If anyone has any last minute opinions or advice, please post. The following is our itinerary

Oct. 9 - Saturday - Leave Chicago on Swiss Air to Florence via Zurich
Oct. 10 - Sunday - Arrive Florence 2:00p.m. - Taxi to Hotel Orto de Medici - stumble around with jet lag.
Oct. 11 - Monday - Church of Annunziata; Duomo Museum; Duomo, Bapistery - Walk around, lunch, shop; San Lorenzo - wander and shop near San Lorenz;, Palazzo Medici
Oct. 12 -Tuesday - Academia; walk to Sante Croce; Ufizzi; Piazza Signora, lunch, shop
Mercato Nuovo
Oct 13 - Wednesday - Science Museum; Pitti Palace; shop and lunch; Santa Maria Novella; Mercato Central
Oct. 14 - Thursday - San Marco; Train to Siena - taxi to Frances Lodge
Oct. 15 - Friday - Il Campo; Duomo; Baptistery; Cripta; Duomo Museum; Santa Maria della Scaola; San Domenico area - Church; Sanctuary of St. Catherine; Palazzo del Magnifico; Paazzo Picolomini (may see some of these on other days if we get tired out)
Oct 16-19 -- Day trips with Gianni of Tours Around Tuscany to the following areas
a. Colle d'Elsa; SanGimignano; Volterra
b. Montalcino; St Antimo Abbey; Pienza; Montepulcino.
c. Driving through Chianti Area
d. Spend the day at a Thermal Spa -- just relaxing
Oct. 20 - Wednesday - With Gianni drive to Perugia - enjoy Chocolate festival; Duomo; St Pietro; Rocco Paolina; Galeria Nazionale ---- Drive with Gianni to Assisi (Hotel Umbra)
Oct. 21 -- Thursday - Assisi - Basilica; Santa Chiara; Temple of Minerva; Roman Ruins
Santa Maria degli Angeli
Oct. 22 - Friday - Drive with Gianni to Arezzo - main square; San Francesco Church; Church of st. Dominic; Duomo - drive to Florence with Gianni
Oct. 23 - Home

Since we are in our 60's, some things may be left out because of being tired. But hope to do the most we can.

We are traveling in Italy in October also. What thermal spas are recommended to visit?

Sounds like a great trip. We love Italy, have been many times, most recently in Tuscany in 2008. We were in Florence for 3 days prior to staying one week in Lucca and one week in Cortona doing day trips from each.

Personally we didn't care much for Arezzo. I would see Cortona. Have a wonderful time.

Italynovice - There are a lot of spas in Italy - we are spending 6 day in Southern Tuscany near Siena and are thinking about either the Rapolano Spa or the Adler Spa

bookmarking

Your trip sounds lovely, ama!

I love your Oct 10th itinerary "stumble around with jet lag", so true. But a cup of espresso often helps and than some nice wine later!

I assume you do know that there is also the bus service to Siena which takes you into the city. I gather you do as you show you will take a taxi from the train station to inside Siena.

Wishing you both a very lovely trip and I am sure it will be. And may you have good weather so you can enjoy the outdoor cafes when you feel the need to rest!

We aren't staying inside Siena. Our B&B is on the outskirts of Siena. We are taking the tain because we like train rides.

Well done---you have done your homework.
Please report back on Frances Lodge--it was on my list before but I have not heard anything recently.

Thanks Bob. I will be writing a probably long trip report when we get back. Yes, I have done a lot of research. Are the individual days too much?

FIRST: Nice to see bobthenavigator's name. Bob helped us on our trip in 1999. He was right on with the information.

You have a good trip planned. One tip if you do not know: Go to the back right corner of Church of Santa Croce in Florence. You will see the entrance to the Leather School. It has very nice leather goods, very good quality. The prices are also fair. My wife bought some things there early in the trip and then compared all along the way. She felt she got a good deal at the leather school. They will put your initials in gold on your purchase if you ask.

Looks like a good plan, though you've got lots of places on your list. Don't hesitate to cut things out if it turns out you're tired or enjoying one particular place a lot.

Put some places tentatively on your arrival day; you may be less jet-lagged than you thought, and if you have some ideas, you're less likely to just sit around.

The Mercato Centrale is a lot of fun. Rather than eating lunch before you go, consider buying items at the market to eat for lunch. One fun thing we did there was to buy 3-4 different types of fresh pecorino cheese, and have our own informal taste tests.

Rather than having two big art destinations on the same day, Tuesday, consider switching one of those to Wednesday. Also, while we enjoyed the Pitti Palace, it's very disorganized and a big mess. I'm pretty sure that we used the Blue Guide to Florence, which highlighted particular pieces in many of the rooms. That way you won't miss any Raphaels or any of Artemisia Gentileschi's works, which are crammed on the walls along with dozens of less-spectacular paintings.

ama, given what you have on your list, I think it's fair to assume that your and my interests in sightseeing are pretty similar - so I think I'm not imposing my personal view upon you if I say that two of what are the four best sights of Florence IMO are missing from your list: S. Miniato al Monte, unmissable if you are interested in the Baptistery (the second work of the Florentine proto-Renaissance, which is actually Romanesque of course); and the Cappella Brancacci, unmissable if you are interested in Renaissance painting (which indeed you seem to be, or you wouldn't have Palazzo Medici-Riccardi on your list - this one, and the Baptistery, are "my" two other "greatest" sights of Florence).

Your depth of research gives you the benefit of being able to adjust on the fly----that is a good thing.

Even though you will be jetlagged on arrival in Florence, I would still try to see one or two things before dinner. First of all, you want to stay awake! and secondly there is so much to see. I'd take a late afternoon train to Siena on your transfer day.

I agree with franco's suggestions in Florence and add three more for you to think about: the Bargello, the Medici Chapels and the Museo Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Obviously, you'll see what interests you most, but my interests would put these ahead of the Palazzo Pitti, the science museum and multiple stops at the various markets.

http://www.firenzemusei.it/00_englis...llo/museo.html

http://www.firenzemusei.it/00_englis...cee/index.html

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...ce/A33291.html

In Siena, I would plan on being at the Duomo before the doors are opened in the morning. It gets very crowded as the day goes on, and sometimes there is a line to enter.

I concur with Jean, Palazzo Pitti (the ugliest palazzo in the world IMO) and the Science Museum would be my picks, too, were I to skip something from your original itinerary. I have to admit that I love markets, though; but OTOH again, I wasn't deeply impressed with Florence's.

Some photos and a little more info on pietre dure to tempt you:

http://www.spamula.net/blog/2007/04/...flower_pe.html

I have never visited the Science Museum on my trips to Florence. However, a year ago, I toured the Galileo exhibit (on tour from Florence) at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. We found it fascinating with beautiful maps, instruments owned by Michelangelo, and many, many other interesting items. I'm only wondering whether the signage for the displays is in English or Italian. The descriptions of what we were viewing definitely enhanced the exhibit.

The science museum has been completely renovated and has the new name of Museo Galileo. I'll give it another visit on a future trip, but I wouldn't put it high on the list for first-timers to Florence unless they are serious Galileo-philes.

http://www.museogalileo.it/en/visit.html

The Science Museum is on our list as a break from art and churches, of which my husband can only take so much. Thanks for all your suggestions,keep them coming.

Jean's news about the museum is good because the Galileo part of the exhibit was just terrific. The Medecis supported him for the rest of his life after he was branded a heretic. If you were only there for 3 days or so, I would feel differently, but you have so much time in the Florence area, why not see it?