Hi,
We're thinking about traveling from Venice to Florence for an overnight, and then to Cinque Terre for an over night, then to Siena for two nights. We're coming from Venice and ending in Rome. I know! this is too much for four days, but we've decided that this will be a trip to see the areas & decide where to go for longer on the next trip. That said, is this feasible? Has anyone done a similar route? Suggestions, please? train? car?

I would train until leaving Cinque Terre, then get a car if you are thinking about any day trips from Siena. And yes, that is a lot of moving around. You might think about two nights in Florence with a day trip to Siena and two nights in Cinque Terre. Or 3 nights in Siena with a day trip to Florence and 1 night in CT. I would just try to minimize the moving around, and Florence and Siena are not far from each other and could easily be combined into staying in one place and visiting the other.

Hi,

I have personlly travelled from Venice to Florence and then to the Cinque Terre. Although I haven't been to Siena, I think you can do what you have planned but you will be very tired after the 4 days and would't have seen much of anything in the cities. I say this because, you said ¨Venice to Florence for and over night¨, so do you plan on getting overnight transport to each city? If so this won't be feasible in for each city because there isn't overnight transport from Florence to the Cinque Terre purely because the journey isn't long enough.

However, you can still get a train everywhere, which is what I did and had no problems at all, you'll just have to be selective with the trains you choose.
In four days, you will merely be able to see a little of what the city offers, but I understand your motives as you plan to return in the future so for that reason I think your trip is viable but otherwise I would recommend to only go to 2 cities or simply remain in 1 spot for the 4 days.

Anyway, I hope it all works out.

OHandrew

OH-Holidays

Hi luv,

>this is too much for four days, but we've decided that this will be a trip to see the areas & decide where to go for longer on the next trip. That said, is this feasible?<

Yes, it is feasible, but not recommended.

Why do you feel that the only way to determine if you would like to return to the CT is to spend an overnight on the CT? If you run into a spot of bad weather that day, does it mean you will never go back?

Will you also do two nights in Venice?

What's the entire itinerary?

Hmmm id advise against it - with train delays/cancellations it took us the best part of a day to reach Manarola, Cinque Terre from Florence but we were based there for 3 nights so it wasnt too much of an issue. Go to Florence and Siena and leave the Cinque Terre towns for your next trip

hi,
Thanks for all the input. The entire trip is 3 nights in Venice (but only 2 full days because we'll have been traveling for 24 hours by that point & i'm sure we won't see anything the day we arrive. Then 4 days in Tuscany I would hope. My friend wants to see the coast & we thought this might do it, and we've heard how beautiful it is there. I kindof thought if we left Venice in the morning for Florence, we'd be able to sight-see a little (maybe see David? or at least his double!) if we got there mid afternoon, then stay the night and go to Cinque Terre the next morning & since it isn't far from there, have a look around that day and leave the next morning for somewhere in a smaller town, Sienna, San G., or such. We'd have two nights there, then go to Rome for 3 nights, then home. LOL, no it wouldn't keep me away in the future if it rained, but I don't know when I'll actually get back to Italy. I don't have a lot of choices of traveling companions, and the friend I'm going with would probably want a different destination for her next trip, something like Ireland. I'm going to try to go back and focus on a real vacation in one or two spots, but this one looks like it might be hectic. It's my second trip to Italy, & I have yet to relax in Tuscany, or spend a lot of time in one city! So, I will go back somehow. There! I'm overwhelmed how so many people travel so much, wish I could figure out how to do that financially!
So, that said, I haven't looked at train schedules yet, so those of you who are familiar....is it not going to be possible to make trains on a schedule like that from Venice to Florence, to Cinque Terre? I'm traveling to the state where my friend lives next week, and we're going to try to get together & finalize the stays. I want to be well-armed with realistic information. I have the most time of the two of us to do this research.

I'm more of a car-renter sort of pereson than a train person, except when going point to point (i.e., Venice to Florence), so I can't help you with the Venice-Florence-Cinque Terre train question.

While the Cinque Terre towns themselves are no place for a car, I personally would rather drive to the Cinque Terre - as we have done previously - then deal with switching trains, etc. Consider renting a car as you leave Florence, driving to the Cinque Terre, then driving to Siena. You'd have to price out car rentals and train fares, but you would save some time with a car rental.

Your schedule is tight but doable, if you really want to see the Cinque Terre and all the other places.

OK, big change of plans. Thank Goodness. I just spoke with my friend & we're going to leave CT for another time. I'm the one that has been doing all the reading & didn't want to push that since it's her first trip. She's spoken with a person she knows & heard first-hand now how tight that would be. So, it's now Venice 3 nights, Siena 4 nights, and Rome 3 nights.....which is what I wanted in the first place (but I'd add that 4th night to Venice). We'll be able to do some day trips from Siena, and just enjoy Siena. This is sounding great now. I'll start looking to see how long it takes from Venice to Siena.
Thanks all!

Much, much better, luv.

Enjoy your stay.

thanks!