BJK

Our family of 6 adults are spending 9 days in Italy, arriving April 6 in Rome. We have reservations in Rome for April 13-15. Any suggested routes/itineraries to see Assisi, Florence, Pisa, Sienna, and Cinque Terra area for the first 7 days?

ira

Hi B,

You will be in Italy for 9 days and only spending 2 in Rome?

You then want to see 5 other places in 7 days?

Are you sure?

BJK

Our daughter is a teacher. Spring break. She's already missing some school. We can return. But what roads? What routes? Everything overlaps so I'm having trouble finding a route seeing these places and not backtracking! Right now I'm just frustrated. Oh, and we will stay overnight going home in Paris! (18 hrs.)

BJK

Plus, we return the car the 12th if possible and fly out April 15.

cindyeo

Can I suggest 2 cars? We were a group of 6, 2 teenagers, 2 adults, 2 seniors in Italy last summer and we rented a minivan. We had trouble fitting all of us and our luggage in the van, and then had trouble driving it around the very narrow streets in Italy. We've been to Italy before, and weren't crazy enough to take it into the cities, but even some of the towns, especially on the hillsides, have very narrow streets, and occasionally you are going to need to back up or turn around and it's a problem. We agreed, the next time we'd get 2 smaller cars.

J62

You will get near unanimous feedback on this forum that you're moving around too much but you will be neither the first nor the last tourists to plan and successfully take a similar trip.

You will neither need nor want a car in Rome or Florence.

Assuming you stick with this itinerary, and since Rome is at the end of your stay you could pick up a car upon arrival at Rome airport. Right away drive to Assisi for 1st night, then on to Siena on your way to Cinque Terre. Stop by Pisa for a morning on your way into Florence then drop off your car when you arrive in Florence.

To get from Florence to Rome take a train, then take a train to Rome airport when you fly out to Paris.

I like www.viamichelin.com for Europe maps and directions. You will see the obvious highway (Autostrada) routes to follow.

janisj

BJK:

Your 9 days isn't a problem - lots of folks have less time for a nice trip to Italy.

Driving isn't a problem (though 6 adults in ANY vehicle including a mini van is pretty difficult - where are you planning on putting the luggage? )

Your problem is way too many destinations in too short a time.

I would cut back quite a bit - traveling w/ six makes everything take longer.

nytraveler

I think what you need to do is to pick 2 cities to stay in and do day trips from them. It may seem like it makes more sense to travel from city to city - but given the fact that many of these small towns have pedestrian centers, and you have to leave cars on the outskirts, changing hotels every day - trekking in and out with luggage, finding hotels etc, will take the bulk of your time.

You're much better off picking one town, spending a day seeing it , then another day driving an hour or so to see another and driving back in the evening.

Pisa, Sienna and Assisi are easaily doable from Florence - but you could stay in Siena and see them from there too.

cindyeo

As for a route suggestion, we based ourselves in Fiesole, just north of Florence, for 5 days, and took day trips from there, then we drove to Rome and Naples. The nice thing about that is you don't have to unpack every night. And Fiesole is quiet with a beautiful view of the city. There's a bus that runs frequently down into the city, so you don't have to take your car. It's about a 25 minute bus ride if you go all the way to the Florence train station.

One day we drove into Chianti, had lunch in Greve in Chianti, then went back to Fiesole. It gives you a good feeling for the countryside, you don't need to see every town.

One day we did business in Prato in the morning, then drove to Pisa in the afternoon. In my opinion, you only need an hour or two in Pisa. It was a one hour drive from Prato to Pisa (by highway). Probably a little longer to get back to Florence, I didn't write that down.

One day we took the bus into Florence. I had called the Accademia from the states before we left to get a reserved entrance time. You pay nothing until you get there, and then you have to pay a couple dollars more to get in, but it's worth it to not stand in line at the entrance. April might not be as bad as June, but it was around the corner and down the street, and very hot. Do an internet search to find the number, they speak English.

Our Italian friend took us to dinner in Florence at da Alberto, on the other side of the river from the main tourist parts of the city, but not too far from the Ponte Vecchio in the Piazza del Cestello. It was very good, and not a tourist in site.

Finally, we drove from Florence to Rome, leisurely, leaving late morning and stopping for lunch in Montepulciano, arriving at 4:00 in the afternoon.

I've been to Siena on another trip, that is a place you'll want to spend longer than an hour.

Not sure if I've helped you with your route question, but hopefully have given you some ideas.

toni_g_b

I agree with others that staying in 5 cities in 7 nights may be a bit much - we did it last year and some of what we saw is now a blur. That being said, if your question is asking which actual roads to drive...
We drove A1 from Rome to Orvieto and picked up S448, then E45, S418 to Spoleto, then S3 up to Assisi. This was in August and the roads couldn't have been more pleasant - wonderful views, areas to explore along the way, little traffic to speak of.

As a proponent of "get off the autostrada, explore the secondary roads", I can't get you from Assisi to Siena since we didn't go that way. But, once in Siena, the Chianti Road, S222, to Florence is not to be missed. Or another route would be S2 if you'd like to make a visit along the way to San Gimignano.

Big_Red

You might want to borrow or buy some books.
Michelin Green Guide - Tuscany
Thomas Cook Signpost Guide- Tuscany and Umbria (harder to find than the other two).
Touring Club of Italy - Authentic Tuscany

Any one of these would give lots of good ideas.

Two cars, rather than one mini-van is a good idea.

If it was us, then we would be planning day trips (with the inevitable back tracking).

bobthenavigator

Use viamichelin.com to plan your routing, but your problem is deeper than that. I would start in Florence and end in Rome and include one other destination. That early in April I would skip the CT. See Pisa and Siena from Florence.