Taking a day trip from Florence gives the traveler a look at the countryside of Tuscany - picturesque hill towns, vineyards and wineries, or the coast.
Here are suggestions for Tuscany day trips from Florence. Take a look at our Tuscany Rail Map to locate some of them.
Fiesole
Martha Bakerjian, licensed to about.com
Fiesole, in the hills above Florence, is an easy day trip. It's a great place to escape the summer heat and on clear days there are good views of the Florentine hills and even Florence. Fiesole has a good archeology park with a Roman amphitheater and Roman, Etruscan, and Longabard ruins. Bus number 7 runs from the Florence train station to Fiesole, stopping near the Duomo and Piazza San Marco along the way.
Siena
Siena Picture © James Martin, Europe Travel
Siena is a classic Tuscan medieval hill town and one of the most popular. It's a pretty town with a large fan-shaped piazza, beautiful cathedral, pedestrian streets with shops, and the second highest medieval bell tower in Italy (with 505 steps to the top). Siena, 60 km south of Florence, is accessible by either train or bus but the bus stops in the center while the train station is downhill from the center (with a connecting bus). Siena Pictures
Lucca
Lucca is a walled city with one of the best-preserved walls in Italy. Atop the walls are walking and bicycling paths and gardens, allowing you to walk completely around Lucca's historic center. Most of Lucca is flat so if you're tired of walking up hills, this is a good place to go. There are beautiful churches, good shopping, and several well-preserved towers from where you can get fabulous views of the city by climbing to the top. Frequent trains run between Florence and Lucca, making this an easy day trip. The train station is just outside the walls. Lucca Travel Essentials on Europe Travel
Chianti Wine Region
The picturesque Chianti Classico wine region lies between Florence and Siena to the south. There are small wine towns, rolling hills covered with vineyards, and wineries that offer tasting. The area is best visited by car or on a tour, but you can get to the wine town of Greve by bus from Florence.Pisa
Pisa is famous for its leaning tower and beautiful Duomo and Baptistery next to it. Pisa also has a good medieval center, the homes of Lord Byron and Shelley, and a walk along the river. Pisa is easily reached by train or bus from Florence. It's about a 25 to 30 minute walk from the train station to the Piazza dei Miracoli. Here's a Pisa video on Wandering Italy about how to get from Pisa train station to Piazza dei Miracoli to see the leaning tower and cathedral.
