We will be in Florence for a week in the middle of October and want to explore a nearby town for a day trip. What are your favorites?
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
There are dozens of great small towns close to Florence that would make a great day trip. What,specifically, are you looking for? You really should get a good guide book for Tuscany to help you with this question.
Donna
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Donna, Thank you. I have RS guide Books and have been to Florence three times so was hoping for some insight from those who have actually visited surrounding towns. I have been to Sienna.... .am debating between Orvieto and Lucca and maybe others. I would like as authentic an experience as possible..... knowing the tourist influx...... my partner cant walk great distances so that is an issue and the town would ideally be within 2 hours of Florence....... so.. any insight from personal experience would be welcome.. thanks
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16238 posts
If you are in Florence for a week, you probably have time for multiple day trips. Just put aside a couple days for Florence itself, and of course you will also be there for the evenings.
You have been to Siena already so these are some more day trips that are easy from Florence:
Lucca + Pisa (via train) - flat terrain
Pistoia (via train) - flat terrain. Great in the evenings too, if you can stay for dinner (and much cheaper than Florence).
Arezzo (via train) - mostly flat or slight hill). You could add Cortona to your Arezzo trip (a few minutes farther south from Arezzo). However be aware that Cortona is on a major hill, therefore your walking might be limited to some parts only, not go the top of town. The main areas are flat once the bus from the station drops you there.
San Gimignano (by bus, via Poggibonsi). Slight hill, but it's very small, so easy walk. This is probably the most famous hill town in Tuscany.
Volterra (by train and bus via Pontedera, or all by bus via Colle Val D'Elsa). A bit hilly.
Above Florence is also Fiesole (by city bus no. 7 or by taxi). More than a day trip, this is an excellent afternoon and dinner trip.
Posted by
824 posts
Bcg2131,
Please read my trip review (last October) for Florence for ideas. October is wonderful time to be in Tuscany.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/my-italy-trip-3-of-4-florence
The wine tour was fabulous! If you aren't into wine, there are plenty of escorted day trips out of Florence. My vender was Viator but there are a multitude of tour operators. (Viator is just a consolidator/reseller of tours - the tours are conducted by local companies.)
Pisa and Lucca can easily be done on your own using the train system I would recommend doing Pisa first and then head to Lucca. My advise is to do Pisa as early as possible BEFORE the selfy-stick wielding hoards get too bad.
Lucca is an absolutely stunning little walled-city. My next trip to Tuscany will include a night or two in this lovely town.
Good Luck.
Todd
Posted by
Bromley, Kent,, UK
1829 posts
Bologna? It's a 37 minute journey by fast train and the city centre is all on the flat.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
In Tuscany: Pistoia, Arezzo, Lucca, Anghiari.
In Umbria: Orvieto, Perugia.
Posted by
St. Louis, MO
251 posts
Last summer myself and other traveler did 3 days trips. One was to Pisa & Lucca, another was to Cinque Terre, and another was into Tuscany where we visited wineries and went to the village of San Gimignano. Our favorite was the day trip into Tuscany for sure! You can easily do either of these on your own, but we used to CAF tours and 'Fun In Tuscany' out of Florence and thought they were great!