Where to stay in Tuscany: the 7 areas to know in 2026
The Tuscany our reviews describe is not the one on the posters. After Florence, which carries 41 of the 71 reviews, our members head for the sea and not for the hills: eighteen reviews on the coast and the islands, five on all the medieval towns put together. "Set aside a few days to enjoy the Tuscan coast", writes one of them.
And on Florence they are split: a museum city for some, a living city for others. The way out of that disagreement is a neighborhood, not another town: "get away from the busy neighborhoods to find the soul of this great city". Seven areas below, two in Florence and three on the water.
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If you are coming during the warmer months, I recommend setting aside a few days to enjoy the Tuscan coast.
One base or several?
Florence carries 41 of the corpus's 71 reviews, and the coast eighteen. Here is what works depending on how long you have.
- A long weekend: Florence alone, and without a car. One of our members regrets "only having planned three days": that is the minimum, not the comfortable option.
- One week: Florence and the sea, which is what our reviews actually do: four nights in the city, three on the island of Elba or at Monte Argentario. The classic variant swaps the sea for Siena.
- Ten days: Three bases: Florence, the hills around Siena, then the coast. This is the length at which both Tuscanies fit into one trip.
- Two weeks: Four bases, adding Lucca and the Versilia to the north-west, or Arezzo and eastern Tuscany, the least visited of them all.
How much driving between two bases?
By road, and by train where there is one: between Florence, Pisa and Arezzo the rail is as fast as the car and avoids the restricted traffic zones.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Florence → Pise | 1 hr | 85 km on the A11, or 1 hr by direct train |
| Florence → Lucques | 1 hr 15 | 80 km on the A11 |
| Florence → Sienne | 1 hr 15 | 70 km on the raccordo, toll-free |
| Sienne → San Gimignano | 50 min | 45 km via Poggibonsi |
| Florence → Arezzo | 1 hr | 80 km on the A1, or 1 hr by train |
| Pise → Livourne | 30 min | 25 km, trains every half hour |
| Florence → Piombino | 2 hr | 170 km, the ferry port for Elba |
| Piombino → Portoferraio | 1 hr | Ferry, booking required with a car |
| Florence → Monte Argentario | 2 hr 30 | 190 km on the A1 and the Aurelia |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in Tuscany
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Florence: the historic center Duomo, Signoria, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella
for a first visit, and to have everything under your windows
One square kilometer, and the densest in Renaissance art in Europe: the Duomo and its dome, the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio. Our reviews make it a painter's canvas, "you would think it was drawn by an artist, right down to every detail". The downside is said by the same people: an hour of queuing at the cathedral, and "a lot of people" on the bridge. Booking online and coming early changes the day.
The city is a painting. You would think it was drawn by an artist, right down to every detail. I especially love walking around the Arno, where you sometimes stumble upon open views that highlight the Florentine architecture.
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Helvetia & Bristol Firenze Luxury
Open since 1885, two streets from the Duomo and next to Palazzo Strozzi. A few top-floor rooms see Brunelleschi's dome from the bed.
Portrait Firenze Luxury
On the Lungarno, with the Ponte Vecchio lined up with the restaurant. Bikes are lent out, which is the right way to leave the center without a car.
Brunelleschi Hotel Mid-range
Inside a 6th-century Byzantine tower and a deconsecrated church, a hundred meters from Piazza del Duomo. The hotel's museum sits in its own foundations.
Pros
- Everything on foot, and Santa Maria Novella station at the end of the street
- The four museums our reviews name most often, within the same perimeter
Cons
- The most expensive area in the whole region
- Two of our reviews speak of a "museum city": this is where they feel it
Florence: the Oltrarno, Santo Spirito and San Niccolò Santo Spirito, San Frediano, San Niccolò, Piazzale Michelangelo
one of our reviews' answer to anyone who finds Florence too touristy
Across the Arno, the craftsmen's workshops, the squares that come alive in the evening and prices a third lower. This is the quarter one of our members had in mind: "get away from the busy neighborhoods to find the soul of this great city". The Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens are here, along with San Miniato al Monte, which our review recommends "at sunset".
The richness of the museums and the romantic Boboli Gardens also add to the appeal of this city that leaves no one indifferent. Get away from the busy neighborhoods to find the soul of this great city.
