Day trip to Florence from Rome
Jul 7th, 2006, 06:43 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Day trip to Florence from Rome
Is it a big trip to go to Florence for the day from Rome? What is the easiest way of getting there? Are the major attractions far from the Florence train station? We don't have a tour schedule and will just walk around ourselves.....
Many thanks in advance!
Many thanks in advance!
Jul 7th, 2006, 06:51 AM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,717
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's approximately 1.5 hours with a fast ES (Eurostar) train from Rome to Florence, so a day trip is feasible if you leave early enough.
Almost everything in the historical center of Florence is within walking distance of the main train station, Santa Maria Novella.
You can check it out at www.trenitalia.com.
Almost everything in the historical center of Florence is within walking distance of the main train station, Santa Maria Novella.
You can check it out at www.trenitalia.com.
Jul 7th, 2006, 07:04 AM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thanks for the good idea, on the trwn italia web site, it asks to pick a type of ticket and I am not sure because it doesn't explain what the options mean. Should I just select STANDARD? Is there a way to buy a round-trip ticket?
OR
should I just wait and buy the tickets at the train station in rome.....
OR
should I just wait and buy the tickets at the train station in rome.....
Jul 7th, 2006, 07:09 AM
#4
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,717
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you're in Rome for a few days before going to Florence, you can easily buy your return train ticket to Florence (which costs exactly twice the cost of a one-way ticket) at any travel agency that has the Trenitalia logo. The travel agency is not supposed to charge you any fee. And be aware that an ES ticket also includes a seat reservation.
Jul 7th, 2006, 07:11 AM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It might be better to buy the tickets the day you're going - just in case your plans do change or something happens - it could be a hassle to switch your ticket. I was very surpirsed at how fast the Eurostar was from Florence to Rome. I would buy a one-way ticket the day you go to Rome & purchase the return ticket at the station when you return.
Jul 7th, 2006, 07:27 AM
#6
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,874
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know I sound like a broken record on this board, but plan which day you are going very carefully if you want to see certain things in particular. Lots of things are closed the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays, or the 1st, 3rd and 5th Mondays of the month; lots of things have very short hours (e.g. 9 am-1:30 pm), the musuems are closed on Monday, etc.
Jul 7th, 2006, 07:40 AM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
indovina,
Eloise posts many times on this board that she doesn't like Firenze, so I hope she won't take it too personally when I say that you might want to solicit more advice before concluding Firenze is an enjoyable day trip from Roma.
missypie is right to point out that if you really want to get what other people get out of Firenze who enjoy it, you will need time there, just as you need time in Venezia and Roma. It is very dense with famous attractions.
Can you spend a night or two there? You are likely to have a more rewarding experience.
If you are looking for a day trip out of Roma, consider Orvieto.
Eloise posts many times on this board that she doesn't like Firenze, so I hope she won't take it too personally when I say that you might want to solicit more advice before concluding Firenze is an enjoyable day trip from Roma.
missypie is right to point out that if you really want to get what other people get out of Firenze who enjoy it, you will need time there, just as you need time in Venezia and Roma. It is very dense with famous attractions.
Can you spend a night or two there? You are likely to have a more rewarding experience.
If you are looking for a day trip out of Roma, consider Orvieto.
Jul 7th, 2006, 07:54 AM
#9
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,717
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nessundorma,
Just as I am not the final authority here, neither, if I may say so, are you.
I replied to Indovina's question whether a day trip from Florence to Rome is feasible. It is certainly feasible. I did not suggest that it would be "wonderful".
I did not see it as my role to urge Indovina to do something other than what she is thinking of doing.
On the other hand, you seem to have no compunction whatever about urging people to do things your way.
This is, I believe, a forum for the exchange of information and not, I believe, for the imposition of rules by anyone.
And while I have not responded to any of them, I have not failed to see the frequent digs that you have taken against me and my posts.
Just as I am not the final authority here, neither, if I may say so, are you.
I replied to Indovina's question whether a day trip from Florence to Rome is feasible. It is certainly feasible. I did not suggest that it would be "wonderful".
I did not see it as my role to urge Indovina to do something other than what she is thinking of doing.
On the other hand, you seem to have no compunction whatever about urging people to do things your way.
This is, I believe, a forum for the exchange of information and not, I believe, for the imposition of rules by anyone.
And while I have not responded to any of them, I have not failed to see the frequent digs that you have taken against me and my posts.
Jul 7th, 2006, 08:26 AM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dear Fodorites - All of your advice is valuable, no need to argue!
Unfortunately, I can't stay a night in Florence because of timing. But what I just found out is that the hotel we are staying at has a daily tour to Florence which is what we may do. 3 days in Rome and a day trip to Florence should work out!
Thanks everyone for your help!
Unfortunately, I can't stay a night in Florence because of timing. But what I just found out is that the hotel we are staying at has a daily tour to Florence which is what we may do. 3 days in Rome and a day trip to Florence should work out!
Thanks everyone for your help!
Jul 7th, 2006, 08:39 AM
#14
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,874
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Of course, indovina, you have to promise us that you won't become a "Florence expert" to your friends when you return. I have a neighbor who is a professional musician - he's done some cruise ship gigs, where he is in charge of putting together the entertainment, etc. Consequently, he has been EVERYWHERE...for about three hours per city. Whereever we travel, he always pipes up to give his expert insight - then we find out he spent all of 2 hours there on an excursion from the ship!
