Best day trip from Florence

Hello gracesouto2, and welcome to the forum,

I think everyone's first suggestion is going to be Siena which deserves a whole day. Reachable by either bus or train it is an amazing city and a great way to get an introduction to an historic Tuscan hill-town... even if Siena is more of hill-city compared to the smaller well known hill-towns.

There are many threads discussing the virtues of bus versus train and you can find them - and more information about Siena - by searching Siena in Search box for the forum.

Hope that helps,
=Tod

Agree that Siena would be a top choice for a daytrip from Florence. There is a 75-minute express bus service between Florence and Siena.

Two other daytrip possibilities ( among many) include the university town of Pisa, and the walled, medieval town of Lucca.

agree with the pps! But what do YOU want to do? That will decide what type of location you end up. There are also day tours that you can do that take you to multiple places and your guide is with you all day to maximize your time.....many options!

You don't mention time of year for your visit...If you decide on Siena (not my first choice due to the crowds) be advised that the main square is blocked off twice a year for the horse race (Palio). That square is the only reason IMO to even visit Siena. I would also add Greve (as a day trip).

Are you planning to travel on your own or are you looking for a packaged day tour?

What is your vision of Tuscany? That may decide if you go to a city or countryside.

Btw, you'll be spending 3 days in Tuscany the whole time your in Florence.

Wow , thank you for the responses .

So I am there the first week of September .

What about taking a tour that takes you to Siena-San-Gimignano-Pisa-and-Lunch/tasting at-a-Winery

Is that something we should do ? Any recommendations on that ?

That's a great option, it saves you from worrying about transportation and logistics, but locks you into their pre-set timing and ways of doing things. You should decide which is more valuable to you, convenience or spontaneity. I am toying with renting a car for a future trip, but then I keep coming back to sticking with a day tour or going places on public transit.

What about taking a tour that takes you to Siena-San-Gimignano-Pisa-and-Lunch/tasting at-a-Winery

In one day?
Would not recommend that all in one day.

That tour is too crowded. If you could find lunch at winery with San Gimignano or another village, that would be a perfect day, IMO.

The inclusion of Pisa to the mix just means more time sitting on a bus. Not worth it, IMO.

We were a party of 4 and we hired a private driver to pick us up at our hotel in Florence. 1st stop was San-Gemignani, then a winery tour including lunch right outside the town. From there we went to Volterra for another wine tasting and tour. Just enough for one day but not too much.