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Planet Rail · Tailor-made holiday

The Flavours of Tuscany by Air

Seven-day Tuscan food and wine tour from London with hire car

Illustration of The Flavours of Tuscany by Air

The Flavours of Tuscany by Air is a 7-day self-guided holiday operated by Planet Rail. You fly from London Heathrow to Pisa and transfer to the Relais dei Molini, a 4-star hotel in the village of Castagneto Carducci, where you stay for all six nights. From there you collect a hire car and drive to Bolgheri's famous vineyards for wine tastings, relax at the Calidaro Thermal Springs, take a cooking class in a farmhouse near the walled city of Lucca, and visit a cheese farm near Volterra. Day 5 is unstructured, letting you explore the coast or cycle through the vineyards at your own pace. The itinerary suits couples and food-and-wine travellers who want to experience rural Tuscan traditions without a set daily schedule. Two dinners, two lunches tied to hosted experiences, and breakfast each day are included; you navigate the countryside yourself by car.

What to know before you look closer

  • This trip uses flights and hire car, not trains; it is included on besttraintour.com as a Tuscan holiday for reference
  • The price from £1,695 per person includes economy flights, but you drive yourself and must navigate Italian roads with a hire car
  • Day 5 is unstructured with no guided activities, requiring you to plan your own exploration

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Castagneto Carducci

    By air to Pisa and onward to the heart of Tuscany

    Your holiday begins this morning as you fly from London Heathrow with British Airways to Pisa. On arrival at Pisa airport you will be met by Luca, the charming owner of the Relais dei Molini, beautifully set in the pretty village of Castagneto Carducci and your accommodation for the next six nights. You are transferred through the delightful countryside of Tuscany to the village, surrounded by ancient olive trees. After time to settle in, enjoy dinner in a traditional local restaurant this evening.

  2. Day 2overnight: Castagneto Carducci

    Bolgheri and its wines

    After collecting your hire car, enjoy a day discovering the flavours and wines of the Bolgheri Doc area, one of the world's most famous wine-producing regions. Visit the pretty village of Bolgheri, known for its 'Viale dei Cipressi' avenue of cypresses, and stop at a local winery for a guided visit followed by a tasting of some of their best wines. Then make your way back to Castagneto Carducci for a delicious lunch with the locals, made with historic recipes handed down through the generations, including homemade pasta and wild boar sauce. The rest of your day is at leisure to explore this medieval village and learn about the secrets of a local liquor producer, a family-run business dating back over 200 years.

  3. Day 3overnight: Castagneto Carducci

    Calidaro Thermal Springs

    Rich in natural springs, Tuscany is one of the most important thermal basins in Europe, and the properties of the waters here have been harnessed since ancient times by both the Romans and the Etruscans. Some of the most celebrated baths are within easy reach of the Relais dei Molini, such as the Calidario where you have included admission today. The Calidario is a source of hot water at 36 degrees that flows directly into the natural swimming pool, accessed via heated changing rooms with direct internal passage.

  4. Day 4overnight: Castagneto Carducci

    Lucca and its culinary traditions

    Today you drive to Lucca, a charming walled city with a beautifully preserved medieval core. Here you enjoy an authentic Tuscan cooking lesson in Mrs Teresa's rustic rural farmhouse: after a welcome drink you source fresh ingredients directly from the orchard, learn to cook some of the best Tuscan dishes and settle down to enjoy them for lunch. Your afternoon is free to discover more of Lucca: wander the cobbled streets and elegant piazzas, admire the churches, or climb the distinctive Guinigi Tower, complete with a tree growing from its top (payable locally), for views of the terracotta rooftops and Tuscan hills.

  5. Day 5overnight: Castagneto Carducci

    A day at leisure

    Make the most of a free day to discover more of the surrounding area. You may wish to head towards the coast, perhaps taking in the towns of Campiglia Marittima or Suvereto. Alternatively, explore the parks of the Cornia Valley (where cycle hire is available) and take a route through the vineyards and the amazing scenery. For wine lovers, visit one of the local wineries or the nearby wine museum.

  6. Day 6overnight: Castagneto Carducci

    Fattoria Lischeto and Volterra

    This morning you drive to the walled town of Volterra and visit the Lischeto Farm, which keeps and develops the local traditions of sheep breeding and cheese production in Tuscany. Visit the farm and the cheese laboratory to learn the techniques of cheese production and make your own cheese, with lunch served at the farm using produce made on site. In the afternoon discover more of Volterra, known for its Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance history and its traditional hand-made alabaster objects. Back in Castagneto Carducci this evening you enjoy a farewell meal to mark your last night in Tuscany.

  7. Day 7

    Homeward bound

    Today after returning your car, Luca transfers you to Pisa airport where you fly to Bristol with EasyJet for the final leg of your homeward journey.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Day 2: Drive through the Bolgheri Doc wine region, walk the Viale dei Cipressi avenue of cypress trees, and taste wines at a local winery
  • Day 4Day 4: Learn to cook authentic Tuscan dishes at Mrs Teresa's farmhouse near Lucca, sourcing fresh ingredients from the orchard, then eat what you prepare
  • Day 6Day 6: Visit Lischeto Farm near Volterra to learn sheep-breeding and cheese-making traditions, make your own cheese, and lunch on farm-made produce

Included

  • Economy Class return flights from London Heathrow to Pisa including seats and 1 piece of checked luggage up to 23 kg per person
  • 6 nights' accommodation with breakfast each day at the Relais dei Molini (4 star) in Castagneto Carducci
  • 5 days' car hire in Tuscany
  • 2 dinners during your stay in Castagneto Carducci
  • Wine tasting at a Bolgheri vineyard and lunch in Castagneto Carducci
  • Entrance to Calidaro Thermal Springs
  • Cookery class in Lucca, including lunch
  • Visit to Lischeto Farm cheese factory, including lunch
  • Private return transfers between the airport and your hotel

Not included

  • Ascent of the Guinigi Tower in Lucca (payable locally)

Questions travellers ask

Is the flight included?
Yes. The from-price includes return economy flights from London Heathrow to Pisa on British Airways outbound and EasyJet return to Bristol, with one checked bag per person.
Where do you stay?
All six nights are at the Relais dei Molini, a 4-star hotel in the village of Castagneto Carducci, run by Luca who arranges airport transfers.
Is the holiday guided or self-guided?
It is self-guided. You collect a hire car on day 2 and drive yourself to wineries, thermal springs, Lucca, and Volterra. The hotel owner arranges airport transfers and hosted experiences (winery visit, cooking class, farm visit) are included.
What meals are included?
Breakfast each day, two dinners in Castagneto Carducci, lunch after the wine tasting in Bolgheri, lunch during the cooking class in Lucca, and lunch at Lischeto Farm near Volterra are included.
What is not included?
Other meals, petrol, parking, tolls, car insurance, entry to the Guinigi Tower in Lucca, and any optional activities on your free day (day 5) are not included.

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