I am planning a trip to Italy in May, and will be staying in the Florence - Pisa area, but am able to travel. Although the purpose of the trip is unfortunately not climbing, i would love to be able to spend at least a couple days climbing a mountain/mountains. Could anyone recommend a favorite climb or particularly fun/cool route? Looking for moderate snow climb - not really experienced on glaciers. What about guide services?

A number of years ago I was in that area for the Carrara marble fair at the end of May. After the meetings were over I took a week and went up to the Gran Paradiso National Park to do some hiking. It was the first week in June and there was still snow on north facing slopes when you got up a bit. The hiking was great (and I actually saw wildlife in Europe). I have a guidebook that describes a number of great hikes in the area (Marcia Lieberman. "Walking in the Alpine Parks of France and Northwest Italy." Mountaineers, 1994.). I thought about climbing the Gran Paradiso, but didn't. It is a glacier climb, but a relatively easy and safe one, and you should be able to get a local guide for it. Check out the SP pages for the Graian alps and Gran Paradiso region/group; I think one of our members who has posted a bunch of great pictures from the area is a guide.

what about Alpi Apuane : a fine range very near to your destination

here some useful links ...
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/31831
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myworks/188936793/
http://www.alpiapuane.com/English/walking.htm
http://www.welcometuscany.it/tuscany/Parks_Reserves_Protected_Areas/apuan_alps_park.htm
http://www.paesiapuani.it/le_escursioni_sulle_alpi_apuane.htm
http://incima.altervista.org/oldincima/oppiocolnaghi.html

using google and looking for Alpi Apuane, Procinto, Pizzo Uccello you're going to find much more info
ciao

Alpi Apuane would also be great. I haven't hiked there, but did ride up to the quarries above Carrara. If that area interests you Lonely Planet's book "Walking in Italy" has some suggested hikes with very detailed descriptions.

You got good advices. BTW, I was in Toscana in November 06. Your whole visit will be fulfilled if you devote a day for Siena - Piazza del Campo, Duomo, ... Nothing can compare with it. Florence is great, but too busy and particulated in all those museums and galleries...

May would be a great time of year to be in the Alpi Apuane. Fabulous and numerous rock routes, via ferrata, trails, and very decent rifugi (some likely open on the weekend) located in great places (for example, Forte dei Marmi).

Local conditions will dictate what's possible in May in the bigger mountains. There could be lots of snow even down to 1800 meters (or lower!) in parts of the Alps, including Gran Paradiso and other ranges. So, unless you have a good way of avoiding the post-holing (and big, wet snow-loaded slopes) and can handle what May can dish out in the bigger mountains, I'd focus on the gems of the Appenino.

Of course you may find some decent snow conditions for slogging up something alpine in May, but that's still a time of year for ski mountaineering.

Have fun, David