Florence/Pisa Need Help Please

We will be in Florence/ Pisa for a day. Would you please share what are the "must sees". We will be part of a small group and I need recommendations for an excursion company. Has anyone used Rome Driving Tours? They only offer a driver for drop off & pick up to the various sites, they are not permitted to accompany us into the sites. Would love to hear from my fellow CC's with some good suggestions for tour companies with guides that will go into the sites with you. Just curious has anyone used a tour company that just drops & picks up at sites, I never had this kind of tour experience before. Thank-you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Drivers are one thing, a guide is another, according to Italian law. So you will always be paying additional for a guide, in addition to a driver.

Good quality operations (like our favorite, Rome in Limo, which operates in Florence) have drivers who gave you a ton of info prior to dropping you off, and make sure the days progresses well. So, yes, they can't come in with you, but you will go inside with a lot of knowledge.

We use a Tour Company that provides a driver, BUT, also arranges for a tour guide at both the Vatican and Pompeii for our group (at an extra cost for the private guide, of course!)

For Pisa/Florence, a guide is not needed, as everything is right there. I think it's more important to print off a map of each city and check their websites to get some idea of the route you want to follow in each town. A little precruise planning anda pick up spot from the driver is all you need for this port.

Generally, any tickets needed for the Pisa Tower, Vatican, or Museums need to be arranged in advance so you can "skip the lines ". Check with your tour company to see how they handle this.

HAVE FUN!!!

Ditto to RomeInLimo. If you take a tour with a private company, they will take you right to the front door. I loved Pisa. You will be able to see the Square of Miracles with the tower and still have time to see Florence.

I suggest you see the David statue at the Accademia in Florence. He is in a very small museum. Then, you have a hard decision. What other museums or sights do you want to see? The Uffizi is large. Santa Croce is very interesting. My husband, the science geek, loved the Galileo museum. You will not have time to see everything, so you will have to make some hard decisions.

You must have gelato at some point!

Thank -you all for your replies, I now feel more comfortable looking for a tour company.

Everyone's needs could be different, but we found a private tour with just a driver well enough for Florence/Pisa.

We secured tickets to the Academia thru them. It was a busy day, but we saw pisa and climbed it and did the required holding the tower picture. Then it was off to Florence for multiple stops. A really nice thing with th private car is they drop you literally right at each attraction and saves the hiking the ship cruise bus tours have to do!