Staying in Tuscany

Tell us a little more about your interests and plans and budget. How many days? Will you have a car or will you be using public transportation? Are you interested in the major towns & cities, or smaller towns, or the countryside?

I'd say medium price range nice but not extravagant. Just overwhelmed with towns! We plan to stay a night in Florence then 2 nights in Tuscany. Also interested in wine and cooking class. Read that some stayed in Florence and then went to Siena and did day trips. I loved the movie Under the Tuscan Sun-probably quaint and pretty. Public transportation-no car. Thoughts?

Florence is in Tuscany. "Under the Tuscan Sun" was written about Cortona on the far east side of Tuscany. It is a large area so choose a small city or town; you can't go wrong.
In Chianti: Cadtelina, Radda or Panzano, also Siena, father east Montalcino, Pienza, Cortona are some wonderful choices.

Thank you! Clearly I have more reading to do!

If you only have 3 nights then I would suggest you just stay in one place. Florence would be my first choice; from there you can take a day trip to the Tuscan countryside through an organized tour that will visit one or two classic Tuscan towns (such as Siena and San Gimignano) and maybe stop at a winery or a traditional trattoria for lunch.

with only 3 nights there is no point thinking much about it. I'd stay in Florence and do a bus tour that hits St Gimignano and Siena and call it a day. Or take the bus independently to Siena for the day (this would be my choice); it is a wonderful town and repays a full day. Or take a guided Chianti bus tour from Florence where you sample some wine. To see much of Tuscany you need more time -- like a week in a small town with a car.

Florence itself is crammed with amazing Renaissance art and one night, no days doesn't let you see much of any of it.

I agree with the last 2 commenters.
With only 3 nights and no car, you should stay in Florence only all 3 nights.
The time you have available isn't much and Florence alone could easily take all of it, since there is so much to see in the city, but if you cut down on Florence sights, maybe you have time for one day trip.
Siena is an easy trip by bus (75 min) or also train (90 min), which however takes longer than the bus. Siena is a popular big town.
Under the Tuscan Sun was set in Cortona. Cortona is a small town south of Arezzo. You can reach Cortona from Florence by train by going to Camucia, down the hill under Cortona, then take the short bus ride up to Cortona. Cortona is small, so you could probably visit Arezzo on the way back to Florence (all trains from/to Camucia stop in Arezzo as well).
Other popular day trips are:
-Lucca+Pisa (1hr by train-do Lucca first which has more to see, Pisa only has a cathedral+baptistry+leaning bell tower).
-Pistoia (30 min by train)
-San Gimignano and Certaldo (via train and bus)
I'll stop here, since you have time for one day trip only.
My top options would be either Siena or Cortona+Arezzo. Your preference.

Train schedule here:
www.trenitalia.com (Florence station is Firenze Santa Maria Novella)
Bus to Siena is here:
http://www.tiemmespa.it/index.php/Viaggia-con-noi/Orari-e-linee/Siena/Extraurbano
(the Rapid bus Florence-Siena is line 131R)

Be aware that Sunday bus service tends to be less frequent, so avoid day trips on Sundays.

Many thanks!

We just returned from a trip which took us to Venice, Florence, Montalcino (wow, what wine) and Monterosso. We loved the agriturismo La Crociona > www.lacrociona.it and https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-s1-g635634-d627543-Reviews-Agriturismo_La_Crociona-Montalcino_Tuscany.html . It is located about 3 miles S of Montalcino. It was simply wonderful. It is family owned and they love telling their story. Great Brunello wine which is considered one of Italy's best. We rented a car from Hertz near the train station in Siena and driving from there into the country was pretty easy. On one delightful day we drove to nearby Pienza and were treated to a fantastic display of flag throwing, much better than in UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. Train worked well for all of the other destinations. Monterosso and the 4 other Cinque terre towns are definitely worth visiting but, oh, what crowds even in late September. We stayed at a great Bed and Brekfast in Monterosso, Il Giardino Incantato (Enchanted Garden) -- www.ilgiardinoincantato.net . The garden is enchanting. Breakfast in the garden was quite a great way to start the day.