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I remember the times when I had this crazy idea of a two- three-week road trip through whole Italy. Now, after 10 days of driving around the most beautiful spots in Tuscany, I can say that I must’ve been insane to think that I can “fit” the whole of Italy in 3 weeks.
If you ever had this idea too, let me disillusion you. It is impossible unless you want to spend most of your precious time on the road. So, instead of a huge Italian road trip, I have prepared for you a perfect Tuscany road trip itinerary with a list of my favorite places.
Start here: Pisa
Start your Tuscany road trip in Pisa. I was quite surprised to acknowledge that Pisa airport is the biggest one in Tuscany, bigger than Florence airport. That means there are more connections and probably cheaper flights from any destination.
On contrary to that, Pisa is a much smaller city than Florence. The reality is that except the leaning tower, there is not that much to see in Pisa. But it is actually a good thing, as a trip to Tuscany should be filled with walking around, eating Italian specialties, drinking espresso and taking in the chilled out Italian lifestyle.
As the leaning tower is the most popular monument in Pisa, I headed straight to Piazza del Duomo (cathedral square). And there it is, the most peculiar monument in whole Italy, surrounded by crowds of tourists eager to take a funny looking picture.
Instead of lining up to take a picture myself, I lied down on the grass and watched people waiting in line to climb the tower. To go up, you need to book in advance and pay about 18 euros. Or you can spend it on pasta and gelato, and then lie down on the grass looking at the tower like me.
Lucca
Just next to Pisa, there is a small medieval town called Lucca, which is much less crowded than Pisa or Florence. Walk around its ancient city walls, discover the old town and check its 11th-century church (Cattedrale di San Marino).
If you visit between April and October, go to a Puccini concert that it is held every night at 7 pm in the Church of San Giovanni. In the end, Lucca is a birthplace of Puccini, so whether you like an opera or not, I think you should live it.
You can spend the night in Lucca, but I suggest to finish day 1 in Montecatini Terme as it will be easier the next day. Also, I don’t like to start my day by driving.
Montecatini Terme and Montecatini Alto
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Montecatini Terme is the biggest spa town in Italy, famous for its thermal water. The town started to be very popular among celebrities and Hollywood stars at the end of the 20th century. I really enjoyed my stay in Montecatini Terme as it is such a relaxed town that at the same time is full of trendy spots: restaurants, cafes, and bars.
On top of the Montecatini Terme hill lies Montecatini Alto, a little picturesque village that can be reached in 10 minutes with the funicular. Its old square is a perfect spot for lunch break.
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I stayed in Grand Hotel Nizza Suisse, which was very conveniently located in the city center of Montecatini Terme. I was really happy to discover that as a hotel guest you can rent a bike for free and ride around Montecatini like a local.
Florence
Now, this is the stop that you were probably looking forward to since the beginning of your trip. To be honest, I had so many mixed feelings about Florence. On one hand, it is extremely romantic and packed with art and history that seduces you with its cobbled streets and medieval fresco-painted churches. On the other hand, it is also crowded and overpriced.
Since as a traveler I like to be extremely egoistic and have the place just for me, I tend to wake up very early, if possible at sunrise. This way, I can experience the place without groups of tourists lining up to take a picture. Florence was no exception. I woke up around 7 am and went straight to Piazzale Michelangelo.
Heads down, Piazzale Michelangelo is the best viewpoint of Florence in the whole city. I spent 30 minutes there and have fallen deeply in love with Florence. This city just breathes renaissance and art and history. I was walking the same streets as Michelangelo, seeing the same views as Botticelli. Suddenly all the mixed feelings disappeared and I was another typical cliché in love with Tuscany traveler.
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Just next to Piazzale Michelangelo, is located Giardino Bardini. As I was visiting Florence in April, I realized it is the best time to take pictures of wisteria with Florence in the background. Definitely, a spot not to be missed!
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Time to head to city centre to see the most emblematic buildings in Florence: Duomo (cathedral), Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio.
Also, don’t forget to visit handsome David that is waiting for you in Galleria dell’Accademia. More renaissance masterpieces can be found in Uffizi gallery.
TIP: count one day just for museum visits.
Chianti
What would a Tucany roadtrip be without visiting a vineyard? Chianti is a World famous wine region and a must stop on your Tuscany itinerary.
We picked Castello Verazzano, an authentic 10th century castle for a wine tasting tour. I mean wine just tastes so much better when you are surrounded by centuries of history and tradition, right?
The tour started with learning about history of the castle and its owner – Giovanni da Verrazzano, Italian explorer who discovered New York bay. Did you know Verrazano–Narrows Bridge in New York was named after him?
We had an up-close tour of the cellar combined with wine tasting and Italian aperitivo. Everything was really fresh and tasty! The castle also offers tours with 4-course lunches included and I bet the food is delicious too!
San Gimignano
What’s the best thing about Italy? Ice cream! And the best ice cream in the whole World can be found in San Gimignano, exactly in Gelateria Dondoli, an ice cream shop mentioned in all the most important culinary guides around the World. Just be prepared to queue (totally worth it…)!Also, sorry for no picture but we ate it super fast!
Siena
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Siena is the second most visited town in Tuscany, known for its brick buildings and appearance in Quantum of Solace (any James Bond fans here ;)?). Walk the medieval streets of the old town, visit Duomo and Il Campo, one of Italy’s grandest square. From there, go up the city tower where you will see the best view of the city.
Val d’Orcia
Ok, all cool but where is Tuscany I know from movies? Landscapes with castles surrounded by rolling hills, cypress alleys and vineyards wherever you look? I found it all in Val d’Orcia!
Truly postcard material!
Spend as much time as possible in the countryside! Stroll, ride bikes, make a picnic and enjoy to the fullest. Ah and take lots of pictures!
Castello di Vicarello
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One of the highlights of our trip was spending a night in an authentic 12th-century castle, Castello di Vicarello, that was transformed into a boutique hotel.
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Castle owners put a lot of emphasis on natural home-grown ingredients as well as relaxation and romance. If you plan a honeymoon in Tuscany, this is the place that you should definitely visit! A truly best place to enjoy “la dolce vita” with your significant other.
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Terme di Saturnia
By far, Saturnia hot springs were my favorite place in Tuscany. We arrived there around 5 pm on Tuesday afternoon and it was full of people! But so full that we decided to give up and wake up very early the next day to have this place just for us.
6 am next morning we were back on the road to Terme di Saturnia. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw already quite a large group chilling in the water. I mean, why would you wake up so early to go to hot springs if you are not a photographer?
Luckily for us, the majority of the people preferred staying in the upper parts of the pools, closer to hot thermal water from the waterfall. In this way, we could create some really cool photos.
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Tuscany is truly a romantic region that is best enjoyed in slow pace. My best advice is that in case of Tuscany, less is more, so don’t stress that you haven’t seen it all!
The distance between places might seem small on the map but since the roads are narrow, it actually takes a lot of time to get from point A to B. Don’t stuff your driving itinerary with too many locations, you don’t want to spend a whole inside of the car.
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