Tuscany region and Northern Italy Summer of 2026 - Preferably no car

Hello Kestrel92, amd welcome to the forum!

This is a good map of where you can get in Tuscany via train with some popular places that include a bus connection:
https://www.wanderingitaly.com/maps/images/tuscany-rail-map.png

Given the country settings it is doubtful you will find an agriturismo that is accessible without a car unless they provide shuttle service to an from a nearby transportation hub. I think this is a real possibility but it will narrow your search to specific properties.

Siena is the biggest "city" in the southern Tuscany region and will probably offer the best opportunities for wine or other tours but arranging personal tours from other places is always possible.

Hope that helps, have a great trip - the paragliding sounds awesome,
=Tod

What would you think about skipping Tuscany altogether on this trip and spending all of your time in the Veneto instead? More trains, lots of wineries and wine tours, much less heavily touristed, possibly cooler, and many wonderful towns. You could drink Soave in Soave and Cartizze (like Prosecco but better) in the Prosecco hills. We loved staying in the small, walled town of Treviso (1.5 hours to Bassano del Grappo by train) for a week. Treviso is less than 3 hours from Milan. Canals, buildings with frescoes exteriors, porticoed sidewalks, a market, churches with art in situ, good restaurants, shops, a lovely walkable town. You could visit Verona, Padua, Vicenza, even include a day trip to Venice, all by train.

Here's one train map of the Veneto: https://www.italiaoutdoors.com/index.php/69-regions-of-italy/italy-veneto-region/travel-guide-to-the-veneto-region/386-veneto-region-train-rail-map

I've spent several months (total) in Tuscany because I want to spend a lot of time with the early Renaissance art there, but you do not mention art as an interest. Working with what you do mention, I think the Veneto has Tuscany beat.

Tod, Thank you for the information about possible shuttle services for Agriturismos, as well as the map of Tuscany train services. I will check both of those out. This trip to Italy is a first for us and I'm trying to gather as much information as I can so the trip will go as smoothly as possible.

Nancy8, you have piqued my interest. We are in a position where it is only possible to get to Italy in the summer and while the best known areas in Italy seem like things we must do, there is an appeal for us to experience the Italy beyond the crowded tourist areas. I will check out Veneto and the other towns that you mentioned. The Renaissance art is part of the appeal of visiting Italy simply for the sake of history, but the Italian people, and truly experiencing the culture is at the heart of my attraction to Italy.

In case you like to stay in apartments, here's where we stayed in Treviso. Our apartment was about 500 feet from the island fish market (where some kind of local festival was happening) and 100 feet from the very interesting civic museum. Great neighborhood, but there are several others, and also a more modern part of town.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23622993?guests=3&adults=3&s=67&unique_share_id=88cb4a5d-cdfd-4a03-9905-0e2803d5db07

Read my really long review from September 2019 (I don't think airbnb lets me write such long ones these days!).

Also, on the sides of some buildings in Treviso, you will come upon the contemporary sculptures of this artist (who was born there). We enjoyed spotting them as we strolled around ---
https://www.mariomartinelli.it/en/ombre-rete/

Thank you for the additional information about apartments in Treviso. It's wonderful to get first hand references having never been to Italy before.

Just to follow up - both places like Pisa and Lucca are in Tuscany and accessible by train but they are not the rolling, misty, cypress tree lined drives of film and video Tuscany. Rural Tuscany is not well served by mass transit and it makes visiting without a car difficult. You could look at Cortona - of Under the Tuscan Sun fame - that is a train plus short bus and it that beautiful small Tuscan town. Not Tuscany but in nearby Umbria Orvieto is tiny, accessible by train (and funicular) and has a very rural setting away from everything.

There are agriturismos clustered around towns like Buonconvento which is small town but is 30 minutes from Siena by bus and train or near Poggiobonsi which is aggressively uninteresting but is linked by rail and bus to Siena, San Gimignano, and Florence. If you could find any of these places willing to shuttle you the 5-15 minutes to town or offer bikes or some other option these might be viable.

As others have said many areas in Italian that are beautiful so if you're looking for a place to stay search specific locations rather than just Tuscany which is a large area about the size of New Jersey.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Umbria adjoins Tuscany and is very similar in appearance. It includes towns such as Assisi, Orvieto, Spello, Spoleto, and more. All of these are reachable by train. Since you're interested in Tuscany you may want to consider Umbria as an alternative.

We've stayed in Perugia (the regional capital) and used it as a base for train and bus exploration of the region. The train station is at the base of Perugia but they have a Minimetro system (automated tram) to the top. I'll be honest, its easier to get around with a car, but with advance planning you can use public transit. They have a helpful TI office in Perugia with English speakers.

With plenty of advance time before you need to settle on trip details you might want to spend some time looking at walking tours on YouTube of potential locations to visit to see if they match what you're looking for.

I do understand the limitations we are facing without a car. I think that if we splurge on hiring a driver to venture out and see the countryside, we might consider it worth it. All of your tips about different areas and access to trains, whether in Umbria or the Tuscany region is much appreciated and helpful as I research and narrow things down for our trip. I appreciate your advice.

Many years ago I traveled to Italy solo without a car. Among the areas in Tuscany I stayed were Lucca for a week, where I made several day trips into Florence and also 1 very full day to the Cinque Terre, and Siena for 5 days with day trips to Montalcino and San Gimignano by bus.

With some planning, it's doable to spend time in Tuscany without a car.

There appear to be bus routes surrounding Lucca and wineries in the vicinity. While I do agree that Tuscany is best with a car, if wanting to drink wine, a driver is needed anyway (the driving limit is very strict!), so I would pick your wine and pick your area and plan accordingly. Good luck!