Day Trips from Rome to Tuscany

[cantgetaname]

I have a cruise that finishes in Rome and I'd love to spend a few days in Rome.   One of the things I'd love to do but I have no experience about the area or if it's possible.   I would love to take a day trip and see Tuscany.   Is it far,   not realistic?   If it is possible are there any companies offering day trips by coach  or private car?   I won't have a car myself, and am not sure about navigating trains etc on my own.  Thanks for the advice & help.

[cruisemom42]

Tuscany encompasses a lot of ground, but yes, there are companies that offer a car and driver for a day and will take you to see a few iconic places in Tuscany, depending on what your interests are.

 

If you are most interested in Florence, I would HIGHLY recommend just doing it on your own via the high-speed train. It's about 90 minutes by high speed train (by far the fastest way and the least expensive).  If it is a daytrip, you won't have the hassle of luggage, and there are no changes of train en route, so it is the perfect opportunity to learn about taking the trains...

 

However, if you want to see some of the countryside, maybe stop in one of the smaller hill towns and/or do a wine-tasting, that is best accomplished by car.

 

One of the most highly recommended companies offers several different tours including Siena and San Gimignano (classic Tuscan towns), or a wine tour that includes Montepulciano.  (They also offer Florence, but again I think the train is the better way if that is your primary point of interest.)

 

Such a tour isn't cheap and is priced per vehicle, not per passenger. So you might pay around 500-600 euro for a car that holds 2-4 people. 

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by cruisemom42

[rdt10]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

If you are most interested in Florence, I would HIGHLY recommend just doing it on your own via the high-speed train. It's about 90 minutes by high speed train (by far the fastest way and the least expensive).  If it is a daytrip, you won't have the hassle of luggage, and there are no changes of train en route, so it is the perfect opportunity to learn about taking the trains...

 

We have done this a couple of times and it is very easy. Trains are frequent and most sites are walking distance from the train station. Our first time we did a half day walking tour in the morning to get the highlights and orient us to the town. Excellent day trip from Rome.

[bennybear]

We really enjoy the hill top town of Orvieto, with its absolutely magnificent cathedral!  It’s an easy hour train ride from Rome.  The train station is at the bottom of the hill,  with an elevator that takes you up to the charming town.   But we have done this in reverse, as we have happily spent weeks in Tuscany.  

Edited January 30, 2021 by bennybear

[Hlitner]

To echo what Cruisemom says, Tuscany is about 9000 square miles (about the size of Vermont).  That is a big area :).   We have spent many weeks in Tuscany (with a car) and have not even dented the region.  So when you talk about a day trip from Rome to Tuscany you do need to focus.  

 

If you are asking if it is realistic to go to a part of Tuscany on a day trip the answer would be yes but you would need to focus on where you want to go.  Just consider that from Rome to Siena would be nearly 300 miles round trip.  Just consider how much of your day you want to spend on the road.

 

By the way, one of the posters mentioned Orvieto (we like that hill town) but that city is not in Tuscany but rather part of Umbria.  It actually makes sense as a day trip.  Another closer possibility is to head over to Tivoli which is much closer to Rome and offers Villa d'Este as well as nearby Villa Adriania.  Yes Tuscany is a wonderful part of Italy there are many wonderful places closer to Rome.  

 

If you do want to see Tuscany we would suggest spending a few days (or more) exploring that region.  One option is to use Florence as a base and day trip from that location.  Our own preference is to stay in a more rural location (such as near San Gimignano) with our own car which gives us lots of flexibility to explore the region.

 

Hank

 

[bennybear]

Hank is correct that Orvieto is not in Tuscany, but Umbria.   Many people confuse the two areas,  the book Under the Tuscan Sun is actually predominantly set in Cortona which is in Umbria.  I suggested it as it is easily accessible by train and It is also a hilltop town that we have particularly enjoyed with a most magnificent Cathedral.  Some of the other towns are more difficult to access with public transportation.  We too have spent many weeks in this area and enjoy exploring the more remote areas.  
Most recently Pitigliano and area

[samavarcruiser]

We loved our day trip to Montalcino and Montepulciano

[bennybear]

10 hours ago, samavarcruiser said:

We loved our day trip to Montalcino and Montepulciano

We enjoy both of those and the wine!  But we find a car is the best way to visit.  Also we like Pienza,  we have stayed in this area several times! 

[cantgetaname]

Thanks for all the advice.   I'll do a little more research while I'm waiting (just ever so patiently lol) to go on another cruise.

[samavarcruiser]

Enjoy your cruise 🙂