Best city/town to stay in Tuscany?

Hi, I live in Florence and I'm very happy to give you some advice! I don't know if it's a good idea to visit Tuscany without a car...there are so many little villages that are very difficult to get to by public transports...it would be a pity to miss them! The countryside (for example the famous Chiantishire) is more enjoyable by car!

You could rent a car in Rome and visit places that are placed not far from the highway A1 (the highway that you will take to get to Florence from Rome). So, first of all, I suggest you to visit Orvieto, where you can appreciate a wonderful Cathedral and the particular Pozzo di San Patrizio. Afterwards, I think you should not miss Pienza and Montepulciano (that are very close, in the Chianti area). In Pienza you can taste a very good cheese and in Montepulciano you have the possibility to visit the caves and take some winetours. If you want to taste the famous Brunello of Montalcino, you can do it because Montalcino is very close to Pienza. Probably you'll have the time to visit Cortona, on the opposite side of the highway, in Arezzo district. Cortona is very fascinating and there you can find many antique stores.

There are so many places to visit...I can suggest you a perfect location from where you can travel around in Tuscany; look at: http://villamigliorini.freshcreator.com/eng/home

It's a beautiful hayloft, inside an historical Villa of the XIV° century, very well located and connected with Pise, Siena, Lucca and so on...You can find Hayloft Villa Migliorini on FB too.

Let me know if I can help you again, best regards!

Of course Firenze, Florence would get the lion share. What follows is in part MY list, in part the list of the things I discovered following my wife. Of course someone will say that lacks something, or originality. Before all let stipulate that you would need at least a week for a basic visit. Do not look for places away it is not worth the little you spare being out of the city.

At the Uffizi art galleries you get the second most important collection of ART, giving to the word the meaning of “western art”, in the world – the first being the Musei Vaticani, Rome, of course Rome has also a city owned museum system, but your 2 days will allow only the “Vaticani”. Reserve in advance your visit both Uffizi and Rome.

People say the Accademia (in Florence) is worth a visit but I never went there – just seen Lord Clarke showing the David on TV, instead at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale I went and for my tastes it’s a must: I love everything older 2000 years. Palazzo Pitti, instead, des not suits me, but I like Boboli Gardens. My wife (before we marry) forced me up the hill to see San Miniato al Monte, some 3 zillion steps!– done once it’s enough for a lifetime, after we found a nice walk behind the church, but I was stoned by the climbing that cannot say the direction we took, make a try.

The Duomo and Giotto's tower are beautiful, especially if you like mountaineering: usually my wife goes to the top and then she is afraid by the high. Santa Croce claims the Pazzi Chapel (Italian: Cappella de’ Pazzi), considered one of the masterpieces of Renaissance architecture. It is located in the "first cloister" of the basilica. If it’s after the Renaissance you are going, the Brancacci Chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine is one of many must in Florence. For personal reasons I would advise “Il Cenacolo di San Marco (The Last Supper in San Marco) a fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio, around 1486 in the “Museo nazionale di San Marco” (Piazza San Marco 3).

A bus ride from Florence is Fiesole: a Roman Theatre and a little walk away a Villa Medicea: “il Pratolino”.

But stay in the city and you will be loosing a lot, for instance Rosso Fiorentino the best Italian Mannerist painter, his masterpiece being the Deposition or Descent from the Cross altarpiece in the Pinacoteca Comunale di Volterra, a little town where one of the best museum of Etruscan art is located.

Pisa: do not be fooled by the bell tower: the real jewel is the Camposanto.

Lucca has an interesting Roman arena transformed as a Condo, in medieval times, at the centre, yes and it has very interesting people (the city almost joined the Lutheran Reform in the XVI century). Between the Walled Cities of Italy can compare only with Ferrara.

The second most important city to visit in Tuscany is Siena: The Cathedral, all the medieval centre especially the main Square, Piazza del Campo, and of course “Gli affresci dl Buongoverno” in the City Palace.

The public transport system is quite good: without a car almost everything can be done.

Well it depends. I did not have a car and trains/buses get you around quite well from town to town.

You could always book a day tour if you want to see places that are harder to get to (maybe try viator for options). I stayed in Florence for 3 days and did a day trip by train to Pisa and Lucca. Its about an hour or so, so its not too bad getting there (Lucca is further on but worth a visit).

Florence is quite good in that you can go to places west like Pisa/Lucca and then in the other directions places like Siena are not that far by train either. I stayed in a town called Montepulicano which you can get a bus from Siena (or train and then bus if you miss the last bus like I did!!) which is a hillside town in the winegrowing region and has great views of the surrounding area (and is now famous for having parts of the movie New Moon being filmed there). There are other towns you can stay in the area and I assume they are bus accessible.

Absolutely Florence! The nicest town in Italy.

I visited Italy recently and would recommend Florence. The city is awesome to stay in and is a good base to do short/day trips