# Five days in Tuscany by train, no car

> Florence is 1 hour 35 minutes from Rome and its whole center is a ZTL. Five days, one base, four day trips and the real ticket rules.

URL: https://myitalia.it/itineraries/5-days-tuscany-by-train
Last updated: 2026-09-02

One base, five nights in Florence, because the fast train puts Rome 1 hour 35 minutes away, Milan 1 hour 54, and every historic center on this route is closed to cars anyway.

## Why one base beats a rental car here

The whole historic center of Florence is a limited traffic zone, split into 5 sectors, A, B, O, F and G. In sectors A, B and O it operates all year on working days, 7:30 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Friday and 7:30 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday.

A summer night zone is added from the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, indicatively 11:00 pm to 3:00 am, with the exact dates fixed each year by ordinance. Some gates are barred 24 hours a day to everything except public transport and emergency vehicles.

Arriving is the easy part: Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella takes 1 hour 35 minutes at best, with 48 direct Frecciarossa services on the weekday sampled, and Milano Centrale to Florence takes 1 hour 54 minutes. All prices here are in euros.

## Day 1: the Uffizi, where booking costs more

The Uffizi charges €25 for a same day ticket and €29 if you book in advance, which is the reverse of what most visitors expect, with €2 for the reduced rate. Since January 2026 there is also a €16 afternoon ticket for entries after 4:00 pm.

The combination with the Vasari Corridor is €43 same day and €47 booked ahead, groups of 11 or more pay a €70 supplement, and the first Sunday of the month is free.

If your dates are fixed and the gallery is the point of the trip, pay the €29 and stop thinking about it. If they are not, the €16 afternoon slot is the cheapest way into the same rooms.

## Day 2: the Duomo sells 3 passes and no single tickets

Florence's cathedral complex has no single monument tickets: it sells the Brunelleschi Pass at €30 covering the dome, Giotto's bell tower, the museum, the Baptistery and Santa Reparata; the Giotto Pass at €20 without the dome; and the Ghiberti Pass at €15 for museum, Baptistery and Santa Reparata.

Ages 7 to 14 pay €12, €7 and €5 respectively, and under 6s enter free. The climb up the dome exists only inside the Brunelleschi Pass, which is the fact that catches out anyone who wants the view and nothing else.

The dome slot is compulsory, cannot be changed and cannot be cancelled. Last entries are 6:45 pm on weekdays and 4:30 pm on Saturdays, and on Sundays and holidays the climb runs only from 12:45 pm to 4:30 pm. It closes for maintenance from November 16 to 20, 2026, and the Baptistery vault mosaics are under restoration and not visible in 2026.

## Day 3: San Gimignano sells one pass, or nothing

San Gimignano does not sell single tickets for its main monuments: there is one San Gimignano Pass at €15, €12 for ages 6 to 17, valid 3 days, covering the Collegiata complex, Palazzo Comunale with the picture gallery and the Torre Grossa, the Santa Chiara complex and San Lorenzo in Ponte. Advance sale adds €1.

The Torre Grossa is the only climbable tower in town and it is reachable through that pass alone. Of the 72 or so towers raised between the 11th and 13th centuries, 14 survive, on a World Heritage core zone of 13.88 hectares inscribed in 1990.

Under 6s, disabled visitors with a companion, residents and licensed guides go free.

## Day 4: Siena, where the tower cannot be booked

The Torre del Mangia has no online sale at all: tickets are bought on the day at the Museo Civico and Santa Maria della Scala ticket desks, climbs leave every 45 minutes and are capped at 25 people, and they run out.

That works out at a few hundred people a day for the best view in the city, so the climb is a morning decision, not an afternoon one. Everything else in Siena stays open around it.

## Day 5: Pisa, €20 flat and no discounts

The Leaning Tower costs €20 in 2026 with no reduction of any kind, not for children, students or school groups; the only free admission is for a visitor with a disability plus a companion, booked by email at least 5 days ahead and limited to certain slots.

