Where to stay in Tuscany depends on one question before any hotel: will you rent a car? Without one, base yourself in Siena or Lucca and do day trips by bus and train. With one, split the trip, with a few nights in Siena or Florence and then a countryside base in the Val d'Orcia or Chianti.
That's the catch with Tuscany. It's a region, not a city, and the postcard views sit well away from the train lines. Pick the wrong base and you'll spend your holiday on provincial roads or waiting for a bus. This guide compares six bases and three quieter ones for a first trip from the US, using 27 hotels we checked on Booking.com, and it says plainly where not to stay.
Updated November 2026 with Booking.com scores read on 1 November 2026.
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Every hotel here scores 8.5 or higher on Booking.com, and most have more than 300 reviews. A few small properties have fewer, and we flag each one. We haven't stayed at these hotels ourselves. Scores, counts and addresses come from the Booking.com pages, and every hotel is filed under the area its street address sits in.
Short on Time? Here's Where to Stay in Tuscany
Best overall: Palazzetto Rosso - Art Hotel in Siena, 9.4 from 684 reviews. It's an old-town base that works if you'd rather not drive.
Splurge: Castello Banfi - Il Borgo in Brunello country, 9.4 from 125 reviews. It's a five-star Relais & Châteaux property, and you'll need a car to reach it.
Budget: Hotel Palazzo di Valli in Siena, 9.3 from 1,027 reviews, a three-star on a street in the old town.
No car and a first trip to Tuscany: Siena or Lucca. A car and a wine-and-views trip: the Val d'Orcia, then Chianti. One night near a flight: Pisa. If you want Florence as your first base, our where to stay in Florence guide covers it in full.
| Area | Best for | Car needed? | Vibe | Top hotel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siena | First-timers, no car | No | Medieval city, hilly | Palazzetto Rosso - Art Hotel |
| Val d'Orcia | Couples, views, wine | Yes | Hill towns and farms | Albergo Il Marzocco |
| Chianti | Wine, short drives | Yes | Vineyard villages | Hotel Belvedere di San Leonino |
| Lucca | Families, cyclists, no car | No | Flat walled city | Palazzo Dipinto |
| San Gimignano and Volterra | One or two nights | Helpful | Hill towns, quiet evenings | Leon Bianco |
| Florence | First nights, trains | No | Big city | Hotel Spadai |
| Pisa | One night near a flight | No | Station and airport town | Rinascimento Bed & Breakfast |
| Cortona | Quiet hill town | Yes | Calm and scenic | Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa |
| Saturnia | Hot springs | Yes | Spa resort country | Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort |
How to Choose Where to Stay in Tuscany
Start with the car. Tuscany's cities connect by train and bus, but the hill towns and vineyards don't, so a car decides which of these bases work for you.
Siena, Lucca, Pisa and Florence work without one. Chianti and the Val d'Orcia really don't. The closest mainline station to Montepulciano is Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, and from there you still need a bus or taxi. If you do drive, read our driving in Italy guide first, because the restricted traffic zones in historic centres (ZTLs) catch tourists every year.
Then think about how many bases you want.
Our default for a first trip to Tuscany is two: three nights in a city, then three or four in the countryside. Moving every night eats the day.
A single base means long drives or long bus rides to everything else. Tuscany is also bigger than it looks on a map. Plan on two to four nights per base. For the bigger picture, see our Tuscany travel guide, the Tuscany itinerary and the best time to visit Tuscany.
We've ordered the areas by how well they suit a first-timer, not by size. The first two are the easiest picks; the last two need the most planning.
1. Siena: Best for First-Timers Without a Car
Best for: first-timers who want one medieval base, travellers without a car. Skip it if: you want a quiet farmhouse view.
Siena is the base most first-timers should pick if they want a single hotel for their whole Tuscany trip. Piazza del Campo, the cathedral and the narrow brick lanes are all within walking distance of each other, and the old town is compact enough that you rarely need transport once you've dropped your bags. Our Siena travel guide and things to do in Siena cover the sights.
The catch is the hills.
The old town is steep, and the lanes around the Campo are cobbled, so a suitcase is a workout. Getting there from Florence by train isn't simple either: there's no direct service, and you change at Empoli, so most travellers take the bus, which usually runs about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. Our Florence to Siena page has the options. The old town is also closed to most cars, so ask your hotel before you drive in.
Pros: walkable, compact, a real city feel after dark. Cons: hills and cobbles, crowded in the middle of the day, no direct train from Florence.
