11 Amazing Day Trips from Florence

Caitlinepstein415/ June 9, 2019/ Europe, Study Abroad/ 1 comments

10 Amazing Day Trips from Florence

Florence is centrally located in Italy as the capital of Tuscany, making it a great location to base out of and take day trips. During the Spring semester of my Sophomore year with Global, I had Tuesdays free of classes, so I took full advantage of those days along with some Saturdays to explore nearby cities. Read below for details and tips for 10 great day trips from Florence.

Pisa

Famous for the Leaning Tower of Pisa, this town is a very popular tourist destination in Tuscany and Italy as a whole. The city can be tackled in half a day if you just want to see the tower and surrounding monuments, or it can be done leisurely in a day with relaxing walks and meals built in. Pisa was the first day trip I took after settling into Florence. We did it in half a day as our main focus was the tower.

Top things to do:

• Take a cheesy photo with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It really would not be a trip here if you didn’t get this photo, and you certainly won’t be the only one doing it
• Marvel at not just the tower, but the beauty of the Cathedral, Baptistry, and Cemetery within the same complex
  • The Leaning Tower costs €18 to climb, and it is best to book those tickets in advance here
  • There are tickets to visit the other three monuments in the piazza (the Baptistry, the Camposanto, and the Sinopie Museum), and tickets cost €5 for one monument, €7 for two, or €8 for three
  • The Cathedral is free to enter, but you need to pick up a timed ticket from the ticket office
• Wander around the Old Town of the city

How to get there:

By train – Pisa is reachable by train from Florence Santa Maria Novella, the main train station, in just one hour. The cost of a one way train ticket is typically around €8.60, and trains to Pisa run very frequently. This train will take you to Pisa Centrale, and from there the main sights are about a 20 minute walk

By car – Pisa can be reached by car in about an hour and five minutes

Lucca

Lucca is a charming Tuscan town to the west of Florence known for its city walls and multitude of churches. I set of on my own to Lucca one Tuesday morning and was not disappointed. The city was easily walkable and has very clear signage for tourists, making it easy to enjoy the beauty of the city in a few hours.

Top things to do:

• Admire the many churches scattered throughout the city
• Walk or bike the impressive city walls
• Take in the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, a former Roman amphitheater and current circular square
• Climb the Torre Guinigi and take in the views of the city. Tickets for adults are €4 and tickets for children and students with a valid student ID are €3

How to get there:

By train – A train from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Lucca takes about an hour and a half and costs €7.80 one way. There are about three trains to Lucca every hour. The train station is about a two minute walk to the city walls of the city

By car – Lucca can be reached by car in under an hour

Vinci

Each and every time my best friend and I spoke with her grandmother, she told us time and time again that we needed to visit the little town of Vinci, the hometown of Leonardo da Vinci. The town is small, but is the perfect destination for a charming Tuscan getaway. Florence is amazing, but sometimes it is nice to get out into nature, and Vinci offered that along with an interesting museum and childhood home dedicated to Leonardo.

Top things to do:

• Visit the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. There are museums dedicated to da Vinci all over the country, but what can be more authentic than visiting the museum in the very town he grew up in? This one has two buildings primarily focused on his many inventions. Rates as of April 15, 2018: €13 for adults and €10 for students with a valid student ID (signs say Italian students, but we were able to get in on the reduced rate), children, and adults over the age of 65
• Visit the childhood home of Leonardo da Vinci. This house is a bit outside of the city, but can be reached by car by a 3 km drive or on foot by a gorgeous 1.8 km walk through the stunning Tuscan hills. If the weather is nice, I recommend the walk. The ticket for the museum includes admission to the house
• Breathe in the fresh air

How to get there

By train + bus – No, unfortunately there is not a train directly to Vinci, but don’t be daunted or turned off by the train and bus combo, because it’s super easy. First, you take the train from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Empoli, which takes about 35 minutes and costs €4.60 one way. Then, you exit the train station in Empoli and will immediately see a bus station to the right. Simply go in and ask for a ticket to Vinci. They will then be able to tell you which platform to go to in order to take the bus, which only takes about 25 minutes and comes hourly

By car – If you are fortunate enough to have a car, the drive to Vinci from Florence will take you less than 40 minutes!

