For the third year in a row, I've booked a bike tour in Italy, this time Tuscany in September, starting/ending in Pisa. Flights are booked so departure/return and the tour itself are fixed. This time it is "self guided" with my daughter and SIL. "Self guided" means the tour company provides bike hire, hotel and luggage transfer, maps and Garmin traces, and a contact number. We just have to ride from town to town.
My tentative itinerary has three nights in Florence before the tour start, and 6 nights in Rome after the tour. There are couple part days for Pisa in there. By the time I'm checked into my hotel in Florence the 1st day is shot. That only leaves two full days for Florence. The hot items are the Duomo, Accademia, and Uffizi. What must-sees in Pisa should I not miss?
On the back end I'd like to make it to Pompeii. There's supposed to be a really good museum in Naples with Pompeii artifacts, but I'm not sure how to work that it. I saw a partial traveling exhibit in Brussels back in 2018. I plan to follow others' advice to spend the last night at the FCO Hilton (or last 2?)
9/7-9/8: PDX-ORD-ZRH-FLR. Arrive Florence 2:05 PM, evening Florence
Night Florence
9/9-9/10: Florence
Nights Florence
9/11: Morning train to Pisa. Day Pisa
Night Pisa
Monday, 9/12:
Bike Tour: Self transfer from hotel to Pisa airport, tour company transfers us from PSA to Casciana Terme, Bike setup &c.
9/13-9/18: Bike loop Casciana Terme / San Gimignano / Radda in Chianti / Pienza / Montalcino / Casole d’Elsa / Casciana Terme
Monday, 9/19:
Bike Tour: Morning transfer Casciana Terme to Pisa airport. Transfer self to Pisa hotel, Day sightsee Pisa
Night Pisa
9/20: Morning train to Rome. 1/2 day Rome
Night Rome
9/21-9/23: Rome
Nights Rome
9/24: Day trip Pompeii (Naples?)
Night Rome (Naples?)
9/25: Rome / Ostia Antica?
Night Rome (Hilton FCO)
9/26: FCO-ZRH-ORD-PDX
Depart Rome 9:45 AM / Arrive PDX 10:08 PM