My husband and I are going to Rome at the end of March for 6 nights. I was thinking of taking a day trip at some point during the week. Any ideas? I'm leaning towards Florence.

If we do a day trip to Florence, should we buy train tickets before we leave the US, or wait until we get to Rome. I think we'll have to pick a day ahead of time since I've heard that we should make reservations at some of the museums.

I'd appriciate any advice. This is our first trip to Europe. We decided to focus our trip on one city so it wouldn't feel rushed and stressful. Does a day trip even make sense? I was thinking one day in a different city would be a nice change of pace, but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!
Kasey

If you can at all, stay the night, but if you can't, at least get up really early and make it a long day. Some folks stay there for ten days and come back for more, there's a lot to see. Just as importantly, it grows on you - that fascinating mix of historic museum-like town and fully-functioning modern city.

Yes, you will have to book ahead for the Accademia (where the real David stands in all his glory - not the almost shabby copy out on the square), and for the Uffizi. Do both from home or from Rome at Firenze Musei Tel. 055. 2654321. - you get a time slot allotted and you bypass the lines.

Don't know if you should do both in one day, but if you do, move quickly through the first dozen or so rooms at the Uffizi unless you are an expert in early religious art of that pre-renaissance style - if you spend your energy on those very similar-looking few dozens of paintings, you'll pay for it when it gets more varied later. There's a lot more to come!

Maybe get off the train and walk to the Accademia, then go to the Duomo (are you game to climb to either the top of the cupola or the free-standing tower next to it?), the museo dell'opera where the artworks are housed and shown, in the bent street behind the round end of the Duomo, then walk down to the Ponte Vecchio bridge and across to the Boboli gardens and the Palazzo Pitti. Have lunch somewhere in those roamings (before you get to the Pitti, and take a bus or taxi to the Piazza Michelangelo, it's a bit outside and overlooks Florence and the river, a great location.

Then take another stroll around the Duomo area, it's the second time that its beauty hits you...

If you don't mind taking a late train back (they take about 1 1/2 horus), take bus 7 up to Fiesole for a dinner with a million-dollar view. The bus will drop you back to the Santa Maria Novella station where your train for Rome leaves.

If you take a taxi and the driver takes lots of turns, don't immediately think he's cheating - the one-way scheme and the no-go streets are of a maddening complexity, he probably just doesn't have any choice.

WK

Hi K,

You could take an early train, rush through Florence and get home that night.

OTOH, you could take a 1 hr train ride to Orvieto, see the city at liesure and return to Rome at a reasonable hour.

One of the best restaurants in Italy is
I Sette Consoli
Pzza Sant’Angelo 1A
phone/fax 011 39 0763 343911

See http://www.eng.uci.edu/~alberto/orvieto/en_seeing.html

We will be doing the same thing at the end of March. My feelings are that 1 day in Florence is better than no days in Florence.

I've decided to buy the train tickets while I'm there in Rome so I can better choose a possible rain-free day.

My research indicates that tickets are readily available 2 or 3 days ahead of time, either at the Rome Station or thru one of the many travel agencies in Rome.

Florence is a very compact city and easily walkable. If you decide to go make reservations for the Accademia and the Ufizzi Gallery ahead of time if you plan to see them.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I'll look into Orvieto a bit more, but I'm still leaning towards Florence. For some reason I really want to see David...I'm not sure I can explain why exactly.

What would you suggest to do in Orvieto? I've heard the city mentioned when I've read guide books, but I don't have a clear idea of what it is like. I'll look into it a bit more before I make any decisions.

Thanks again.
Kasey

I agree with Blspance that '1 day in Florence is better than no days in Florence".

However, will be this your last trip to Italy? If yes, go to Florence, even for one day!

If not, leave it for another trip and plan to spend there at least 4 days. There are so many things to visit there!

I saw the museums list that somebody recommended. You see how many places aare to be visited; plus, to walk on the streets. I do not know how you aare, but, even I like very much art museums, I can not spend more than 4 hours in a day in a museum. After this, I can not feel the beauty and I am tired. So, If you are like me and you want one day in Florence, make a short list of things to be visited. There aare not only museums and palaces, and the Dom, there are also beautiful churches.


What about a day in Capri? Once, we took a day tour to there and we were very lucky to have good weather, so we enter Blue Grotte. Was a fabulous day - we saw also Annacapri, with San Michele.

Hi K,

>For some reason I really want to see David...<

I can understand that.

Can you plan an overnight in Florence, so that you won't be so rushed?

>Can you plan an overnight in Florence, so that you won't be so rushed?<

Well, we've already got hotel reservations in Rome, but they probably could be changed. I don't know if I want to though. I don't necessarily want to move our stuff around, and I thought it would be nice to take the train sans luggage. I'll have to think about it and talk it over with my husband.

If we did spend one night in Florence, how would you suggest we fit it in to the rest of our trip. We fly into Rome on a Sunday morning (leave the US Saturday night) and fly back out the following Saturday. It seems awkward to check into our hotel for a couple nights, then check out to go to Florence and then check back in. But I'm afraid we'd be too tired if we just go straight to Florence. That's why I was thinking of a day trip...

>However, will be this your last trip to Italy?<

It's our first trip to Italy (my first trip to Europe, actually) and I certainly hope it won't be our last. But, realistically, it will probably be a while before we go again. I'm trying to find a good balance between fitting in a lot of sights and not being too rushed.

Thanks again for all your advice. This forum is a great learning tool.

Kasey