Traveling by train, in my opinion, is most relaxing and enjoyable. You are able to view the countryside from a whole new perspective and see small towns you would probably not tour. One town, for example, is Carrara (meaning marble fortress), where the quarries supply Carrara marble to the world.

We actually are on our way to Florence, but stopped first in nearby Pisa. The area itself is very touristy, extremely busy, and felt more like a city. We encountered scam artists, street peddlers, as well as folks from all over the world. The number of different languages one could hear was astonishing.