# 3 days in tuscany



## kris_76 (Jul 21, 2010)

Hi, 

am planning a trip to italy early september this year and wanted to understand the best way to spend my 3 days in tuscany. 

i do do have a huge wish list, but am a little confused on how/what to prioritize..


1. want to  do sightseeing Florence/Pisa
2. is it possible to stay in the countryside in a villa instead of staying in the city of florence as i would want to get a first hand expereince of staying in the countryside and also do a session of wine tasting/local food tatsing etc.
3. would you please be able to recommend a good/reasonalbly priced place to stay which  will allow me to maximize.

i will not be driving and thus would e great if you can help on how i can get to the location as well.


thanks so much...


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## Monica (Jul 22, 2010)

Hello Kris! 
I suggest you move to Lucca, you're in the middle between Florence and Pisa, Lucca also has to offer a beautiful city, quiet and not too crowded, with beautiful architecture, but if you look for good food and wine tastings, a few miles from Lucca there are places like Monte Carlo, Monte Scudaio or San Miniato.


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## kris_76 (Jul 22, 2010)

Hi Monica, 

thank you very much for your prompt response.

also in my websearch... i came across a location in Chianti...castelloilpalagio. Mercatale Val di Pesa - Firenze

looks very interesting and its around 30 miles from Firenze... would you recommend this location?

thanks & Regards


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## Valentina (Jul 22, 2010)

*Three days in tuscany without a car*

Dear kris_76,

I understand your excitement for this trip, especially if it is your first trip to Italy. Three days are not a lot too see all that Tuscany offers so if you like our suggestions of all there is to see both in Florence and Tuscany, you might be able to dedicate another day or two from your overall trip .

Since there are a lot of things to see and to do just in Florence, not counting the rest of Tuscany, my first advice is to be realistic that 3 days are not a lot and do and see what you do decide on without being in a hurry to see more, to pack more things in. This way you enjoy more whatever you end up doing. Another thing to keep in mind is that moving around by public transport can be time consuming, since you need to make time schedules fit in correctly.

Aside from that, let me offer a possible itinerary to get the most out of your holiday in Tuscany! 

First I recommend you *stay in Florence's city center* so that you're within walking distance to all the main sights as well as to the train and bus stations that will take you elsewhere. Regarding suggestions on accommodation: what about staying in a youth hostels in Florence such as these? They have affordable prices, several services and are good places for meeting new people. Otherwise if you want to stay outside the city, I suggest a comfortable apartment in a farm near Florence: *Agricola Poderino* offers an apartment located within 15-20 minutes by bus from the city center. If you want a B&B near Florence instead of an apartment, I recommend *La Paggeria*, also located within 25 minutes by bus from the historical center although in the opposite direction from Florence.

You can spend your *first day* in *Florence* visiting its museums, monuments and churches. Here is an article about what to see in
Florence in 2 days from which you can pick out the main sights you truly want to see. I don't know if you are a museum person or not, but I strongly suggest you *book in advance any museum tickets*, at least for the Uffizi and the Academy Gallery, if you want to go there. These are two of the most important museums in Italy displaying unique works of art and often have long lines.

On the *second day* you can visit Chianti, the Tuscan region famous for its wine and landscapes, *or *Siena, the city of the Palio. Both day trips are beautiful, one different from the other. It depends what you'd like better: countryside and wine tastings or visiting a medieval city. Siena is very different from Florence. You can also do wine tastings in Siena or Florence, where there are many wine shops offering tastings so that shouldn't influence your decision. I suggest you read about visiting wineries in Chianti by bus and seeing Siena in one day to find more information about these different destinations in Tuscany.

On the *third day* you can spend *a half day in Pisa*, visiting the Leaning Tower, the cathedral and baptistery, all located in the same square. Then you can either catch a short train to *Lucca* and visit this beautiful walled city in Tuscany for the rest of the day or come back to Florence to spend some more time in the Renaissance city.

There are several threads on this forum and articles about itineraries in Tuscany, if you look through those I am sure you'll have some better ideas of what to see and do.

Don't hesitate to come back with any other question


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## Lourdes (Jul 22, 2010)

*farmhouse close to town and public transport is necessary if you don't have a car*

Ciao Kris,

You ask about Castello il Palagio - you're interested in the farmhouses or in the wine tastings? It is a winery, the castle and wine cellars are available for tours and the castle for special events such as weddings, but it isn't a place you can stay at. The three farmhouses the farm has on its website are nearby but all separate properties a distance away, not walking distance from each other.