From Pisa Centrale, take line 1+ towards Park Pietrasantina from stop Stazione 1, every 10 minutes, to the Torre 1 stop; line 4 runs every 20 minutes to Del Parlascio and the night line 21 every 30 minutes. Arriving at Pisa airport, the PisaMover connects to Pisa Centrale first.

Full detail on the age limits and the climb itself is on the [Leaning Tower](/attractions/torre-di-pisa) page.

## FAQ

### Do I need a car to see Tuscany in five days?

No, and a car is a liability in the towns you want. The whole historic center of Florence is a limited traffic zone in 5 sectors, San Gimignano and Siena restrict access too, and Florence sits 1 hour 35 minutes from Rome by fast train.

### Why does booking the Uffizi cost more than walking up?

Because the price list is inverted. The Uffizi is €25 for a same day ticket and €29 booked ahead in 2026, with €2 reduced and a €16 afternoon rate after 4:00 pm. The first Sunday of the month is free and unbookable.

### Can I buy a ticket just for the dome in Florence?

No. The Duomo complex sells 3 passes only, and the climb is inside the €30 Brunelleschi Pass alone. The Giotto Pass is €20 without the dome and the Ghiberti Pass €15. Under 6s go free, ages 7 to 14 pay €12, €7 and €5.

### Can I book the Torre del Mangia in Siena online?

No. Tickets are sold only at the Museo Civico and Santa Maria della Scala desks on the day of the climb, groups leave every 45 minutes with a limit of 25 people, and they do sell out. Arrive at opening if the climb matters to you.

