We are looking to go to Tuscany, San Gigamano, Lucca and Siena and maybe do it in one day. We would like to stop for a nice lunch in a very nice area with beautiful views of the country side. Any suggestions would be appreciated for recommendations for companies.
Posted by
6104 posts
Where are you staying?
Since you would require a van, it may very well be more comfortable just taking a train or bus, but we need to know where you are coming from.
I can see possibly seeing SG and Lucca in one day, but I would do Siena on its own.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
6535 posts
You might want to plot that out on a map. Assuming you start and end in Florence, that's almost 300 km and 4 1/2 hours of driving, WITHOUT any stops. Add in stops to actually see even a brief bit of each place, take a few comfort stops, have a meal and perhaps a coffee break ... you're looking at a very, very long day and a very, very hefty bill for the van and driver.
All of those places can be done as day trips, but not all 3 at once.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Great, thanks for your replies. We will be staying in Florence. So we should split these locations up in 2 days? Do you think the bus or train would be better? We would love to have a comfortable ride and a nice lunch somewhere.
Posted by
6104 posts
I would take the train to Lucca--that is just too easy to pass up. It won't take a full day.
You can take a bus to Siena, or, perhaps since San Gimignano is on the way, if you are going to splurge on a private van for the day, you could combine those. I would lean toward doing Siena on its own and spending the van time on a countryside lunch and scenic drive as you envisioned.
You may have to hunt for it in a search, but you should be able to dig up driver recommendations here.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
8422 posts
What do you mean by “Tuscany”?
Tuscany is a large region
All the towns you’ve listed as well as Florence are in Tuscany
Fitting all of these in a day is too much
Please consult a map
Try
daytrip.com
toursbyRoberto.com
Lucca is easy by train or bus
Siena is easiest by bus
Your previous post has some if this same advice
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/italy-trip-with-5-other-ladies-all-over-60-in-late-august-early-september-2026
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
943 posts
I would also look into private tours.....you could do Siena or Lucca on your own (and do the other on the tour), but a private tour would add more value than just paying a driver to drop you off places to figure out the best things to do on your own