# Coastal trips from Florence



## DevonBen (Jun 28, 2011)

Ciao!

I am going to be visiting Florence for a week from Saturday with my girlfriend. 

We would like to be able to visit the coastal towns at some point, preferably using public transport, my guide book doesn't have much info, can anyone give some advice?

Also is it feasible to vist Cinque Terrra in 1 day using public transport from Florence?


Finally can anyone recommend a romantic restaurant i can use to suprise her with in Florence?

Grazie

Ben


----------



## Elena (Jun 29, 2011)

*How to reach seaside destinations from Florence*

Welcome to our Forum Ben!

I’m happy to give some help.
Florence is indeed the perfect place for a romantic vacation 

The nearest coastal towns to Florence, easy to reach with public transportation, are Viareggio and Livorno. Both towns are very nice and are at about 1 hour and half train ride from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station. You can check train timetables at this link.

I particularly recommend to visit the city of Livorno, where you can admire the ancient and imposing bastions of the Medicean Fortress at the old port, or where you could make a romantic walk up to the beautiful Mascagni Terrace right facing the vast blue sea, and finally take a boat tour on the _fossi_, that remind the typical canals of Venice.
From Livorno, you can then get to other popular seaside destinations, like Castiglioncello, Rosignano, and Cecina, all easily reachable by train.

Of course all the Tuscan coast is beautiful, but you’ll find the most beautiful places to the south of Tuscany, in the area known as the Maremma, the wildest region of all Tuscany, characterized by uncontaminated nature and full of wonderful beaches with crystal clear waters, where you will enjoy swimming! You will find this post about the top beaches in Tuscany very interesting 

However, I have to admit that the best way to visit Tuscany is by renting a car. I highly recommend it, being the best solution to move freely and explore also the charming villages spread all over the beautiful Tuscan countryside!

As to my suggestions for a *romantic restaurant in Florence*, I recommend the Trattoria i 4 Leoni, a typical Florentine Osteria, located in the charming and characteristic Oltrarno quarter in Florence’s city center.
Another possibility would be to get to the wonderful Piazzale Michelangelo and enjoy a very romantic dinner at the Ristorante la Loggia, with an amazing panoramic terrace boasting stunning views all over the city of Florence. The panorama is fantastic especially at sunset 

Finally, you can conveniently reach the *Cinque Terre* from Florence using public transportation.
The train ride from Florence will take around 2 hours and half; first you need to reach the Sarzana or La Spezia train stations and then switch to a train heading to Monterosso.
The day trip is absolutely possible in one day, but you should consider that it can be quite tiring. Maybe you might spend a night there as well for a very romantic escape!
I suggest you read this useful thread on how to reach the Cinque Terre by train, and this interesting post about spending a weekend there.

Do not hesitate to contact us again for any other suggestion you may need,

Have a great stay in Tuscany!
Ciao from the beautiful Florence!


----------

