rick steves day trips from florence

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Tuscany Day trip from Florence

My wife and I will be staying in Florence for 3 days in March 2024. Will not have a car so looking for any suggestions on day trip by bus to visit Siena and smaller towns like Montpulciano, San Gimignano, Pienza, etc. Looking to see the small town hilights and stop at a typical tuscan villa to enjoy the views, a glass of wine and pasta meal. We are not big wine drinkers so would prefer not to spend 1/2 the day at wineries and doing wine tasting although most day trips I have seen seem to always include that. Any suggestions for day tours emphasizing scenery, small towns and tuscan farms/food than visiting wineries? Many thanks, Darren

Do yourself a favor and rent a car. You can get in so much more out of the day vs. taking the train down to Siena. The roads are crooked but well paved and the road signs easy to read. The rental car operation will give you instructions on how to get out of town avoiding any ZTL's. The best sights of Tuscany are not available by trains.

We stayed outside Certaldo--close to San Gimignano. I also suggest visiting Volterra--a great large hill town.

ToursbyRoberto.com

https://www.walkaboutflorence.com/

Both get good reviews here

Thank you - Christine - toursbyroberto looks promising however no tours planned for 2024 as of yet from their website. I've contacted them and asked for updates. Their "Heart of Tuscany" tour looks ideal . . .

As for renting a car - David - yes agreed that's the best way but for this specific trip its not feasible so looking just for a bus tour that can cover a decent area. Its a short trip so trying to cover what we can as efficiently as we can.

You really can't visit more than one town by bus. They are just too infrequent. Hiring a driver is definitely the best idea. The idea of a " typical tuscan villa to enjoy the views, a glass of wine and pasta meal" sounds idyllic, but not in March. It could be cold and/or rainy and there's not much view at that time of year - the vineyards will be mostly rows of black vine stumps and leafless trees. At least that was my experience in March 2022.

Something to keep in mind about bus tours is that you're on their schedule, not yours. I did a bus tour to Siena, Pisa and San Gimignano with lunch and tasting at a winery once. It had plenty of good reviews and sounded good in the description, but once we were all on the bus they told us they had to change the order of our day so we went to Pisa rather than San Gimignano first. We ended up spending more time there than was probably necessary. Then lunch seemed to take so long. The winery owner talked about how they make the wines and olive oils and showed us around and during the meal and tasting he directed when the next course was served, and of course people wanted to buy some of the wines and oils afterwards. Our guide actually got angry and yelled at a few people for taking so long. By the time we got to SG, it was dark and I think we had maybe 30 minutes before we had to meet back at the gate to leave, enough time to find a bathroom and get a gelato to eat on the way back to meet up with the group again. It's a small town, but I still feel like I haven't really seen it.

I guess my suggestion is to hire an individual to do a tour if that's what you decide to do, someone who allows you to have input into the schedule.

Years ago we did a bus tour and it was fine, but it only went to Siena and San Gimignano, so wasn't rushed. We've been to Florence 4 times and still haven't been to Pisa, but plan to do so by public transportation the next time we're in Florence.

If looking for a tour, I'd try to find one that didn't include a place as easy to reach by public transportation as Pisa, Lucca and Siena. It's totally true that it's usually challenging to visit even two small towns in one day by public bus. Once I managed three and felt I had won the lottery.

We just did a day trip with Tuscan Escapes. It was wonderful. However, the pickup is Siena, so you'd have to get there first. It's called a wine tour, but it isn't all tastings. First, we stopped in the village of Chiusure for morning coffee and fabulous Tuscan views. The we drove to Pienza and just wondered around this lovely town on our own for about an hour. Then we went to an organic dairy farm where we had a delicious pasta lunch with wine. Lastly, we went to Montepulciano where wine tasting was optional. We opted for wine but still had 45 minutes to wander around before meeting up with our guide. All along the way our guide, Guillermo, filled us in on the history of this area. There were only eight of us in a small van. It was a highlight of our month-long Italy trip. This was the third time we did a day tour in Italy, and this was our favorite because we got to see so much of the countryside and three small towns.

