Tuscany: by plane, car or ferry
Renaissance cities, the cypress lanes of the Val d'Orcia, plus the beaches of Versilia and the wild Maremma. Tuscany is the ideal combined holiday: galleries or vineyards in the morning, the sea in the afternoon. One long day's drive from Central Europe, or fly to Pisa or Florence.
What does a trip to Tuscany cost this year?
The calculator compares flights from several airports, driving with real ferry prices, and shows the weather for every date.
You'll see these everywhere
The Val d'Orcia cypresses
The rolling country south of Siena with its lone cypresses and hilltop towns has been UNESCO listed as a cultural landscape since 2004. The most photographed lanes and chapels line the road between San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza.
David and the Renaissance
Michelangelo's five metre original stands in the Accademia, with copies on Piazza della Signoria and the Piazzale Michelangelo lookout. Florence is the Renaissance cradle: the Uffizi with Botticelli, the Ponte Vecchio, Brunelleschi's dome.
The Leaning Tower
The bell tower on Pisa's Field of Miracles leans about 4 degrees; before the 1990s stabilisation it was over 5. 294 steps lead up, with timed entry slots.
The black rooster
The Chianti Classico emblem comes from the legend of the Florence and Siena border: riders set out at cockcrow, and the Florentines starved their rooster so it crowed before dawn. The gallo nero sits on every bottle from the vineyards between the two cities.
The Palio di Siena
The bareback race of the city wards on Piazza del Campo runs on 2 July and 16 August, three laps in about 90 seconds. Standing room in the square is free but claimed hours ahead; the contrade rivalry breathes from the lanes all year.
The agriturismo
Staying on a working farm is an Italian invention, enshrined in law back in 1985, and Tuscany is its showcase. A stone farmhouse with a pool, its own wine and oil makes the best base, thickest on the ground in Chianti and the Val d'Orcia.
Thermal cascades
The sulphur cascades of Cascate del Mulino at Saturnia run at 37.5 °C, free and round the clock. Bagno Vignoni has a medieval thermal pool instead of a square, and the white terraces of Bagni San Filippo bathe free in the woods.
The butteri of the Maremma
Mounted herdsmen still work the long horned Maremma cattle, and by cherished account they beat Buffalo Bill's cowboys in Rome in 1890. Watch them at the Tenuta di Alberese farm in the Maremma nature park.
Local prices
Guide prices for a typical tourist area in high season (as of 2026-07). Accommodation and rentals are sampled automatically, the basket is a curated estimate.
When to go
The season runs May to October, but cities and sea keep different rhythms. Florence and Siena are best in May, June and September; July and August bring 35 °C plus and queues. The sea along Versilia and the Maremma peaks around 25 °C from mid July to late August.
| Month | Daily high | Sea | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 23 °C | – | ~15 |
| June | 29 °C | – | ~7 |
| July | 33 °C | – | ~5 |
| August | 34 °C | – | ~5 |
| September | 27 °C | – | ~10 |
Averages from the last 8 years (Open-Meteo). The calculator shows your exact week in more detail.
What to taste
Bistecca alla fiorentina
A tall T-bone, ideally chianina beef, four centimetres and at least 800 grams, off the coals and always rare inside; nobody will cook it through for you. Sold by weight at 40 to 60 € a kilo.
Ribollita
The thick reboiled soup of bread, black kale and beans, the essence of Tuscan peasant cooking. 7 to 10 € in a trattoria.
Pici
Hand rolled thick spaghetti from Siena and the Val d'Orcia, classically with the garlicky all'aglione sauce or wild boar ragù. 10 to 14 €.
Lampredotto
Florentine street food: a roll of slow cooked beef tripe with salsa verde from the street trippai. About 5 € a panino.
Cantucci and Pienza pecorino
The hard almond biscuits get dunked in sweet vin santo, a 5 to 8 € dessert. Pienza's sheep pecorino ages in walnut leaves and ash, tasted right in town.
Chianti, Brunello, Vernaccia
Chianti Classico from 10 € a bottle, prestigious Brunello di Montalcino from 30 €, and white Vernaccia of San Gimignano, Italy's very first DOC from 1966. A glass runs 4 to 7 € out.
Return flights from Prague or Vienna
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Cheapest fares found per person (Aviasales, last ~48 h). Click a month to open the calculator with those dates.
