Best Day trip from Florenec that is not Pisa

Lucca! Lovely walled city about a 30 min train ride away. Plenty of info in Rick's books. Great walking and restaurants. Rent a bike for an hour and ride on top of the city walls to get a different view down into the city.

Check Accidental Tourist for a personalized experience, including winery tour, cooking lesson, wine tasting, meeting and eating at a local home....tell Malja what you want and she'll arrange it, plus transportation from Florence. It was a great day for us. Otherwise, the train ride to Lucca was another winner, but we did that a different day.

LUCCA!!!

I enjoyed a daytrip to Arezzo from Florence. It's a hilltown that runs down to the train station. I walked thru town to the top, where there was a nice park complete with a small cafe. There is an archaeological museum plus Roman arena to visit. "Life is Beautiful" (the movie) was made in Arezzo.

I enjoyed everthing about Lucca particularly our bike picnic on the city wall. Based on the question asked it is my solemn duty to reveal that Lucca is not a hill town. Not at all. But so what? It is nonetheless awesome. If you go, make sure to climb both towers to take a photo of each from the other.

Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca - Pisa is the least of the lot. Or take a winery tour from Florence.

Something a little less mainstream... Vinci....not much there but if you want to say you were in Leonardo's hometown.....not sure about wineries there but would think there's something in the area....about 30/40 minute drive from Florence.

Thank you all for the great advice

Cinque Terre!!!! It will be a long, but glorious day (7:00 AM - 10:30 PM). Leave early and have a relaxing 2 1/2 hours by train from Florence to Monterosso. You will have time to explore several of the towns, especially Vernazza, eat their fresh seafood caught the night before and drink their wonderful wine and enjoy the scenery. You will then be prepared for a relaxing (and sleeping) train ride back to Florence. You'll be wishing you stayed several nights there. If this is too much for you, there is a more sedate one day bus tour to San Gimignano and Sienna that leaves the Florence train station at 8:00 AM and gets back around 5:00 PM. It is operated by Grayline, costs about 65 euros per person, and includes a tour guide and lunch in Sienna. The web site is http://www.grayline.com/Florence/EXCURSION_TO_SIENA_AND_SAN_GIMIGNANO We had an apartment in Florence and did both, but went back to the CT for another night and two more days. Enjoy.

Portovenere. It is close to CT, but it makes better for a one-day trip than the CT.

Siena would be first choice, but if you go to Arezzo, you can also go to Sansepolcro, a smaller town with more of Piero della Francesca's frescoes. Anghiari is also on this route and is a beautiful surprise, since it doesn't get much US tourism. All three can be done comfortably in one day.

@Ron... I loved Vinci! I forget to suggest it, but I was driving aimlessly around the area and suddenly happend upon the town during a time when I was spending a lot of time learning more about the life of Leonardo... serendipity!