Rome & Florence, 10-12 days or so

Old Apr 27th, 2016, 04:04 PM
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Rome & Florence, 10-12 days or so

Hi, we're in the process of booking a 7-night cruise return Civitavecchia from Sept. 30th - Oct. 7th.

We think we'll extend our trip and spend a few days up to a week in Rome, and a few days or so in Florence. We will probably book air return Rome, although doing open jaw involving Florence is a possibility. The amount of time we spend will partly depend on what flights we can obtain for the best price (looking at Premium Economy on a number of carriers, but might spring for Business if we can get a good deal.)

Given the timing, would Florence and area be significantly better weather pre-cruise, i.e., last week of September? Rather than second week of October?

Should we try to do a city in between Florence and Rome or nearby, or perhaps just do a day trip or two? It would be nice just unpack as infrequently as possible. Places like Lucca, Arezzo, Siena and Perugia come to mind. I think we will probably take the train--I drove back in the old days, in Umbria, but traffic was a lot lighter then, and parking easier. A private driver could be an option for a day trip.

We are seniors, active but like to take things at a moderate pace--we do not rush around and try to see everything. We like walk a moderate amount, but are happy taking public transportation and/or cabs when we get tired. So in Rome we will probably stay in the Monti area (good choice?), and I will make a list of sights that we want to try for--usually we fall short of our goal, but it's nice to have one. I was in Rome in 1971, i.e., 45 years ago, but my husband has never been. We like great neighbourhoods, but love art, history and architecture as well.

In Florence we will stay somewhere central, and hope to see the main art sights. I've read people online say to skip the Uffizi because of the crowds, but I can't imagine doing that--this gallery was very memorable to me. We will see the other main historic sights and try to soak up some of the ambiance of this fine little city. I realize we have to book the Uffizi in advance--any advice about time of day?

Can we do the train straight from Civittavecchia to or from Florence, or do we have to go through Rome? I see it on trenitalia.com, but can't see if it's a good or normal route. In Portugal, intercity trains could be booked the day before or even at the station; it seems that in Italy you get a better price if you book advance.

Any ideas about things to see, itinerary suggestions, favourite hotels all welcome. We don't need luxury, but we do like charm, comfort and a certain amount of quirkiness.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
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Old Apr 27th, 2016, 04:59 PM
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If you can make the flight home from Florence work (check also Pisa and Bologna), I'd head to Rome first for better and faster train options. There is a late morning train from Civitavecchia to Roma Termini that takes just 45 minutes. If you can't catch that one, the others are direct, no change, and take between about 60 and 90 minutes. (If you went to Florence first, the trains all make a connection at either Pisa or Rome and take 2.5 to 3 hours.) The fast train between Rome and Florence takes just 90 minutes.

If you want to add another destination but stick with public trans, any on your list are easily doable, although Lucca seems far to me. I'd suggest also Bologna which seems far but is only 2 hours by fast train from Rome and then just 40 minutes to Florence and the lovely Orvieto just 1:15 hours from Rome and then 2 hours to Florence.
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Old Apr 27th, 2016, 04:59 PM
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For hotel recommendations, it would be helpful to know your budget.
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Old Apr 27th, 2016, 08:35 PM
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Flying out of Florence would be ideal, as the airport is small and close to town. However if FCO offers better options, why not head immediately to Florence, stay in Rome last?

Florence we always stay at the hotel Pendini. You can look up train day trips here:

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

Pisa and Lucca can be combined. Siena the bus is preferable as it goes to the center of town.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 09:33 AM
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Jean, I had considered Bologna. Just feeling this out right now, haven't even talked to my husband. He might want to add Venice, for instance, in which case I'd want to add Padua or Verona.

He might also be amenable to driving--he's driven in the U.K., Portugal, French Polynesia and Greece so far. I myself drove around Umbria on that first trip so long ago--Chianti, Perugia, Arezzo, ...

I had read somewhere that bussing to Siena from Rome was the way to go. Does this also go for Siena to Florence?

As for which place with fly into/out of, starting in Rome, we would still have the long train trip up to Florence after our cruise, so not much difference there. The fast train in the late morning would be very easy, but it would be too late probably, since latest disembarkation is usually 9 a.m..

If we started in Florence, we would probably train down to Rome the night before. Too bad the train service Florence-Civitavecchia direct doesn't seem viable. Decisions, decisions.

It certainly seems sensible to do open jaw flights. Just don't want to bite off more than we can chew, lol.

Oh, hotel budget--mid-range, pleasant, good neighbourhood, a lift (elevator), wifi. Keeping it to not much over €200 would be good--is that reasonable? I was looking at the Rafaello in the Monti district of Rome. Is this a good district to stay?
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 10:00 AM
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Good day trips from Rome are Orvieto (Duomo) and Tivoli (Villa d'Este).
Lucca and Pisa can easily be done as a day trip from Florence. (Pisa S. Rossore railway station is a 10-minute walk from the Duomo and tower.)
Siena is indeed best be done by bus. The bus station is the street right across the main station. The trip takes about one hour.
With some of these day trips, I would limit myself to Florence and Rome.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 10:04 AM
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Wow, these high-speed trains look awesome! Haven't really done one. In Spain we did regional commuter trains, and in Portugal a regional train more like the Frecciabianca, but nothing like like the Rossa and Argento. I guess the faster it is the more expensive.

