Tuscany from Florence

[DanManBob]

I hope to get more informatoin from my co-worker who did this, but he mentioned that he and his family took a nice excursion to Tuscany while in Florence.

 

Any suggestions here from those who have done this?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

p.s. - We had to cancel our Med cruise last October due to a hip replacement. Made our final payment this week for this October...fingers crossed we make it this time!!!

[ab0si]

Not sue what you are asking.

 

1) Florence is in Tuscany.

 

2) Florence is inland, not a port.

 

If your ship docks at Livorno (also in Tuscany), there are all sorts of trips you can take to various other towns and areas of Tuscany. The ship will sponsor some; there are many private drivers you can hire; you can rent a car or take the trains. It all depends on what to see.

 

So, what do you mean by "Tuscany?"

[Onessa]

You could just sign up for your ship's tour of Florence, which will take your through the Tuscan countryside on your way from Livorno to Florence (about an hour-15 or an hour-20) away.

 

If you do some research you may find a ships excursion or a private excursion that may suit you better, but as ab0si alludes to, you'll need to understand the geography a bit better, to ask the right questions.

 

Check out "Ports" on the gold menu bar above the "Cruise Critic" banner at the top of this window. Go to the Europe/Eastern Med -- then select "Florence" from the ports listed. Go to the library and check out some travel books on the area. Do whatever you can to get a better feel for each port you are going to visit and you'll enjoy it more.

[DanManBob]

Not sue what you are asking.

 

1) Florence is in Tuscany.

 

2) Florence is inland, not a port.

 

If your ship docks at Livorno (also in Tuscany), there are all sorts of trips you can take to various other towns and areas of Tuscany. The ship will sponsor some; there are many private drivers you can hire; you can rent a car or take the trains. It all depends on what to see.

 

So, what do you mean by "Tuscany?"

 

I was referring to the Tuscany countryside.....to see places such as the town of San Gimignano. We will be arriving in Florence by train from Rome and a friend sugggested we check out San Gimignano and if possible, Bologna. I am trying to determine the best way(s) to visit one or both of these areas from Florence (tour, rent a car, other?) and how much time would be required, etc.

 

We will be returning by train to Rome and then taking our cruise, so this is pre-cruise visiting.

[vadell]

Whilst staying in Florence we took a tour of the Tuscan countryside which included San Gimignano, a winery with wine tasting, Sienna and one other village the name of which I cannot remember it was a full day trip and cost us 500 euros for driver and the mini bus took eight, the hotel also ran a similar trip that could be booked for individuals for 90 euros each. We also visited Bologna by train which took about 45 minutes from Florence this was a eurostar train and cost around 30 euros each. Not sure I would undertake a trip to Bologna if on a cruise as it is a fair distance from the coast.

[DanManBob]

Whilst staying in Florence we took a tour of the Tuscan countryside which included San Gimignano, a winery with wine tasting, Sienna and one other village the name of which I cannot remember it was a full day trip and cost us 500 euros for driver and the mini bus took eight, the hotel also ran a similar trip that could be booked for individuals for 90 euros each. We also visited Bologna by train which took about 45 minutes from Florence this was a eurostar train and cost around 30 euros each. Not sure I would undertake a trip to Bologna if on a cruise as it is a fair distance from the coast.

 

Thanks for the information!

[Hlitner]

Tuscany is actually a very large part of Italy that is worthy of several weeks of exploration. So, when you speak of a one day tour you have to really pick and choose. For seeing the countryside and smaller towns (such as San Gimignano) you will need to have a car of be part of tour. If you wanted to rent a car and simply drive, we could help you with a good itinerary. If you are taking an organized tour you will have no flexibility in itinerary (many do not like choices).

 

Hank

[ab0si]

I was referring to the Tuscany countryside.....to see places such as the town of San Gimignano. We will be arriving in Florence by train from Rome and a friend sugggested we check out San Gimignano and if possible, Bologna. I am trying to determine the best way(s) to visit one or both of these areas from Florence (tour, rent a car, other?) and how much time would be required, etc.

 

We will be returning by train to Rome and then taking our cruise, so this is pre-cruise visiting.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

Bologna is not in Tuscany, in fact it is the capital of Emilia-Romagna. the town itself is wonderful, but the countryside around it is hardly inspiring. The best way to get there from Florence would be by train.

 

San Gimignano can be reached by public bus you have to go first to Poggibonsi and change there. If you really want to see San G, I suggest driving.

 

If your desire is to see some of the Tuscan countryside, may I suggest an alternative?

 

Directly south of Florence is Chianti. This is a lovely region. You can wander around there, visiting some of the small towns and villages (and wineries) and/or visit Siena at the southern end of the region. Siena is a beautiful cit. The old city is mostly pedestrianized, so park your car at one of the lots outside the old walls.

[DanManBob]

What is involved in renting a car in Florence? Any suggestions there on where and from which company? Are US drivers licenses sufficient? Rent in advance?

 

Appears that Siena and San Gimignano are roughly the same distance from Florence. We will have roughly 4 hours, maybe 5, for this excursion. Given this unfortunate fact, should that point us toward one or these locations more than the other?