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Lungarno Luxury
On the south bank of the Arno, a Ferragamo house, with a 20th-century art collection on the walls. The corner rooms face the Ponte Vecchio head on.
Palazzo Guadagni Hotel Mid-range
On Piazza Santo Spirito, in a 16th-century palace with a loggia open over the rooftops. The heart of the quarter, with its market and its terraces.
Numa Florence Palazzo San Niccolò Mid-range
At the foot of the ramp that climbs to San Miniato, apartments with kitchens. The best value in this guide for a stay of several nights with a family.
Pros
- A third cheaper than the right bank, ten minutes from the Ponte Vecchio
- Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato on foot, for the evening view
Cons
- It climbs toward San Niccolò and the Piazzale: bring your legs
- Santo Spirito is loud at weekends until late
Pisa, Lucca and the coast Piazza dei Miracoli, the walls of Lucca, Livorno
for a stop between Florence and the sea
An hour from Florence by train, and our reviews disagree about what you find there: two call the Leaning Tower a must, two advise against making the trip. Lucca divides nobody: four kilometers of tree-planted walls, an oval square built on the Roman amphitheater, and Puccini's house. In Livorno, our two reviews are harsh about the port and the Terrazza Mascagni remains the only reason to stop.
If you are coming to Florence, I recommend a quick trip to Pisa, which is easily accessible by train.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Grand Hotel Duomo Mid-range
A hundred meters from the Piazza dei Miracoli, with a roof terrace facing the tower. The address that spares you the shuttle from the station.
Palazzo Alexander Mid-range
Inside the walls of Lucca, a 12th-century palace with thirteen rooms. Two minutes from the church of San Michele in Foro.
Albergo Celide Mid-range
Just outside the walls, with parking, which settles Lucca's one real problem. The walk around the ramparts starts across the road.
Pros
- The direct train from Florence, one hour, with no car
- The lowest city rates in this guide
Cons
- Two of our four reviews of the tower advise against going
- Livorno's port disappoints both our reviews: "everything is concreted over"
Siena and the hill towns Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Montepulciano, Chianti
for the Tuscany of the posters, which our reviews barely mention
Five reviews only for all these towns put together, and they are glowing. Siena is "unfairly overlooked in favor of flashy Florence", and its Piazza del Campo is "that curved, shell-shaped square that is unique in the world". San Gimignano is seen "in a few hours", Volterra is "less busy" with its Etruscan museum, and Montepulciano is worth it for its cellars and its Vino Nobile.
Unfairly overlooked in favor of flashy Florence, Siena remains one of the most beautiful cities in Italy for me. It is human-sized and has far fewer tourists, making it very pleasant to explore on foot
Where to stay in this area
Grand Hotel Continental Siena Luxury
The only five-star inside the walls of Siena, in a palace of 1600 given by Pope Alexander VII. Three minutes from Piazza del Campo.
Hotel Athena Mid-range
In the old town, with a roof terrace looking out over the Sienese countryside. Parking on site, rare inside the walls.
La Cisterna Hotel Mid-range
On Piazza della Cisterna itself, in a 14th-century building. Sleeping inside San Gimignano means having the town once the coaches leave.
Pros
- Far fewer people than in Florence, and our reviews point it out
- Three medieval towns within fifty kilometers
Cons
- Five reviews in all: the least documented part of our corpus
- Without a car, only Siena is reachable by bus from Florence
The island of Elba Portoferraio, Capoliveri, Rio Marina, Porto Azzurro
seven reviews, more than all the medieval towns combined
An hour by ferry from Piombino, and it is the part of Tuscany our members talk about most after Florence. Portoferraio "keeps its authentic feel" despite the port, the Volterraio castle is visible from the boat, and Napoleon left two villas here. One warning, from our review of Biodola beach: do not go in August, or else "arrive early, have a picnic and leave".
This small town has so much charm. Even though it is the main port of the island, it keeps its authentic feel. I really loved walking through the pink stone streets.
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Hermitage Luxury
Directly on Biodola beach, private beach, three seawater pools and a nine-hole course. The island's historic address, open since the sixties.
Hotel Villa Ottone Luxury
A frescoed villa and its two-hectare park at the water's edge, facing Portoferraio across the bay. Private beach and panoramic restaurant.