Cinque Terre

I went to Cinque Terre for the weekend early on in the semester with my roommate, and you can read about that full trip here, but it is also doable in a day trip! My mom visited in March, and she, my best friend, and I all went out to the beautiful five villages of Cinque Terre for the day. We did not do any traditional hikes that day, but we took the trains between villages and explored all five on foot.

Top things to do:

• Admire the beauty of the five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore
• Hike the many trails in between villages. Some are long, and would not be ideal for a day trip, but a couple take about an hour and a half to two hours. My roommate and I did the hike in between Monterosso and Vernazza in February, and it was incredible. If you are going during the high season (March-October) it costs €7.50 to get the Cinque Terre Pass that gives unlimited access to the trails. The pass is sold online and at tourist information points throughout the villages
• Dip your feet in the Mediterranean on the beach in Monterosso – this village has a decent stretch of beach with pebbles and impossibly clear water
• Try pasta with pesto! This region is known for its amazing pesto, especially served with a typical Ligurian type of pasta known as trofie

How to get there and how to get around:

By train – Train is by far the best way to get to Cinque Terre as cars are not allowed in and out. To get there, you take about a two hour train journey from Florence Santa Maria Novella to La Spezia Centrale for €13.80 one way. From La Spezia, you can jump on the regional train that goes to each village that comes pretty regularly.

The regional train during the high tourist season costs €4 a trip regardless of if you are traveling between five villages or two, so if you are going to be utilizing the train during your day trip, it is probably economical to get the €16 Cinque Terre Train Pass that gives you unlimited access to the trains all day as well as free access to train station bathrooms and WiFi.

When I went in February, however, the prices varied by train trip and fares were lower due to it being low tourist season. For example, a trip from La Spezia to Monterosso may be €4, but the train trip in between Monterosso and neighboring village may be €1.80. So, just take a look at the fares and determine what is most economical for you.

Venice

I went to Venice for Carnivale in February, and it was one of the greatest experiences I have had in Europe (read about it here), so I knew I had to take my mom during her visit so she could experience the magic of Venice. The city has a lot to offer, but we didn’t feel rushed doing our trip to Venice in just a day. We spent our time wandering around the canals, lounging in the sun with good food, riding through the canals in a gondola, and checking out the San Marco Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.

Top things to do:

• Get lost in the canals. The city is beautiful around every turn, and you won’t regret simply letting yourself walk around without the aid of your GPS
• Visit the San Marco Basilica. If you get lucky like my mom and I did, then there will be no line and you can simply walk in and admire the swaths of golden ceilings
• Marvel at the Doge’s Palace. This palace was home to the Dukes and Duchesses of Venice back in the day, and is undeniably dazzling. The palace is home to dozens of rooms filled with elaborate painted ceilings, and then you find yourself crossing the Bridge of Sighs to the stark contrast of the city’s former prison. Anyways, it’s super cool and costs €20 for adults and €13 for children and students with valid student IDs
• Browse the books for sale in gondolas and bathtubs in Libreria Acqua Alta, a charming bookstore filled to the brim with books and cats
• Sit in the sun with a snack or Spritz and watch the water and people go by
• Ride in a gondola! Super touristy, but it’s the thing to do if you’re in Venice. Prices are set by the city at €80 during the day and €100 at night for one gondola for 30 minutes that seats up to six people. Try to find a gondolier in a quieter canal away from the grand canal and San Marco’s Square. Gondolas can seat up to 6 people, and the prices are by gondola, so you’ll pay less per person the more people you have!

How to get there

By train – If you’re going there for the day from Florence, the high speed train is really your only good option. The high speed train will get you to Venice from Florence Santa Maria Novella in two hours. Tickets for the high speed trains vary from €25-€70 and are best booked early to get a lower fare.

