Florence. Just the name oozes a Renaissance Medieval vibe.

The city is pretty amazing.

One amazing thing we found out about Florence is it’s location is pretty close to so many day trips. You could go to Milan, or even Venice on a day trip.

There are several places all within 30 minutes to 1 hour by train. You can even go to Pisa or Bologna within 30 minutes.

We decided on the following options for Day Trips:

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre quite literally means 5 lands or towns. These are 5 fishing villages that are perched above the Ligurian sea. This is day-trip-able, but you must get going early as it is about 2 hours by train. Given the time, a stay-over would be recommended so you can enjoy a lovely sea-side dinner.

The train is the preferred way to get to this area. Cars are not allowed in these towns, with the exception of Monterosso. However, you have to weave your way from the highway down to the towns. Do yourself a favor and take the train! Basically, you take the train from Florence to La Spezia then connect to a local train that connects you to the towns of the Cinque Terre. Each town has a train station. You depart and walk towards the sea. It’s that easy.

On our visit, we arrived in Vernazza and headed to the sea. We had previously visited this village, and boy, has it changed. It has really developed. Lots more restaurants and shops, and during the heat of the summer, lots of visitors. We had a nice little lunch and then played in the sea. The kids loved to look at little fishes and sea crabs amongst the rocks. When we were done, we just walked up to the train station and headed back to Florence!

Tuscany

No trip to Florence would be complete to heading to the hill towns of Tuscany. Now to travel to Tuscany, you are best in a car. We rented a car from the airport. And drove about 45 minutes from Florence and met up with some friends.

The parents visited a winery and kids explored vineyards near the villa. There are lots of towns to visit. Each town has its own flavor and speciality. Some towns are known for wine, or olive oil, or lace, or pottery. All make for pretty nice souvenirs.

A visit to Tuscany, particularly if a winery is involved in the visit, necessitates a stopover.

Siena

Siena and Florence have had a famously bitter rivalry since Medieval times. Siena is a wonderful Medieval town and well worth a visit. If you only have time for a day trip, then you must.

The city sits over three hills and its heart is the Piazza del Campo. Il Campo is also the site of the famous Palio races (horse races), which happen twice each summer. We were warned that the Palio can get very busy, crowded, and may not be appropriate for children. But it would be a memorable experience!

But Siena really comes alive during the evening. There are easy bus trips from Florence to Siena.

Unless you have a car for exploring other parts of Tuscany, take the bus. We included this along with our visit to our friends in Tuscany and had a car. The summer months are busy with tourists and parking can be hard to come by. Be patient and you’ll find something!

So, that’s it. Three perfect easy side trips from Florence.

C’mon Let’s Go…