Under the Tuscan Sun (No Villa, Just Vibes): Our Detour Through Florence

After two whirlwind days in Rome and a morning wrangling the Vatican with kids in tow — read: gelato-fuelled walking marathons and one very memorable McNuggets negotiation — we packed our bags and headed to Tuscany. Because Diane Lane told me to. Okay, not personally, but after watching Under the Tuscan Sun, I knew one day I’d have to sip wine among rolling hills and dramatically gaze at the countryside like I was in a movie.

Tuscany isn’t just a region — it’s basically Italy’s Pinterest board. Think golden hills, endless vineyards, olive groves that look airbrushed, and historic cities that casually flaunt more art than most countries combined. People don’t just visit Tuscany; they fall a little in love with it, usually somewhere around their second glass of Chianti.

Why Tuscany Is Famous (Besides Inspiring Impulsive Villa-Buying Fantasies)

• Florence: The capital of Tuscany and the Renaissance’s favourite child. Home to Michelangelo’s David (spoiler: he’s even more impressive in person), the Uffizi Gallery, and a cathedral dome that will make your neck ache from staring up too long.
• Pisa: Yes, the Leaning Tower really leans. Yes, everyone takes the same cheesy “holding it up” photo. And yes, I absolutely plan to do it too, one day.
• Siena: Medieval vibes, Gothic architecture, and the Palio horse race that turns the main square into something straight out of Game of Thrones — minus the dragons, sadly.
• Lucca: A charming, walled city perfect for cycling, wandering, and pretending you live in a quieter century.

And let’s not forget the food: a steak alla Fiorentina big enough to double as a shield, pasta and pizza that are somehow always better here (don’t argue, just eat), and wine — Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile — that makes the region basically Disneyland for wine drinkers.

Truth is, you need a week — or a lifetime — to do Tuscany justice. We only had four days, so we had to make some tough choices. Spoiler: no, I didn’t buy a villa. But I did leave with enough vineyard photos to convince Instagram otherwise.

When the Plan Falls Apart (For the Better)

We moved to the Tuscany region straight after Rome. The original plan was simple: take the train from Rome to Firenze, pick up a rental car, and drive to Chianti, where we’d base ourselves for four days.

Then Hubby got called back to Jakarta for an urgent work meeting, leaving me and the kids to fend for ourselves. For a moment I nearly abandoned the whole dream of staying in an Airbnb in the rolling hills of Chianti and considered basing in Firenze instead, where public transport would make life easier without a driver. But a quick check-in with our Airbnb host saved the plan: she told me we could reach the property by bus, and they’d pick us up from the stop. So the plan pivoted, but we still made it work — proof that “no car, no problem” is a very doable Tuscany strategy if you’re willing to be flexible.

Getting Around Tuscany: Your Options

Car: The most convenient way to get around if you want to explore smaller towns and villages — genuinely the best option for the Chianti countryside. If you’re based in Firenze or Siena, though, you don’t need one for the city itself, only for day trips to smaller towns.

Train: Tuscany has a well-developed railway network connecting major cities and smaller towns, with Florence Santa Maria Novella, Pisa Centrale, and Siena as the main hubs. Train travel is generally affordable, and tickets can be booked online through Trenitalia or Italo, or bought at the station.

Bus: A good budget option, and often the only way to reach smaller towns not served by rail. Worth knowing if you last researched this trip a while back: the old SITA bus network is gone. Since November 2021, all local and regional bus services in Tuscany — including the routes that used to run under the SITA name — are operated by Autolinee Toscane. Tickets can be bought at the station, on board, or through their app, and their timetables are on at-bus.it.

Bike: Tuscany is a cyclist’s dream, with scenic routes through the countryside and hills. You can rent from a local shop or join a guided tour. Every year Tuscany hosts L’Eroica, an annual vintage bicycle ride celebrating cycling history, where participants ride pre-1987 bikes in era-appropriate clothing. Honestly, L’Eroica was one of the reasons Tuscany made our list in the first place — ever since Hubby took up cycling as a hobby, he’s been fixated on riding those routes one day. More on that obsession in our upcoming Chianti post.

Walk: Once you’re inside any of Tuscany’s towns, walking is the best way to soak it all in and enjoy the scenery.

Firenze: Our Tuscany Escape Begins

We took the high-speed Freccia train to Florence at 08:35. Learning from our taxi ordeal at Termini station in Rome, this time I was smarter — I downloaded a taxi app and booked ahead, so we weren’t ripped off again. Our taxi arrived immediately and cost just €6.90 to Termini. We grabbed breakfast at the station while waiting for our platform, and the train ride to Firenze took a smooth 1.5 hours.

Since I planned to explore Firenze before heading on to Chianti, we dropped our luggage at the train station’s left-luggage service, on the left side of the station as you exit — open daily from 6am to midnight, at roughly €6–€9 per item per day depending on size. We later discovered another option, Stow Your Bags, located just past the old SITA bus terminal on the right side of the station — worth comparing prices if you’re travelling with a lot of luggage.

Walking from the train station to the Duomo is under 2km, but we were visiting in the middle of a summer heatwave, so we took the minibus instead — small enough to navigate Firenze’s narrow alleys. Beyond the minibus, Firenze also has trams for getting around the city, operated by ATAF, with tickets available at kiosks, newsstands, or on board.

Getting Around Firenze

Once you’re inside, Firenze is a relatively small city, and walking is genuinely the most convenient way to get around — the Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, and Ponte Vecchio are all within walking distance of each other.

Taxis are available but can be pricey, especially in peak season — as always in Italy, confirm the fare before getting in and ask for a receipt. If you’re renting a car for the wider region, park outside the city centre; driving into Florence’s historic core isn’t recommended, since many streets are narrow and restricted to residents only.

What to see and do in Firenze

The Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) — This is where we started. Construction began in 1296 and wasn’t completed until 1436 — over 140 years in the making. The cathedral is famous for its Renaissance architecture, including Filippo Brunelleschi’s iconic dome, still the largest masonry dome in the world. The exterior’s pink, white, and green marble gives it a look unlike anything else, and inside you’ll find stained glass, mosaics, and frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari depicting the Last Judgment. You can climb to the top for sweeping views over the city, but that’s 463 steps — we skipped it without regret.

The Uffizi Gallery — Home to one of the world’s most extensive Renaissance art collections, including works by Botticelli, da Vinci, and Michelangelo.

Ponte Vecchio — A historic bridge lined with jewellery shops, and one of Florence’s most photographed landmarks.

The Accademia Gallery — Home to Michelangelo’s David, along with other Renaissance-era masterpieces.

The Boboli Gardens — A beautiful park behind the Pitti Palace, with manicured gardens, fountains, and sculptures.

Mercato Centrale — A bustling indoor food market for sampling local Tuscan delicacies.

Palazzo Vecchio — Florence’s medieval town hall; climb the tower for panoramic city views.

Santa Maria Novella Church — A striking example of Gothic architecture, with frescoes by Giotto.

We walked back to the station just after 5pm to collect our suitcases and catch the bus to Chianti — the terminal is on the right side of the station as you exit. It was still brutally hot, so we were grateful for the air conditioning. As the bus pulled away, Fabio immediately fell asleep, Alyssa buried her nose in a book, and I was left to enjoy the scenery from my window as Tuscany’s golden hills rolled past — the same view that started this whole obsession in the first place.

Next up: four days based in Chianti, our L’Eroica-inspired detours, and the day trips that took us deeper into the Tuscan countryside.