Need assistance planning

[UKWildcatCruiser]

We were supposed to be on the Sun Princess 18/2/24 sailing from Rome but it was canceled. We are still flying into Rome on 17/2 and staying until 2/3/24. My tentative plan is to go to Venice on the 18th for 2-3 days, then Florence for 3-4 and I’d like to visit some smaller towns in Tuscany for wine. Then end up back in Rome for the last week. Is train the best way to travel?  Should I buy a pass or individual tickets? Any Airbnb recs for Florence? My husband is not keen on driving but it seems to me that’s really the only way to do the Tuscany region and dictate your own schedule. Any advice? I normally do lots of research but I’m under such a time constraint. 

[euro cruiser]

Yes, the train between the cities but you are right that a car is really necessary to get around the small towns and vineyards of Tuscany.

 

Passes are almost never a good deal for trains in Italy, just buy point-to-point tickets.  Check both Trenitalia and Italotreno to get the best combination of timing and price for your travel.

 

EN - Trenitalia

 

Italo, italian high-speed train | Book no service fee | italotreno.it

 

 

[cruisemom42]

Agree with euro cruiser re: trains.

 

For Tuscany wine-tasting you have a couple of choices in addition to renting a car. (Keep in mind that if you are driving, you really don't want to be sampling wines as Italy has some pretty strict drink-drive limits.). You could work with one of the frequently recommended private agencies mentioned here to come up with a day-long itinerary for your wine tastings. Just be sure they don't push you to certain places where they may have an agreement, if you have your own places in mind.

 

If you want to visit some smaller towns without the hassle of driving, it's always possible to take a day tour from your Florence base. Or have a look at local bus schedules. Florence has a very good TI place right across the street from the main train station and they can help you if you can't get it all planned before you go. (I would also recommend looking into purchasing the Florence Pass there if you're going to be in Florence for 2 or more days as it gets you into a special express line for entry to museums -- which in Florence is a MAJOR advantage.)

 

As an example, I'm not a big fan of bus tours, but DS and I enjoyed a full day tour that covered San Gimignano, Siena, and the town of Chianti when we were in Florence for almost a week. We were both a little weary (after spending 5 days in Venice first, plus the time in Florence) and it was a nice, no-brainer way to spend a day and easily see a couple of places on our own. (We had time to wander on our own in each place, as well as a great walking tour in Siena.)

[slidergirl]

If you are not adverse to a hotel instead of a vacation rental for Florence:  I'd recommend The Market Urban Hotel.  The price point is very good.  The hotel is a small boutique place in location with easy and quick access to the train station and the main "tourist" attactions.  There is a sister hotel, The Globus, nearby that people have mentioned on various sites that I belong to, which is also a nice boutique hotel.

Driving around Tuscany was one of my favorite things to do.  Of course, that meant no wine tasting.  I just saved my wine time for dinners.   Look on this board and maybe on that FB place for more ideas on small/private driver wine tasting tours.  

[mapleleaves]

For the wine tasting, definitely do a tour.

But if you want to see more of Tuscany I highly recommend renting a car and spending a night or 2 in a small town.   I was nervous about driving in Italy, but it was much easier than I expected. We rented from the car rental center near the airport in order to avoid the city traffic and had easy access to the hwy.  The countryside and views were spectacular.  And the towns are very close together so you can easily visit several locations. Yes, other drivers will get on your bumper, but on those country roads it's easy to pull over to let them pass, plus it gives you the opportunity to hop out and enjoy the scenery.

[mapleleaves]

I should have added that our car rental was from the Florence Airport.

We spent 3 nites in SanGimignano and 3 at Montepulciano. (preferred Montepulciano).

 

[marazul]

If you stay at Montalcino or Montepulciano there will be plenty of wine tasting within walking distance. 

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, marazul said:

If you stay at Montalcino or Montepulciano there will be plenty of wine tasting within walking distance. 

 

Good point!