If you’re searching for information on how to get to Tuscany from Rome, you’ve come to the right place. This guide about Rome to Tuscany travel will cover how to get to Tuscany by train, as well as how to get from Rome to Tuscany by bus or private car.
Tuscany is a charming destination on nearly everyone’s bucket list when visiting Italy. However, it’s a big region and travelling about requires some forward planning. While you may be set on hiring a car for exploring Tuscany, it can make sense to take the train from Rome to Tuscany. This is due not only to traffic on the highway, but parking difficulties in cities like Florence and Siena. Basically, if you’re reaching Tuscany from Rome or further away, you have a variety of choices for the Rome-Tuscany leg of your journey.
The fastest way to travel Rome to Tuscany is by high speed train, but depending on your final destination, you may also want to look into regional trains to reach particular Tuscan cities and towns. Below, we summarise the main ways to get to Tuscany from Rome to make your vacation a breeze!
Rome to Tuscany by train
Rome to Florence train
The easiest way to get from Rome to Florence is by high speed train, with a journey time of around 1′ 30″. The two main train companies in Italy are state-backed Trenitalia and rival Italo. Trenitalia runs up to 40 direct services to Florence a day, of which around half are Frecciarossa, fast train services. Seat reservations are mandatory on these services. In terms of the Rome to Florence train cost, expect to pay from €41.90 each way as an adult on the high speed services to Firenze S. M. Novella, the main train station in Florence.
A few trains from Rome go to Firenze Campo Di Marte which isn’t far from the centre, but isn’t as convenient for the main sights of Florence. Regional trains cost around €20 each way, but can take nearly 4 hours to get to Tuscany from Rome.
If you choose Italo, you have around 24 trains a day, half of which depart from Roma Termini, and half of which depart from Roma Tiburtina. Choose Roma Termini for the most central option. 1-way tickets usually start at €34.90. The journey time ranges from 1′ 26″ to 1′ 37″.
The short journey times of the direct trains mean that a Rome Florence day trip is just about doable, although tiring. It’s worth staying over at least 1 night, to see the charms that Florence has to offer!
Rome to Siena train
There are no direct trains to reach Siena in Tuscany from Rome, leaving you with a change of trains: either a fast train and a regional train, two regional trains, or a train and a bus. You’ll need to book via Trenitalia to make all the connections. Unfortunately, the fast and expensive Frecciarossa option doesn’t end up much quicker than using a regional train for both parts of the journey; both take a minimum of 3′ 30″.
The only benefit to booking the Frecciarossa is that they tend to be a lot more reliable (read: on time) so you might want to splurge to make sure you make your connection. The Siena train station is outside of the historic medieval citadel; so if you have a hotel in the centre, talk to them about transfers, or be prepared to walk if you are travelling fairly light.
Rome to Pisa train: Tuscany from Rome
There are about a dozen direct Rome to Pisa trains every day, the shortest of which takes a shade under 3 hours. The ideal train is the Intercity, which is direct and inexpensive. The high-speed train option involves getting the train to Florence from Rome and then switching on to a regional train to Pisa. Once again, you will be using Trenitalia services to reach this part of Tuscany from Rome. All the regional and intercity trains from Rome to Pisa pass through cruise terminal Civitavecchia as well as pretty Livorno, following the western Mediterranean cost, before stopping at Pisa. After Pisa, this train goes on to serve picturesque seaside resort Viareggio, with connections to La Spezia for onward journeys to Le Cinque Terre, and eventually Genoa.
Rome to Arezzo: Tuscany from Rome
Arezzo, a charming town in southern Tuscany famed for its sprawling weekend antiques fair, can be reached from Rome in two different ways by train. Either take the fast train to Florence, and then head back down to Arezzo on the regional train which takes about an hour; or catch a regional train all the way from Rome. These take between 2′ 10″ and 2′ 40″ to get to Arezzo in Tuscany from Rome and tend to be reasonably priced; prices start at €14.90.
Rome to Pienza, Montepulciano & Val d’Orcia
If you are heading from Rome to Tuscany towns such as Pienza, Montepulciano or Montalcino, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to get the Rome to Florence train. Instead, plan on getting the Rome train to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, a small town in southern Tuscany. The regional and intercity train Rome – Chiusi-Chianciano Terme takes around 1′ 45″ and starts at a reasonable €10.50 each way.
From Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, regional trains to Montepulciano take just 12 minutes and cost €2.60. However, trains run only every couple of hours so you may need to study the connections from Rome to Tuscany to make sure you are not hanging around Chiusi-Chianciano Terme for long periods of time. Although this is a historic spa town, there’s not a lot to do, so I wouldn’t bother to plan a stop here of a few hours, unless you have no choice, due to the connections.
The alternative is to take a taxi from Chiusi-Chianciano Terme on to your destination in Tuscany. I have taken taxis from Chiusi-Chianciano Terme to the town of Montefollonico for a fixed fee of €60 each way, for a 40 minute ride. I recommend the taxi services offered by the Mencattelli brothers, serving most of Tuscany. Visit their website here and write to them for a quote. This is a good option if you are heading to La Chiusa, boutique hotel in Montefollonico, Tuscany, or indeed, are joining the Cook in Tuscany residential cooking school!
