12 Whole Days Between Florence and Rome
Feb 6th, 2008, 11:18 AM
#1
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12 Whole Days Between Florence and Rome
Hello-
Now we have 2 additional days in Italy, so back to square one. But at least we have a schedule in place, which can be adjusted +/- day for Florence and Rome.
Arrive in Florence Oct 5th(Sunday).
Florence Oct 6-11.
Train to Rome Oct 12 (morning)
Rome Oct 13-17.
Depart Rome Oct 18 (noon flight)
QUESTIONS:
Is there truly enough to do in Florence and Rome to justify skipping 1 day trips per region: San G. or Lucca (in Florence) and Ostia (in Rome). I would like to make these day trips, but my travel companion thinks that with the time we have per city, that it would be a waste of time running around.
Any thoughts on this dilemma?
We are sticking with just these 2 main cities, and do not wish to add any more. Just looking for advice about day trips to the places listed above. I would love to see a medieval walled city with towers, so is San G. the best choice? And I know that both San G. and Ostia are within 1 hour of both cities, but I need a good argument for my travel companion. We also don't need to see all art/architecture/churches/ruins between Florence and Rome and we are not wine drinkers. We also want some leisure time between seeing sites.
Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated...Thank you~
Now we have 2 additional days in Italy, so back to square one. But at least we have a schedule in place, which can be adjusted +/- day for Florence and Rome.
Arrive in Florence Oct 5th(Sunday).
Florence Oct 6-11.
Train to Rome Oct 12 (morning)
Rome Oct 13-17.
Depart Rome Oct 18 (noon flight)
QUESTIONS:
Is there truly enough to do in Florence and Rome to justify skipping 1 day trips per region: San G. or Lucca (in Florence) and Ostia (in Rome). I would like to make these day trips, but my travel companion thinks that with the time we have per city, that it would be a waste of time running around.
Any thoughts on this dilemma?
We are sticking with just these 2 main cities, and do not wish to add any more. Just looking for advice about day trips to the places listed above. I would love to see a medieval walled city with towers, so is San G. the best choice? And I know that both San G. and Ostia are within 1 hour of both cities, but I need a good argument for my travel companion. We also don't need to see all art/architecture/churches/ruins between Florence and Rome and we are not wine drinkers. We also want some leisure time between seeing sites.
Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated...Thank you~
Feb 6th, 2008, 11:28 AM
#3
"Truly enough to do in Florence and Rome?" Short answer: yes. You could spend your entire time in either city.
Long answer: Since you won't be seeing everything in the two cities anyway, the two day trips would be a nice change of atmosphere and experience.
You and your travel companion need to agree on what's most important and of interest to both of you. You might want to maintain some flexibility in case the weather puts a damper on whatever you plan.
Long answer: Since you won't be seeing everything in the two cities anyway, the two day trips would be a nice change of atmosphere and experience.
You and your travel companion need to agree on what's most important and of interest to both of you. You might want to maintain some flexibility in case the weather puts a damper on whatever you plan.
Feb 6th, 2008, 11:41 AM
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As far as I can see, you have 6.5 days in Florence (incl. arrival day) and 5.5 days in Rome. Unless both of you are truly, madly, deeply in love with Renaissance art and architecture, I would at least reverse the number of days.
Even with 5.5 days in Florence, I think you have time for a day trip to a "medieval walled city with towers." If you can settle for "medieval walled city with one tower", consider Siena instead of San Gimignano. It's easier to get to (a direct bus rather than train/bus or two buses), larger and therefore slightly less crowded with tourist hordes, and more and more interesting things to see, at least in my opinion. (I don't know Lucca; it probably fills your requirements as well.)
Ostia Antica is reachable by local transportation and need not even take a complete day.
It's not "a waste of time running around" if it takes you to somewhere that is interesting and different. Florence is almost 100% Renaissance; San Gimignano and Siena are medieval. Rome has ruins from classical antiquity, but Ostia Antica is an ancient port town with remains of public housing, a theater, a marketplace.
Even with 5.5 days in Florence, I think you have time for a day trip to a "medieval walled city with towers." If you can settle for "medieval walled city with one tower", consider Siena instead of San Gimignano. It's easier to get to (a direct bus rather than train/bus or two buses), larger and therefore slightly less crowded with tourist hordes, and more and more interesting things to see, at least in my opinion. (I don't know Lucca; it probably fills your requirements as well.)
Ostia Antica is reachable by local transportation and need not even take a complete day.
It's not "a waste of time running around" if it takes you to somewhere that is interesting and different. Florence is almost 100% Renaissance; San Gimignano and Siena are medieval. Rome has ruins from classical antiquity, but Ostia Antica is an ancient port town with remains of public housing, a theater, a marketplace.
Feb 6th, 2008, 11:54 AM
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Thank you Zerlina, I liked what you had to say (my feelings exactly). I'm looking for contrasts between places, and I don't think it would be that much effort to visit Ostia and Sienna instead of San G. Variety and leisure is what we seek in this first trip to Italy, not overload in one specific environment/ atmosphere.
