We'll be in Rome for one week starting August 15.

We want to take the train from Rome to Florence for the day.

1) Is it doable in a day to go from Termini station in Rome to Florence and back in one day?
2) What do I need to know relative to traveling by train (this trip is a first for our family to Europe)
2) Is a Sunday or a Monday better to visit Florence, or is there no real difference?

Thanks for your help.

Yes, it is doable for a quick overview of Florence.

Sunday would be better, because most of the museums/sites are closed on Monday.

Train from Rome to Florence and back is very easy. You can find times at www.trenitalia.com. You can buy tickets ahead of time, or just buy them at the station when you're ready to go. With that route, there are plenty of trains.

As Susan said, Sunday would be better, if you plan on visiting the museums.

I've done this same trip a few times with friends from Rome. To maximize your time, get second class seats on a EuroStar--90 minutes each way.

We got a train around 9AM, which arrived in Florence around 10:30AM.

This gives you plenty of time to stroll around, visit the duomo and baptistery, visit the Accademia (David--be sure to get advanced reservations!), stroll more to the Ponte Vecchio, have a nice lunch, perhaps visit Santa Croce, shop at the outdoor tourist markets, sit in a cafe and relax.

Actually, on one trip, from the train station we immediately took a bus across the river to Piazzale Michelangelo. (We were too many to fit in one taxi or we might have taken one to save time.) Therefore, my friend's first real view of central Florence was from this famous scenic overlook. Great photo opportunities toward the center, as well as the green hills surrounding the piazzale. From there, we walked down the hill into Florence, passing houses and gardens, through the quiet streets of the Oltrarno, eventually arriving at the Ponte Vecchio to cross into the center.

A Sunday in August will be very crowded and Florence can be even more hot than Rome.

I would probably skip the Uffizi unless you are huge art fans--if you must do it, be sure to reserve ahead.

We even had a quick pizza dinner before catching a train back to Rome around 9PM, arriving there at 10:30PM.

SusanP and EllenM, thanks so much for your assistance (sorry the reply has taken so long as I have been out of town on business).

Didn't realize much is closed on a Monday, so we'll definitely do it on Sunday.

Yeah, I know it'll be very crowded, but we're used to Disney World in August so we can tolerate anything (I think).

Thanks again!

Do go to uffizi and DO get tickets in advance. ;-)

Hi df,

Don't go on a Monday.

Any other weekday would be better than Sunday.

A DAY IN FLORENCE:

Train to Florence SMN:
The Luggage Office is to your left as you leave the train.

From Piazza d' Stazione, walk up via Nazionale to via d'Ariento and the Mercato Centrale, wander through.

Take any street going NE to Via Degli Alfani and go right to the Accademia for The David.

Take via Ricasoli SE to the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Opera Museum (Originals of the bronzes on the doors)

From the Campanile, take via Calzaiuoli S (do some window shopping) to the Piazza d' Signoria. Look around, take a break.

Continue S to the Uffizi. Visit.

From the Uffizi, walk W along the Arno River to the Ponte Vecchio.

(You can walk up to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens if there is time. Great views of Florence from the top of the Gardens)

If you have time, walk E along the S bank of the river to Ponte alle grazie and cross over to visit Santa Croce.

If not, go W along the Arno from Ponte Vecchio to Ponte S. Trinita and go right. Go left on Via d'Spada to via d'Fossi and go right to Santa Maria Novella. Look around.

SMN is across the square from the train station.

If you have time, take the no. 7 bus (you can find it at the SMN train station) up to Fiesole (0:20 hr 1E) to watch the sunset from the terrace of the Bar Bleu.

Be sure to have lots of gelato (in a cup, not a cone), take some wine breaks and a light lunch.

Train schedules, prices and tickets are at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
Call center from outside Italy is 39-06-68475475

Bus routes are at http://www.ataf.net/
Buy your ticket before you get on the bus. Stamp it in the yellow box on the bus.

Uffizi and Academia Museum Reservations
The easiest and cheapest way is to call Florence 1010987 (dial around number), 011 (U.S. international access code) 39 (Italy's country code) then 055-294-883 8:30-18:30 M-F and 8:30-12:00 Sat. Florence time. There is a long listing of press 1 for this and 2 for that--press 4 for bookings. You will get an English speaking operator and in 2-3 minutes YOU CAN RESERVE FOR BOTH. This is through the reservation service at the Uffizi and costs beyond the normal entry fee only about 3 euro for the service. This is MUCH cheaper than the commercial booking services.

You will not be charged for the reservations unless you use them.

Have a nice visit.

Ira, thanks so much for the detailed itinerary. This will really help us.

Question (for Ira or anyone): We'll be in Rome for several days and suspect we'll have our fill of Renaissance art.

We will have our two sons with us - 20 and 16 years old. Dad (me) isn't real keen on that type of art either. Given what I just described, should we still book the Uffizi? (Definitely OK with Academia; it's smaller and want to see the David). So, Uffizi? Yeah or nay?

I have a BFA and still do not recommend the Uffizi for most people. It is ill-lit, ill-labeled, and ill-hung. For a one day visit, I'd skip the Uffizi, especially if it is your inclination to do so. Do visit the Academia. Probably better for you would be to visit the two churches Ira mentioned, Santa Maria Novella and especially Santa Croce, Santa Croce in particular has great paintings and frescoes to see in their original church setting rather than a bunch of madonnas on a wall in a gallery.

Ellenm . . . thanks (again) for your help. We'll follow your suggestions about the churches vs. the Uffizi.