Milan

I have not personally gone to Milan for the day, but I have gone for the weekend (read about it here) and some of my classmates have made it to Milan and back in a day. The city is easily reachable from Florence and is definitely doable in just as few hours if that’s all the time you have.

Top things to do:

• Visit the Duomo of Milan and climb up to the terraces for a view of the city. A ticket that gets you into the Cathedral and up to the terraces by stairs is €13, and a ticket for the Cathedral and terraces by elevator is €17
• Window shop in the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele
• Visit the Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci, but be sure to book tickets at least two months in advance if you want to see this masterpiece
• If you stay until late, grab aperitivo because Milan does it better than anyone else!

How to get there:

By train – Like Venice, the only good way to get to Milan for the day is by high speed train. You can get to Milan from Florence Santa Maria Novella in just an hour and forty minutes, and train tickets range in price from €35-€70 one way, so book as far in advance as you can to get the best fares

Siena

Oh, Siena. I quickly began running out of free Tuesdays toward the end of the semester, so I dragged my butt to Siena while super sick. And it was totally worth it to be able to see this city. It was easy to get there, and the city was easily doable in just a few hours, so I was back in Florence and in my bed recovering by mid-afternoon. I highly recommend putting this city high up on your list if you find yourself with days to spare in Tuscany.

Top things to do:

• Visit the Duomo complex – the Cathedral, the museum, the Piccolomini Library, the crypt, the baptistry, and the panorama. Entrance to all of these things with the Opa Si Pass €13 during the low season for adults and €15 during the high season for adults, and €2 for children year-round
  • Stare in awe at the ceiling covered in stars and the floor in the Cathedral that was described as “the most beautiful…, largest and most magnificent…ever made” by Giorgio Vasari
  • Admire the frescoes and incredibly old books in the Piccolomini library
  • Climb the steps to the Facciatone, or Panorama, for a great view of the Cathedral and the city
• Climb the 400 stairs to the top of the Torre del Mangia. It was closed for renovations when I was there, which was probably for the best considering I was sick, but I’ve heard that the views are great. Tickets for the tower are €10. Consider choosing to climb the tower or the panorama as both have great views of the city
• Sit and take in the Piazza del Campo, the huge central square of the city
• See the view of the city from San Domenico, a large church toward the outside of the city

How to get there

By train – Trains run twice an hour to Siena every day and cost €9.30 one way for an hour and a half journey. The train station in Siena is about a 20 minute walk to the city center

By bus – The bus is actually the best public transportation option in this case. Buses run from the Florence Bus Station located right beside the Santa Maria Novella train station very regularly and only take an hour and fifteen minutes. Tickets are €8.70 one way and the bus drops you off right by the city center

By car – Siena can be reached by car in about an hour

San Marino

Chances are you’ve never heard of San Marino, a completely separate country landlocked within Italy. The tiny country is only 24 square miles, and also happens to be the oldest country in the world, founded in 301 AD by Saint Marinus. My roommate Kendall and I were drawn in by the allure of visiting a new country in just a few hours along with the beautiful photos of medieval towers and seemingly endless views of the surrounding countryside. So, we set out one Saturday for San Marino and were not disappointed in the slightest!

Top things to do:

• Climb towers one and two of three towers built up on Mount Titano. There are three large towers in San Marino, and they are even represented on the country’s flag. Visitors can climb the first two towers for stunning views out to the Adriatic sea in one direction and gorgeous sloping hills in the other. The second tower even houses an ancient weapons museum, and the view of towers one and three from this one are great, so if you only have time to visit one, I’d recommend this one. Tickets are €4.50 for one tower for adults and €3.50 for children and seniors, and tickets for both towers are €6.50
• Visit the Liberty Square, the main square of San Marino. This square is home to the Public Palace, the governmental headquarters where Parliament meets, as well as a statue of liberty
• Have a glass of local wine, or two, with lunch out in the sun. Kendall and I grabbed pizza at a cafe in the main square along with a bottle of Sammarinese Moscato, and it was delicious and refreshing in the hot sun
• Stop into the tourism office for an official San Marino tourist visa. No passport is needed to cross the border into San Marino, but you can get this fun visa souvenir for €5. I just couldn’t resist adding another stamp to my collection

