Planning first trip to Italy at end of May. We will have six people. Our plan is arrive on:
Saturday-Vicenza
Sunday-Florence/hotel
Monday-Day trip to Rome-back to hotel in Florence
Tuesday-Florence, train back to Vicenza
Wednesday and Thursday-day trips to Venice
Friday, Saturday, Sunday-day trips to Verona, Padua, Bassano del Grappa or whatever sounds good.
Monday-Depart home.
We will be staying with friends in a private residence in Vicenza.
Does this itinerary sound like it will work? Any recommendations for hotel in Florence in the mid range? $200 to $350 a night for four of us, $100 to $175 for two. We will need two rooms, one double one quad. Any suggestions?

I would suggest skipping Rome. You'll spend 6 hours on a train and have very little time to actually do anything in Rome. Unless your goal is to just say you went to Rome. It is possible to go to Italy and not go to Rome. Especially on this trip. It really is not worth it.

Thanks, for the info. I did not realize that the train would take that long, I was told 1 1/2 hrs each way. If it really takes 3 hrs each way, we may have to skip it, that is why I asked! Thanks again, still planning.

after having just gotten back from rome i would say take the short trip from florence to go see it! it is by far my favorite place i have ever went!

Perhaps I exaggerated, on the Eurostar trenitalia says it takes about 1:40 on the slower regional trains about 2:45. But the principle still applies, for your trip I would skip Rome and frankly if it were me I'd skip Florence too. Plenty of interesting stuff to do in the Veneto. But it's your trip.

Can you take a day trip to Rome from from Florence? Yes, but for the time you will have in both cities, I think you'll short change each one.

check out the Hotel Centrale in Florence.
www.hotelcentralefirenze.it
Friends of my brother-in-law stayed there last summer and recommended it to our family. We're staying there 6 nights this July. We're booking 2 rooms for 96 euros/night per room. View of the Duomo. Very centrally located. Newly renovated. Has A/C & private bathroom. Staff speaks English. Prompt reply via email when I had a few questions.
Hope this helps! Carol, CA

Thanks so much for the recommendation, I will definitely check this out. Hope you guys have a great trip too!

I think your proposed schedule for Florence and Rome will be too frustrating if you have never seen either before. I would recommend staying in Florence. Sunday, Monday
and part of Tuesday is really not much time for that amazing city

Save Rome for another trip and try to schedule as much time as possible there when you do go

I agree, save Rome for later. It was my 8th trip to Italy before I saw Rome---then we spent a week. BTW, for the record, the ES trains from Florence to Rome take 1:42

Hi S,

I suggest saving Rome for another visit.

With the money you save, you could overnight in Venice. I think that that would be much, much nicer than two daytrips.

I like Ira's idea of an overnight in Venice. The city's different at night and in the early morning. But hotels in Venice are expensive.

Hello skkz, a good portion of the museums in Florence are closed on Monday..so you might want to arrange you schdule around that if visiting the major museums are important to you. Do have a beautiful trip and staying with friends in a private residence is always so much fun.

I agree that the day trip to Rome is too much; spend the day in Siena instead, about an hour by bus from Florence (The bus will take you right into the centro, unlike the train which is nearer the edge of town). We spent 8 nights at Il Villino in December--beautiful rooms, friendly and knowledgable staff, very good value for money and in your price range. But it books up in advance and has only 10 room. If you stay there give Signor Sergio regards from Carol and Marco

Just an update, thanks for all the info. Majority rules and we are spending one night in Rome, one night in Florence, and the remaining 7 nights with friends at their home with day trips to Venice, Verona, Bassan Del Grappa and Lake Garda. We are very excited and appreciate the help!

Agree that you should save Rome for another trip and do a day trip to Siena.

For a hotel suggestion in Florence that might possibly be able to accomodate you with a quad, I would recommend www.villa-belvedere.com.