Here are my picks of the best day trips from Florence by train and bus, because I firmly believe in always doing travel – especially in Italy – without a car. In a city as well connected with public transport as Florence, there’s no need to put yourself through the stress of driving in Italy both on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and amid some interesting attitudes towards the Highway Code.

There are so many things do in Florence itself (have a look at my other blogpost on that), from eating/drinking to soaking up history and culture, that you can easily just visit the city and stay there. But Florence is also a perfect base for getting out and about on day trips to see even more in the surrounding areas. Florence is the capital of Tuscany, at the very heart of Italy, which means you can branch out from all angles. Day trips from Florence to the surrounding towns and cities are very doable by regional trains and buses. But the city is also well connected with high-speed trains from its main station, Santa Maria Novella, which means you can go surprisingly far in under two hours.

If you’re planning your Florence trip, I hope this blogpost is useful. Let me know in the comments below which ones you enjoy out of my recommendations for the best day trips from Florence…