We are looking to spend approximately 3 weeks in Tuscany in the spring. likely April. The start of planning would be fly into Florence, stay ~3 nights and then that's as far as I have gotten lol. We want to spend 3-5 nights in Lucca but no set plans before or after that. Would it be best to train to Lucca from Florence and then rent a car or continue to use the train after that? Other must see spots? Sienna? We would like to visit wineries, see smaller areas, enjoy the Tuscany countryside. I'd prefer not to drive in major areas. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Initial planning for 2026
- Thread starter DaveF
- Start date
Ciao Dave,
April would be a great month to visit, just plan to still dress in layers as the weather can still turn cool in the mornings and there can be showers that lower the temperature. If you fly into Florence, you can most definitely start your time here and then move on to other towns. Are you thinking of spending the 3 weeks in Tuscany or also moving on to see other parts of Italy? And aside from not driving in the cities (always a good idea, where traffic and parking can be a headache), are you open to driving in the countryside? I ask because smaller towns sometimes can only be reached with a car, or at least more easily - think of the gorgeous Chianti countryside as well as the Val d'Orcia, which is the area most often photographed and associated with Tuscany. These areas have small towns and not easily reached either by train or bus so it would be more convenient to drive there.
So what you can do, is plan to arrive in Florence, spend at least 4 days here and then move on to places which you can reach with train or bus: Lucca and Siena would be great options, as well as Pisa and Arezzo. You could see these first, ending with Arezzo and then rent a car then, to focus on going around the countryside and to smaller towns in these areas after you've seen the bigger towns that can be reached easily with train or bus.
You can visit wineries once you have a car - but if you want to drink, another option is to take organized tasting tours where the tour company organized the transportation to wineries and that way you don't have to worry about driving at all!
What do you think of these options? let me know what you have decided so far and I'll offer more ideas!
April would be a great month to visit, just plan to still dress in layers as the weather can still turn cool in the mornings and there can be showers that lower the temperature. If you fly into Florence, you can most definitely start your time here and then move on to other towns. Are you thinking of spending the 3 weeks in Tuscany or also moving on to see other parts of Italy? And aside from not driving in the cities (always a good idea, where traffic and parking can be a headache), are you open to driving in the countryside? I ask because smaller towns sometimes can only be reached with a car, or at least more easily - think of the gorgeous Chianti countryside as well as the Val d'Orcia, which is the area most often photographed and associated with Tuscany. These areas have small towns and not easily reached either by train or bus so it would be more convenient to drive there.
So what you can do, is plan to arrive in Florence, spend at least 4 days here and then move on to places which you can reach with train or bus: Lucca and Siena would be great options, as well as Pisa and Arezzo. You could see these first, ending with Arezzo and then rent a car then, to focus on going around the countryside and to smaller towns in these areas after you've seen the bigger towns that can be reached easily with train or bus.
You can visit wineries once you have a car - but if you want to drink, another option is to take organized tasting tours where the tour company organized the transportation to wineries and that way you don't have to worry about driving at all!
What do you think of these options? let me know what you have decided so far and I'll offer more ideas!
Thanks for the response. We will spend the 3 weeks in Tuscany. Fly into Florence, stay 4 nights, train to Lucca where we have booked a stay for a week. We thought about a night in Cinque Terra before Lucca but undecided. Not sure about Pisa. We thought we'd rent a car leaving Lucca and then tour south - Siena, Volterra, San Gimignano, other small towns that would be recommended. In April, when driving to small towns, would I need to book VRBO or Air B&B in advance or is it less busy enough to do it the night before when we better know our plans? With the car, is it better to stay outside the smaller towns in the country and then drive in? So many questions, options, lol. Thanks again.
Well..... April this year has Easter (April 5th) and while you can just wing it for some parts, I would get those first nights booked. Not knowing exactly when you arrive, if it is around Easter, you should definitely book as soon as you can. April 25 is a national holiday so I'd also book ahead around those dates.
I would suggest Florence first since you arrive here, then you can most definitely train to Lucca for your week there. If you have the time in the itinerary before Lucca, definitely a day in Cinque Terre would be perfect as it is to the north of Lucca and then you can concentrate on heading south. You can do Pisa while in Lucca as a day trip.
Once you leave Lucca, I'd definitely suggest getting the car and driving toward Chianti and Siena. You can also decide to find another base for a week and use that to roam around, if you're central in Chianti anywhere between San Gimignano and the towns in Chianti (Radda or Panzano or Castellina, for example), it will be a good base from which to set out each day and explore. You can also Then spend a few more days at another base south of Siena - many hotels and B&Bs do have last minute availability and many are on the major booking platforms that make them easy to find while you're here, but if you know you want to stay somewhere for a few days, booking ahead is generally better so that you don't have to move out every morning.
In the countryside, it is likely having the car won't be a problem at all, most places are not in the centers of towns but outside. So you should have parking included and will make it easy for you to move around and explore. Most small towns have parking areas outside of the historical centers, so look for the "P" signs as you arrive in towns and head there. Most of the centers are closed to traffic and are pedestrian only areas generally, which makes them more enjoyable while visiting on foot.
I would suggest Florence first since you arrive here, then you can most definitely train to Lucca for your week there. If you have the time in the itinerary before Lucca, definitely a day in Cinque Terre would be perfect as it is to the north of Lucca and then you can concentrate on heading south. You can do Pisa while in Lucca as a day trip.
Once you leave Lucca, I'd definitely suggest getting the car and driving toward Chianti and Siena. You can also decide to find another base for a week and use that to roam around, if you're central in Chianti anywhere between San Gimignano and the towns in Chianti (Radda or Panzano or Castellina, for example), it will be a good base from which to set out each day and explore. You can also Then spend a few more days at another base south of Siena - many hotels and B&Bs do have last minute availability and many are on the major booking platforms that make them easy to find while you're here, but if you know you want to stay somewhere for a few days, booking ahead is generally better so that you don't have to move out every morning.
In the countryside, it is likely having the car won't be a problem at all, most places are not in the centers of towns but outside. So you should have parking included and will make it easy for you to move around and explore. Most small towns have parking areas outside of the historical centers, so look for the "P" signs as you arrive in towns and head there. Most of the centers are closed to traffic and are pedestrian only areas generally, which makes them more enjoyable while visiting on foot.
Thanks Lourdes. Planning is still ongoing. We're booked places for 4 nights in Florence, six nights in Lucca, get a car then 3 nights outside Sirena and then 3 nights in Cortona. Will return the car to Lucca 3 days after that and train to Florence for the last night. We're unsure of plans after Cortona.