orcia ( & nearby Chianti) region with Pienza as a base... His day 14 could be stretched over multiple days.