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Day Trip from Florence with 3 teenagers?

We have 3 days in Florence and want to take one to go into the Tuscan countryside but don't want to do a 12+ hour trip. Thinking of Siena or similar. We don't have a car. Looks like the bus is the best bet to Siena, do I need to make a reservation for the bus prior? The day I have is July 2nd.
Thank you!

Posted by
1788 posts

On July 2nd the Palio is run in Siena and the city is very much paralyzed by the event. People born in Siena come back from all over the world and the crowd may be unbelieveable.

Posted by
5 posts

Oh my. So glad I put the date. Although I'm sure it's a wonderful event, we should spend our time elsewhere. Any ideas other than Siena?

Posted by
8371 posts

If you would just rent a car for one day, you could easily see some very interesting hilltowns--like Volterra and San Gimignano. The Tuscan roads are a little crooked, but they're well paved and well marked. Driving through the region is relatively easy.

Posted by
16842 posts

Take a look at Lucca? Very popular with the gang here, and easily reached by (cheap regionale) trains: 1 hr and 20 minutes from Firenze S.M. Novella.

Posted by
490 posts

Luca will be about an hour if that appeals....Sienna is about 1.5 hours...as previous poster advised check for local festivals that may make your trip impossibly overcrowded..even by Tuscan summertime standards! :)

Regional train tickets can be purchased when you arrive in Florence...for July 2nd.

Enjoy!

Posted by
16320 posts

The Palio in Siena is exactly where I would take your teenage kids. Very high chance to lose one or two in the crowd but an unforgettable experience for all ages.

Posted by
5 posts

I will consider it! We will be on day 5 of our trip coming from Rome. After Florence we'll be going to Venice. I'm sure kids would love it. Will it be hard to get in an out on a bus or train?

Posted by
24 posts

,Lucca has already been mentioned. Another possibility would be Pisa.
It is an easy 15 mins walk from the train station to the leaning tower. If you want to climb the tower you can buy the tickets in advance.

Posted by
824 posts

And, you can easily do Pisa AND Lucca in one day via train/bus. I recommend doing Pisa as early as humanly possible in order to beat the horrible motor-coach crowds and then bugging out to spend a nice relaxing afternoon in Lucca. If the weather in nice (it should be), you can rent bikes and ride (or just walk) the circumference of the old city on the top of the wall.

Posted by
44 posts

Consider contacting KM Zero Tours. It's run by a young couple who are super nice, knowledgeable and have a sincere passion for the Italian culture. They have various day trip options that might interest you plus will customize based on your needs. We did 2 of their day trips that took us into the Chianti region of Tuscany. It's private so it will cost more but you will get a unique experience. Good luck and have a wonderful holiday!

Posted by
45 posts

Take your kids to the Palio if you're there at that time! It's truly fun (yes the crowd is massive) and something they'll never forget. It's still in my mind from being 5! Plus Siena is absolutely beautiful and everyone should go there. Pisa is worth it for Campo dei Miracoli but I've never been won over by the rest of the city. The other towns mentioned are all great too but given the choice and your timing if I had to pick ONE it would be Siena.