Best Hotels in Siena
Luxury: Palazzo Patrizi Suites & Spa · 9.5 on Booking.com (114 reviews)
On Via di Città, in the old town. This is a small property, so the score rests on fewer reviews than most picks here. Choose it if you want the old town with a spa and don't mind a thinner review base.
→ Check availability and prices for Palazzo Patrizi Suites & Spa
Mid-range: Palazzetto Rosso - Art Hotel · 3 stars · 9.4 on Booking.com (684 reviews)
On Via dei Rossi, inside the walls. Our pick for most first-timers because the score holds up across hundreds of reviews. Choose it if you want the best-reviewed middle option.
→ Check availability and prices for Palazzetto Rosso - Art Hotel
Budget: Hotel Palazzo di Valli · 3 stars · 9.3 on Booking.com (1,027 reviews)
On Via E. S. Piccolomini, inside the old town. More than a thousand reviews at 9.3 is a strong signal at this price. Choose it if you want a safe, central, lower-cost base.
→ Check availability and prices for Hotel Palazzo di Valli
Apartment or family: Piazza Paradiso Accommodation · 8.7 on Booking.com (872 reviews)
On Via Stalloreggi, in the old town. It's the lowest score of our Siena picks but still well above the bar. Choose it if you need more space or a kitchen and are happy to accept a lower score.
→ Check availability and prices for Piazza Paradiso Accommodation
2. Val d'Orcia: Best for Couples and Big Views
Best for: couples, photographers, slow trips. Skip it if: you don't want to drive.
This is the Tuscany of the postcards: cypress-lined roads and hill towns like Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino. It's also the place where a car matters most. Most of the countryside has no practical public transport, so we'd only base in this part of Tuscany if you're renting a car. Our Val d'Orcia travel guide, Montepulciano travel guide and Bagno Vignoni page go deeper.
Choose between sleeping in a town or in the countryside. A town hotel (Pienza or Montepulciano) lets you walk to dinner. A farmhouse gives you the view and a longer drive to every meal. Siena is around 50 km away, so this base also splits well with Siena. Our Tuscany villas guide covers the agriturismo and villa option in more detail.
Pros: the region's best scenery, hill towns within a short drive of each other, hot springs nearby. Cons: a car is close to essential, evenings are quiet, and country roads are slow at night.
Best Hotels in the Val d'Orcia
Luxury: Castello Banfi - Il Borgo · 5 stars · 9.4 on Booking.com (125 reviews)
At Poggio alle Mura, about 10 km from Montalcino, so file it as Brunello countryside rather than the town. Small review base. Choose it if wine and a landmark stay are the point of the trip.
→ Check availability and prices for Castello Banfi - Il Borgo
Luxury boutique: La Bandita Townhouse · 9.2 on Booking.com (56 reviews)
On Corso Il Rossellino, Pienza's main street. This is the thinnest review base in the article, so treat the score as a good sign rather than a certainty. Choose it if you want to sleep inside Pienza and walk everywhere.
→ Check availability and prices for La Bandita Townhouse
Mid-range: Albergo Il Marzocco · 3 stars · 9.6 on Booking.com (528 reviews)
On Piazza Savonarola in Montepulciano. The best score of the Val d'Orcia picks with a real review count behind it. Choose it if you want a town base with a hill-town setting.
→ Check availability and prices for Albergo Il Marzocco
Agriturismo or family: Agriturismo Il Macchione · 9.3 on Booking.com (547 reviews)
On a provincial road outside Pienza. You will need a car. Choose it if you want the farmhouse experience at a fair review count.
→ Check availability and prices for Agriturismo Il Macchione
Budget: Incanto B&B · 9.7 on Booking.com (425 reviews)
On Via Dogali in Pienza. A B&B with the highest score in the Val d'Orcia list. Choose it if you want a low-cost bed inside the town.
3. Chianti: Best for Wine and Short Drives
Best for: wine lovers, drivers, short trips from Florence or Siena. Skip it if: you want a walkable evening or you're car-free.
Chianti sits between Florence and Siena, so it's the easiest countryside base to add to a Tuscany trip. The road between Greve and Siena is about 43 km, roughly 45 minutes, and Greve to Florence is about 30 km, closer to 50 minutes. Villages like Castellina, Radda and Greve hold a few shops and restaurants, and the estates are in the hills around them. Read about the region on our Italian wine regions page.
The trade-off is isolation.
