Two weeks in Tuscany in October

The problem with the busses, is their schedule. More for locals and school children. At most, one town a day, is often all that's realistic.

However, if you haven't driven in Italy before, read this first.

https://www.italybeyondtheobvious.com/dont-mess-with-ztl-zones

To rent an automatic, your best bet is at the Florence airport.

We utilize a car and have not had a problem ... Make sure you know their rules of the road and signage

It might be more practical to stay in an agriturismo than in Florence.
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Last year I was in Siena for a week and we rented a car. I let my husband do all the driving and I navigated. I'm a much better navigator. Knowing my daughter, she is not a good driver or navigator so I don't want all that pressure on my shoulders. I would much rather rely on public transportation.

I think you'll have a ball! October is so beautiful in Italy! You will require some flexibility and patience in dealing with buses, but you can do a lot by train as well. And there are bus tours out of Firenze to various hill towns, too. Maybe once you get there your daughter will want to go further afield. Rome for a day is possible, as is Bologna, for example.

Santa Croce is lovely. We stayed near the church one time and I think were able to walk to the Duomo in about 20 minutes. Firenze is so pedestrian friendly and I'd have no trouble keeping myself entertained for at least a week there without day trips.

The car is essential. We met Americans in July who said there's enough "modern" Florence to avoid ZTLs. There can't be any other popular Tuscan town where that is true! I would not sleep in the same bigger city for two weeks, but that's a matter of opinion. I love Florence, but it's like sleeping in Boston or NYC and saying you saw the USA.

Here's my 2 cents... Florence is wonderful and beautiful and exciting and I just love it. However, I would NEVER (EVER) drive anywhere close to it. The ZTL is complicated and very expensive if you violate it (even accidentally). Plus, (free) parking anywhere close enough to walk to the major sites is next to impossible.

So, that being said, I would choose a Tuscan town with good train or bus connectivity back into Florence for those days you want to see Florence. Otherwise, you'll be perfectly located for wandering the back roads of Tuscany (or Umbria). You have a few options...

1) Find a hotel.

2) Find a B&B.

3) Find a holiday (self-serviced) apartment.

4) Find an Agriturismo (farm with accommodations).

There are a lot of web sites devoted to getting around Tuscany and Umbria by bus and train. Just keep in mind that most train stations are located a fair distance from the old center of the hill town... Buses often get you directly into the town but are slow and less frequent.

Amy, I really get that you don't want to drive if you don't absolutely have to. I just got back from almost 3 weeks in Tuscany and Umbria, and the week driving was (for me, the driver) the most stressful. If you want to base yourself in Florence, however, be aware that the Santa Croce area, although friendly and beautiful, is a good 20-25 minute hard walk to the train and bus stations, so might not be the most convenient neighborhood to base yourselves in if you are wanting to take trains or buses on day trips many days. From Florence, of course, you have easy access to day trips in Lucca, Pisa, San G, Orvieto, (and Venice by fast train) and even (by bus and/or bus connection) Montepulciano, Siena, and (my favorite!) Volterra. Would your daughter consider breaking the trip into two sections and basing yourselves, for example, one week in Florence and one week in perhaps a smaller town like (beautiful and friendly!) Montepulciano. It might be easier to "live like a local" there than it will be in Florence where tourists seem to outnumber locals some days, and her attempts to speak Italian may be thwarted by locals who speak English daily with the tourists. A long, thorough study of the bus and train schedules on-line before you go (and printing them out to take with you) would make it possible to easily do day-tripping from such a town, and it would be a very different experience in the evenings, when you get "home," compared to the bustle of Florence even in the evening. Be aware that lots of the bus schedules are created for students getting to school and people getting to and from work (not for tourists) so you will need to leave your "base town" rather early (like 7:30 - 8:30 am) and be ready to return 5:00-6:00 pm or so. And not on Sundays! One other option for a week's base would be lovely Orvieto which, although in Umbria, not Tuscany, gives you access by bus for day trips to wonderful towns including Gubbio, Todi and Assisi.

Thanks all for the excellent advice! I loved the Santa Croce area the last time we visited but we weren't there after dark to see how safe it is. Walking doesn't deter us so the 20 -25 minutes to the train station is ok. I like the idea of splitting the weeks and will look into Orvieto. For me, Siena was magical, especially at night so that might be an option too. I'm hoping those areas won't be as crowded mid/end of October as they are in summer.

Crowds should not be too bad, although the Germans tend to show up in Italy as apparently October is a big holiday time for them. At least it won't be hot!

I was in Florence last August for 4 days and it was in the 90's. The temperatures weren't enjoyable but the time spent there was memorable. How would one get from the airport to the city centre? Bus or train to S.M. Novella?

two months in Tuscany last year ...driving was a fun part of it ... ( your mileage may vary )