Ischia or Tuscany?

Ischia has the edge for a beach trip, mainly because its sand is close at hand wherever you stay. Maronti's long dark curve, sheltered San Montano and sunset-facing Citara are a short bus or water-taxi ride from any base, with the bonus of hot springs at the shore.

Tuscany's coast is bigger and more varied: Elba's clear bays, the pine-backed Maremma strands and the miles of fine Versilia sand, though much of the latter is lined with private beach clubs. The catch is distance, because from Florence or Chianti the sea is a long drive away.

Tuscany is far ahead at the table. Florence alone has lampredotto carts, the San Lorenzo and Sant'Ambrogio markets and Oltrarno trattorias, and the region adds Chianti, Brunello and Vino Nobile cellars, Pienza pecorino and autumn truffles.

Ischia has a few real pleasures, namely rabbit braised in terracotta, harbour seafood at Sant'Angelo and Forio, and Biancolella wine from Epomeo's terraces. But half-board spa hotels dominate, and good meals take seeking out in the hill villages.

There is little contest here. Tuscany holds the Renaissance in Florence, from the Uffizi and the Accademia to Brunelleschi's dome, plus Siena's Campo, Pisa's marble square, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pienza and Arezzo's Piero frescoes.

Ischia has one fine set piece in the Aragonese Castle and a remarkable small museum of Greek finds at Lacco Ameno, including Nestor's Cup. Beyond those, and the lanes of Ischia Ponte and Sant'Angelo, island visitors cross to Naples for more.

Neither is a party destination, but Tuscany offers more. Florence has student crowds on Santo Spirito's steps and wine bars in Oltrarno, and in summer the Versilia beach clubs dance until dawn. Ischia's evenings centre on dinner and the passeggiata, with Ischia Porto's terraces and a couple of summer discos the only late options.

Tuscany has the broader outdoors. It ranges from the farmed hills of Chianti and the Val d'Orcia, ideal for cycling between towns, to the Apuan Alps' marble ridges, the Casentino beech forests and the Maremma's wild coast.

Ischia's landscape is compact but striking. You can climb volcanic Monte Epomeo through chestnut woods, see steam vents on the south coast, and snorkel or dive in the protected waters around the island. A week covers it, whereas Tuscany could fill several.

Both make good bases for outings, but Tuscany offers more. Siena, Lucca, Pisa, Volterra and the Val d'Orcia loop are all within reach, and Bologna, Umbria and the Cinque Terre lie just beyond the border.

From Ischia every excursion begins with a ferry. That still opens up Procida, Naples, the Phlegraean Fields and, in summer, Capri and Sorrento, while Pompeii is a long day.

Tuscany works slightly better for families because it has more variety. Agriturismi with pools and animals, shallow lifeguarded beaches, the Pinocchio park at Collodi and cycling on Lucca's walls give children a range of days, though Florence's galleries can be a slog.

Ischia is simpler. Calm water at San Montano and Maronti and the warm pools of the thermal parks make easy days for young children, but the stepped villages and crowded buses are tiring, and older children may run out of things to do.

Tuscany is easier to move around, provided you plan for its two halves. Trains link Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Arezzo well enough for a car-free trip, while Chianti, the Val d'Orcia and the Maremma really need wheels.

Ischia is small but awkward. One coastal road carries slow, crowded summer buses, cars are restricted and hard to park, and microtaxis and water taxis fill the gaps. Most visitors settle into one base and walk.

Tuscany is a real shopping destination, built on craft. There is leather around Santa Croce, gold on the Ponte Vecchio, marbled paper in Oltrarno, alabaster in Volterra and marble in Pietrasanta, plus luxury on Via de' Tornabuoni and the Arno valley outlets.

Ischia's shopping amounts to an evening stroll along Via Roma and Corso Vittoria Colonna for linen, sandals and jewellery, with ceramics, limoncello and thermal cosmetics as souvenirs.

Ischia is somewhat easier on the budget. Family-run spa hotels sell half-board with pool access, and buses and ferries are fairly priced, though sunbeds and thermal parks add up in August.

Tuscany costs more in season. Central Florence rooms, Chianti villas, Versilia umbrellas and car hire all push the bill up, and Forte dei Marmi is among Italy's priciest resorts. Basing yourself in Lucca, Arezzo or the Maremma helps a great deal.

Tuscany has a proper musical life. There is the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and its opera house, the Pergola theatre, Puccini recitals in Lucca with outdoor opera at Torre del Lago, and Siena's Chigiana summer concerts.

Ischia offers summer chamber music in the Mortella gardens, screenings and concerts at the Aragonese Castle, and village processions. For opera you take the ferry to Naples.

Both regions sit on hot springs, but Ischia builds the whole stay around them. Hotels pipe thermal water into their own pools, terraced parks at Citara, Lacco Ameno and Casamicciola fill whole days, and Sorgeto's hot pools in the sea and the Cavascura steam caves add a wilder side.

Tuscany's springs are superb but spread out. There is the grand spa town of Montecatini, Saturnia's free cascades, and the medieval bath at Bagno Vignoni, so you drive between them, with a quiet farmhouse in the Val d'Orcia as the restful base.