Can one suggest an itinerary for a week in Tuscany?

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Stan

I'd recommend staying in Florence because it's centrally located and has a nice train station.

Day 1:
Uffizi museum - Dinner on a nice restaurant on the river at Ponte Vechio

Day 2:
Go to the Galleria Della Academia to see David
Go to the Duomo (if your mom is semi-athletic she can climb to the top)
Finish the day looking over the city at Piazzale Michelangelo
Have dinner at the Porcupine (Il Porcospino)

Day 3:
Take the early Train to Pisa and get the earliest reservations you can to go up the tower.
Take the train to Lucca and spend the rest of the day walking around the city.

Day 4:
Take the Train to Siena - spend a relaxing day walking through the narrow alleyways and cobblestones.

Day 5:
Your choice: Orvieto, San Gimignano, Assisi or stay in Florence.

Days 6-7:
Take the train to Venice (I know it's not Tuscany, but your mom will love it). Pack light and spend the night. See the Dodge's palace, the Rialto bridge and of course, take your mom on a gondola. Have dinner at the Madonna.

mikey

I just got back from Italy and cannot stop thinking about Florence. Please do not miss the Acadamia gallery and the statue of David. It is one of the most facinating works I've ever laid my eyes upon. And if you really like art the Ufitzzi Gallory has paintings and sculptures that date between 1250 and 1600, it also has the only Michelangelo painting on canvas and the only 3 paintings on canvas by Leonaro DeVinci. The square just outside of the Uffitzzi has dozzens of statues to admire as well including a replica of the statue of David (one of two replicas).
Piazza Michelangelo - its across the Arno river and if you can get there at twilight you will have the most amazing view of the city, just beautiful. Here you can find the other replica david too.
Take a walk along the Arno and if its a nice day you can get great pictures of the Ponte de Vechio. Also a classic. The bridge was built in the 1300's and it was the only bridge that was not destroyed by Hitler during WWII, because he thought it was beautiful. Most of the shops on the bridge are jewlery shops (and Florence is known for its jewlery) but I think that you'd find better deals elsewhere for jewlery shopping.
We took a day trip to Pisa and a wine castle called Verenzanno Castle. Pisa is nice for about an hour, you can see it and leave, but if you like wine at the castle they showed us how wine is made from start to finish, you get to taste all of their wine too. And the view, oh the view is superb. Not to mention they serve a pretty nice lunch.
You should include the Duomo and the baptistry on your site seeing. They are works of art in themselves. Check out the doors of the baptistry too, the art is just amazing.
Here is a little secret too, it is know that Florence is a major producer of leather (amongst other things). In Piazza San Croce (Also a church you may want to visit) they have stores where you can bargin for leather goods, good stuff too. If you take the road to the left of the church, towards the back church you'll find a leather store that will sell you the same leather you can find anywhere for half the price, I just wish I can remember the name.
Also in San Croche Square to the left of a store named Misori (don't shop there) there is a quaint restaurant that claims to have the best Lazagana in the city, after trying it for lunch, I would not doubt it.
We stayed at a better than good hotel called Starhotel Michelangelo, only problem is its about a 15 minute walk from the action.
Finally (although I can go on and on) we ate at a fabulous restaurant called il Gausio. You might not find a huge menu but the food there was better than good, it was the best meal we had in Florence and that is saying alot. The Apple Tart for desert is a must!!!

To add after reading some of the above - Sienna outstanding (about 45 minutes away) - we also went ot a small town (and I may spell it wrong San Germiniamo. Truly old school, hill top, 10 tower town, with again an amazing amazing view (If you get there, find the pastry shop (I think it begins with an M) about 100 yards from the entrance going uphill, cookies to die for.

alberto lupi

Glad you have a mother, more or less, of my age.
Places to visit, and I put them in no order, just as I think of them.
Scansano, place of one of most renown vines, Radicofani, a place known for being in the Mille Miglia race, Cortona (nice because is linked with my meeting my wife) lots of Americans there, Loro Ciuffenna, out of the main roads, Volterra in his little museum is the Deposizione by Rosso Fiorentino - one of my preferred painting. Go down in the Maremma until you reach Tuscania nobody there, but wonderful medieval architecture. An earthquake struck it 40 years ago, when I was there a score it was still damaged. Do not forget Pienza, as long it still keeps staying on the hill!
My preferred town is Pisa, campo dei Miracoli, and then Lucca. Someone says also Arezzo, but I'm not very found of her (cities in the Italian language are of feminine gender - grammatically speaking).
When I stayed in Florence I never had good experiences, you pay too much, unless you can afford to spend money. In this case try Hotel Tornabuoni Beacci, you can find it on the web.
Florence is not the top as food (I was porn 80 miles northeast and we are very parochial) but try (if it still exist) â€œIECCHECCECEâ€™â€. NOT AT THE TOP is said according to Italian standards but if you came from outside Italy you are non as selective as we are. Remember you donâ€™t get a salad youget 2 entrees 9smaller than the US entrees, but more healthy. Near the American Consulate there is a wonderful cafÃ¨,could be via del Moro, but I don't remember.

As I wrote before, Firenze an Tuscany in general are very expensive and a lot of people try to get from the tourist all thei can get. My advice wuold be to get in touch with a turist agent that deals with Tuscany and get advice from them in the long run itâ€™s better. An Italian one wuold work better.
The agent I use in Italy is Linktours, you can lokk on the web. They are of Ferrara, not Florence, but are quite good at organizing things, they satisfied me and my wife wen we went in Spain, Sicily, UK and Greece.

Of course (as also I will be there in June) this is written at the best of my knowledge does not endore anyone or anythig. It's written on the base of knowledge that was acquired from 20 to 10 years ago, and grounded on personal taste.

Cicerone

You can take a look at http://www.drivingguidetours.com for chauffered tours and day excursion in Tuscany.

Jami

go through this site. It was helpful, when I plan my trip to italy. There are lots of tips to follow and they are very useful

http://italy-tourism.blogspot.com/search/label/Tuscany

Mirna

Why don't you have a look at this website. It might give some you ideas about where to go and what to see.

http://iviaggidialice.it/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=133&zenid=of7dhjvgib800bcdkcdm548oq3

letizia

pisa, siena, lucca, arezzo, evrything is marvellous in tuscany. if she likes the seaside, viareggio and forte dei marmi are very nice.
if she likes a spa, there is bagni di pisa, it's a hotel and spa near pisa. from here you can visit lucca livorno, pisa of course, siena.
firenze is beautiful, too, maybe expensive. june is a good month.

meringhette

From Florence to Siena from S.to San Gimignano from SG to Lucca from L. to Pisa from P. to Forte dei Marmi from FdM to Cinque Terre Monterosso

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