Tuscany w/ a young child

[rel3]

We will be in Tuscany, arriving in Pisa, flying in late Wednesday night and departing late Saturday night so we basically have 3 full days (June 24 - June 26). Can someone give me advice on where to stay and what to do? I had a look around the site and got some good advice but was hoping someone had some help as far as travelling with a 2yr old and some good child freindly things to do and places to stay.


Thanks in advance.

 

[Valentina]

Around Tuscany for 3 days with young child

Dear rel3,

can you give me more information about what you are thinking and wishing to visit in Tuscany during your stay. Tuscany has so many things to see and to do that it's hard to pick one with no clue.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a nice day

 

[rel3]

Valentina,

Thank you for your reply. We are pretty open but would like to see the typical trourist things (Was originally thinking of staying in Pisa and just hanging out there but after reading this site, there seem to be more possibilities -- even with such a limited time). We are travelling from Ireland but are from the US. Looking for something that is easy to do with a young child. This will be our first time in Italy.

Would prefer not to rent a car as they seem very expensive for an automatic.

Hope this helps a bit!

 

[Lourdes]

Pisa, Florence, Lucca

Ciao rel3,

Since this will be your first time in Italy, I wholeheartedly recommend you see Pisa and the Leaning Tower. So your first night has to be in Pisa - the airport isn't far from the center and a taxi ride costs from 6-8 euro on average to the center.

You can spend the morning in Pisa, have a delicious lunch at Montino's pizzeria (get a good size portion of cecina, a local speciality) then head to Florence by train for the next two nights. Since June 24 is the feast day for Florence's patron saint, St. John the Baptist, the city will be celebrating with a fireworks display at night, enjoyed by everyone from along the Arno river. You can just enjoy outdoors Florence on this day, spending the next day visiting any churches or museums you wish to see from the inside. As you already know, with a young child it is best to remain flexible and do things (or not do) as you're there.

I recommend a visit to the Boboli gardens, even if there is no playground, the beautiful grassy area, fountains and shaded areas are perfect for spending time outdoors with a toddler. Seek a spot where you can spread out a blanket and let the little one play around.

On your last day, you can take the train to Lucca and spend the day there, it is a quiet Renaissance town, completely walled. You can rent bikes with a child basket and ride all around the town on top of the walls, very popular with runners, cyclists and just anyone wanting a stroll and good view of Lucca. From there, take the train to Pisa to catch your flight back home.
The only problem might be what to do with your luggage while you visit Lucca as I've heard there are no lockers or baggage deposit at the station. I'll have to look into this and will let you know if I find something more!