Flying into Pisa. 10 days… where should we go?

[Chocbuttonsandredwine]

Early September, no kids. 💃🏽

10 days, have a car. Was thinking Florence/Bologna and a Tuscan farm stay but other that no real plan. Just want food and wine and chill. Bit of sight seeing and wandering around in the sunshine

any suggestions gratefully received!

Have narrowed it down to
bologna
florence
lucca
riomaggiore
tuscany (Radda or Siena)

thunk I need to pick max of 3 places with it only being 10 nights…troublesome

Can you have a base in Tuscany and then just do trips to the others?

You could easily do a day trip to Lucca. Get the train from Florence perhaps. Stay somewhere near Siena and you have easy access to loads of Tuscan delights.

I'd save Bologna for a stand-alone weekend/city break another time. Get your city fix in Florence and then go for towns/villages.

Riomaggiore will be practically impossible with a car. 10 nights I would choose one area probably. I love Italy so feel your pain in deciding where to go. So either north of Pisa to the coast (via Lucca) or the other way to Tuscany proper - Siena, Florence etc. Bologna is right out of the way.

@MissAmbrosia I think you might be right, I’m trying to do it all and will end up rushing around just to tick things off. I want this to be a relaxing holiday, wine food and wandering… not playing Italy bingo. I travel/drive so much for my job I need a break from it!

We visited Luca from Pisa then we headed to our accommodation near Chianti and did trips to Florence, Chianti, Sienna, san Geminiano, etc we rented a car. Tuscany is beautiful

I would just look at Tuscany. Whilst Bologna is amazing because it’s a gateway to so many other brilliant towns (Ferrara, Ravenna, Modena, Parma etc) it’s not that handy for Pisa. Pisa, by the way, has the leaning tower snd the cathedral/ baptistery. Not to see those would be a crime!

In Tuscany you have numerous stunning towns, Volterra and Certaldo are lovely. Sienna is fantastic as you have the history of the Palio. Florence needs no introduction! San Gimignano is fantastic. My DD went to a cookery school there years ago. You might like to look for one. Lucca is a gem. There is also the Tuscan coast. Don’t forget to use the trains. The express ones are good. Local can be hit or miss!

Definitely visit Siena. Il Campo is unique.