Almalfi Coast & Tuscany

For Sorrento and Amalfi area, you are in luck, as there has been a wealth of useful info posted here in the last several months. Just read the postings under Italy, as there have been questions asked- and answered - daily. Have a great trip!

I get the desire to not change bases, but I would not enjoy driving in and out of Florence over several days. You may have to compromise on your accommodations because you'll want dedicated parking, easy access to driving outside of the ZTL, etc. It is just a different experience to stay in a village. All of these issues can be dealt with, but I would just change locations--enjoy city in a city and enjoy countryside in the countryside. Some people choose to stay somewhere it is easier to reach Florence and day trip in by public transport, staying somewhere like Fiesole for example. It would ultimately depend on your ultimate Tuscany list because many places are not within day trip distance of Florence. Lucca and Siena are so easy by public transport, no need for car.
Sorrento is the best base if you want to see everything from one base and have little interest in Naples. Again, it is a different experience as Sorrento is larger and less picturesque than a small village on the Amalfi Coast, but I think it is less of a letdown than the Tuscan situation and probably worth any tradeoff for the convenience. Start looking at accommodations asap--September is not much of a low season anymore and the area is very popular.
Lucky you to have 20 days!

Hello Anna3,

I like the idea of your plan - the opposite of people planning to visit 13 cities in 12 days - but I would hesitate to ever have a car in Florence. There is obviously no need for one in the city but unless you arrange to stay in a place that provides parking and a clear path into and out of the city I think the pressure of a driving a car into even the edges for Florence would probably outweigh the issues with changing home bases.

I would stay in Florence and spend a week or so - exploring the city and taking day trips to places you want to visit that are well served by train and bus and do not require a car. These include Lucca, Pisa, Arezzo, Bologna and anything else that might interest you. Then I would rent a car and then choose a town of interest and stay there and drive to explore Tuscany further by car.

Many of the famous Tuscan towns are a ways away from Florence and staying away from the city will shorten your drive times and maximize your country driving experience versus your city driving experience which is generally less pleasant.

Places like Pienza and Montalcino are realistically 2 hours by car from Florence but very close to each other and about an hour from Siena. So in my mind it makes them a day trip from Siena but a really long - probably too long - drive from Florence.
I would make a list of the places you want to visit in the Tuscan countryside and see if there is somewhere that is a larger town that is central-ish to these places and think about staying there for a few days.

Also remember that it is possible to return the car somewhere else if you arrange it if you are well south of Florence when you are done rather than driving back north to the city to return the car and then training back south. Orvieto and Chiusi are popular spots for this since they are close to the train line that leads to Rome and onto Naples.

Sorry to give you more options when it sounds like you're trying to keep it simple but small town Tuscany is one of those regions that require a car and some planning. But don't let the hassle discourage you - the region is as beautiful as advertised and more so.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Agree with above.
Stay in Florence and visit the easy to get to hill towns as day trips (by train or bus) from there- Siena, Lucca.

Get your car as you leave Florence and base somewhere else for the rest of Tuscany. We like the Val D'Orcia region- stay in Pienza or Montepulciano- much easier to deal with a car (Pienza in particular)

Where will you be flying out of?

Sorrento is a great base but it might get tiresome traveling to AC towns
We stayed in Sorrento for 4 nights then moved to Amalfi/Ravello 3 nights then Salerno 2 nights
Visited Pompeii and Capri from Sorrento
Visited Positano and Ravello from Amalfi
Visited Paestum from Salerno

From Salerno there are direct trains north to Rome/Florence

I’m in Naples three times a year, but were I in Sorrento, I’d have Sorrentocars take me to Napoli Centrale and an early train to Chiusi; an Avis car for the Val d’Orcia [per Christine]; for a hotel the Locanda San Francesco in Montepulciano, a farmhouse without question a Fonte outside of Pienza:

https://www.wanderingitaly.com/maps/valdorcia.html

https://tinyurl.com/5eum2na7

La Fonte and a trip report:

https://tinyurl.com/2rthwxvy

https://tinyurl.com/4fsms3wk

I’d return the car in Florence at Via Palagio deli Spini, the airport complex; taxi to town

Thank you so much for the comments so far! I hadn't given thought to compromising on our accommodations in Florence to have dedicated parking, nor to the hassle of driving in and out of the city for days trips. Thanks as well valadelphia for the perspective to “enjoy city in a city and enjoy countryside in the countryside”. That said, I’m rethinking our stay to either one base, perhaps Sienna or Pienza, and either stay there for 10 days with a car and do day trips in the countryside as well as Florence (car or public transportation), or stay there for only 5 days with a car to explore and then return the car to Florence and stay there with no car for 5 days, as we would fly home from there (We’ve not booked flights as yet)
Any pros/cons to either plan?

