I've been reading, researching, and loving the first stages of planning a trip to Rome and Florence.

This is my first draft of an itinerary. I welcome feedback as to the feasibility of these plans, as well as asking for any budget-saving tips anyone may have. We will be using public transportation and looking for inexpensive meals, including buying picnic foods.

Friday March 13 Leonardo Express to Rome bus to
Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St Peters

Saturday March 14 metro/bus to Tivoli
Hadrian’s Villa
Villa d’ Este

Sunday March 15 Borghese Museum
Museum of Modern Art
Bus63 from Largo Argentina - Catacombs of priscilla
Spanish Steps

Monday March 16 Palatine Hill, Colosseum,Forum
Capitoline Hill
Pantheon, Trevi fountain

Tuesday March 17 train Rome to Florence
Accademia
Duomo
Medici Chapels
Santa Maria Novella and perfumery

Wednesday March 18 Siena via bus
Wed morning market Vialle Cesare Maccari
Il Campo main square
Duomo and museum
San Gimignano via bus return to Florence

Thursday March 19 Bargello
Santa Croce
Uffizi Gallery
Pitti Palace inc Modern Art Gallery

Friday March 20 Pisa Campo dei Miracoli
Pisa Duomo tour
Pisa Tower

Saturday March 21 Lucca via train or bus?
Ramparts – Renaissance wall

Sunday March 22 last day in Florence area

Monday March 23 train to Rome
Anything we didn’t get to see when we were in Rome last week

Tuesday March 24 return home

From your other thread, I recall you were interested in finding modern art for you friend. I just wanted to make clear to you that the Modern Art Gallery at the Pitti Palace in Florence is not contemporary art. Its holdings were modern when it was first created--in 1919. This description is from its website:

****
The Gallery, which is situated on the second floor of the Pitti Palace, has a fine collection of paintings and sculpture, mostly Italian, dating from the late 18th century to World War I.
The elegant rooms, which were formerly inhabited by the Lorraine grand-dukes, are decorated with works of the neo-classical and romantic periods. There is also a splendid collection of works by artists of the Macchiaioli movement and of other Italian schools of the later 19th and early 20th centuries.
****

I enjoyed my recent visit there. The Macchiaioli are the equivalent of what was going on in Italy at the time of the French Impressionists. I'm not sure it's what your friend is hoping for . . . it's a lot more modern than the Uffizi anyway.

By train it would be possible to do both Pisa and Lucca in one day you like, depending on how much you really want to do or see there. Personally I'd give Rome another day for more exploring, one day in Rome with nothing scheduled, not just your last night.

Another possibility is to maximize your time by heading directly to Florence for your stay there when you first arrive--after the Leonardo Express gets you to Roma Termini, just hop on the next Florence-bound train. Then you can put all our Rome days together at the end.

March is a month of unpredictable weather in both Roma and Firenze, so you need to be prepared to rearrange your days so that you don't end up trying to see the gardens in Tivoli or Siena and San Gimignano in the pouring rain. (Actually, I would worry that before March 15, you could even get slow and icy roads in San Gimignano given the right conditions.)

By looking at the internet, you can follow weather conditions even before you board your plane. And in March, you needn't book much of anything in advance of a few days out.

I agree that you should go directly to Florence upon arrival so that all your Rome days are together at the end. This saves a hotel change and means you're not doing the Vatican Museums & St. Peters the first day (not a good idea after an overnight flight).

With such a short time in Rome, I wouldn't go to Tivoli. Much too much to see in Rome itself (I've just returned from my 6th trip to Rome, a total of 45 days, and finally made it to Tivoli!). I would also take a day from Florence and add it to Rome.

What SusanP said.

I agree with the small itinerary tweak not to split up Rome. Put it all either at the beginning or end of your trip. That will save you one extra hotel reservation, check in/out, etc.

thank you for the feedback. I'm not sure why I didn't think of going straight to Florence first.

ellenem, although my friend loves modern, I think anything without halos will be a highlight for her!

I'm aware of the vagueries of early spring weather - I did a March garden tour of Ireland once with rain almost every day.

I planned more time in Florence in part due to the seasonal unpredictability- plenty of indoor things to do - but the potential for outdoor days if the sun favors us. With the exception of the Vatican, most of the things I want to see in Rome involve more outdoor activity - one thing I've learned from this board is that few people visit Rome once...I hope to return in a year or two in warmer weather. Also, I'm sharing this trip with a non-Christian who appreciates beauty but would rather limit the number of churches we visit.

Any suggestions for other places we shouldn't miss? Things to do in the event of bad weather?

Thanks for all the help thus far
kath

<<I'm not sure why I didn't think of...>>

hey, that's what we're here for! It's always good to have another set (or 10) of eyes on any idea.

Bad weather? Buy an umbrella and do whatever it was you had planned in the first place.