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Itinerary for 3 weeks in Tuscany

Posted by on

Hi, All,
Loving the forum discussions and great suggestions, so would love your input here.

We have 3 weeks in Tuscany, flying in and out of Florence. We'll spend the first three days in Florence, then do a cycling tour through Ciclissmo that starts with 2 days based in Radda and is followed by 2 days based in Siena and 2 days based in Pienza. We're then shuttled back to Florence on a Saturday around noon. We have reservations in Vernazza Mon-Wed nights; tried to get the place for 6 days, but no availability. Our plan is to be back in Florence the following Wednesday for a flight out on Thursday, although we're wondering if we might want another day in Florence at the end...

Would love some suggestions…shall we stay put in Vernazza in other accommodations (we're using airbnb whenever possible) for a few more days, switch to Monterosso, or something else?

What about Pisa on the way from Florence to CT?

We plan to hike all over CT (clearly we're active), but will not have a car, so will travel by train/bus to get to the various spots. Volterra sounded intriguing, but it looks as though the regional train line won't get us there…?

Thanks so much!

Posted by
247 posts

Hello!

Sounds like you have a good plan. Sounds perhaps a bit exhausting and fast-paced for me during the cycling tour, but if it works for you- that's great!

Volterra is a bit trickier to get to than other cities. You might consider taking the train to nearby Poggibonsi and then taking the bus to Volterra.

Posted by
8371 posts

Pisa is somewhat of a letdown for many travelers, but the airport and 1 hr. train ride is the preferred way to get to Florence from the U.K.. I wouldn't go out of my way to see Pisa otherwise.

If you want to see Volterra, San Gimignano and other popular hilltowns, you should consider renting a car if just a day or two--out of Florence. It's the efficient way to see so much more when time is short.

It sounds as if you'll be seeing a lot of the area up close and personal by bicycle. I hope you're more than casual bicyclists, as the region is very hilly. The roads are curvy, but well paved and maintained. I'd especially like to see the region riding a rental Ducati or BMW cycle--if my wife was a little more adventurous.

Posted by
8371 posts

Pisa is somewhat of a letdown for many travelers, but the airport and 1 hr. train ride is the preferred way to get to Florence from the U.K.. I wouldn't go out of my way to see Pisa otherwise.

If you want to see Volterra, San Gimignano and other popular hilltowns, you should consider renting a car if just a day or two--out of Florence. It's the efficient way to see so much more when time is short.

It sounds as if you'll be seeing a lot of the area up close and personal by bicycle. I hope you're more than casual bicyclists, as the region is very hilly. The roads are curvy, but well paved and maintained. I'd especially like to see the region riding a rental Ducati or BMW cycle--if my wife was a little more adventurous.

Posted by
7 posts

Thanks for the suggestions, and yes, we're in shape and experienced for the cycling (my husband did the 11-day cycling across Italy last October and we both run distance).

So I've nailed down three more days in Monterosso from which we'll hike. Possibly head to Genoa and/or Portofino and San Remo.

Just to throw this out there…should we consider taking the train to Lake Como (town recommendations/lodging welcomed) for our final three days before going back to Florence to fly home? It looks so stunningly beautiful and might just be the perfect ending to the trip despite the time spent on the train.

Your thoughts? Thanks!

Posted by
7 posts

Aah…unfortunately, as I look more closely at the train schedules, it probably IS too much travel time?

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