Italy: Travel Day Between CinqueTerra and Florence

Hello lothian.mcadam,

Depending on what you're looking for Pisa and Lucca might fill that gap nicely. Lucca centro historico has small Tuscan town vibe and is just a few minutes from Pisa. Park outside the city walls and wander in for something like the "hilltown" experience without the hills.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

You will be there in January. They get snow up in the Apennines so small roads may be touch and go. Check road conditions that day before you head off on some minor gravel road.
You may want to check out Pietrasanta. It is a "art" town near Carrera. If you are brave enough you can then drive up through the mountains through Gallerie Cipollaio to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana and then down the river to Lucca. You will pass many small old quarries and active operations. Warning! there may be many large trucks carrying marble on the road. Meeting these on the small mountain roads is an adventure itself.

In Pisa, don’t limit yourselves to the photo-op. The other elements of the Field of Miracles, the cathedral and baptistery, are very beautiful.

I second the suggestion of Pietrasanta. There are outdoor sculptures all over town. I seem to remember that when planning our itinerary in that area, there were guided tours available at some of the marble quarries.
You didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway. I’m not a fan of the CT, just because they are so over-hyped and, consequently, hugely overcrowded. In January you have a high chance of bad weather. There’s nothing to do in that case, no indoor attractions. Also, many restaurants will be closed.

Cinque Terre, five lands, will be rather cold but also uncrowded. Please report back on your January experiences in the Cinque Terre.

Thank you for the suggestions! Lucca, within the wall, looks very interesting; as does Pietrasanta.

With some embarrassment I confess that traversing unpaved switchbacks at remote elevations above 500M never crossed my mind. Open your maps app and paste 44.057184353617345, 10.208852540067335. That sinuous climb reminds me of Furka Pass! I wanna I wanna! But... winter.

So maybe Lucca after all, which is much more on-the-way from CT to F.

With some embarrassment I confess that traversing unpaved switchbacks at remote elevations above 500M never crossed my mind.

Hi there! Sounds like fun. In the summer. After you've seen some of the other amazing places between Pisa & Florence... And I would be very surprised if unpaved roads are covered in your rental contract, (they are not usually covered in US contracts). Stopping in Pisa, then Luca for a stroll and a meal could take up most of the day, relax & enjoy what's at a decent elevation without off-roading would be my suggestion. (BTW, I've hiked in winter for a few days through Chianti in Tuscan countryside, we had quite a bit of snow & hail at lower elevations.)

I don't know if it makes sense, because it's not really on the way to Florence, but I've been to Siena twice and loved it each time. Since it's not too far from Florence, perhaps you could visit in the afternoon and have aperitive as you enjoy the architecture, bell tower and charm of the city. The last time I went was in 2019 with my adult daughter and she enjoyed it very much too. You're going on a Tuesday, which seems fine. I went on a Monday as a side trip because the majority of museums in Florence are closed on Monday, so it fit perfectly into my 3 nights in Florence. Enjoy your trip!

Much of Cinque Terre closes in the winter so it might not be your best choice. Lucca is wonderful, as is Siena. Both are close by.

To elaborate on Sandancisco's comment about rental contracts: Be very sure whatever insurance you are counting on doesn't have a clause rendering coverage void if you are driving in violation of the contract (which, as noted, may well disallow use of unpaved roads).