day trip from Florence

I love both Florence and Siena, so I'll give you my impressions. Siena has an entirely different feel from Florence, if you haven't been there, you might enjoy a day trip. The histories of the two cities are so closely intertwined for centuries, one zigging while the other zagged in terms of power and prestige - and almost constant warfare. The look of the two cities is different as well - Florence shows more Renaissance, Siena more medieval. Florence is flatter in the main sightseeing areas, while Siena is more hilly with streets running off the central piazza into higher and lower elevations.

Some friends of mine took Walkabout's "Best of Tuscany" tour last year and loved it. It goes to Siena, San Gimagnano, and Pisa. My parents and are signed up for it in July - cant wait!

Take the 1.5 hour bus ride from Florence to Poggibonsi then another bus to San Gimignano. It's a hill town, The City of Towers. That should be different enough for you.

Take the train for a 30 minute trip ( not the bus, unless you want a slower trip ) to Pistoia to see a charming and nearly tourist free small city.

We really enjoyed our day trip to Pisa. Climbed the tower, but did not walk around the various parts of the city. Very doable and the tower is fun

We are also booked up with the Best of Tuscany Tour in July based on recommendations here and on Trip Advisor where it is ranked # 3 of 121 tours in Florence.

If you really are looking for something a little different take a look at the Slow Day in Tuscany. It is a small group tour which runs from Florence and visits the places in Tuscany which tourists rarely get to see.

Hi-think we'll take the train to Pisa, check it out and then the bus to Lucca, maybe Pistoia on the way home. Any suggestions-we prefer outside to museums, people watching. thanks for responses.