Tuscany

Tuscany is a year-round destination, but peak season runs between and May and October, although at either end of this, there will be fewer tourists compared to high summer. July and August can be very hot and very crowded; spring and autumn are ideal times to visit.

Winters can be cold and wet, but visitor numbers fall sharply and you can play at being a local.

Florence’s small airport is more central to the rest of Tuscany than Pisa’s. Both handle European and domestic flights.  Direct flights from the US arrive in Milan or Rome, and there are good connections onto Rome Termini and Milan Centrale stations, which then have excellent onward train connections to Tuscany’s main hubs.

From Florence airport, there’s a regular tram service into the city centre and Santa Maria Novella station. From here, there are frequent train connections to Siena, Arezzo, Pisa and Lucca. From Pisa airport, there is a train into Pisa Centrale, from where you can catch a train into Florence for connections to the rest of Tuscany.

Both train and bus connections within Tuscany are excellent. A train service runs between the main towns and Florence, while smaller villages are often better connected by the excellent bus network. Trains are run by Trenitalia. Bus companies vary according to the area served.

Cycling is a good way to get around country areas, and cycling holidays are very popular. But try to avoid cycling during the hottest hours of the day in high summer. A Vespa or vintage Fiat 500 is a fun way of covering short distances, and there are various companies that hire both.

But the best way to tour Tuscany is by car; it allows you to be spontaneous and stop along the way for coffees and lunch, wine tastings, souvenir buying, sightseeing and selfies. All towns have car parks (often outside the old town walls), although these can get busy in high season.

Tuscany offers a huge variety of places to stay with many of the best hotels and villas lying outside the main towns.

Florence is the one exception to this rule. From fabulous five-star resorts with all the bells and whistles to much more low-key, boutique rural retreats and farmhouse-style agriturismo accommodation.

Tuscany is a large region, so if you want to see all Tuscany has to offer, it’s best to choose two or three bases, and spend three days in each. Stay in Pisa or Lucca to visit both these towns, either in Siena or in the countryside nearby for visiting Siena itself and the Chianti wine region, and near Montepulciano or Pienza for the Val d’Orcia.