Getting around Florence
Feb 5th, 2018, 12:43 PM
#1
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Getting around Florence
Hi! We're taking a wanderlust 16 yr old to Italy on her first trip to Europe. We will be there for about 7 days. We are thinking of flying into Rome, spending about 2.5 days there and taking the train to Florence. We would like to stay in the city (Florence) perhaps 2 days and then venture out to Chianti/Tuscany, perhaps Sienna, etc. We would like to experience the countryside, wineries, cooking classes, etc. What is the best way to get around? We would prefer not renting a car. Should we stay in Florence and take day trips to some of these locations? Are there drivers that we can perhaps reserve for the day? Another idea was to do Rome - Florence - Venice but I think it might be too much and we may prefer to venture just outside of Florence rather than heading to Venice.
Ideas welcomed, please! Help!
Ideas welcomed, please! Help!
Feb 5th, 2018, 12:54 PM
#2
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First of all trains - book inter-city trains way early to nab discounted fares - Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia or www.italotreno.com - two cimpeting railway companies using same tracks and stations and similar trains. www.seat61.com has loads on doing that - general info BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.
Buses go from Florence all the time to Siena. but for what you are looking for take some kind of excurison from Florence - plenty of those. But with just 7 days you have little time to see Rome and Florence really - I may say fly into Rome and just do Florence for 2 days and Venice for 2 days and fly home from there. Be a shame to miss Venice as you never know if all of you will get back and Venice to me is the most sublimely gorgeous city in Europe if not the world.
Next trip drive around Tuscany and hit wineries and cooking classes (something a 16 yr old may not really care much about perhaps) when you really have time to do them for a longer period.
Buses go from Florence all the time to Siena. but for what you are looking for take some kind of excurison from Florence - plenty of those. But with just 7 days you have little time to see Rome and Florence really - I may say fly into Rome and just do Florence for 2 days and Venice for 2 days and fly home from there. Be a shame to miss Venice as you never know if all of you will get back and Venice to me is the most sublimely gorgeous city in Europe if not the world.
Next trip drive around Tuscany and hit wineries and cooking classes (something a 16 yr old may not really care much about perhaps) when you really have time to do them for a longer period.
Feb 5th, 2018, 12:58 PM
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"We would like to experience the countryside, wineries, cooking classes, etc. What is the best way to get around?" A car is the best way to get around.
How much time do you have for this jaunt into Tuscan countryside? Looks like about a single day, given what you've outlined as your schedule. There is public transportation, but if you want the full complement of what the countryside has to offer, drive. Where are you leaving to fly home from?
It's almost impossible to follow a schedule that talks about X no. of days here and X no.of days there. How many nights do you plan in each place, and are you counting in travel time between them, as well as packing, checking out of accommodations, getting on the mode of transport, orienting yourself to a new place, checking in, and unpacking?
If you really only have 7 days, 2 venues is ample. Your first day will likely be shot from jetlag, so that leaves you with 3 days in two places (if you have counted your time correctly). Way too little time for 3 venues, never mind tooling around the countryside - unless you rearrange things completely.
How much time do you have for this jaunt into Tuscan countryside? Looks like about a single day, given what you've outlined as your schedule. There is public transportation, but if you want the full complement of what the countryside has to offer, drive. Where are you leaving to fly home from?
It's almost impossible to follow a schedule that talks about X no. of days here and X no.of days there. How many nights do you plan in each place, and are you counting in travel time between them, as well as packing, checking out of accommodations, getting on the mode of transport, orienting yourself to a new place, checking in, and unpacking?
If you really only have 7 days, 2 venues is ample. Your first day will likely be shot from jetlag, so that leaves you with 3 days in two places (if you have counted your time correctly). Way too little time for 3 venues, never mind tooling around the countryside - unless you rearrange things completely.