Pros
- Seven reviews from our members, the second corpus of the region
- Free shuttles in summer at Capoliveri, flagged by one of our reviews
Cons
- The crossing must be booked, car included, from spring for August
- One of our reviews advises against Biodola beach in mid-August
Monte Argentario and the Maremma Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole, Orbetello, Grosseto
the area one of our reviews names outright as a place to sleep
A mountainous peninsula tied to the mainland by three sand spits, two and a half hours from Florence. This is where one of our members sends anyone who wants the coast: Porto Santo Stefano is "a charming village where it is really pleasant to stay". Across the way, Porto Ercole has "so much charm", and Cala del Gesso is the largest cove on the peninsula, in pebbles.
Porto Santo Stefano is a charming village where it is really pleasant to stay while you visit the Tuscan coast
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Il Pellicano Luxury
Forty-seven rooms clinging to the cliff above the sea, at Porto Ercole. Season from April to late October, and summer is booked a year ahead.
Torre di Cala Piccola Mid-range
Around a 16th-century Spanish tower, above Cala Piccola. A pool cut into the rock and a view across the archipelago as far as Giglio.
Pros
- The only explicit lodging recommendation in our whole Tuscan corpus
- Two harbors, coves and the Feniglia reserve within ten kilometers
Cons
- Beach shoes required: our reviews say pebbles, not fine sand
- Two and a half hours from Florence: this is not a day trip
Arezzo and eastern Tuscany Arezzo, Cortona, Prato, Bisenzio valley
for the back country, and the lowest rates in this guide
An hour east of Florence by motorway, and nobody goes. Our review landed there by chance on a public holiday and found "a superb antique market on Piazza Grande": it is held the first weekend of every month, and has been since 1968. The basilica of San Francesco holds Piero della Francesca's fresco cycle, and the Bisenzio climbs toward the Apennines.
I was lucky enough to discover a superb antique market on Piazza Grande, in the historic center. This medieval square is magnificent, almost timeless.
Where to stay in this area
Graziella Patio Hotel Mid-range
In the center of Arezzo, five minutes from Piazza Grande. Ten rooms, each on a theme borrowed from Bruce Chatwin's books.
Vogue Hotel Arezzo Mid-range
In a palace in the historic center, steps from the basilica of San Francesco and its frescoes. Roof terrace over the old town.
Pros
- The lowest rates in this guide, an hour from Florence by train
- The antique market on the first weekend of the month, on Piazza Grande
Cons
- A single review in our whole corpus: the area is thinly documented
- Nothing on the water: the exact opposite of the rest of this guide
Our tips for booking the right place
- Our reviews are split on Florence, and the neighborhood is what settles it: "A real museum city", "seems to exist only for tourists", write two of our members. A third says the opposite: "you will share the streets, the shops and the restaurants with the Florentines who live and work there". Both are right, on two different banks: the center for the monuments, the Oltrarno for the city.
- After Florence, our members go to the sea, not to the hills: Eighteen reviews on the coast and the islands against five on Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Montepulciano and Arezzo combined. The figure does not say the hills are less beautiful, it says what our members actually do. One of them writes: "set aside a few days to enjoy the Tuscan coast".
- The Leaning Tower splits our reviews into two equal halves: Two members call it a must, two advise against the trip: "I would not spend half a day on this visit", "if you are only staying a few days in Florence, I advise you not to make the trip". The train takes an hour: it is half a day, and it comes out of the rest.
- The Duomo's dome must be booked, and it must be earned: "More than 400 steps, sometimes almost completely vertical", writes one of our reviews, "a trial that gives you the finest view over Florence". Another reports over an hour of queuing to get into the cathedral without a ticket. Booking online and aiming for opening time changes the morning.
- Livorno's port is no charming stop, and both our reviews say so: "It is not a place for a stroll", "I do not recommend this stop [...] everything is concreted over". Livorno is a ferry port, useful for sailing to Corsica or Sardinia, and its Terrazza Mascagni is worth an hour, not a night.
- Booking at the foot of the Duomo without looking at the price: it is the most expensive area in the region, and the Oltrarno is ten minutes away for a third less.
- Aiming for Biodola beach in mid-August: our review says arrive early, have a picnic and leave, or pick another beach.
- Taking Livorno for a charming stop: both reviews in our corpus are negative, and one explicitly advises against stopping.
- Counting on Monte Argentario in August without a booking: addresses on the peninsula go months ahead, and Il Pellicano a year.
FAQ: where to stay in Tuscany
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