My family of four, with 2 kids under 10, will be traveling to Italy for 2 weeks in late June. We fly into Innsbruck and will spend 5 days in the Dolomites. The next part of our itinerary is where I need help: we have 4 days between the Dolomites and a southern Tuscany meetup with friends. The current plan is to make the long journey from Ortisei to Cinque Terre for a few beach days before heading to Tuscany, where we have a car picking us up in Florence. I know Cinque Terre has changed and will not be the same experience I had on my last visit in 2002, so I have been re-thinking that leg, wondering if there might be something better we could do with our 4 days. We considered extending our stay in the dolomites, visiting the lakes district, or staying in an agriturismo in northern Tuscany. Is there anything else we should consider?
In the second half of our trip, we will have a car to explore Tuscany and will also stay a couple of nights in Siena. I have been to Italy a few times before and seen the cities and most popular hill towns - for this trip, with our young kids, we are interested in the smaller towns and villages. Our focus will be more on scenery, hikes, and food/wine, not as much on art/museums. I would love recommendations on the less-crowded hidden gems between Bolzano and Florence. Other than the car we have booked for a couple of days in the Dolomites and again in Tuscany, we plan to travel by bus/train for the rest of the trip. We fly out of Florence. Suggestions appreciated!