Want to travel from Rome to Tuscany on a day trip? Lonely Planet writer, Paula Hardy, tells you how to make that happen.
Lonely Planet writer Paula Hardy has been traveling, researching and commissioning guides to Italy for 25 years, and she has contributed to guidebooks covering every Italian region. Last year she was back in Rome and Florence researching for new pocket guidebooks. Here, she answers a reader's question about how to take a day trip from Rome to Tuscany.
Question: On my upcoming trip I'll be visiting Rome for the first time, but would love to see a bit more of Italy as well. Is it possible to take a day trip to Tuscany from Rome?
Answer: Yes, you can do a day trip from Rome to Tuscany, but be warned it will be a whistle-stop tour. After all, Tuscany is one of Italy’s blockbuster regions, stuffed with medieval towns, Renaissances art cities, historic country castles, world-class vineyards, gorgeous walking trails and unforgettable restaurants. It’s hard to experience all that in day. But if you’ve only got a day and want a little taste of Tuscany’s bella vita (good life), it can be done.
First things first, it’s good to get an understanding of what’s where and consider exactly what kind of experience you’d like. Is seeing Florence non-negotiable or do you want to get out into the countryside and sample some Tuscan wines? Or, would you rather visit unique medieval towns like San Gimignano and then linger over a long lunch instead? Or, do you want to see as many sights as possible and are happy with a picnic lunch en route? These preferences all dictate quite different trips.
You can easily hire a car for a day in Rome and work out a self-drive tour, but bear in mind as a first-time visitor navigating will take you more time and as a driver you won’t get to enjoy the views out the window in the same way. Then there’s the eternal problem of parking in Tuscany’s tiny (and often pedestrianized) historic centers. Alternatively, you can book one of RomeCabs varied itineraries. It offers a car and driver, but you’ll need to sort out and book your own lunch and you won’t have a tour guide – although an LP guidebook can help you there!
If you book onto a tour, you’ll be in a small group and will be riding in a minibus. When assessing itineraries bear in mind distances and traveling time. Pisa, with its famous Leaning Tower, and medieval Lucca with its historic walled center, are 4 hours and 370km (230 miles) away from Rome; Volterra, Italy’s oldest city, and lovely Renaissance Florence are 3.5 hours (280km/174 miles) away, as is San Gimignano with its sky-scraping towers. Terracotta-colored Siena is a smidge closer at 2 hours and 45 minutes (235km/146 miles), while the closest place of interest is
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