Destination Guides > Italy > Tuscany

Tuscany (Toscana)

The home of the Rennaissance with a huge art collection in Florence, Pisa and Siena plus the quintessential Italian countryside combine to make Tuscany one of the most visited Italian regions. Everyone comes here, and with good reason, there's oodles to see and do and despite the tourist crowds, it isn't too difficult to get away from it all.

Florence (Firenze)

Anyone who has ever studied art history dreams of visiting Florence. This Tuscan city is home to many of the great Renaissance masterpieces including Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Primavera. As Florence is the major centre for Italian renaissance art, major sights include the Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery (website www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/uffizi/) and Galleria dell'Accademia (website www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/accademia/). Check out Firenze.net (website http://english.firenze.net/3/) for the latest happenings in Florence.

Practical Information

Florence Tourist Information Centre

Via Cavour 1r, Florence

Tel (055) 276 0382

American Express

Via Dante Alighieri 22r, Florence

Tel (055) 50981

Coming & Going

Stazione Santa Maria Novella is the main station and it is only a short walk from the centre.

Local Transport

Florence has a good local bus service run by ATAF (website www.ataf.net) that runs throughout the city and also to smaller outlying towns and villages. There are also frequent trains between Florence and other towns in the Tuscany region.

There is a large selection of timed tickets that allow between 60 minutes and one week travel. These tickets cost €1 for 60 minutes, €1.80 for three hours, €4.50 for 24 hours, €7.60 for two days, €9.60 for three days and €16 for seven days. You can also buy four 60 minute tickets for €3.90.

Accommodation

Albergo Paola

Via Faenza, 56, 50123 Florence

Central Beds

Via 27 Aprile 4, 50129 Florence (Firenze)

David Inn

Via Ricasoli 31, 50122 Florence

Tel (055) 230 2231

Emerald Fields Hostel

Via Agnolo Poliziano 1, 50129 Florence

Tel 347 5705447

Eurostudent Home

Via Pellicceria 1, 50123 Florence

Hostel Archi Rossi

Via Faenza 94R, 50123 Firenze

Tel (055) 290804

Hostel Pio X

Via dei Serragli 106, 50123 Florence

Tel (055) 225044

Istituto Gould

Via dei Serragli 49, 50124 Florence

Tel (055) 212576

Locanda Starlight

Via Guelfa 59, 50123 Florence

Tel (055) 287012

Ostello Gallo d'Oro

Via Cavour 104, 50129 Firenze

Tel (055) 5522964

Ostello Santa Monaca

Via Santa Monaca 6, 50124 Florence

Tel (055) 268338

Ostello Villa Camerata

Viale Augusto Righi 2/4, 50137 Firenze (Firenze)

Bus 17

Tel (055) 601451

Sette (7) Santi Hostel

Viale dei Mille 11, 50131 Florence

Tel (055) 5048452

Soggiorno Pitti

Piazza de' Pitti 8, 50125 Florence

Soggiorno Prestipino

Via del Moro 22, 50123 Florence (Firenze)

Tel (055) 210090

Youth Residence Firenze 2000

Viale Raffaello Sanzio 16, 50124 Firenze

Bus 12

Tel (055) 233 5558

Pisa

There's a lot more to Pisa than the leaning tower, and most of it is conveniently located alongside the tower in Campo del Miracoli. After seeing the famous landmarks, lose yourself in the streets of the old town.

Practical Information

Pisa Tourist Information Centre

Piazza Arcivescovado, Pisa

Coming & Going

Pisa is served by frequent trains from Sienna and Florence and is home to Tuscany's main airport. You can take either a train or bus 7 which runs between the station and the airport.

Accommodation

Village Torre Pendente

Viale Cascine 86, Pisa 56122

Tel (050) 561704

San Gimignano

Picture-perfect San Gimignano is a product of medieval one-up-manship when local families tried to out-do each other by building the town's famous towers. Of the 72 original towers, there are only 14 still standing, these draw in hoards of local tourists during weekends.

Practical Information

San Gimignano Tourist Information Centre

Piazza del Duomo, San Gimignano

Tel (0577) 940 008

Coming & Going

There are frequent buses to San Gimignano to Poggibonsi where you can change buses to continue to Florence or Siena.

Sienna

With its ramparts still standing, Sienna is Italy's best preserved medieval town, which at one stage was a serious rival to Florence. Sienna is close enough to be done in a day trip from Florence, however you may want to stay here in order to really explore the city. If possible, try and visit Sienna on 2 July or 16 August when the city is home to the unique Palio horse race and festival.

Practical Information

Sienna Tourist Information Centre

Piazza del Campo 56, Sienna

Tel (0577) 280 551

Coming & Going

Sienna has frequent trains to Florence - buses 2, 3 and 10 run from the station to the centre.

Accommodation

Ostello Guidoriccio

Via Fiorentina 89, 53100 Siena (Siena)

Bus 10, 15, 77

Tel (0577) 52212

If you want to experience rural Tuscany, yet be within commuting distance of both Sienna and Florence, stay at one of the hostels in the smaller Tuscan towns such as Castelfiorentino, Certaldo or Lucca.

CASTELFIORENTINO

Ostello Castelfiorentino

Viale Franklin Delano Roosevelt 26, 50051 Castelfiorentino (Firenze)

Tel (0571) 64002

CERTALDO

Fattoria Bassetto

Via Avanella 42, 50052 Certaldo (Firenze)

Tel (0571) 668 342

LUCCA

L'Arancio Affittacamere

via Romana 57, 55100 Lucca

Leone di Sant'Anna

Via Castruccio Buonamici 221, 55100 Lucca

Ostello San Frediano

Via della Cavallerizza 12, 55100 Lucca (Lucca)

Bus 1, Q3

Tel (0583) 469957