Feb 6th, 2008, 12:49 PM
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I would day trip from Florence to Siena AND San Gimignano. They're each fabulous and different from one another. Intersperse these trips amongst your days in Florence.
I would not day trip from Rome - there's variety galore there. Also Ostia is redundant with the Forum in Rome given your time limitation.
I would not day trip from Rome - there's variety galore there. Also Ostia is redundant with the Forum in Rome given your time limitation.
Feb 6th, 2008, 01:07 PM
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I wouldn't at all see it as running around and wasting time. You can easily get transportation schedules ahead of time.
From Florence, it is extremely easy to get a bus to Siena, a train to Lucca, or a bus up the hill to Fiesole.
From Rome, there are any number of easy day trips. My favorite is Arezzo, but lots of people go to Orvieto.
Another idea is to knock a day off Florence, take the train or Arezzo, stay over a night, then go on to Rome. This is very very easy, and entails no running around at all.
If you are committed to just Florence and Rome, I would spend the greater number of days in Rome, I think, just because it is larger, and takes a bit more time to cover the greater variety of sights.
How much do you love the Renaissance?
I love Florence and have spent a lot of time there.
I also offer the idea of separating from your companion for a little while, if they are going to keep you from doing something that you would like.
From Florence, it is extremely easy to get a bus to Siena, a train to Lucca, or a bus up the hill to Fiesole.
From Rome, there are any number of easy day trips. My favorite is Arezzo, but lots of people go to Orvieto.
Another idea is to knock a day off Florence, take the train or Arezzo, stay over a night, then go on to Rome. This is very very easy, and entails no running around at all.
If you are committed to just Florence and Rome, I would spend the greater number of days in Rome, I think, just because it is larger, and takes a bit more time to cover the greater variety of sights.
How much do you love the Renaissance?
I love Florence and have spent a lot of time there.
I also offer the idea of separating from your companion for a little while, if they are going to keep you from doing something that you would like.
Feb 6th, 2008, 01:19 PM
#9
Hi Romi,
tuscanfeedlit got in before me. you can have a very nice half day + trip by getting up to Fiesole, climbing up to the monastery, then walking back down into town and visiting the roman amphitheatre.
there are also come gardens that you can catch the bus to in the summer. if you plan your day well, you can 1st walk up via cavour to the museo di san marco, then catch a bus from the square up to fiesole from there. there are a couple of bars by the bus stops that sell very cheap coffees [as well as bus tickets] annd on the corner there is a surprisingly up-scale cafe with the most impressively dressed waitresses you'll have seen in a long time.
regards, ann
tuscanfeedlit got in before me. you can have a very nice half day + trip by getting up to Fiesole, climbing up to the monastery, then walking back down into town and visiting the roman amphitheatre.
there are also come gardens that you can catch the bus to in the summer. if you plan your day well, you can 1st walk up via cavour to the museo di san marco, then catch a bus from the square up to fiesole from there. there are a couple of bars by the bus stops that sell very cheap coffees [as well as bus tickets] annd on the corner there is a surprisingly up-scale cafe with the most impressively dressed waitresses you'll have seen in a long time.
regards, ann
Feb 6th, 2008, 01:21 PM
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we went to fiesole 8km out of florence on the hill. It has a roman archaeological area.
I would also look at doing the odd thing on your own.
I would go to san gimignano if that is your wish to see a walled city with towers.
I would also look at doing the odd thing on your own.
I would go to san gimignano if that is your wish to see a walled city with towers.
Feb 6th, 2008, 04:50 PM
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I would reverse the days as well, if you plan on sticking with only Rome and Florence.
However, if you would still like to do the day trips (and there's no reason not to), then keep the current schedule and use the "extra time" to day trip out of Florence, which is easier than day tripping out of Rome, in my own experience.
My own personal experience was that I liked Lucca more than San G, because it didn't seem so filled with tourists. It also has the lovely wall which is wonderful to walk around on (I believe I've heard that you could rent a bike and bike all the way around the city on the wall, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.).
I also would propose letting your travel companion stay behind on the day trip, and you could go by yourself, if you are both agreeable to that. Sometimes it's good to get away from each other for a short period of time and regroup.
However, if you would still like to do the day trips (and there's no reason not to), then keep the current schedule and use the "extra time" to day trip out of Florence, which is easier than day tripping out of Rome, in my own experience.
My own personal experience was that I liked Lucca more than San G, because it didn't seem so filled with tourists. It also has the lovely wall which is wonderful to walk around on (I believe I've heard that you could rent a bike and bike all the way around the city on the wall, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.).
I also would propose letting your travel companion stay behind on the day trip, and you could go by yourself, if you are both agreeable to that. Sometimes it's good to get away from each other for a short period of time and regroup.
