Florence Travel Forum

FLORANSA
Hi,
I will be in Florance on the 3rd week of May for 2 days. I will probably stay in a hotel in Montecatini Terme.
I would like to visit Siena,Pisa, Montepulciano - Val d’Orcia, San Gimignano and Lucca but need your advices.Is there any other places worth spending time?And how can I visit all above in two days?Can anyone help me to make a good plan including transportation ?

Thanks a lot.

Montecatini Terme is not Florence. It is 66km away.

If you wish to visit the places you have mentioned (and explore wonderful Medieval Florence, which you should) then you should find a hotel in Florence itself.

Travelling to the places you mention from Montecatini Terme is not as simple or as fast as travelling from Florence.

You cannot visit all of the places in two days....unless you just want to 'tick boxes' (even if you find that it is feasible to visit them all you will only have the briefest of time in each place).

I assume you want to visit Florence itself? You should allow at least 2 days to do this.

Siena and Lucca both deserve at least a full morning or afternoon, and preferably a whole day.

You can visit Pisa or Lucca easily by train from Florence Santa Novella station (journey time of around an hour to each). Montepulciano takes 2+ hours.

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

will give you train times and fares in English.

It is best to visit Siena by bus from Florence, as the stationis some way from the historical centre. Bus timetable here:

http://www.sitabus.it/wps/portal/DovePartire_Toscana

under 'Lines Firenze Siena'.

For San Gimignano you need to get to Poggibonsi (train) and then take a bus. Bus timetable here:

http://www.sangimignano.net/tourist-informations/bus-timetable.php

I hope "two days" is a typo and you mean "two weeks" because that is the amount of time you'll need to cover all the places on your list in a way that makes sense...

the first few answers have already said you cannot cover all the locations, so a few details other details. Car hire can be cheap, price it around. driving between the towns is easy, driving in them & parking is difficult. buses and trains are good.
Pisa has "Sights to see", Lucca has more an aura than any particular sight, though the Forum/Arena is impressive.
Restaurants stick to meal times, so you will have to too. Check the cover charges they add to otherwise very cheap meals.

Restaurants may stick to mealtimes but you will be able to get something to eat at cafes and bars at other time with no problems.

It will cost you more to sit outside and eat.