[ab0si]

each is about a 1 hour drive by the fast roads. The pretty road through Chianti to Siena will be closer to 2 hours. With your limited time, I'd suggest a shorter trip ... perhaps Greve in Chianti or even shorter Strada in Chianti. Both will give you a taste of the Chianti countryside and allow you to relax rather than rushing to get back in time. An even shorter, easier trip would be Fiesole which can be reached by Florence city bus. It is well worth a visit.

 

renting a car in Italy is easy enough. Be warned that some companies will insist on proof of insurance while driving in Italy and since you would have such proof, you will need to buy their insurance at something like $25 a day. Also note that automatic transmissions are much less common there, so if you need this, reserve in advance and be prepared to pay extra for it. Also note that in theory (I've never been asked for it) you are supposed to have an nternational Driving Permit (which is simply a translation of you driver's license information into several languages). You can get one at a AAA office for a nominal fee.

 

I've never rented a car in Florence (if on a driving trip, I pick up the car at the Pisa airport) so any recommendation from me would be useless.

[vadell]

My preference would probably be San Gimignano although not sure we had a true picture of Sienna as it rained heavily whilst we were there. Although the campo in Sienna is pretty impressive I loved San Gimignano. If travelling to Sienna or San Gimignano you do see a fair bit of the countryside on the way from Florence. If Bologna is still a consideration the train journey does not give any views of countryside just goes through tunnel after tunnel and as others have said as Bologna is not in Tuscany not a true view of the Tuscan countryside. I liked Bologna and the food was outstanding but if I only had a day or two would probably give Bologna a miss and stick with the wine tasting and Sienna or Sam Gimignano.

[luv2sail7]

We took a cruise 10 day cruise out of Rome at the beginning of June. We had 5 days pre cruise hotel out at the Hilton FCO Airport and decided to rent a car from FCO on one of those days and drove up to Montepuliciano which is north about 2 hours from Rome. We LOVED IT! Its a hilltop town that specializes in wine tasting rooms through out the walled old town. Very quaint and each shop had lovely wine tastings (free) although we ended up buying about 4 bottles of wine as we enjoyed it all so much - and this was with rain as well! I'm sure the drive from Florence would be less, but it would be difficult to do it by train this town does not have a train station - closest station is Chiusi (5 miles away) but according to Rick Steeve's Italy book, they have a bus 3 times a day from Florence. Again, you might want to think about renting a car for the day and tour this village if you like wine and wine tastings! We will be back in October and will be renting a car from Livorno port but this time plan on San Gimignano as well. No wine tastings this time as will have our 18 DS with us. Enjoy Tuscany!!! Its our favorite region in Italy!

[Harry Cane]

My two cents for whatever it's worth. Siena is one of the highlights of my travels. Did it on a public bus from the central station in Florence for a couple of Euros. Took my elderly Dad who was still quite mobile.

 

If your time is limited it might not be doable, especially by bus, but I strongly recommend Siena.

[Andym]

We took a ships excursion , here is the description from the brochure. Some people will say it's best to hire a car, but the beauty of this one is that you see an awfull lot and the Stop for lunch includes lots of wine and having no one driving means that everyone in your group can enjoy the day. It also includes a guide who will show you all the local sights.

 

 

LV02 - Tuscan Countryside - San Gimignano & Volterra

PRICE: ADULT: 155.00 / CHILD: 120.00 USD

DURATION: 9 Hours 45 Minutes Approx.

After a 2-hour drive through medieval hill-towns and beautiful surrounding valleys, stop at San Gimignano. "The Town of the Fine Towers," as it has been called, well earns this name because of its tall, majestic towers. You'll have time at your leisure to explore or shop. For a taste of Tuscany's legendary cuisine, a local farmhouse will serve a generous lunch with typical local specialties.

Driving west, reach the village of Volterra where the sightseeing on foot will include Piazza dei Priori, one of the most beautiful

squares in Italy. Proceed to Piazza San Giovanni to admire the Baptistery and Cathedral. See the ruins of the Roman Theatre

(dating back to the 1st century BC), brought to life again only at the beginning of this century. Time permitting; you will visit a

local alabaster workshop, enjoy a short demonstration by a local artisan, and have the opportunity to purchase selected items.

[CathyCruises]

My two cents for whatever it's worth. Siena is one of the highlights of my travels. Did it on a public bus from the central station in Florence for a couple of Euros. Took my elderly Dad who was still quite mobile.

 

If your time is limited it might not be doable, especially by bus, but I strongly recommend Siena.

 

Thank you for that! It is a gorgeous place and the cathedral has to be one of the best in the world--it is so aggravating to me when people pooh-pooh Siena!! Maybe they just haven't spent enough time there. . .

[vadell]

It is strange that someone ie Cathy is aggravated that people pooh pooh Sienna when no-one has! Everyone has said how lovely Sienna is I agree it is somewhere we had always wanted to visit and the campo is amazing. There are also lots of other fantastic places to visit and everyone has there own favourites.

[Hlitner]

It is strange that someone ie Cathy is aggravated that people pooh pooh Sienna when no-one has! Everyone has said how lovely Sienna is I agree it is somewhere we had always wanted to visit and the campo is amazing. There are also lots of other fantastic places to visit and everyone has there own favourites.

 

Agreed! Having spent lots of time in Italy (including 5 nights in Siena) we find Siena to be fine, although it would not be in our top 10 list of Italian places.

 

Hank