Tuscany
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Logistics
Getting There
Tuscany is a region in central Italy with Florence as it’s capital. With this in mind, traveling to Florence is a good place to start when looking to visit Tuscany. The Florence airport is not very large and does not have any direct flights from the US. However, you can connect in one of the major European cities fairly easily and then fly directly into Florence, or fly to Pisa (about 1 hour away by bus). Pisa is in Tuscany and serves many of the budget airlines providing cheaper flying options. You can also fly into Rome or Milan and take a train to Tuscan towns.
Traveling direct to Florence
It is about a 20 euro flat fare to the airport from city center and vice versa (slight fluctuation with very early hours or very late hours and luggage). There is also a bus that travels between the Santa Maria Novella train station and the Florence airport.
Overall, the Florence airport is small and does not offer that many flights. The setup of the runways in the valley also can often lead to delays based on wind patterns. Regardless, it is still worth checking the flight availability when traveling in and out of Florence.
Traveling via Pisa (train or bus)
You can easily get to the Pisa airport by taking a bus from the Santa Maria Novella train station. There are two main companies with bus services, Terravision being one of them. Buses tend to run every 30 minutes to 1 hour and schedules can be accessed online for exact times. It takes about an hour by bus to reach the Pisa airport; it costs 5 euros each way if you buy ahead of time and only slightly more if you buy at the bus stop. There is also a train option, but the bus is cheap, easy and efficient.
Pisa provides additional flight options and also offers more budget flights as budget airlines like Ryanair fly in and out of Pisa rather than the Florence airport. Note that when flying Ryanair, allow time to get your Visa or documents checked (if you do not have an EU passport).
Traveling via Rome
Rome has two airports, one much larger than the other. When booking travel, be careful to check which airport you are traveling from in Rome so you catch the correct transportation from the train station to the airport.
Rome (CIA) – smaller airport:
- Take a fast train from Florence to Rome
- Catch the Terravision bus to the Rome airport. To find the Terravision bus, get off the train and walk out of the area with the trains. Go towards the food and then turn right and go outside. Once you’re outside, make another right and walk down the street. Go past the pharmacy and then you’ll see the Teracafe. If you have pre-purchased a ticket and have it printed, you can jump the line and get your “boarding pass.” If you haven’t purchased a ticket, get in line and purchase a ticket and then receive your boarding pass.
- Travel by bus to the airport (40 minutes)
Traveling via Milan
Similar to Rome, Milan also has more flight options and you can travel to Tuscany via train. The fastest train between Florence and Milan is about 2 hours.
Traveling via Bologna
There is a train to Bologna from Florence taking about 30 – 40 minutes, offering another airport option.
Train
Traveling within Italy can be very easy by train. TrenItalia is a commonly used company and provides routes all throughout the country including routes to Venice, Milan, Rome, Viareggio, Pisa, Bologna, Naples and more. For the longer journeys, consider booking tickets in advance as a seat will be assigned to you. If traveling to some of the smaller Tuscan towns, you’ll need to see what the nearest train station is before booking as it may require a transfer.
Getting Around
The Tuscany region is a beautiful one in Italy, and definitely worth a visit. Florence is the main city in Tuscany, but there are a lot of smaller towns that you can check out, spend a night, or just stop through while exploring the wine region. In order to travel around Tuscany, it’s helpful to have a car.
Accommodations
The area where you stay will depend on your intentions when visiting Tuscany. If you’re just looking to explore the capital and do a day-trip from here, Florence is your best base. If you want to enjoy a week in the Tuscan countryside, consider getting a villa for the week to allow for day-trips from one home base. Alternatively, you can book a few different accommodations and stay in different Tuscan towns to get a feel for the region including the likes of Lucca, Florence, Siena, and San Gimignano.
Things to do and see
Siena
This is one of the larger Tuscan towns. It’s a nice town to walk around and the Cathedral is very grand. Both the inside and outside are nice (make sure to go in the library when you go inside, it was one of my favorite rooms in all of Italy). The floor is also a big deal in this Cathedral.
Climb the main tower in the center of the city if the weather cooperates.
Wine Tour
Take a small group wine tour outside of Siena. It was a day trip so our driver picked us up (small group of 6 people) and took us to 3 different family wineries. We had lunch at the second winery and had tastings at all 3. I would highly recommend keeping the tour to a small group as it improves the overall experience. Try to visit the Mozart Vineyard where the owners play Mozart music to help the grapes grow.
Montalcino
This little town had tons of wine stores and is known for the Brunello di Montalcino
San Gimignano
Known for all the towers spread throughout the town, this is another quaint Tuscan town.
Food and Drinks
Taverna di San Giuseppe
Dinner
Siena
Often referred to as the best restaurant in Siena, this Italian restaurant is excellent and must try while in town.
Tre Cristi
Dinner
Siena
Expensive and upscale fish restaurant. The food is tasty, but would only recommend if you are in need of a change from traditional Italian as there are many other restaurants that may fit your needs at a cheaper price.
Dondoli Gelato
Gelato
San Gimignano
Famous spot to grab some gelato!
Other Notes
Duration
Depending on how much of Tuscany you are looking to explore, it’s a trip that can be done in a long weekend or you can easily spend a week exploring the area. Personally, I think it would be incredible to rent a villa in the Tuscan countryside and day-trip to some of the nice towns and vineyards.
Time of year
Shoulder season is a nice time to visit Tuscany as the temperatures can be warm, yet not too hot. The summer can be nice, but it can also get quite hot in Italy in the summer so be sure to get accommodations with a pool to hopefully enjoy the heat.