For the Amalfi Coast, thanks ChristineH for suggesting that Sorrento for a base might become tiresome visiting the other locations. Any suggestions on a more central location (not Positano)?

I think anyone could make a strong case for either a 5-5 (or 3-7, or 6-4) split in Tuscany or a 10-day stay in a smaller town with car. Maybe make a list of things you want to see most and see how the timing works out. You do save money on a rental car if you do the split, though hopefully the prices have calmed this year.
Are you traveling as a couple or a larger group?
You also might wait to see how your Sorrento stay works out--I feel bad we are dashing the dream of only two bases, lol, but it sometimes does just work out better to move! I love Naples and find it so much more interesting than Sorrento, and I dislike long day trips, so I chose to spend time in Naples and on the Amalfi Coast. Some people are not captivated by Naples and want a small town or village versus a big city. If you feel that way but still want one base, you could look at the villages on the mainland end of the Amalfi Coast--Maiaori, Minori, Cetara, Vietri. Anything on the ferry line is good--https://www.travelmar.it/en/index
These towns are close enough to the mainland that you can do a day trip to Pompeii, if that was of interest. The Capri day trip is slightly more complicated, but there are ferries out of Salerno.

We liked Sorrento and Amalfi (town)
Both are good bases, transportation hubs
Maybe do 5 nights each

We also really enjoyed Salerno but not sure I’d want 5-10 nights there.

I'd pick up car in Chiusi after Amalfi time then do 5 nights Pienza area then drop car in Florence or at airport and do 5 nights Florence before flying home

Your 20 night trip would be 4 locations/5 nights each for us.

Siena is a good location, but a very big, busy city. You might have to park at a distant perimeter lot, depending on the hotel. And they'd have to get you ZTL protection if they have their own parking. We chose a rural luxury resort (not a farm-stay kind of place), to have easy in and out each day, and it was so hot in June that we used the pool every evening, even though we're not "pool people." Air conditioning was essential. We had our big meal at lunch, at on-site restaurants at wineries, and just had bar snacks at the hotel for dinner. Worked out well for us.

I can't report on public transportation, but if you want to do two or three towns in a day, you need a car. I would not stay in Florence for Tuscan hill towns unless I had a list of those accessible from Florence and wanted to see those. We were sometimes given a recommendation by a waiter or other tourists, so we went there as our next stop. Normally I avoid car rentals, but it worked well in Tuscany.

About two years ago someone posted here saying they'd had no trouble with parking or ZTLs in Florence. Don't have a link, try the search function top menu.

"About two years ago someone posted here saying they'd had no trouble with parking or ZTLs in Florence. Don't have a link, try the search function top menu."

The Interparking Garage Europa [also with Hertz, Avis and Europcar]is outside the ZTL at Via Borgo Ognissanti, 96. Driving route on www.viamichelin.com, not google maps which is wrong. Heading north toward the Ponte Amerigo Vespucci [where after going over you make a left in two blocks], the ZTL is to the east.

Lucca and Siena are easy day trips from Florence; San Gimignano with a train or bus and a bus. The best rental place is Via Palagio degli Spini, the FLR complex reached from downtown by taxi.

Regarding a Lucca visit, see post #3:

https://tinyurl.com/yfjuzvvu

Thanks again for the additional comments and input.
It seems to be making more sense to take the train from Naples to Chiusi and rent a car to drive to the Pienza area for 5 days, and then drive to Florence, return the car, and stay in Florence for 5 days before flying home.

I understand that Lucca, Sienna and San Gimingano are easy day trips (bus/train) from Florence, however, how many days do you suggest dedicating to those towns, and should they be included as part of the 5-day Florence stay? If not, how would it be best to balance the 10 days, or do we need additional days?

I understand that Lucca, Sienna and San Gimingano are easy day trips
(bus/train) from Florence, however, how many days do you suggest
dedicating to those towns, and should they be included as part of the
5-day Florence stay? If not, how would it be best to balance the 10
days, or do we need additional days?

It really just depends on what you want to do. I would make a list of what I want to see in Florence first, as some of those things may need to be scheduled, etc. Then for day trips, I plug them into Google or where ever to see distances and transport options. Lucca could fairly be "seen" in a day, Siena may need more. There are no hard and fast rules really, so fleshing out your trip day by day is the only way I know how to do it. There are several books devoted to scenic drives in Tuscany, something like that might be of help.