Here's how to get a great countryside Tuscany experience without renting a car. It's all part of a rail trip to the great cities of Italy. If you've been torn between whether to visit the cities or Tuscany, this is your happy compromise. This is a heavy-duty Tuscany visit, including 2 full days of Tuscany touring with a private driver plus time to relax around your Tuscany lodging or take countryside walks.

You'll start by flying into Rome for 3 nights in a hotel that's right in the city center, the kind of location we're known for providing. We can add sightseeing tours if you wish, including one to the Vatican (not included). Then you'll take a train from Rome to Florence, where your transfer driver will be waiting to take you to your Tuscany hotel. There are several castle hotels we like to use for this itinerary. Next day, your private driver-guide will come to take you on a full-day tour to the Val d'Orcia, south of Siena, one of our two favorite parts of Tuscany, where your visit can include Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino. The following day you'll meet your driver-guide again for a full-day tour in the Chianti area, north of Siena. You'll recognize town names like Radda and Castellina. You finish in countryside Tuscany with a private transfer to your Florence hotel, again, right in the center of the city.

In Florence, we can make the gallery reservations for you. And as for Rome and Venice, you'll get our city tips for what to see on your own. You have 2 nights in Florence. Then it's on by train to Venice for your final 2 nights in Italy. There'll be a private transfer waiting for you at the station in Venice, to take you by boat to your hotel, which is located right near St. Mark's Square. Another private transfer takes you to the Venice airport to fly from Italy.