Since you won't have a car and are only planning on being in Tuscany for 3 days, I don't think a farmhouse such as Palagio is a good option for you. You can see from its location in the countryside and the directions they give to reach it that you need a car to reach it. It isn't close to the main roads where the SITA buses go by and there is no train line nearby you can use to move around. Getting there might be a problem as well.

If you're interested in the farmhouse experience in the Tuscan countryside you should consider renting a car...... OR staying at a farmhouse close to a town, such as Fattoria Viticcio which is a winery offering accommodation right outside of Greve in Chianti, around 1km so definitely within walking distance. From the center of Greve, you can catch a bus back to Florence where you can then also use the train to move around or a bus to Panzano and Radda to see the rest of Chianti. Otherwise I'd stay in Florence's center to be closer to public transportation and then be able to do the day trips as Valentina suggested above.


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## kris_76 (Jul 31, 2010)

*thanks guys...!!! *

Hi Folks... 

this is indeed an amazing forum... really appreciate the effort you guys take to help with info and guidance... cheers to that...!!!

in the last few days i have been doing some more modifications to my itenerary and based on the advise/inputs provided by  you guys... 


i have increased my duration for stay...

 2 days in florence... 2 days in siena, 1 day in chianti and the last day in pisa... so from 3 days its now... doubled to 6... the max i could extend to... 


i have also taken your inputs on the locations to stay since i wont be driving around...and am staying within the city centre limits both in florence and siena.

the one thing which i have yet to get a handle on is doing a wine tasting trip... which i want to do in chianti... 

so essentially i want to head from siena to chianti... do a day of wine tasting etc...stay overnight in chianti... and the next morning head to pisa by train or bus. i will have to be in pisa not later than afternoon as i have booked a flight out of pisa in the evening.


would appreciate your help on how i can work out this part of my itenerary...


thanks a lot and once again thanks so much for your help and support... 


Kris...


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## Valentina (Aug 2, 2010)

*One day in Chianti*

Dear Kris,

I'm happy to see that you appreciate our efforts 

From Siena you can move to Castellina in Chianti by bus 125. I suggest  you spend some time there and visit Castellina that is really nice.
Then get the SITA bus 365 to Greve in Chianti. In the surroundings of Greve there are many famous farms offering wine tastings, such as *Castello da Verrazzano* and *Castello di Vicchio Maggio*. I recommend you read this thread about wine tastings in Chianti by bus. 
You can spend the night in Greve and departing the next morning to Florence by bus SITA 365 and then by train to Pisa. 

This is the easiest itinerary. There are many other beautiful destinations, but really difficult to reach by public transports, such as Castello di Brolio near Gaiole in Chianti. 

Otherwise you can take some *guided tours* either from Florence or Siena. 

I'd like to suggest you the promotional Chianti tours organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Florence. They are really well done - we took the tour last month ourselves - and the tour offers both culture and wine tastings. The tours are cheap at 15 euro per person including tastings, visits and transport. There are just two things that you have to consider: they take place only on Thursdays and they depart from Florence's train station. If you want to take this tour I suggest you book now for September.

I hope these were the suggestions you were looking for. Don't hesitate to come back


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## slh0303 (Sep 6, 2010)

I will be traveling to Italy Dec 5 through 9thh.  This is my first trip and I want to be a in a small town with good food, wonderful people and old world charm.  Where do I go?


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## Valentina (Sep 6, 2010)

*3 nights in Siena*

Dear slh0303,

I think the place you are looking for is *Siena*. 

Even though Siena is a tourist destination it is a small city. The city center, closed to the traffic, is "warm and cozy". It doesn't look like a city but more like a small town where there are several good restaurants and cafes. Sienese people are generally nice and friendly. Here you can find a list of accommodation in Siena.

In addition from Siena you can *easily move around for day trips* to Florence, Chianti and other great destinations in Tuscany.

I hope this helps and don't hesitate to come back with new questions


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## dawn (Oct 13, 2010)

*spending 13 days in Italy*

I have been reading posts for months and thought I could figure out my time table and travel.  Hoping for some guidance from the experts on the forum.

3 days in Florence, 2 days Venice, 1 day La Spezia, 1 day Piza/Lucca, 1 day Chianti/San Gimignano, 1 day Sienna, 3 days Rome, back to  fly out of Florence.

Are we doing too much?  If I should cut something out, what should I eliminate?

We are talking train and buses.  Am I doing it in the right order?  Train/bus suggestions. 

Taking my mom for her 70th birthday next month.

Thanks for listening.  Eagerly awaiting responses.

Dawn


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## Lourdes (Oct 18, 2010)

Ciao Dawn,

This thread is about spending 3 days in Tuscany and is being closed. Can you repost all your questions on a new thread, that way it will be easier to find and get replies to your questions.

Regards,
Lourdes


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