Independent travel to nearby cities is easy. Regional train and bus services cover the whole of Tuscany. Take the No 7 bus from Santa Maria Novella railway station for the little hill-top town of Fiesole for an escape from the city’s summer heat and wonderful views over Florence and the Arno Valley.
Roughly 50 miles west of Florence lies Pisa, the birthplace of Galileo and home of the fabled leaning tower. It can be reached by train from Florence’s main
station, Santa Maria Novella.
Siena, 21 miles south of Florence, is a mediaeval hilltop city with a maze of narrow winding streets that have survived virtually unchanged from the 16th Century and earlier. It can be reached by Sita’s regular express bus service. If you’re in Italy on July 2 or August 16, it’s worth going out of your way to see the palio, a traditional bareback horse race that’s been held in the Piazza del Campo in Siena since the 13th Century. It’s hot, crowded and utterly crazy!