Most estates are a drive from the nearest village, so you'll plan dinner around a car. If you want both, book a wine estate that serves dinner. We found our Chianti hotels through Castellina and Radda, because Greve and Panzano listings on Booking.com were thin.
Pros: wine at the door, easy drives to Florence and Siena, good for two or three nights. Cons: a car is needed, and it feels quiet and rural in the evening.
Best Hotels in Chianti
Luxury: Castello di Fonterutoli Wine Resort · 9.0 on Booking.com (931 reviews)
On Via Puccini, in the hamlet of Fonterutoli near Castellina. Choose it if you want a wine-estate stay with a solid review count.
→ Check availability and prices for Castello di Fonterutoli Wine Resort
Mid-range: Hotel Belvedere di San Leonino · 4 stars · 9.3 on Booking.com (440 reviews)
At Loc. San Leonino, out in the Castellina countryside. Choose it if you want a proper hotel with services rather than a farmhouse.
→ Check availability and prices for Hotel Belvedere di San Leonino
Upper mid-range: Borgo Vescine · 5 stars · 9.3 on Booking.com (303 reviews)
At Loc. Vescine, near Radda in Chianti. It only just clears the 300-review line. Choose it if you want Radda's hills and a higher star rating.
→ Check availability and prices for Borgo Vescine
Agriturismo: Agriturismo Casale dello Sparviero · 9.3 on Booking.com (413 reviews)
At Località Casale, in the countryside around Castellina. Choose it if you want a working-farm stay and a car.
→ Check availability and prices for Agriturismo Casale dello Sparviero
Budget or family apartment: Casa Vacanze Squarcialupi · 9.3 on Booking.com (197 reviews)
On Via Aldo Moro in Castellina itself, so you can walk to dinner. A smaller review base than most. Choose it if you want a village base and self-catering.
→ Check availability and prices for Casa Vacanze Squarcialupi
4. Lucca: Best for a Flat, Car-Free Base
Best for: families, cyclists, a calmer city. Skip it if: you want hills and sunset views.
Lucca is the easiest city in Tuscany to enjoy without a car. The old town sits inside intact Renaissance walls, the streets are flat, and the station is about 200 m from the walls. Driving is the problem, not walking.
Most of the historic centre is a restricted traffic zone (ZTL), and the free car parks sit outside the walls at Don Baroni, Tagliate and Macelli. See our Lucca travel guide.
It also works if you're flying into Pisa.
The PisaMover airport shuttle takes about five minutes to Pisa Centrale, and the train from there to Lucca takes a little over half an hour, per the timetables we found. Lucca is also a good split-stay partner for Siena or Florence.
Pros: flat, walkable, a cycling-friendly walls path, close to Pisa airport. Cons: fewer big-name sights than Florence or Siena, and driving into the centre is restricted.
Best Hotels in Lucca
Luxury: Hotel Palazzo Alexander · 4 stars · 9.1 on Booking.com (810 reviews)
On Via Santa Giustina, inside the walls. Choose it if you want the old town with a four-star setting.
→ Check availability and prices for Hotel Palazzo Alexander
Mid-range: Palazzo Dipinto · 4 stars · 9.3 on Booking.com (633 reviews)
On Piazza del Palazzo Dipinto. Choose it if you want the best-reviewed hotel in the walls.
→ Check availability and prices for Palazzo Dipinto
Budget: Albergo San Martino & Depandance · 3 stars · 9.3 on Booking.com (1,086 reviews)
On Via della Dogana. More than a thousand reviews at 9.3. Choose it if you want a low-cost room in the old town.
→ Check availability and prices for Albergo San Martino & Depandance
Apartment or family: Lucca Heritage Retreat · 9.6 on Booking.com (512 reviews)
On Via del Gallo. Choose it if you're travelling as a family or group and want more space.
5. San Gimignano and Volterra: Best for a Night or Two of Hill-Town Atmosphere
Best for: one or two nights, tower views, an overnight rather than a base. Skip it if: you want a lot of restaurants and nightlife.
San Gimignano's towers are the image, and Volterra is the quieter, more rugged neighbour. Neither is a good only base in Tuscany, because both are small and neither sits on a mainline train route. They work best as a night or two on the way between Florence and Siena. See our San Gimignano travel guide.
A night here is useful because the day-trip crowds leave in the afternoon.
You get the towers and lanes at a calmer pace, and it's easier to enjoy them on foot at dusk than from a coach window at noon.
Pros: atmospheric evenings, easy to combine with Siena and Chianti. Cons: small, busy by day and limited transport.
