6 night Rome itinerary help
 

First, thank you to all who helped with my limited mobility posts.
In that spirit, we are using Rome as a base for 6 nights from 6/18-6/24. Aside from the Rome sights, we want to do 2 day trips one to Naples/Amalfi and the other to Florence. We are considering hiring a driver since my limited mobility would make it difficult to do those by train. Is this a reasonable plan? Are those day trips too ambitious for the amount of time we have? Due to limited time and budget, we cannot extend the trip.

Thank you all so much!

Six nights in Rome leaves you with 4 full days, considering your mobility issues it can be assumed that it will take you a longer time than usually alloted to visit the city's 'biggies' and require some rest time in between, is not much to add 2 daytrips. Maybe the Hop On/ Hop Off buses would be a good alternative for you (but lines can be long at popular stops to get into the bus).

Visiting Florence as a daytrip (never done this myself) is feasible timewise but requires a lot of walking within the old city core (I don't think a private driver would be much help between sites) to get something out of the visit. What do you want to see? If you want to visit the Uffizzi it is best to get timed tickets. Maybe you could arrange for a wheelchair to use in the museum and save your legs for the rest of the day.

The Amalfi coast is all about the views and it better observed from a car with a few stops to look around so though it is a longer drive (longer than I would go for a daytrip), I think you would get better 'value' out of this trip than a visit to Florence.

By my count, 6 nights = 5 full days (unless I missed a detail that means fewer).

Book trains very early for nice discounts - at www.trenitalia.com or www.italotreno.it/en - two competing rail lines using same stations and tracks Italo is always cheap. For lots on Italian trains for your day trips www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. Italian trains and stations are fully equipped to help mobility challenged if you ask them ahead of time.

This website might be helpful: Rome, Italy Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips - wheelchairtraveling.com

Does that mean they aren't equipped if you don't ask in advance?

You can feasibly make a day trip to Florence. I would take the train, as it's much faster than driving. You can take a taxi to the station and there is assistence available in both stations.Then I would take a tax to wherever you want to go in Florence. Keep in mind that you can encounter massive crowds in Florence, and that much of the city is off limits to vehicles. You can use taxis to get around, as they are allowed in places where private vehicles are not.

I wouldn't recommend to anyone visiting the Uffizi Gallery on a day trip from Rome. It would consume most of your limited time.

The website www.sagetraveling.com has advice on travelling with limited mobility in the major European cities, including tours.

I consider the Amalfi Coast too far for a daytrip from Rome. It takes about 3 1/2 hours to drive there. You can save some time by taking a fast train to Naples or Salerno and arrange for a driver from there, but it's still a long trip for a limited visit.

If you want a quick taste of Italy, this is certainly what you're planning. I have a suggestion that would save you a little time and one hotel transfer. If you're arriving at Fiumicino airport, you can get a direct train to Florence. I would suggest spending two nights there, as you'll probably be tired. Then on the next day, take an early morning train to Venice. Spend one night there. Finally take an early morning high-speed train to Rome and spend three nights in Rome. You'll have almost three days in Rome if you arrive early. There are two morning trains from Veince that will get you to Rome before noon, if you can get up early enough to catch one of them.