How to get there:

By train + bus – Kendall and took quite possibly the longest way there, but also the cheapest. We took a train from Florence to Faenza, where we transferred to Rimini, the closest town to San Marino. There, we caught the bus to San Marino. The trains took three hours for €13.90 one way and the bus took one hour for €5 one way, making for one hell of a trip that cost less than €19 one way. There are faster train journeys to Rimini, however, that will get you there in under two hours for about €30-€35 one way.

The bus to San Marino, though, is the best way to get there from Rimini. To find it, simply exit the train station, and you’ll see a Tabacchi shop just across the streets with large signs reading “Tickets to San Marino.” Stop inside, grab your roundtrip tickets, and catch the bus at the stop just outside of the shop. The schedule below shows the departure times from Rimini to San Marino and vice versa.

By car – Car is probably the best way to reach San Marino from Florence, as you can get there by car in just under two and a half hours

Bologna

Known as the ‘Red City’ due to its historical position as a communist stronghold and its red terra cotta roofs, Bologna is a super easy and nice day trip from Florence. It is also home to what is touted to be the oldest university in the western world, founded in the year 1088 A.D. The city is still very much a college town, and students from all over the world can be found studying here. I went one morning in April with school, and we merely wandered around for a few hours, admiring the many porticoes and enjoying the cuisine.

Top things to do:

• See the Neptune statue and the Basilica di San Petronio in the Piazza Maggiore, the main square of Bologna
• Look up at the two leaning towers of Bologna, and consider climbing the 498 stairs to the top of the taller one for a view of the city’s red roofs. Tickets for adults are €5 and tickets for children, seniors, and students are €3. The towers were under renovation when I went, so I was disappointed to miss out on the view but not all of the stairs
• Enjoy the amazing pasta: Bologna is known for Bolognese (also called ragu) sauce on tagliatelle, lasagna Bolognese, and tortellini, which is often served here in a broth. Osteria dell’Orsa is a great lunch option, as it has all of the traditional dishes for cheap and is nearby major sites. I got the tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce for €6.50 and it was delicious!
• Visit the Archiginnasio, a 16th century building that used to be the main building of the University of Bologna. It is now known for the Anatomical Theater, a room filled with seats all facing a slab in the middle on which live autopsies and surgery demonstrations were performed. Tickets are €3 a person
• Eat gelato! This tip could go for just about any city in Italy, but Bologna is home to a gelato school, which has contributed to high quality gelato being served all over the city

How to get there:

By train – The high speed train from Florence to Bologna only takes about 35 minutes and costs about €15-€25 one way. Buy tickets early if you want to take a high speed train for better prices. There are slower trains that take about an hour and fifteen minutes that will consistently cost €9.45. The train station is a fifteen to twenty minute walk from the Piazza Maggiore

By car – Bologna can be reached by car in about an hour and ten minutes

San Gimignano

I did not make it to San Gimignano this time around, but I loved it so much when I visited Italy a few years ago that I just had to include it. The medieval village is quaint and beautiful and probably exactly what you envision when you think of a rustic town in the Tuscan hills of Italy. It also makes for a great day trip from Florence.

UPDATE June 2019: I made it back to San Gimignano and it was even more lovely than I remembered! On my very last weekend in Florence, my roommates and I took a day trip to this wonderful hill town.