Jul 7th, 2006, 08:43 AM
#15
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,253
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
indovina,
I would check carefully on the nature of the day tour your hotel provides. I have often gone on my own to Florence just for a day--truly easily done by train.
On one trip, I met a couple who had taken the hotel's tour on the same day that we had taken our own trip by train. The woman said she wished we had done as we had. The hotel's tour was actually a tour company that first spent time picking up people at different hotels, then got on the road to Florence. The bus made a rest stop, which took a lot of time, and also stopped at a shopping area which did not interest her at all. It took almost 3 hours each way of travel time, between rest stops, shopping stops, stopping at the different hotels. She felt that she had spent too much time on the bus, not enough time seeing things of interest in Florence.
If you take an ES train, the trip is 1 hour 35 minutes, plus the time it takes to get to the train station in Rome fromyour hotel. Once in Florence, many sights are within a 10-minute walk of the train station. Typically, my friends and I would get a train at about 9:00am that gets to Florence at 10:30am. This gives you some time before lunch to see a few things and of course more after lunch. We have a quick supper before returning. We return on a train that leaves at about 9:00pm, arriving in Rome at about 10:30pm. Ten hours in Florence is a good amount of time to get the feel of the place. For such a short trip I would try to see David (reserve ahead) but I would skip the Uffizi.
I would check carefully on the nature of the day tour your hotel provides. I have often gone on my own to Florence just for a day--truly easily done by train.
On one trip, I met a couple who had taken the hotel's tour on the same day that we had taken our own trip by train. The woman said she wished we had done as we had. The hotel's tour was actually a tour company that first spent time picking up people at different hotels, then got on the road to Florence. The bus made a rest stop, which took a lot of time, and also stopped at a shopping area which did not interest her at all. It took almost 3 hours each way of travel time, between rest stops, shopping stops, stopping at the different hotels. She felt that she had spent too much time on the bus, not enough time seeing things of interest in Florence.
If you take an ES train, the trip is 1 hour 35 minutes, plus the time it takes to get to the train station in Rome fromyour hotel. Once in Florence, many sights are within a 10-minute walk of the train station. Typically, my friends and I would get a train at about 9:00am that gets to Florence at 10:30am. This gives you some time before lunch to see a few things and of course more after lunch. We have a quick supper before returning. We return on a train that leaves at about 9:00pm, arriving in Rome at about 10:30pm. Ten hours in Florence is a good amount of time to get the feel of the place. For such a short trip I would try to see David (reserve ahead) but I would skip the Uffizi.
Jul 7th, 2006, 08:52 AM
#16
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Best thing to do is buy your ticket a few days in advance while in Rome, at the Termini station or at an agency that has the trenitalia logo. I say this because many people have had difficulty using the trenitalia website (it is very non-user friendly), and my friend during last year's trip actually had her credit card number stolen thru that website, so I am not sure how secure their site is as far as online transcations. It could have been a rare occurrence, but generally with international transactions I prefer not to use my credit card online.
Jul 7th, 2006, 12:17 PM
#17
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We bought our tickets from Rome to Florence the day before & it worked out well. When people say you need to reservation to see some of the museums, they aren't kidding. Your option is often to wait in long, slow-moving lines with the sun beating down on you. We went to Florence as a day trip in order to see the Duomo, have a nice lunch and do a little shopping. I guess you have to spend some time there to get to know the place. Our first impressions were not favorable. We decided to go back to the train station and spend our last couple of hours there rather than fight the crowds in the streets - only to find that there is not a single place to sit in the entire Florence train station. But come to think of it, none of the train stations in Italy seem to have seating. Why is that? If I go again, it will NOT be in the summer.
Jul 7th, 2006, 12:54 PM
#18
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 933
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have a lovely day in Florence Indovina!
(Ignore the children griping!)
Keep walking along the river near lunchtime so that you head for Piazza Michelangelo for beautiful views of the river and city. Food at whatever cafe you choose wont be wonderful but the vista will make up for it! Just take a taxi if you want to make the most of your time.
Florence is easily manageable in a day.
Think of all these cruise ships that dock for 5 or 6 hours in various cities in the world.
I am one of the millions who have been on one and seen so much of a place in a short time. As long as you dont feel the need to spend hours in museums and art galleries, you can see so much in a short time. Florence is so easy to walk around - unlike London.
(Ignore the children griping!)
Keep walking along the river near lunchtime so that you head for Piazza Michelangelo for beautiful views of the river and city. Food at whatever cafe you choose wont be wonderful but the vista will make up for it! Just take a taxi if you want to make the most of your time.
Florence is easily manageable in a day.
Think of all these cruise ships that dock for 5 or 6 hours in various cities in the world.
I am one of the millions who have been on one and seen so much of a place in a short time. As long as you dont feel the need to spend hours in museums and art galleries, you can see so much in a short time. Florence is so easy to walk around - unlike London.
Jul 7th, 2006, 01:33 PM
#19
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A day trip to Florence from Rome is a great idea. The first time I was in Italy we stayed in Florence and did a day trip to Rome, which was a high point of the trip (although Florence is my favorite between the two cities). The second time, we stayed in Rome and did a day trip to Florence and again thoroughly enjoyed it. The cities have entirely different looks. You'll have plenty of time to walk around and pick one or two sites to visit--if you want to go to the Uffizi or the Academia get tickets in advance. And Santa Maria Novella, immediately around the corner from the eponymous train station, is well worth visiting.
