You might find these interesting:

http://www.chianti.info/chianti_without_car.htm

http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-...i_Tuscany.html

http://www.bardotti.com/sita.htm

http://www.letorri.com/index.php?chi...ny-without-car

Pisa isn't small and quaint but go there. Stay at the Royal Victoria Hotel on the Arno. Walk to leaning tower through a very untouristy town until you reach a very touristy tower area. Most tours spend 1/2 day there and don't do it justice imo. The duomo is divine and the tower is great fun to walk up and take shots from.
On the other hand, Orvieto has a gawdgeeous duomo and compact enough shopping area with plenty of stuff.

You could take a day trip to Orvieto from Rome and a day trip to Pisa from Florence. Just stay in the 2 cities and simplify things!

As much as I think you would enjoy Montepulciano, it is too difficult to get to without a car. To get there we rented a car from Florence - the distance is about one hour. However we also stayed a week. With two days you might wish to choose another town that is closer to Florence and easier to get to by public transport.

I am going to have to spend some time doing more research.

I would like to visit a town, not a touristy city between Florence and Rome. One of the posts said there was a train stop 7 miles form Montepulciano. Would it be possible to take the train from Florence to the station and a cab or bus into town?

From there we would go to Rome via the train. Would this work, or do we need to consider renting a car?

The train station that stops nearest to Montepulciano is more than 7km away. (Maybe 7 miles?) It's a line that runs through both Rome and Florence. But you need transport from the station to Montepulciano. Sometimes you can arrange that with your HOTEL. They will send a taxi to pick you up. But if you don't speak Italian, you can't just go and count on finding a taxi outside the station. Or a bus.

Also be aware that in rural areas, taxis can be seemingly outrageously expensive. You can easily watch the meter climb to 60 euros or more. It's cheaper than renting and parking a car, and I think it's worth it. Just be prepared. Ask the hotel how much it would be.

Between now and when you leave, check out the cost of hiring a private driver in Firenze to drive you to Montepulciano with a stop for lunch on the way in another town. I have no idea how much it costs, but adding up 2 train tickets and a taxi ride, it might not be all that much of a splurge.

Lastly, Montepulciano is very popular. It's very beautiful, but will see lots of other tourists. You might not care all that much. Most will disappear at night. Just so you know. It's not a secret.

This should help you:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...o_Tuscany.html

Montepulciano is quaint and beautiful and it is a town not a city but, as Zeppole says, there are lots of tourists there so I'm not sure that it would not be considered a touristy town.

At the risk of driving you crazy: I just looked at Trenitalia, the Italian railway, and saw that there is a train that leaves Firenze at about 10:30 am that gets you to the Chiusi station by 11:35. From there you need to get to Montepulciano by bus or taxi.

HOWEVER, you need to know this: This particular train -- and Inter-City ("IC") fast train -- leaves from a station in Firenze called "Firenze Rifredi" -- it's not the station most people are used to dealing with (which is called Santa Maria Novello). It's a good train, though, because you don't have to change trains to get to Chiusi.

Were it me, and this became part of my travel plan, I'd probably want to take a taxi from my hotel in Firenze to the Firenze Rifredi station. Ask your hotel for advice.

You also want to read this about getting from Firenze to Montepulciano. There is a bus you can catch in Firenze:

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/h....cfm?topic=311

And this gives you specific information on getting the bus from the Chiusi train station if you go that route:

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/h...fm?topic=10083

By the way, tnfan, I think it's great this all came up because I never realized one could take a bus straight from Firenze to Montepulciano before this thread. It's like an article of catechism everywhere that you MUST rent a car to "see" Tuscany. And while it's true you won't be going from one hilltown to the next, I think you'll have a lovely time relaxing in Montepulciano, tasting it's great wines in its famous wine cellars, seeing its piazza and views, having time to poke around, going to the copper maker, having long lunches. You can always find a corner without tourists.

Also, to everybody else, as we all know, in the time it takes to rent a car in Firenze and battle your way out through the traffic, and then finding parking on the other end, a two-hour bus trip that lets you off in Montepulciano compares favorably, especially since it only costs a couple of euro.

Zeppole, Have you been taking your medications?

to zeppole and Lily

Thank you so much! You have helped me more than you know. I don't speak Italian, so that info. was awesome.

How difficult is it to have luggage on the bus?

I think Montepulciano is a good choice, esp. now that there is bus service from Firenze.
I've been in Montepulciano many times, but I also love Pienza, and San Quirico d'Orcia and Montalcino.
Pienza is good for pottery shopping, linen shopping, good restaurants, ditto Montalcino?

SOOO does anyone know if there is a little local bus that OP could take to those nearby towns??

I have the entire book (160 pages)of bus schedules for Siena Mobilita and don't see any non-stop between Florence and Montepulciano. Frommers lists a non-stop, but no contact info. From Frommers:

>>>By Bus -- Five to eight Tra-in buses (tel. 0577-204-111; www.trainspa.it) run three to five times daily from Siena (1 1/2 hr.) through Pienza (20 min.). LFI (tel. 0578-31-174) buses run hourly from Chiusi (50 min.) through Chianciano Terme (25 min.), and twice daily from Florence to Bettole, where you transfer for the bus to Montepulciano (2 hr. total). There are three direct buses daily from Florence run by Ferroviaria lines (no phone).

In Montepulciano, buy Tra-in and Ferroviaria tickets at Caffè Tubino, in the little parking lot just below Porta al Prato; get LFI tickets from the tabacchi/bar at Via Gracchiano del Corso 36-38.<<<<

The local bus LFI, runs a few, but the times aren't that convenient. It is difficult to use a bus for these areas. All the various bus links are on the Siena Mobilita webpage.
http://www.sienamobilita.it/EN/index.html

You need to avoid any local bus between 7-9 am and 12:30-2:30 pm as they will be packed with Italian kids going to and from school.

The Montepulciano bus station is below Montepulciano and you will need to catch another bus up to the town.

Experience something different. Go to the very small town of Panzano [roughly 1/2 way betwen Florence and Siena], beautiful countryside. make reservations to eat at the butcher shop of Dario Cecchini, stay overnight so that you safely enjoy the wines. Dario is a real character [google his name] and read Bill Buford's book "Heat" -- the last 1/4 of the book is about Dario

Right, bob. Deviate from the rigid, repetitious orthodoxy, and of course people will call you insane.

tnfan, here's some more specific help about taking the train:

http://www.ilsasso.com/eng/location.php

Very good advice to avoid school hours if you are carrying luggage on the bus.

kybourbon, sorry that my language suggested a one-seat ride. One website mentioned a quick change in Bettole, but some more digging fails to turn up more info on that bus.

Looks like the best option is an IC train to Chiusi, then the regular bus from the train station, which is just a short ride.

This has been so helpful. I will need to check the bus and train schedules.

Does anyone have a suggestion of where to stay in Montepulciano? We are staying at a Marriott in Rome and I am looking at Antica Dimora Firenze in Florence. Any thoughts?

You're very welcome tnfan although Zeppole did all the work!

We stayed in an apartment that rents for a minimum of one week but I'm sure that others have good recommendations for other accommodations. Happy travel planning - sometimes I think I like the planning the best!

Thanks also to kybourbon for helping with the bus situation. I thought you could just get on the bus and go straight there.

Should we stay In Montepulciano for 1 or 2 nights or just go for the day? Thoughts?