I think I've figured out how the different train types work. Obviously I have to wait a few months to book, but by booking well in advance, we'll get a good deal, and we can choose our speed. We love watching the scenery go by, but obviously a fairly fast train is good.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 10:27 AM
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The bus stops in Siena right in the center of town, but when it gets to Rome, it stops at Tiburtina station, not a very central station.

I'm not particularly fond of long bus rides, so I would take the train. You can get a taxi to the station, and in Rome you'll arrive right in the center.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 11:41 AM
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Trenitalia I book 4 months ahead minus one day.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 12:00 PM
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We took a day trip to Sienna, which was nice. However, that made me wish we had stayed at least one night there.
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 12:00 PM
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(from Florence).
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 05:49 PM
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Right now I'm leaning towards just Rome and Florence, with a day trip or two. I loved Villa d'Este when I was there 45 years ago--it's one of my strongest memories, so that would be a good trip for us, if the weather is good.

So you really need to book the rail that far in advance. I admit I like being spontaneous. But if I can get open-jaw flights, then it will just be one way. I presume tickets to Civitavecchia can be bought at the last minute?
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Old Apr 28th, 2016, 07:02 PM
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It's not required that you buy train tickets in advance. Trenitalia offers discounts for advance purchase, and these discounts tend to disappear as your travel date approaches. Discounts vary and are not offered on every train (such as the Regionale from Rome to Civitavecchia). Also, restrictions apply, so advance discounted purchase may not always be the best choice. You can do some dummy searches to see if the typical discounts are tempting enough for you.

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
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Old Apr 30th, 2016, 08:47 AM
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>>>I had read somewhere that bussing to Siena from Rome was the way to go. Does this also go for Siena to Florence?
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Old Apr 30th, 2016, 09:27 AM
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Thanks for the information on the buses to Siena from Rome. What about getting from Siena to Florence? It's a common daytrip from Florence, is it not?

As for bus trips, do you also have to book in advance, or can you just arrive at the station and buy a ticket?

Oh, and I'm thinking, might we consider renting a car for a day and driving it from Florence to Civitavecchia? Might be fun and fairly doable. Or reverse, depending on how we arrange our visits.
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Old Apr 30th, 2016, 09:33 AM
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It also looks like training from Florence to Rome airport is an option too, if we have to fly roundtrip Rome (which is likely.) Which also means we could start with Florence and take a train directly there when we fly in.
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Old Apr 30th, 2016, 10:59 AM
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Buses from Florence are easy; the bus station is near the SMN train station and they leave several times a day and take about an hour to get there. Your hotel can provide updated info on schedules, etc.

We also have gone to Siena a couple of times using a driver; you can stop off there coming back from Monteriggioni, for example. And you can also ask your driver to stop at an WWII American Cemetery that is between Florence & Siena, if that would interest you and your husband.
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Old Apr 30th, 2016, 11:15 AM
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Thanks. Not interested in the American Cemetery, but perhaps there would be other places that would be. Hiring a private driver to take us to Siena for a day is intriguing.
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Old May 1st, 2016, 09:34 AM
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Okay, I'm close to booking flights. We have several alternatives, one is to fly return Rome, the other to Florence and return from Rome. I am trying for Business, and finding some very attractive prices right now, but unfortunately the most attractive price is roundtrip Rome on British Airways--flying to Florence from Toronto on BA is really not an option. AF Business is too pricey and they don't have flatbeds. Air Canada Business is not much more than BA, and they will fly us to Florence--this is the most attractive alternative.

I'm thinking that being in Florence to un-jetlag would be best. It's a compact city, and imminently walkable as I remember, despite the hordes of tourists who will be there I'm sure in late September.

I see that at least some museums in Florence are open on Mondays, but I'm thinking there is lots to do in Florence that doesn't involve a museum. We also like to eat and drink, for instance. And there are all those churches! And beautiful Renaissance architecture!

We can then train down to Civitavecchia via Rome on the day of our cruise. This would give us 4 full days in Florence, 5 nights, plus our first Sunday afternoon when we would be wandering around in a daze and getting our bearings. And perhaps a leisurely morning on the 30th prior to our train. If there are threats of strikes by workers around that time, we will get ourselves to Rome or Civitavecchia the night before.

We disembark from our cruise in Civitavecchia on October 7th. We'll simply take the train (or shared limo) into Rome to our hotel, drop off our bags and start exploring.

We'll fly home on October 12th. This will give us 4.5 full days in Rome, five nights.

So this is 10 nights in hotels, total, which will help our budget, since I'm finding that €150/night is a bit lean. €175 would be better. Which is about C$250 at today's exchange rate, C$2500 total--and if I find something extraordinary that's a bit more, I will be okay with that.

How does this sound?
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Old May 1st, 2016, 12:35 PM
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I think this sounds good. I flew Business from Vancouver to Florence and return last month, I booked it on Air Canada but it was a codeshare with Lufthansa and I transited through Frankfurt. The plane was really comfortable, love those lie flat beds, you at least get some rest.

The weather in Florence should still be nice and warm and unfortunately yes, there will still be hordes of tourists but you can avoid that to some extent by going across the river to Oltrarno.

This trip I visited the newly re-opened Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and was very impressed, everything was presented in a very fresh way. Very elegant museum.

And yes, the food, oh the food! Bring your appetite. I did a really nice foodie walking tour this time with Walks of Italy. It was nice because she took me to the Sant' Ambrogio market which is really mostly locals and some other places that were not heavily touristed.
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