Drive Rome Florence
 

Hi, we are 4 of us spending 4 days in Rome in early June and then 2 nights in Florence before taking the overnight train to Paris. Would it be better to rent a car in Rome and drive to Florence or take the train? I have not yet booked any accommodation in Florence, so not sure where we will be staying.

Absolutely take the train. It's only a couple hours and gets you from city centre to city centre.

"Better" compares some kind of characteristic of one approach over another. What characteristics are relevant to you? Speed, cost, privacy, luggage management, hassles, control, trip time, predictability, comfort, familiarity, etc?

Take the train---92 minutes.

The train is very convenient. I have not rented a car, but as a single female traveller, it was very easy to take the train.

Train.

train

I agree-train.

Thanks for the prompt replies, you guys are great!
I agree that “better” is a characteristic . What I guess I meant was the cost versus benefit and convenience equation, since we are 4. (of arriving in city center/parking issues on the one hand, and having the freedom to drive around, especially around Florence)
But I think the answer overwhelmingly is train, so that is decided!
But now that we are at it, I also have the same dilemma vis-vis Switzerland, which I shall now post on the Swiss thread.

Posted here -
http://goo.gl/3YH8d

Ok, here's another....we are in Rome for 4 days and then 2 more in Florence. Now, we are very keen to go see Vesuvius and Pompeii as a day trip from Rome ... Are there tours likely available from hotels in Rome? Or better to take train again.
Is a day trip fine for this?

For Pompeii by train do a search [rome pompeii] here for more info, there is plenty out there for directions, tickets, etc.

For Vesuvius I know there is/was a bus from Pompeii (entrance?) and taxis hung-out at the Herculaneum/Ercolano circumvesuviana station that will take you there.
But I have a fear of mountain roads esp with someone else driving so I never went:-).

This will give you an idea of the timeline for a Rome-Pompeii daytrip.

[I posted this last March and I don't know if the Rome-Naples train schedules have changed since but the 2:05-2:35min timeline is still valid]

Rome-Naples on the fast train is 1:10.

From Naples train arrival to getting a ticket and getting to the Circumvesuviana (commuter train) Platform is ~15min and these trains leave every 30min.

From Naples to the Pompeii's Circumvesuviana station to the entrance ~40min.

So if you took the 0735 train to Naples you arrive at 0845, and 15min to the Circumvesuviana platform at 0900.

Within 0-30min the train arrives, so you would get to Pompeii's entrance between 0940 to 1010.

So the trip is between 2:05 and 2:35.

If that's too early another train leaves Termini at 0845 so a 1040 to 1110 Pompeii arrival.

Basically train to Naples (Napoli) Centrale Station or the Piazza Garibaldi Station (in the same train station complex underground), buy tickets and follow the signs to the Circumvesuviana Platforms which is also within this train station complex (on the side, below groundlevel) and then just get off at the right stop and you are there.

Get off at Pompeii Scavi station which is right by the entrance to Pompeii, just about 100 metres to the right from the train station. Do not go all the way to Pompeii.