Darren, will you have 4 nights/3 FULL days in Florence or is it 3 nights/2.5 days? If it's the latter, there's enough just in Florence itself to very easily fill your time. But then I looked back at some of your previous threads and am wondering if you took this planned trip back in 2019? If you did, then you've already been to Florence + the region? Dicey weather was also addressed in some additional threads related to that trip.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/tuscany-and-northern-italy-in-march

All that aside, I would think it difficult to explore more than two Tuscan towns in a day, and the feeling I get from many posters who've been there is that Siena is a full day all by itself. I'd also agree with exploring locations easily reached by train or public bus independently versus booking a tour in advance. That would give you the flexibility of choosing a good-weather day to leave town. Rainy and cold? Stay in Florence and do "inside" sightseeing, unless you've already spent time there.

If this is your first time to Florence and one of your 3 or 2.5 days is a Monday, be aware of the many museums which are closed that day.

Thank you all for helpful suggestions. I received a reply from Roberto and they will be running tours next year so between them and Tuscan Escapes we should be covered fine. To Kathy - you are quite thorough as I did in fact look for suggestions in Florence a few years ago. My wife and I did travel there in March 2019 but the trip next spring will be for my wife and daughter who are doing a mother-daughter short trip to Italy (I am just the travel planner!). We did get to Siena and drove around Tuscany then, so this would be a day hilights moreso for my daughter. All good - thanks again

What a nice guy. :O) Darren-just-the-travel-planner, they'd better bring something very nice (or very yummy) back from the trip for you!

I have a different take on this. I was in Italy with my adult son 6 years ago and we did not rent a car because we did not want the stress of dealing with a car and all that might go with it. We took a private tour that I found on the forum, Hills and Roads, and it was the best decision we could have made. We were looking for the exact same things you are and we got exactly that. All we had to do was tell them what we were interested in through emails. We had to guarantee 6 hours with the ability to extend if we wanted. The fact that we extended to 11 hours should say it all. From the time we were picked up at our apt. in Florence all we had to do was sit back in a very comfortable car and enjoy the scenery. Based on our input our driver, Angela, stopped at the kinds of towns you mentioned and told us about the people, the importance and the history. It was the highlight of our trip and is worth every euro.

I realize that I write this a lot, but I vote to slow down. With only three days in Florence, if you wanted to leave the city, you could take the 30 minute bus up to Fiesole and see the wonderful ruins. And I agree with many of our fellow travelers, that if you were taking public transportation, which, by the way, I usually do when I am in Italy, you should probably pick two towns the most to visit in a day. But honestly, I would not do that. I would just spend my three days in Florence where you can spend a week just seeing the art. And take time to go to the other side of the Arno river and find a Cafe and people watch for a wonderful break.

If you have three days, I would recommend spending all three in Florence because there's so much to see there and you don't have to spend precious 3-5 hours traveling. But if you definitely want to visit another town, I would take the bus or train to Siena, go inside the Siena Duomo, walk around the town and spend time in Piazza del Campo. I would do it on my own, not on a tour.

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Docking in Livorno — Florence’s Port

Here are some of my photos of Livorno, along with some tips cruise travelers might consider to save money or time (or both) while visiting a port.

4 Replies to “Docking in Livorno — Florence’s Port”

Could be you are right Rick – but those who don’t take the ship’s tour may encounter (for a much lower price of course): a less vetted trip; a less safe tour; a tour which means they will miss the departure of their ship.

Rick, I’m curious how much weight you’re gaining on this cruise. :P I’m guessing your exercise level has been cut to about 25% of normal (travel) while your intake has increased about a third.

You have to be careful of the tours you take even through the cruise lines. Now if it is of Pompei it is really worth the time and money. A good guided tour of sights that you may not get anything from on your own. But some are just like Disneyland, a bit made up. But if you are cruising with a family of kids, the kids might like a day that is just frivolous. It would take me a few times to be confident that we actually made it back on the cruise ship in time with a non cruise tour. I can’t wait until you get to Naples and tell us how to navigate the rif raf at the port. Also, you don’t have to over eat on a cruise. They serve lots of options. No more than drinking and eating up every night in France, Italy and Spain. And also we had a guide in Lucca that was “Michael” a Rick Steves tour guide that also worked for the tours through NCL cruise line.

