Okay, here goes (and please go easy on me) but is it worth going to Rome (from Florence) for a day trip? Better than not going at all? We cannot stay overnight, but thought we would catch an early train there and early evening one back to Florence. or should we plan a day trip closer to Florence, say Siena? Thoughts please on this one, I'm finding it rather difficult, have always wanted to see the vatican.

Spending a day back and forth to Rome wouldn't be worth it. You may see the Vatican, but you won't see Rome. Save it for a future trip when you can do it justice.

A day trip to Siena makes far more sense.

It depends on what you want to get out of the trip and where else in Italy you will be visiting, i.e. if you are touring San Gimignano and Volterra, Siena may feel like just another hill town. If this is your one trip to Italy, by all means go. If you are traveling with a group and this is your one chance to get away, do it. The trip from Florence to Rome is roughly 2 hours, if you depart Florence by 8am and return at 8pm that leaves you 8 hours to explore. Don't try to see everything. Pick one or two things (in this case the Vatican) and fully explore. You can relax when you get home!

I say go for it. Siena would definitely make for a more leisurely and practical day trip, but for goodness sake it couldn't compare to the Vatican, the place you have always wanted to see! I'm a big fan of impractical, rushed day trips - i.e. Pompeii from Rome, Genoa from Milan, Pyramids of Giza from Tel Aviv (okay, so I'm sort of kidding about that last one, I actually stayed overnight) - because I can understand that burning feeling of needing to see a place when you're so close. You do have to understand, though, that with the Vatican Museum, you probably won't be able to get there early enough to beat the crowds, so you'll be spending a lot of time in lines. I recommend doing your research in advance so you know exactly how you'll get to the Vatican from Termini, and planning out your route on a map should you also want to see the Colloseum, etc. Have a great trip!

I think GabyGail is absolutely right. On my last trip to Italy, I was really looking forward to visiting Siena as a daytrip fom Florence, but, when I got there, I was kind of dissapointed. I had visited Assisi and San Gimignano before so I really wasn't impressed by Siena.

Vatican City is not Rome, and it's so crowded that it's almost like a theme park. I'd rather visit the historic center (Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Farnese, etc). It's the medieval part of Rome and it's beautiful. The National Geographic bookguide of Italy features an excellent 5 hour walk of the historic center. I did it on my last trip to Italy and I really liked it.

You could also take the 7.53 Eurostar from Florence and be in Rome at 9.30.

I hope this helps.

You've always wanted to see the Vatican. You will be two hours from Rome. You can spend eight hours in Rome. For me that would certainly be worth it.

And when you're finished walking through the Vatican Museums, spending as much time as you want staring up at the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and marveling at the shafts of light coming in through the dome of St. Peter's, you can take a taxi to the steps designed by Michelangelo and walk to the top of the Capitoline hill. Walk to the right of the Senate building at the rear of the piazza and drink in the view over the forum toward the Colisseum. If the forum is still open, you can walk around to the other side of the Senate building and go down the steps, walk through the forum to the Colisseum and see it from the outside.

If your feet are killing you by then, another taxi will take you to the Pantheon and you can have dinner in a restaurant in the historic center of Rome before going back to Florence.

Amandab,
I gave you my answer after clicking over and seeing your itinerary. If it's the same as a few days ago, you're planning:

Venice--2 nights (arriving from Austria the evening of the first night, so really 1 day in Venice).

Florence---4 nights "including 2 days trips". Arriving in Florence from Venice, you will have 3 1/2 days in Florence.

I just can't see fitting a day trip to Rome in that schedule (not to mention you're going in mid-January when weather could be a factor). I would suggest you at least leave it open. You can easily hop a train to Rome from Florence without advance reservations.

Hi Amand,

Your itinerary is already full to the brim.

You can't see everything.

I would also go for it
Personally, I would not go inside like the Vatican( save that for the next time WONDERFUL but you need time)
I would run around the Forum Coliseum, have lunch at an outdoor cafe
Just walking around is beautiful every corner there is something to see.

I would totally do it, I am going to spend only two days there during my Backpacking tour across Europe in December.

Most peopel dont like my hit and run touring style, but at least I get to see some of the city instead of none of the city.

Hey, if it's that important to you, then, yes, go for it!

Save Rome for another time. You'll only leave feeling frustrated.

Siena is glorious and I much preferred it to Florence. It's on a human scale, with a wonderful warm atmosphere. Little traffic and a centre that has not changed for about 700 years. And the food is superb!

Sure, you might feel frustrated....but that might be nothing compared to the frustration of not having gone at all.

Hi Amanda - I'd say ... go for it!

My first trip to Rome was a day-trip.
That day changed my life ...

Maybe it'll have the same effect on you

Steve

I agree, go for it!! I've been to Italy about a half dozen times now, and so far I've only made two "day trips" into Rome. It can be done. You will be exhausted, but you will have seen an amazing city, even if it is only a "surface" look rather than in depth. DO IT!!

Carol

Go for it! On our last trip to Italy, we arrived in Rome the day before we were set to depart back home. We checked into our hotel at FCO then took the train into Rome. We arrived in Rome around 2 pm.

First we were able to get some pizza at this hole in the wall place that I had wanted to re-visit. We did a lot of walking to find the pizzeria, passing by monuments and piazzas that we've all seen in photos/movies. Rome has its own particular vibe. Most (certainly not all) people seem to love the energy of Rome. Anyways, after lunch it was getting late so we went to the Vatican. It was a very short line to get in at that hour. The Vatican is quite simply an awesome place. We had wanted to climb to the top of the duomo, but we arrived too late. We both had been there before so we only stayed for a half an hour. We just had to see St Peter's again and it was totally worth it.

We wanted to throw our coins in the Trevi fountain so we went there next. We bought a really cute small painting from a sidewalk vendor, we got a great dinner, at some point we saw Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. We walked around and headed back to our hotel by 10 pm.

This was my long way of saying that, "In 8 hours, our whirlwind visit was just great". I say go, see what you can see without it being the "Amazing Race", and enjoy whatever sights that time allows you without fretting over what you can't see.

Who knows when you'll be able to return? Besides, your chances of returning are greater if you can throw that coin in the Trevi fountain!

My question is why not change your itinerary? You are spending almost no time at all in Florence, so it appears Florence isn't all that important to you. So Why not go to Rome for a couple of days instead?

I say go for it. As a matter of fact I am thinking of doing the same thing next month. I have 6 nights in Florence and I want to go back to Rome to see and photograph the Fourum and Collosseum at night. Something I missed last year when I was there.

Tom

Thanks guys, most of you seem to think 'go or it' and I reckon the same. I'm feeling inclined to perhaps book a tour of the vatican to try and ease the queue situation a little, though it might not be too bad in mid January. We have 4 nights booked for Florence - 2 of these we plan day trips, including this one to Rome, we will still be left with a good 1.5 to 2 days in Florence, as we arrive there early afternoon on the first day and don't leave until lunch time on the last day, so I'm thinking/hoping that is enough time for Florence and I'm not that particularly interested in going to the Uffizi (sorry for spelling), unless I can be convinced otherwise. I like visiting 1 o 2 museums on a trip, but not dozens. I've been to the National Gallery in London and enjoyed that - is the Uffizi better? and why is it a definite 'must see' while in Florence? I'd be very interested to hear thoughts on this. Thank you.

Don't skip the Uffizi. But do it right: Book your tickets in advance and hire a guide. The €3 reservation fee and cost of the phone call (Tel: +39 055 294883) beats standing in line for an hour or two....