5 full days in Rome too much?
 

Does anyone think spending 5 fulls days in Rome is too much? I love looking at ruins and ancient architectures, but of course, like most people, I don't like crowds and busy cities. Plus Rome is on the expensive side. I have two weeks off in May, so I need to book something this week. I wonder if 5 days will let me have a more leisurely time exploring the city. I'm thinking of just doing a week in Rome and then 2-3 days in Siena. After that I will either have to hit Florence or Pisa to take the flight back to the U.S. (I've been to Florence and Pisa before, so I don't mind too much missing out on them.)

There is so much to see in Rome, 5 full days is far from too much. But with 5 days you won't have to rush to get many monumental sights in one same day.
Personally, I think 2 days in Siena is plenty.

I think there is more than enough to do in Rome to fill five days. We were there last summer for 5 days, and I could have stayed longer. It doesn't have to be expensive, and you can get excellent food at reasonable prices. We also stayed in Siena for 4 days and used it as a base to explore other areas. We love Siena, but it's nicest at night when the crowds are gone. Personally, I could never visit Italy without at least a couple of nights in Florence. We were there as well last summer and even though we've been a few times, it never ceases to amaze us. Pisa would be the one I'd leave out, as once you've seen the Leaning Tower, it doesn't have the charm of so many other towns. Have a wonderful trip!

Is it your first time in Rome? If so, and if you want to hit the must sees, I think it is enough amount of days to spread out your itinerary and spend leisure amount of time without rushing through it. If you've seen it all already and just want to soak up the scene and casually wander, I would probably say 2 or 3 full days and then give yourself some flexibility to do day trips to towns close by.

I love Rome, so for me five days would not be enough.

we love to stay 5 days in cities. you get a feel for it ...sit in a cafe and have a beer for an hour and watch the people .....dont rush....i could go back to rome any day any time.....

think of this backwards ......we rented a car in florence and drove to sienna ....used it as a base and spent 3 days driving thru tuscany.... i always like to rent a car at an airport because there are usually direct routes away from the city to get you where you want to go ....
drop off the car in florence and.....
a 4 hour train ride gets you to venice ..... a gem of a city .. not to be missed .....

We keep returning to Rome, sometimes for 3 or 4 days, sometimes up to a week. Rome is so very dense with attractions. It seems that every block can have an amazing attraction. On each return trip we see several new places, and also take in a bit of the parks and the contemporary art scene or a special exhibition.

5 days is a wonderful amount of time to spend in Rome, even though it can be a bit intense. If you have 5 days, it becomes easier to wile away an afternoon in a park, or Ostia Antica or a slightly out of the center site like Terme di Caracalla.

I'm losing count of how many times I've been to Rome, and there are still major sites and museums that I have yet to visit.

I don't think 5 days is too much, but I visit Rome every time I go to Italy. I've also stayed in Siena multiple times. You will find plenty to do in both cities.

alane, don't know when you were there last. But the fast train from Florence to Venice is just about 2 hours. FYI.

Axel- 5 days is never enough, in my book. There is more than enough ruins/architecture for 5 days+. Do consider a train ride out to Ostia Antica. And don't miss the Baths of Caracalla.

Have a great trip!

In my opinion, 5 days in Rome is not enough! There is so much to see; ruins, architecture, museums, churches, fountains, monuments, art, beautiful people. And of course you will want time just to relax and just take in the ambiance.

Five days is just about perfect. Pick a different section of the city each day and leisurely stroll about. If by day four you have seen most of what you want to see, take a quick train ride to Orvieto for part of the day. It's a great hill town and deserves a few hours if possible.

What everybody else has said. In two weeks, I'm returning for my dozenth time since 1971, and I can't wait.

The thing is, you don't have to "sightsee" all the time. In fact, that's what exhausts you in big cities, and that's what sort of ruins the pleasure, imo. Just wander through the neighborhoods, down side streets, let yourselves get lost. Walking, sitting, walking some more, sitting some more, walking some more -- all with no particular goal in mind -- is the way to see Rome.

And don't forget to try a different gelato flavor every day!

Every day, michele_d? Sheesh.

More like every hour. At least.

Well, I was gonna say that but I didn't want to sound greedy!..But yeah, one gelato after every meal at least should do it!

OK, thhat's more like it. I was worried about you for a while there.
B-)

There is more to see in Rome than in any other place I have ever been.

I returned from Rome two weeks ago. In 15 days there was only one where we did nothing. I could easily have spent another two weeks and not felt I had done everything. Five days is certainly not too much in my opinion.

There is more to see in Rome than in any other place I have ever been.>>

what I was going to say too, Nikki.

Axel - piecing together all the info you've given us, you have 2 weeks, want to see Rome, Siena, Florence and Pisa and then fly home.

what airport are you flying into/out of? how are you travelling [car or train]?

anything else on your agenda?

BTW, of all the major cities in Italy, I would have said that Rome is the cheapest, certainly for food and probably for lodging too. so don't shorten your time there because you think it's going to be more expensive than Florence.

Actually one day in Siena is more than enough.The centro historico is quite small.Unless you take a day trip to San Gimigliano or other smaller towns near Siena.