Italy for 8 days
 

flying into venice and out of rome. have 8 full days for touring. Would you recommend we stay in each city for 2-3 days and use the train to travel from city to city or would you rent a car and visit several places in between the big cities or maybe a combination. We are fairly adventurous and have visited Italy before on an escorted tour but would like to do it on our own this time around

Hi lovetotravel5,
I'm a little confused. Are you planning on actually visiting Venice and Rome or just in between. For 4 days in Venice and 4 days in Rome just train between the two OR if you rent a car in Venice and make your way down to Rome you can spend time in the CT and Tuscany along the way. Just keep in mind that every time you change locations you lose a 1/2 day. Just a little more info and we can help you a bit more. :)

Michele

If I personally were planning this trip for myself, I'd just do Venice & Rome, 4 days each, and take the train in between. But I love cities, travel solo, and wouldn't want to drive in Europe.

If your interests are in the country-side, someone doesnt' mind driving &/or navigating, then sure you can rent a car and do a different kind of road-trip.

Our tenative plan is first 2 nights Venice and the last 3 nights Rome. We are looking at taking a train to Florence and spending the day/night in florence and then explore around florence. (Not sure if we can rent a car one way and leisurely drive from Florence to Rome, or we could just return to florence and take the high speed train to Rome) Do you have suggestions for an itinerary from Florence to Rome or around Florence over the course of 2 days. Places to visit and to stay. We took a tour several years back and visited all three cites, Was somewhat of a whirlwind. This trip we are doing on our own and are staying in the Northern part of Italy. We would like to spend some time exploring.

Hi lovetotravel5,
If you really want to see some of the Tuscan countryside then a car would be the way to go. It is about three hours driving from Florence to Rome and along the way there are many lovely little towns to explore. Siena, not small but nice all the same, Montepulciano, Orvieto. You could stop along the way wherever you wanted for the 2/3 nights.

If you decide to stay in the Florence area I would opt to stay outside the city, rent a car for a few days and explore around there with daytrips: Lucca, Siena, San Gim, Volterra. Plenty to keep you busy for a couple days and then you can train down to Rome.

There is plenty to see either way and the driving is easy.

Have fun,
Michele

" Do you have suggestions for an itinerary from Florence to Rome or around Florence over the course of 2 days. "

Since you have such a short trip I would either stay in Florence or in the countryside but not both.

The trip from Florence to Rome can be grueling. Last time my friends drove and my husband and I took the train. We left the hotel a few minutes after they started out arrived 3 hours sooner at our hotel in Rome and they said traffic was awful and the drive stressful.

If you like to drive, stay outside of Siena perhaps and day trip to Florence by bus - you do not want to drive into Florence. Then visit other areas in the countryside by car but don't bother to change hotels as you are aleady moving 3 times in only 8 nights.