Tuscany from Rome by bus
It’s easy to get to Tuscany from Rome by bus, thanks to a number of carriers offering cheap, fast services. The Rome to Florence bus is an affordable option compared to the Rome to Florence train cost. European intercity bus service FlixBus also offers a direct bus from Rome to Siena, which takes around 2′ 45″-3′ 00″. The bus leaves from Rome Tiburtina bus station and makes four stops in Siena, including Siena train station. Prices start at €23.99 one way, making it a reasonably priced, direct Rome-Siena option. Book tickets in advance on the FlixBus site for the most competitive prices. The Roma Tiburtina bus station is accessible from Rome’s metro, getting off at Tiburtina on the blue B line and following directions for the bus station.
Getting to Tuscany from Rome by car
Touring Tuscany by car is arguably the best way to see this beautiful Italian region. It takes 3-4 hours to drive Rome to Florence by car, with the main highway charging tolls along the route. With the added challenge of parking once you arrive in Florence, it can be a good idea to get the train from Rome to Florence and then hire a car once in Tuscany. Many of Tuscany’s most beautiful small towns are not well-served by public transport, so if you want to get off the beaten path, do plan on hiring a car or booking a driver to really explore its most picturesque towns, ranging from Montepulciano to San Gimignano, Pienza to Lucca.
If you are hiring a car in Rome, you will find the broadest amount of options renting a car at Termini train station or at Rome Fiumicino Airport, also known as Leonardo Da Vinci airport.
Tuscany from Rome: Best hotels in Tuscany
The Tuscany hotel scene has something for everyone – whether you are looking to stay in a picturesque wine lodge, or a smart city hotel in Florence. Here are a few of my favourites:
Hotels in Florence
Hotel Palazzo Guadagni is a historic hotel in Florence’s Oltrarno district dating back to 1505. It has one of the best rooftop bars in Florence – the Loggia – situated on an absolutely breath-taking medieval balcony with incredible views of Florence.
Despite the stunning views and ancient credentials, Hotel Palazzo Guadagni is a surprisingly affordable option when selecting a hotel in Florence. Rooms start at around €120 per night. This Florence hotel is both centrally located and in a tranquil spot.
Hotels in Siena
Piccolo Hotel Etruria is a well-appointed two star hotel in the centre of Siena offering incredible value for money. Don’t be put off by the two stars – this is a simple but comfortable property in an incredible location within Siena’s medieval walls. Rooms start at just €50 per night. Please note, if you drive to Siena you should plan to park outside the medieval walls in one of the large car parks surrounding the city. You can get car access to the medieval part of the city to drop off your luggage, although the narrow medieval streets at times require expert levels of navigation.
Hotels in Tuscany (countryside)
Villa Dianella
Villa Dianella, a historic winery near Empoli in Tuscany, is a beautiful period estate with B&B rooms and a wine-making museum next to its working winery. You can visit Dianella for a winery tour, for a cooking lesson or even for truffle hunting. The winery produces eight kinds of wine from Sangiovese, which is the Chianti grape, so it’s ideal if you had your heart set on a Chianti wine tour.
Dianella can be visited from Florence as part of a day trip to Tuscany. While it is advisable to have private transport – i.e. a car or a minibus – it is possible to reach the nearby station of Empoli from Florence by taking a train. This is a 20-30 minute journey and trains depart very regularly. You would then have to take a taxi from Empoli station to reach Villa Dianella, at a cost of around €15. Villa Dianella is a 15 minute drive from Empoli station.
Il Paluffo
Il Paluffo is a a 15th-century Tuscan villa situated in the heart of Chianti, near Florence, Siena and San Gimignano. Offering a mix of environmentally sustainable accommodation options and an open-air swimming pool, its stunning location means that Il Paluffo represents the perfect base for a Chianti trip or Chianti wine tour.
To reach Il Paluffo Tuscan villa, you need to take the train to the town of Certaldo. This is easy to reach from Florence, taking about 45 minutes by train.
From Certaldo, you can arrange for the Il Paluffo folk to directly pick you up, for the 20 minute drive to the villa. However, I would really recommend having your own car during your stay, if you want to explore during the evenings and reach other restaurants. In high summer, it is possible to walk from Il Paluffo to the surrounding villages for dining options in the evenings.
La Chiusa
La Chiusa, a boutique hotel in Montefollonico, is the perfect base for a holiday in Tuscany. Smarter than an agriturismo, but surrounded by 100 acres of olive trees, this boutique hotel in Tuscany with pool provides charming countryside accommodation, plus a restaurant preparing modern and traditional Italian food.
La Chiusa Restaurant is also open to the public, creating an excellent dining option in Tuscany’s Val di Chiana. La Chiusa Hotel & Restaurant is a short drive from Montepulciano, Pienza, San Quirico d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni and Chiusi / Chianciano Terme.
La Locanda del Castello
San Giovanni d’Asso is a tiny hamlet in the Crete Senese which is a perfect base for exploring Chianti country. La Locanda del Castello, literally the castle lodge, is an historic property with 10 cosy rooms and an excellent on-site restaurant, in case you’re too tired to take the car out in the evenings. Towns including Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino are an easy drive away. Own car essential. Rooms start at around €80 per night.
Read next: Cook in Tuscany: Review of the world-famous cooking school