Best Hotels in San Gimignano and Volterra
Luxury: Hotel La Collegiata (Adults Only) · 4 stars · 9.0 on Booking.com (461 reviews)
At Località La Collegiata, just outside San Gimignano. Adults only. Choose it if you want a quiet, grown-up stay near the town.
→ Check availability and prices for Hotel La Collegiata
Mid-range: Leon Bianco · 3 stars · 9.1 on Booking.com (1,484 reviews)
On Piazza della Cisterna, San Gimignano's central square. Choose it if you want to sleep in the middle of the old town.
→ Check availability and prices for Leon Bianco
Family or agriturismo: Hotel Pescille Country House · 3 stars · 9.1 on Booking.com (1,411 reviews)
At Località Pescille on SP 47, outside San Gimignano. You will need a car. Choose it if you want a country base with a strong review count.
→ Check availability and prices for Hotel Pescille Country House
Budget (Volterra): Albergo Etruria · 3 stars · 9.2 on Booking.com (1,335 reviews)
On Via Matteotti in Volterra's old town. Choose it if you want Volterra rather than San Gimignano, on a lower budget.
6. Florence: Best for Your First Nights
Best for: trains, museums and a city start to the trip. Skip it if: you're after quiet.
Florence has its own where-to-stay guide, so we keep this short. It's the best arrival base in Tuscany because the airport tram and the Rome trains connect to it, and the Rome to Florence ride on a high-speed train takes about an hour and a half. Many first-timers do the split we described above: Florence first, then Siena or the countryside. Read our Florence travel guide and where to stay in Florence for neighbourhoods.
Best Hotels in Florence
Mid-range: Hotel Spadai · 4 stars · 9.5 on Booking.com (1,509 reviews)
On Via dei Martelli, near the Duomo. Choose it if you want a central four-star with a very strong review base.
→ Check availability and prices for Hotel Spadai
Budget: Il Guelfo Bianco · 3 stars · 9.2 on Booking.com (1,884 reviews)
On Via Camillo Cavour. Choose it if you want a central three-star with a high score.
Also Consider: Pisa, Cortona and Saturnia
These three work as one-night stops or specialist bases, so we give each one hotel.
Pisa: Best for One Night Near a Flight
Pisa works as a one-night stop in Tuscany, before an early flight or to see the tower. PisaMover links the airport to Pisa Centrale in about five minutes. The Leaning Tower is not next to the station: expect a walk of roughly 25 to 30 minutes, or a bus plus a short walk. Our Pisa travel guide has the detail.
Budget: Rinascimento Bed & Breakfast · 9.7 on Booking.com (767 reviews)
On Piazza Donati in Pisa. Choose it if you want a simple overnight stop.
→ Check availability and prices for Rinascimento Bed & Breakfast
Cortona: Best for a Quiet Hill Town
Cortona sits in eastern Tuscany, further out and quieter than the Val d'Orcia towns, with fewer day-trip crowds. It's an easy stop if you're driving toward Umbria, and our Umbria vs Tuscany guide helps you choose between the two regions.
Luxury: Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa · 5 stars · 9.4 on Booking.com (540 reviews)
On Via del Salvatore in Cortona. Choose it if you want a high-end hill-town stay.
→ Check availability and prices for Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa
Saturnia: Best for Hot Springs
Saturnia is in the southern Maremma, a long way from Florence and from most Tuscany itineraries. Go if the thermal baths are the point. Our Saturnia hot springs page has the details. You'll need a car.
Luxury: Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort · 5 stars · 9.1 on Booking.com (1,023 reviews)
On Via della Follonata in Saturnia. Choose it if the spa is the reason you're going.
→ Check availability and prices for Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort
Where Not to Stay in Tuscany
Skip a remote farmhouse if you won't have a car.
Many of the most beautiful stays in Tuscany sit on provincial roads with no bus, so a farmhouse view only works if you drive. Check the address on the map before you fall for the view.
Don't book a hotel just outside Siena's walls because it looks cheap. One property we checked sat about 0.6 mile from the Campo, which means a taxi or a long uphill walk back at night, and we dropped it for that reason.
Don't plan on driving into Lucca's centre. Most of it is a restricted traffic zone, so park outside the walls at one of the free car parks and walk in.
Be careful with the streets around Florence's Santa Maria Novella station. Some travellers flag them as noisy late in the evening, so read recent reviews for the exact street before you book. We cover this on our Florence page.
Don't use San Gimignano as your only base. It's small, busy by day and has limited transport. And don't make Pisa your only Tuscany base: it's good for the tower and the airport, but it isn't the postcard.
