Tuscany has become a bucket list cliché, but a little over an hour from Florence and Pisa, the Serchio Valley is a quiet, peaceful Tuscan retreat without a slew of tourists. Take a scenic hike in Parco dell'Orecchiella or go spelunking at the Grotta del Vento, a wind cave that descends more than 7,000 feet.

Bike or walk around the medieval walls of nearby Lucca. Because this is not a tourism center, hotels are limited, but vacation rentals can cost less than $100 a night.