Glad to see you’re discovering the ways cruisers, with a little research, can really enhance their on-shore experience beyond the oh-so-easy packaged tours – and at a much lower cost. If you haven’t already, check out some of the online cruise message board sites where cruisers write reviews of ships, itineraries and ports of call and participate in roll-calls for their specific cruise, where they swap experiences and frequently self-organize private tours for small groups before setting sail.

I’m looking forward to your guidebook. We have used your Country and City guides to great advantage and it will sure be nice to have these port cities all gathered together in one place.

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Travel Expert Rick Steves' Genius Tip For Planning A Successful Vacation

Travel guru Rick Steves has spent the better part of his career helping travelers worldwide travel smarter (and cheaper) through his bestselling guidebooks. He knows the value of thoroughly  researching a new destination , so an unprepared traveler is often inconvenienced in his eyes. Steves cannot overstate how crucial proper preparation is for a hassle-free vacation, especially if you want to sidestep common bothers like adhering to tight schedules and perhaps the number one enemy of travelers everywhere: long queues.

"I always like to say that there are two IQs of European travelers: those who wait in lines and those who don't wait in line," Steves told WABE . To save yourself the frustration of queueing, the "Rick Steves' Europe" host advises extensive research to discover which destinations require prior reservations and which do not. "What the smart traveler these days knows is, if you're going to any big city you should do your reading in advance and figure out which sites need to be booked," he shared with The Seattle Times . "If you're going to Florence, you really gotta book the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi Gallery in advance. You've gotta book the Duomo [di Milano] cathedral in advance."

However, Steves also insists that the goal of research extends beyond merely avoiding lines. He firmly believes it's also key to feeling more fulfilled in your adventures. "Remember that the more understanding and context you bring to a place, the more you'll enjoy it," he told The Seattle Times.

Read more: Unsettling Reasons You May Want To Avoid Taking A Cruise

Avoid Being Too Caught Up In Shrinking Your Budget

While  Rick Steves is a huge proponent of thrift, offering a wealth of tips for staying within budget , he's also the first to tell you not to worry too much about cost-cutting, as it will only take away the joy of travel. His advice? Keep in mind that time is money, too. For Steves, splurging a bit for convenience is always worth it.

"People sometimes focus on saving money while forgetting that their time is equally valuable, and limited," Steves advised  Business Insider . "If it will save you a half hour, hop in a taxi. Considering the value of your time, even if taking a taxi costs you and your travel partner $5 more than bus tickets, it's a good investment."

If you want the best bang for your buck, consider using a travel agent, too. Travel agents sometimes get a bad rap for unnecessary upselling, but if you find a reputable one, they can help you secure the best deals. "For international trips, I pay the extra fee to have a professional travel agent find me the best value (which isn't necessarily the cheapest) ticket," Steves told Forbes . He also noted on his  website that travel agents can assist you with securing "consolidator" or "discount" air tickets. While these tickets have certain limitations, like excluding frequent flyer miles accrual, they offer considerable savings.

Squeeze In 'A Vacation From Your Vacation'

Whenever you go to new places, Rick Steves advises against cramming as many sights and activities as possible into your visit. "You can't see it all, especially in one trip, and that's a blessing," he told Business Insider. "Enjoy seeing what you can and be thankful you have important experiences left over to enjoy on your next adventure." In other words, pacing is crucial because overloading your itinerary leads to unnecessary stress. You don't want to look back on your trip and only remember a blur of flights and train rides. And besides, it's not like you can't plan another trip in the future anyway.

Instead of forcing a tightly packed schedule, give yourself some leeway to rest easy and slow down mid-trip, especially during extended travels. Steves calls this a "vacation from your vacation," according to  Rick Steves' Europe , and with this strategy, you allow room for unplanned activities and spur-of-the-moment decisions. Sure, a successful vacation involves a ton of planning, but embracing spontaneity can enhance your overall experience.

"Consider building in a few slack days ... two days on the beach midway through the trip; that'll be very nice ... Travel is freedom. It's rich with choices and exciting decisions. That's part of the appeal," he said in one of his YouTube videos . "I like to keep some flexibility in my itinerary — perhaps I'll fall in love with Siena and stay an extra day."

Read the original article on Islands .