Top things to do:

• Climb the Torre Grossa. If you’ve sensed a theme by now, I like to recommend climbing lots of stairs, but the views are always worth it, and I have heard that the views from this tower are also gorgeous. Tickets for the tower also get you into the Archeological Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum, and the San Lorenzo in Ponte church, and they cost €9 for adults and €7 for children and seniors
• Eat gelato at Gelato Dondoli. I also love to recommend that you eat gelato anywhere and everywhere in Italy, but forreal, you have to have gelato here. This gelato shop has won the title for world’s best gelato in the past, and their flavor list is about a mile long with flavors such as pink grapefruit with sparkling wine and chocolate with cherry and chilli jam. I 100% recommend the Italian Garden flavor – it sounds super weird with ingredients such as basil cheesecake and tomato sauce, but it is to die for
• Drink Verncaccia! We stumbled upon a little shop called ‘La Bottega’ near the Archeological Museum that was serving up an entire bottle of Vernaccia, a white wine made in San Gimignano, for only €6! The sweet owner brought us samples of cheese and ham along with cherries and cantaloupe to enjoy while we sipped our wine. It was great and we probably paid a lot less than we would have if we had gotten wine on the main road of the city
• Wander the city and the surrounding area. If the weather is nice, grab some food and stroll through the Tuscan hills. You can even wander uphill from the town to La Rocca di Montestaffoli, where there are ruins of a 14th century fortress and a wine museum that has free admission!

How to get there:

By bus – The best way to get to San Gimignano by public transport is by bus, but unfortunately there is no direct bus from Florence. However, you can ask for a ticket to San Gimignano at the bus station, which will be valid for your entire journey and costs €6.80 one way – just remember to validate your ticket on the bus. You will first need to take the 131 bus to Poggibonsi, which takes about 50 minutes. There, you will pick up the 130 bus in the same spot to San Gimignano, which takes about 25 minutes. The wait time in Poggibonsi varies, but the complete journey should take anywhere from 80 minutes to two hours

By train + bus – There is no direct train to San Gimignano, so you end up having to take the train to Poggibonsi and then the bus to San Gimignano from there. The train to Poggibonsi takes longer and is more expensive than the bus, so I would not recommend this option

By car – San Gimignano can be reached by car in just under an hour

Fiesole

Fiesole is a small town just five kilometers from Florence, and it makes for the easiest day trip on this list. I didn’t make it up to Fiesole during the semester, but I went with my two roommates while working in Florence for the month of June in 2019. The town is adorable, has nice views of Tuscany and the city of Florence, and it can be reached by bus in less than half an hour!

Top things to do:

• Walk up to the panoramic viewpoint for an amazing view of Florence, Duomo and all. There, you can also check out the church and convent of San Francesco
• Take a stroll around the area, keeping your eyes peeled for Etruscan ruins dating back to 8th century B.C. Visitors can also the Archaeological Civic museum to get an up close look at the ruins – tickets are €7 for adults and €5 for children and students
• Discover some Renaissance art pieces in the Bandini museum. Tickets for just the museum are €5 for adults and €3 for children and students, or you can get a combined tickets with the archaeological area for €12 for adults and €8 for children and students
• Fine nearby Montececeri hill, where Leonardo da Vinci first tried out his flight machine in the year 1506
• If you’re really feeling it, you can also walk down from Fiesole to Florence – the walk is beautiful according to my roommate that did the walk, and it takes about an hour and a half to get back to the city center
  

  The San Francesco church of Fiesole

  

  The view of Florence from the panoramic viewpoint of Florence

  

  

  One of the beautiful walkways in the city of Fiesole

  

  

  The main square of Fiesole

  Getting there:

• By bus – The number seven bus leaves from just outside of the Santa Maria Novella train station at 1 Largo Fratelli Alinari, right by a sushi restaurant and goes directly to Fiesole in about 20 to 25 minutes. The ticket costs €1.50 each way and can be bought from one of the automated ticket stands right by one of the nearby tram stops
• By car – Fiesole can be reached by car in about 20 minutes

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I love Florence for too many reasons to count, but it is certainly made better by its location and how well-connected it is with Tuscany and the rest of the country, making it easy for residents, study abroad students, and tourists alike to explore the surrounding areas in just a day if that is all they have. I am already certain that I will spend much of the rest of my life finding excuses to come back to Florence and to Italy, so I can continue to uncover beautiful bits and pieces of this city and others.