vanne49

PLEASE double check my itinerary to see if I am good to go...
Arrive Rome Saturday, 1 May @ 1230
Leave Rome Wednesday, 5 May am (3 1/2 days /4 nights)
Pick up car and head to Tuscany (5 or 6 nights)
Leave Tuscany, 10 or 11 May
On to Florence ( 2 days/3 nights)
Drop car @ airport before going into Florence
Fly out or Florence 14, May @ O Dark Thirty
If the weather permits we were thinking of leaving Tuscany (Chianti) on Monday and heading to Cinque Terre for a day and night, if not, we would stay the extra day in Tuscany
I have a place booked in Florence for the 11th and 12th and wait listed for the 13th, wondering if we should just plan to spend the night of the 13th at a hotel near the airport. The flight leaves at 0650 and I realize that Florence is a small airport, will we need to be there 2 hrs ahead?
Do you think that the time in Rome is good, too short or too long for this trip?
Thank you!

ellenem

No need to move to a Florence airport hotel. The airport is quite close to the city--a 15-minute drive by taxi. I doubt you need to be there two hours ahead. I would question whether or not the airport desks would be open at 4:30 AM--check with your airline.

I'd probably prefer one more day in Rome, but the three days you have is a good start.

nytraveler

Unfrotunately the day you arrive in Rome is Labor Day - a major holiday and many thngs may be closed. Be sure to make your plans for that in advance.

Jean

I'd also want another day in Rome, especially since your arrival day is a holiday and your other two days will be tricky to plan around what is closed on either Sunday or Monday. I'd steal a day from Tuscany unless you've been to Rome before.

I'd probably also want another day in Florence, but I admit I'm a Florence-aholic. I can't get enough. I'd steal another day from Tuscany.

I wouldn't add a 4th hotel (Cinque Terre) to this relatively short trip.

vanne49

Can I do a day trip from Tuscany to CT?

JanisV

Looks like Vanne49 has 4 days in Rome to me -- should be a good start on all there is on offer there. I think your itinerary looks refreshingly relaxed -- brava!

Jean

No, 3 1/2 days in Rome as originally contemplated. Note afternoon arrival on Saturday and morning departure on Wednesday. Not everything will be open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

"Can I do a day trip from Tuscany to CT?" Depending on where you're staying in Chianti the drive would likely be more than two hours one way. That would be too far for me (especially if the return drive was in the dark), but this is your trip.

LoveItaly

With arriving at 12:30PM in Rome by the time you get to your hotel, check in, freshened up and fighting no doubt some jet lag Saturday is sort of shot, vanne, except for a walk around Rome and dinner and maybe a short walk afterwards. So you will have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for Rome. Not bad but if it was my trip I would want at least one day more in Rome and I would take that from one day in Tuscany. Although I love the coast I would skip the Cinque Terra unless when in Tuscany I still wanted to visit there. Leaving your car at the Florence airport is an excellent idea. I would stay in Florence the night before your flight home and take a taxi that morning to the airport. I too doubt the Florence airport will be open at 4:30AM, but do check with your airline. I remember standing outside the Marco Polo airport for an hour one early morning before they opened up.

russwuf

Give rome another day at least from the itinerary...you arrive mid-day and by the time you get from the airport and settle into your hotel, your arrival day is shot....plus not to mention recovering from the plane ride/time change.
No need to change hotels in Firenze, as someone mentioned, Firenze is not NYC ..its easy to get around and cross town without any hassle...Pertola..the airport ...is small and it will not even be open until about 5 probably closer to 6am....so getting there super early is not gonna help you....unless you want to wait outside in the dark/chill until they open the doors....arranging a taxi in advance from your hotel to take you to the airport for the first flights is fine....traffic at that time of the morn also will be non-existent...so the cab ride from any place in the city will be without delay straight to Pertola. Always try to minimize changing cities/hotels because the constant checking in and out of hotels and transit to another town eats into your quality vacation time....after all...that is why you go ..to maximize your R&R and not to constantly schlep around from lodging to lodging.... Pick a central base and day trip from there..for instance in Tuscany stay in Firenze and visit Pisa, Siena, Luca...CT....etc. etc.

vanne49

Many THANKS