I'm planning a trip for mid-February with time in Rome and Venice, ending in Florence and as much of the surrounding area as possible. After so many city days, I am leaning toward spending more time enjoying Tuscany and don't have as much interest in Florence itself- I'm sure it is beautiful and I understand that there is a lot of extremely important history to discover (as well as enjoy the city itself), but I honestly can't find that many things I NEED to do there. Would staying out in the countryside and doing Florence as a very long day trip be reasonable?
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
127 posts
Thank you Liz- that's the first I've head of Gregorian chants in my Florence research, and I love that sort of thing, so that is definitely going on the agenda!
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
127 posts
I don't know why I typed "mid-February"- I meant mid-April!
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Yes. In my mind that's the only way to do it. And it might not even take a full day. Just be sure to pick a spot to stay that has some kind of transportation in. In my experiece, trains are quick and buses take seventeen evers.
Posted by
Everett, WA
1299 posts
We faced a similar decision in 2008 and decided to stay in Greve-in-Chianti. We loved walking out of our agritourismo and into the countryside of Tuscany. It was like walking in one of the many pictures you see of the Tuscany area. Our place was within walking distance to Greve where we could catch a bus north to Florence or south to Siena. It was about a 45-55 minute ride depending on traffic (longer in the morning going into Florence, quicker coming home) We got up and caught a very early bus to Florence and then returned home about 7:00 that night. The buses run regularly and on time. (they are used by commuters from this area) The one draw back is that the last bus left Florence about 8:30 (and the could vary from season to season) That didn't matter to us as we did not plan on doing "nightlife" in Florence, but it may be a problem for some. The town of Greve was delightful and we enjoyed it. On our last day there, my sister even commented that it would be tempting to cancel the rest of the trip (Rome and Venice) and just stay where we were. Alas, our husbands prevailed (and the fact that someone else had rented our apartment) and we moved on. Given that you are already spending time in 2 large cities, it could be a nice break to stay out in the country.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
127 posts
Thank you very much for the responses- it seems the people I've asked so far have been such huge fans of Florence that they were appalled by my original idea to skip it entirely and actually suggested spending several days there. We're just not art aficionados and don't want to spend TOO many days in art museums! (And I still think that while studying abroad in college I saw more than my fair share of cathedrals!) Greve with a day trip to Florence sounds like a very nice compromise. We were actually thinking about also getting to CT with a stopover in Pisa, but it is starting to make me exhausted just thinking about the itinerary with those additions! (We do have a stop in Turin after Rome and before Venice to see the Shroud so that adds a lot of travel time already). Relaxation in Tuscany will be much needed!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
1317 posts
I love Florence and there is more there than just art, but it is the city of art. Check out the Gregorian chants at San Miniato. I think your plan to stay in the countryside and do Florence as a day trip is very reasonable as long as you don't plan to take a car into the city.
So, here's one Florence-lover who doesn't think you're crazy. :-)