Three trips worth taking
Florence
~60 min by car
The Uffizi charges 25 € plus 4 € for advance booking, David in the Accademia 16 €, and the Duomo dome only via the 30 € pass. In July and August buy slots weeks ahead and only on the official site; drive to a park and ride and finish by tram.
Siena and San Gimignano
~60 min by car
The shell shaped Piazza del Campo, the marble floored cathedral, then the medieval Manhattan: fourteen of San Gimignano's 72 towers still stand, the tallest climbed with the museum for 9 €. The superstrada from Florence is free and one day covers both.
The Val d'Orcia loop
~90 min by car
Renaissance Pienza with its pecorino, Montepulciano with cellars under the palaces and Montalcino with Brunello; the towns are free, you pay for tastings from 15 € and the car parks below the walls. En route, Bagno Vignoni's thermals and the free Bagni San Filippo cascades.
Beaches and the sea
Versilia in the north (Viareggio, Lido di Camaiore, Forte dei Marmi) means kilometres of wide, gently shelving sand, ideal for kids; but paid stabilimenti claim nearly all of it, a parasol set costing 32 to 35 € and Forte dei Marmi's luxury tents hundreds. Free stretches are scarce, mostly at Viareggio's edges. The Maremma in the south runs wilder and cheaper: unbuilt Marina di Alberese in the nature park (car park full by 9 in summer, then a shuttle), family Castiglione della Pescaia. Between them lies the Etruscan Riviera with pine backed Golfo di Baratti by the Etruscan necropolises, and in the south the six kilometre pine spit of Feniglia, largely free. The sea peaks around 25 °C from mid July to late August; a degree or two cooler than Italy's south, on par with the Adriatic.
How to get there
Fly to Pisa on low cost routes, or to Florence. Driving from Prague means roughly 1,100 km via the Brenner, one long day. You need a car for the countryside and beaches; trains work well between the big cities.
Airports
- PSA · Pisa International Airport (Pisa)
- FLR · Peretola Airport (Florence)
Car ferries
No ferry needed when driving here.
Distance
742 km from Prague as the crow flies. The calculator computes the real route, tolls and fuel.
Tip
The best base is a countryside agriturismo: a farm with a pool among the vines often beats a Florence hotel on price, with everything within an hour's drive.
Good to know
- The historic centres of Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa run camera enforced ZTL zones: a Florence fine is 83 € per pass and your rental firm adds a fee. Since July 2025 the Scudo Verde eco zone also rings Florence; modern Euro 6 cars are unaffected.
- Drive to Florence only as far as a park and ride: Villa Costanza has its own motorway exit, costs 10 € a day and the tram reaches the centre in 22 minutes.
- Buy the Uffizi, Accademia, Duomo dome and Leaning Tower only through the official sites, weeks ahead in summer. Resellers sell the same slots at a markup.
- Tolls from the Brenner to Florence run 25 to 30 € plus the Austrian vignette. The regional superstrada linking Florence, Pisa and Livorno is free and the best city to coast connector.
- An agriturismo typically runs 80 to 150 € a room with breakfast, simpler ones from 55 €. Summer often rents Saturday to Saturday weekly blocks; book in spring.
- The famous white gravel roads of Chianti and the Val d'Orcia drive fine in a normal car when dry, slowly and dustily. Rental contracts often exclude damage cover on them, so check yours.
- August around Ferragosto is fullest and priciest on the coast; Florence stays full all year, its museums emptiest early morning and late afternoon. The best rhythm: sea and trips in the morning, cities outside the midday heat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the place known for?
Local signatures include The Val d'Orcia cypresses, David and the Renaissance, The Leaning Tower, The black rooster, The Palio di Siena, The agriturismo, Thermal cascades, The butteri of the Maremma.
How much are food and drinks locally?
As a guide: espresso at the bar ~1.3 €, main dish at a casual place ~15 €, beer (0.5 l) out ~5.5 €, scoop of ice cream ~2.8 €, sunbed and parasol per day ~33 €, an hour of parking ~2.5 €, litre of petrol ~1.95 €. High-season prices as of 2026-07.
Which airports serve it?
Nearest airports: Pisa International Airport (Pisa) (PSA), Peretola Airport (Florence) (FLR). The calculator compares fares to all of them at once, from Prague and Vienna alike.
Car or plane, which pays off?
A close contest: Pisa fares run cheap, but a car is near essential in the countryside and seasonal rentals eat the difference. Families with their own car often do better by road, especially combined with Elba or a ferry onward to Sardinia.