Where to Stay in Tuscany Without a Car

Santa Maria Novella station puts you on trains to Pisa in 1 hour, Arezzo in 1 hour, and Lucca in 1h20. The SITA bus terminal on Via Santa Caterina da Siena, a 3-minute walk from the station, runs coaches to Siena every 30-60 minutes for about 8 euros. Stay on Via dei Tornabuoni or Borgo San Lorenzo and you are 8 minutes from every connection on foot. Breakfast at Mercato Centrale on Via dell'Ariento, aperitivo in Sant'Ambrogio on Via dei Macci. The centro storico is entirely walkable. No other Tuscan city gives you this level of rail access.

Best for

Anyone who wants to day-trip all of Tuscany by rail or bus without a car

Walk times

Santa Maria Novella station 8 min
SITA bus terminal (Siena coaches) 3 min
Duomo 12 min

Skip if: You want countryside quiet, a pool, or prices under $100 per night

Local tip: Stay north of the Arno, within 500 meters of Santa Maria Novella. Oltrarno is beautiful but adds 20 minutes to every train connection.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$134per night

Lucca Centro

Flat, walled, and completely car-free inside

Mid-range $80-$180/night

Lucca's medieval walls enclose a flat, traffic-restricted city where bikes outnumber cars. The train station on Piazzale Ricasoli is a 5-minute walk from Porta San Pietro. Florence is 1h20 direct with about 14 trains daily. Pisa is 30 minutes with departures every 30 minutes. Stay on Via Fillungo or around Piazza San Michele for the most central position. Rent a bike at Bici e Baci on Corso Garibaldi for 3 euros an hour and you cover the whole city in an afternoon. Hotel prices here run about 40 percent lower than Florence with identical access to the western Tuscany rail network.

Best for

Slow travelerscouplesbudget-conscious visitors who want quiet evenings

Walk times

Train station to Porta San Pietro 5 min
Station to Piazza Anfiteatro 12 min
Piazza Napoleone to San Michele church 4 min

Skip if: You plan to visit Siena or Chianti, which require backtracking through Florence and add significant time

Local tip: Any hotel inside the walls works equally well because the city is tiny. Avoid the strip of chain hotels near the station outside the walls.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$90per night

Siena Centro

Bus-dependent but worth it for Piazza del Campo

Mid-range $100-$280/night

Siena's main rail station sits 2 kilometers downhill from the centro storico, too inconvenient with luggage. The real approach is by bus: SITA coaches run from Florence's SITA terminal directly to Piazza Gramsci in central Siena, 1h15 for about 8 euros, every 30 to 60 minutes. Hotels on Via Banchi di Sopra and Via di Citta put you within 10 minutes walk of everything. The city is medieval and hilly so pack light. Car-free is absolutely viable here, you just plan around buses rather than trains. Buy tickets at the tabacchi in Piazza Gramsci before boarding because the driver does not always sell them.

Best for

Art and history travelers who can pack light and commit to bus schedules

Walk times

Piazza Gramsci bus stop to Piazza del Campo 10 min
Via Banchi di Sopra to the Duomo 8 min
Il Campo to Fortezza Medicea 12 min

Skip if: You have mobility issues or heavy bags. The medieval streets are steep and SITA coaches have no luggage hold.

Local tip: A return ticket from Florence costs about 14 euros. The SITA office in Piazza Gramsci closes at 20:00, so buy your return ticket on arrival.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$112per night

Pisa Centrale District

The most underrated rail hub in all of Tuscany

Budget $70-$160/night

Pisa Centrale is a major junction with trains to Florence every 15-30 minutes (1 hour, about 9 euros), Lucca every 30 minutes (30 min, 4 euros), and La Spezia for Cinque Terre in 1h10. Stay on Via Cammeo, Via Nenni, or along the Lungarnos and you are 8-20 minutes on foot from everything. The Leaning Tower is a 20-minute walk via Via Santa Maria. Skip restaurants immediately around Campo dei Miracoli and walk 5 minutes to Borgo Stretto instead, where the same pasta costs half the price. Pisa airport is 3 kilometers from the station via PisaMover shuttle for 1.30 euros in 6 minutes, which makes flying into Pisa and basing here significantly cheaper than Florence.

Best for

Budget travelers and anyone wanting Cinque Terre day trips without going to La Spezia first

Walk times

Station to Leaning Tower 20 min
Station to Borgo Stretto dining street 10 min
Station to Arno riverfront 8 min

Skip if: You want a quintessential Tuscan medieval atmosphere. Pisa is a working city, not a hill town.

Local tip: PisaMover from the airport to Pisa Centrale runs every 8 minutes and costs 1.30 euros. It is far faster and cheaper than any taxi and drops you at the same platform.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$78per night