As everyone else said, 5 nights is the minimum for Rome! Also, if you go in May, it won't be terribly crowded with tourists yet, and the flowers will be blooming on the Spanish steps.

>>>Actually one day in Siena is more than enough.The centro historico is quite small.<<<

I disagree. There is much to do in Siena, enough for several days. The Opa SI pass sites can take up much of a day and the pass is good for two days.

and Siena makes an excellent base for touring by car if you stay in a hotel towards the edge of the city - easy to drive away from, and lots of nice restaurants to eat in in the evening so you don't need to drive and face that awful decision about which one of you is not going to drink.

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

Oh, come on, that's not nearly enough! Maybe you can skip breakfast, but starting with lunch, you've got two meals and two snacks each day! Just remember to exercise when you get home.

I am sooooo glad others here agree with my theory on gelato: The More the Better. You just can't go wrong with any of the flavors. Just bring a pair of larger pants with you, you will need it! I love the Black Cherry flavor...yum!!! Gawd...now I want some gelato.

Hi Axel,

Rome is nice, but not my favorite city in Italy.

I would rather spend 3 days in Venice than 5 days in Rome.

Of course , you can spend 5 and many more days in Rome, Florence also merits minimum 4 ,5 days.

5 days is the barest minimum to scratch the surface of the Eternal City. 5 months might just be enough to cover the majority of its sights.

The fear of staying too long in a huge city with countless attractions and more than 2700 years of history is alien to me.

And I agree about the gelato!

Thanks everyone.


annhig,

I plan to fly into Rome, then bus or train to Siena, and then probably bus to Florence where I will fly home from. I have only two weeks. I could see more if I cut some time out but I think I'll stick with the 5 days in Rome, 2 in Siena, and now 3-4 in Florence. I've been to Florence before but that was 7 years ago, so I don't mind being back again.

My real desire really was to spend a week driving around Tuscany for the landscape, but I chickened out this time. I've read and heard that driving around the country side is supposed to be "easy", but I just didn't feel confident enough about the roads not having numbers on them even though all the directions in guide books and maps are by the road numbers. I will do my Tuscany road trip one day though! It's in my bucket list.

ira, I've been to Venice about 7 years ago. On my bucket list is to visit Venice during Carnivale, so I'll be back there one day too :)

Axel,
Just a thought...we were worried about no signs or numbers on the roads when we did our first road trip in Tuscany, but really, you find that you don't need them. I would get a good GPS and a good Michelin map, but for the most part you can easily follow the signs labeled for towns along the route. The system does work once you get used to it.

For example ( just working from memory here, not a map), if you want to go to Siena from a town near Rome, you might follow signs for Firenze, then as you get closer to your destination, you will see signs for Siena.

If your real desire is to drive around Tuscany, do it! If not this trip, then next time. We did it twice so far, and it was wonderful.

That said, I think you have allotted a nice amount of time in each of the cities on your trip. Enjoy!

Hi Axel,
To emphasize what cybertraveler said above, please do not worry about driving in Italy. We used a gps, and although it occasionally tried to send us down a one-way street (going the wrong direction) we never had any problems finding our locations. We were there for over a month. It is great to have your own car and go wherever you feel like each day.

If not this trip, then please do it in the future. You will not be sorry.
Take care,
Michele

Last year, we based in Florence and were able to easily visit Cinque Terre, Sienna, San Giamigiano, and Pisa during day trips. Pisa is definitely a 1/2 day as the town vibe is not as charming as the others. A train ride down to Rome is easy and I would agree that 5 days is a good start. Take advantage of all the city and monument tours available as you can avoid some of the lines and have comfortable transportation.

We also rented a vehicle on a previous trip, and I would say driving was fairly easy in Italy EXCEPT for the Amalfi Coast. White knuckles, narrow roads, steep drop offs and big buses - only for the very brave! I would never do that again!

Ciao!!

<I would say driving was fairly easy in Italy EXCEPT for the Amalfi Coast. White knuckles, narrow roads, steep drop offs and big buses - only for the very brave! I would never do that again!>

That is exactly how my husband would describe it!

I could spend a week or two anywhere. It makes for a completely different experience. Get an apartment and "live" there.

Dont chickenout about driving in Italy in general: i've never took a wrong turn, you have signs all over the roads taking you wherever you want!

Just a tip: if you find gelato a brioshe, then apart from sights, find a store for 2size up pants, cuz that one size up you packed wont fit ;)

I think 4-5 days for Rome incl. Vatican is optimal amount of time. I spent about 3.5-4 days,and there are places I didn't cover like Borghese gallery. Do have a look at my itinerary https://ashwinbahulkar.wordpress.com/2016/01/31/rome/
Siena too would be great, I would use it as a base to check the smaller towns in the countryside. After 5 days in Rome I would prefer some place in the countryside.

Rome is an amazingly walkable city...something fascinating around every corner, plus, if you really want to, several very easy day trips (Ostia Antica being the best IMHO).

Five days is not enough.

ssander

I have been there 9 times and returning next week. There is just so much to see, it's nice to not have to rush through everything. Have a wonderful vacation.

You could stay in Pisa for the second half and use it as a base for day trips to Flo, San Gim and Siena. Then you wouldn't have to change hotels but once. Or you could take a tour to Flo from Rome--it's a long day but could suit you?

If you run out of things to do in Rome (hah!), a trip to Tivoli might be nice if you prefer houseband garden to ruins (Ostia).

Have a super time.