Finally, don't change hotels every night.
Two bases for a week beats five.
Getting to Your Base: Airports, Trains and Transfers
Pisa airport is the easiest gateway for Lucca and western Tuscany, and the PisaMover shuttle takes about five minutes to Pisa Centrale, running roughly every five to eight minutes between 6:00 and midnight. Florence's airport is linked to the city by the T2 tram, about 20 minutes to Santa Maria Novella for €1.50. See our Florence airport guide and trains in Italy page.
If you're coming from Rome, our Rome to Florence page covers the route. For trains, compare times and tickets on Omio. If you land late and don't want a bus, a pre-booked transfer from Welcome Pickups means you skip the last leg by taxi queue. In the countryside you'll want a rental car, and you can compare prices on DiscoverCars.
Booking Tips for Tuscany
City tax. Most towns in Tuscany charge a tourist tax per person per night, paid at the hotel. Rates vary by star rating and season, and they change. For example, Lucca's published rates in 2023 ranged from about €2.50 for one to three stars to about €4 for five stars, up to three nights, with children under 14 exempt. Florence's rate is generally higher. Check the current figure with your hotel.
ZTL and parking. In Florence and Siena, ask your hotel whether it can register your plate for the restricted traffic zone, and do it before you arrive. In Lucca, use the free car parks outside the walls.
When to book. Siena is busiest around its Palio, held traditionally on 2 July and 16 August. Summer weekends fill the best countryside properties first, so reserve early. Some countryside properties also have shorter seasons, so confirm opening dates for spring and winter stays.
Hotel, agriturismo or villa. Hotels suit short stays and city bases. Agriturismi suit slow trips with a car. A villa suits a group staying a week, and our Tuscany villas guide covers that, while our best hotels in Tuscany page ranks hotels across the region.
Where to Stay in Tuscany by Traveller Type
First-timers without a car: Siena (Palazzetto Rosso - Art Hotel) or Lucca (Palazzo Dipinto).
Couples with a car: the Val d'Orcia, at Albergo Il Marzocco or La Bandita Townhouse.
Wine lovers: Chianti, at Castello di Fonterutoli Wine Resort or Borgo Vescine.
Families: Lucca Heritage Retreat for space in a flat city, or Hotel Pescille Country House for a country base.
Budget: Hotel Palazzo di Valli, Albergo San Martino & Depandance or Incanto B&B.
Luxury: Castello Banfi - Il Borgo, Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa or Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort.
Plan Your Tuscany Trip
Book your two Tuscany bases first, then everything else.
Check the Tuscany tours page for day trips, and our Italy trip cost guide for budgeting. Set up an eSIM with Yesim before you fly or see our Italy eSIM guide. Cover medical costs and cancellations with Visitors Coverage. Planning more than Tuscany? See our things to do in Tuscany list and day trips from Florence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best area to stay in Tuscany for a first visit?
Siena, if you want one base and no car. It has a walkable old town and buses to the countryside. If you're renting a car, split the trip: a few nights in Siena or Florence, then three or four in the Val d'Orcia or Chianti.
Where should you stay in Tuscany without a car?
Siena, Lucca, Pisa or Florence. All four have train or bus links and walkable centres. The Val d'Orcia and Chianti are the hard ones, because most of the countryside has no practical public transport, so skip remote farmhouses unless you drive.
Is it better to stay in Florence or the Tuscan countryside?
Do both if you can. Florence works as a first base because of its trains and museums, and the countryside gives you the views. Three nights in a city plus three or four in the countryside is a sound first-trip split.
How many nights should you spend in each base?
Plan on two to four nights per base. One night is only worth it for Pisa before a flight or a quick San Gimignano stop. Moving more than twice in a week eats too much of your day.
Is an agriturismo a good place to stay in Tuscany?
Yes, if you're driving. You get countryside views and often a farm meal, but most sit on provincial roads with no bus. Check the address on a map, and confirm the opening dates, before you book.
Where should you stay in Tuscany for wine?
Chianti is the easiest, because it sits between Florence and Siena. For Brunello and Vino Nobile, use the Val d'Orcia around Montalcino and Montepulciano. Both need a car or a driver for estate visits.
Is it worth staying in Pisa?
For one night, yes, if you have an early flight or want to see the Leaning Tower. As a main base, no. The tower is a 25 to 30 minute walk from Pisa Centrale, and the rest of Tuscany is more rewarding.
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