Compare Tuscany holidays

Where to stay in Tuscany

For families

Florence is fun, but can require a bit of leg-stretching for little ones. Instead, try Siena, or one of the pint-sized hill towns the region is so well known for, like San Gimignano, Montepulciano, or Volterra. The countryside is packed full of family-friendly villas with pools.

If sea and sand are required, try the Tuscan coast. In resorts beloved by Italian families, such as Viareggio and Marina di Grosseto, clear waters are backed by pine forests. For something more leftfield, try Elba, the largest Tuscan island – it has beautiful beaches and dolphin and whale-watching trips.

For travellers on a budget

Steer clear of central Florence if you’re looking to keep to a budget. Instead, choose one of the small, quaint towns nearby; the likes of Pistoia, Borgo San Lorenzo and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa are tranquil and beautiful in their own right, and only around 20 miles from the city.

If you’re taking a short, cheap break and want an urban stay, try San Marco, a residential area near the city centre with a high concentration of hostels.

Wherever you stay, focus on apartments, villas and B&Bs to get the best value – full-service hotels are notoriously pricey.

For food and drink

With the focus on rural, farm-to-table dishes, there’s no need to splash out to enjoy good food and drink in Tuscany – small-town stays taste just as good as city breaks here. Even Michelin stars are scattered around; the only three-star is in Florence but there are two-star owners in tiny hamlets.

Wine-lovers can locate themselves in the heartlands of the favourite vintages. For Chianti Classico, stay in Greve in Chianti; for Brunello go to Montalcino; and for the Super Tuscans head for Bolgheri, close to the coast.

For nightlife

Tuscany isn’t exactly club central, but Florence is your best bet if you want to party. There’s also a good selection of rooftop bars for a more relaxed vibe. Elsewhere, Pisa, with its student population, has some lively music venues and drinking spots.

In summer, the most active nightlife can be found in Versilia, the coastal region that’s home to glitzy, glamorous seaside resorts including Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio.

For culture

With its embarrassment of cultural riches, Florence is your most obvious choice for culture. Renaissance palaces, medieval chapels, frescoed churches and seemingly endless paintings and sculptures are contained within this small city. Stay around the Duomo if you like to be in the thick of things, or head across the river to Oltrarno for a slower pace and boutique hotels.

Even small Tuscan packages contain cultural riches. Try Siena, a perfectly preserved Gothic masterpiece with the famous Piazza del Campo at its heart, and petite Lucca, with its myriad towers and its city walls designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

When to go to Tuscany

Florence is best visited in spring and autumn, when temperatures are in the early and mid-20s, though you’ll find prices reflect this.

It can get uncomfortably hot in high summer, but there are compensations – in August, prices can drop as the locals head for the coast, and for shoppers, July and August are sales months.

Prices fall significantly from December to March and it rarely drops below 10C so if you don’t mind a little rain, there are cheap holidays on offer. Remember, rural regions shut down in winter, but rest of the year has seasonal benefits; spring brings flower festivals and summer, the heat. Autumn, meanwhile, is harvest time for everything from grapes to truffles.

Summer will see the highest prices, with the influx of both international and domestic tourists. The coast really comes alive from June, when it becomes warm enough to swim. It stays that way until late September.