Charming Tuscan Village without a car rental.

Hi Matt. Orvieto is technically Tuscany, but it might be your best bet. The train station is a simple ride down on the funiculare. Easy to get to Arezzo, Montepulciano, and Siena from there by train. (Probably bus too but I love the trains!) Orvieto is a lovely place to stay. Quiet, walkable, good restaurants, and worth a day in itself. Montalcino is lovely, but best visited by bus from Florence as there is no train station. I'm sure others here will chime in with bus plans.

Matt:
Easily confused, Montepulciano and Montalcino. The former has a train station, the latter is bus only. Go to MONTALCINO from Florence via a bus. Montepulciano would best be a daytrip, IMO, from Orvieto. I think Orvieto is a better palce to stay a few nights.

Laurel's advice sounds right to me, particularly the train connections. Montepulciano is lovely and worth a visit.

Most grateful for your replys. Would you recommend staying in Montepulciano? It sounds like it's got train connection? mh

Oops! Sorry just re-read Laurel's post regarding the bus.
mh

Orvieto is technically Umbria, but Laurel's point is correct. Montelpulciano has a train station, but it's some distance from the historic center. I don't know what bus connections are like.

Have you considered making Siena the base? There's more to do at night and more to see than in a day trip. You can reach most of these charming towns via bus from Siena as well.

I think Siena will be the most central base for towns unreachable by train. I don't believe Montalcino can be reached via bus from Florence, only from Siena.

Grazie!

Montepulciano train station is some way from the town itself, but apparently a local bus runs between the station and town. I didn't go by train, I went by bus from Siena, it drops you closer to the town.