Agriturismi near Florence

One possibility would be to stay in Fiesole and take the #7 bus into Florence as desired.

Since cars are restricted in the city center and streets are mostly one-way, it can take forever for a taxi to get near the center from the outskirts of Florence, and it can easily cost upwards of 20€ for a one-way ride. I have stayed at Torre di Bellosguardo and Villa San Michele, which are well-known villa hotels on the outskirts of Florence. I have plenty of experience taking a taxi from these locations to the center. Sometimes the ride goes well, sometimes it doesn't.

I can't speak about bus travel to the countryside. That's just not something I would ever consider doing. IMO, a car is the only way to see the Tuscan countryside in any memorable way. Going from small town to town is the most fun. Can't imagine doing that by bus.

Fiesole came to my mind too but I'm sure our resident Florentine (Roberto) will have some cracking ideas.

Are you thinking of spending most of your time just lounging around with maybe one trip into central Florence (it's not really possible to cover even the highlights in a single day, IMHO) or planning on daily trips out and about?

Fiesole is a great suggestion, thank you so very much!

Our ideal time would be spent with 2 day trips into Florence and the rest of our time relaxing in the countryside. A car may prove necessary.

I think you can find peace in Firenze. Fiesole, as mentioned, and looking forward to Roberto's list of possibilities. Staying in Firenze and taking a bus out to Volterra, for example, is possible for a day trip.

Yes, a car helps in Tuscany, but you can get a lot of places without one. (A car rental can be stressful itself and you do not want to stay in the countryside and drive into Firenze for touring!)

Also, you can get a day in the countryside by taking a tour. Look at Tours by Roberto. Small groups of 8 or 9 people, a lovely day in the Tuscan countryside.

Here are three major databases for agriturism in Italy: www.agriturist.it, www.terranostra.it, www.turismoverde.it. Only the first one is in English. You can use Google Chrome to translate the others. According to these "official" lists, the number of farm-stay properties on the immediate outskirts of Florence is slim to none. It's a lot easier to find a country-style villa hotel, but those tend to cost quite a bit more than an agriturismo.

It's not a good idea for a tourist to drive his/her rental car into Florence's city center if visiting from nearby countryside. Rental cars require strict compliance to specific rules. While it's true that buses and taxis have more leeway, much like in Siena, taxis have their own street restrictions in Florence. Depending on the time of day, getting in from the outskirts by taxi can often seem insane, given the route the car is forced to take. There's no way to rely on Google Maps for this information.

There are places on the outskirts to safely park a car and take a convenient taxi or bus into the center, but these methods need to be learned. Many villas in the country will guide their customers to these parking locations. Some luxury, country-like villas on the outer edges of Florence offer transport to-and-from the center, but this service is not regular or offered at all hours. You will not find this service in an agriturismo.

With all its vehicle restrictions, traffic is much more congested on the outskirts these days. The cost of taking a simple 20-minute taxi ride for a drive that should last 5-minutes can quickly add to your expense budget and steal time from doing other things. I have often found myself in a taxi in Florence and questioning why I didn't walk. Then I look at all the stuff I sometimes carry and surrender to the traffic jam drill.