### How do I get from Pisa Centrale to the Leaning Tower?

Line 1+ towards Park Pietrasantina from stop Stazione 1, every 10 minutes, to the Torre 1 stop. Line 4 runs every 20 minutes to Del Parlascio and the night line 21 every 30 minutes. From the airport, take the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale first.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| In treno ad alta velocita' Roma Termini-Firenze Santa Maria Novella il collegamento diretto piu' veloce impiega 1 ora e 35 minuti; la mediana dei Frecciarossa diretti e' di circa 1 ora e 41 minuti (orario in vigore a settembre 2026). | [Trenitalia (sistema di vendita Le Frecce)](https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.Website.BFF.WEB/website/ticket/solutions) | medium | 2026-12-13 |
| In treno ad alta velocita' Milano Centrale-Firenze Santa Maria Novella il collegamento diretto piu' veloce impiega 1 ora e 54 minuti (orario in vigore a settembre 2026). | [Trenitalia (sistema di vendita Le Frecce)](https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.Website.BFF.WEB/website/ticket/solutions) | medium | 2026-12-13 |
| L'intero centro storico di Firenze e' Zona a Traffico Limitato, divisa in cinque settori (A, B, O, F, G); nei settori A, B e O la ZTL e' attiva tutto l'anno nei giorni feriali dalle 7:30 alle 20:00 da lunedi' a venerdi' e dalle 7:30 alle 16:00 il sabato, con una ZTL notturna estiva aggiuntiva dal primo giovedi' di aprile alla prima domenica di ottobre (2026). | [Comune di Firenze](https://mobilita.comune.fi.it/muoversi/muoversi/ztl.html) | medium | 2027-04-30 |
| Alle Gallerie degli Uffizi il biglietto della sola Galleria costa 25 euro se acquistato per il giorno stesso e 29 euro se prenotato in anticipo (2026); il ridotto e' 2 euro e dal gennaio 2026 esiste una tariffa pomeridiana di 16 euro per gli ingressi dopo le 16:00. Il combinato Uffizi + Corridoio Vasariano costa 43 euro (giorno stesso) o 47 euro (anticipato). I gruppi da 11 persone in su pagano 70 euro di supplemento e la prima domenica del mese l'ingresso e' gratuito. | [Gallerie degli Uffizi](https://www.uffizi.it/en/tickets) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Il complesso monumentale del Duomo di Firenze non vende biglietti singoli ma tre pass cumulativi (2026): Brunelleschi Pass 30 euro (Cupola, Campanile, Museo, Battistero, Santa Reparata), Giotto Pass 20 euro (senza Cupola), Ghiberti Pass 15 euro (Museo, Battistero, Santa Reparata). Per i ragazzi da 7 a 14 anni costano rispettivamente 12, 7 e 5 euro; sotto i 6 anni l'ingresso e' gratuito. La salita alla Cupola e' compresa solo nel Brunelleschi Pass. | [Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore](https://tickets.duomo.firenze.it/it/support/prices) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Per salire sulla Cupola del Brunelleschi a Firenze e' obbligatorio prenotare uno slot orario che non e' ne' modificabile ne' cancellabile (2026); gli ultimi ingressi sono alle 18:45 nei feriali, alle 16:30 il sabato, e la domenica e i festivi si sale solo dalle 12:45 alle 16:30. La Cupola resta chiusa per manutenzione dal 16 al 20 novembre 2026. | [Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore](https://tickets.duomo.firenze.it/it/support/faq) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| A San Gimignano non si comprano biglietti singoli per i monumenti principali ma il San Gimignano Pass da 15 euro (12 euro per i 6-17 anni, 2026), valido 3 giorni, che comprende il Complesso della Collegiata, Palazzo Comunale con Pinacoteca e Torre Grossa, il Complesso di Santa Chiara e la Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Ponte. La prevendita costa 1 euro in piu'. | [Musei di San Gimignano - Comune di San Gimignano](https://www.sangimignanomusei.it/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Il centro storico di San Gimignano e' patrimonio UNESCO dal 1990 con i criteri (i)(iii)(iv) su appena 13,88 ettari: delle circa 72 torri erette tra XI e XIII secolo dalle famiglie mercantili come simbolo di ricchezza e potere ne sopravvivono oggi 14. | [Ministero della Cultura - Ufficio UNESCO](https://unesco.cultura.gov.it/projects/centro-storico-di-san-gimignano/) | medium | 2029-12-31 |
| La Torre del Mangia di Siena non si puo' prenotare online: il biglietto si compra solo alle biglietterie del Museo Civico e di Santa Maria della Scala il giorno stesso della visita, le salite partono ogni 45 minuti e sono limitate a 25 persone per turno, e i biglietti si esauriscono. | [Comune di Siena - Musei Civici](https://museocivico.comune.siena.it/biglietti) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Il biglietto per salire sulla Torre pendente di Pisa costa 20 euro (2026) e non prevede alcuna riduzione, nemmeno per bambini, studenti o gruppi scolastici: l'unica gratuita' e' per la persona con disabilita' con il proprio accompagnatore, ammessa solo su prenotazione via email con almeno 5 giorni di anticipo e in fasce orarie limitate. | [Opera della Primaziale Pisana](https://www.opapisa.it/biglietti/riduzioni-e-gratuita/); [Ministero della Cultura](https://cultura.gov.it/luogo/torre-campanaria-pendente) | high | 2027-06-30 |
| Da Pisa Centrale si raggiunge Piazza dei Miracoli senza auto: dalla fermata Stazione 1 con la Linea 1+ direzione Park Pietrasantina ogni 10 minuti fino alla fermata Torre 1, oppure con la Linea 4 ogni 20 minuti fino a Del Parlascio e di notte con la Linea 21 ogni 30 minuti. Chi arriva all'aeroporto Galileo Galilei prende il PisaMover fino alla stazione centrale e poi uno di questi bus. | [Opera della Primaziale Pisana](https://www.opapisa.it/informazioni/come-arrivare/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/poi.piazza-anfiteatro-lucca.1600.jpg
Author: Zairon. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lucca_Piazza_dell%27Anfiteatro_1.jpg

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