Hi - I'm taking a short trip to Italy with my daughter soon. After spending three days in Rome, we are spending a week in Florence. We have to leave the apartment I rented on Friday night (Good Friday as it turns out!) and are trying to decide what to do from there. I fly back to the States on Easter Sunday and my daughter goes back the following day. I love Rome, but don't need anymore on this trip. Any ideas about where to stay between Rome and Florence, but close enough to Rome so it won't be a hassle geting to the airport for an early flight Easter Sunday? I tend to like upscale places and either something in the countryside or in a quaint village would work. I'd appreciate the benefit of anyone's experience!

Siena and San Gimignano are nice towns although not sure if you were planning on them as a daytrip from Florence (we've done that before). We used San Gimignano as a base since it's touristy and crowded during the day but we would take off in the car and explore towns like Montereggioni, Montepulciano, Orvieto, etc.

Will you be travelling by car or train?

If train, you could see a bit of Umbria by staying somewhere along the line that runs from Florence to Perugia/Assisi/Spello/Foligno/Spoleto/Orte. At Orte, there is frequent train service directly to the Rome airport. Make sure you understand the train schedules for Easter Sunday. Service to Orte will no doubt be limited, although I'm guessing the airport shuttle train will operate on close to its regular schedule. And if you stay in one of the hill towns, there may be limited bus service from the town to its train station, but you could just take a cab.

If car, your choices are really without limit (other than hotel availability on a holiday weekend) and depends on what interests you and your daughter. If you're Catholic, you might really enjoy going to mass at the basilica in Assisi or another beautiful church such as in Siena or Spoleto.

Orvieto has a train station (about an hour train ride from Rome)and a Hertz rental car across the street from the station.You could rent a car in Florence (near the train station) tour around Tuscany and drop the car off in Orvieto(about a 2 hour (if I remember correctly) beautiful car ride from Florence) and train it back to Rome for your flight. The Hilton at the Rome airport was very nice for a early morning flight. One of our favorite places was Montipulciano.

I would probably choose Orvieto or Assisi. Both are great hilltowns and are good bases for exploring the surrounding areas. I personally would prefer a car for either of these, as you can visit some great smaller towns away from the train lines, but you could certainly do it by train as well.

Tracy

Thanks for the suggestions....I think car is the way to go and the airport Hilton is a great suggestion for the night before my flight. Anyone have any suggestions for a nice place to stay in one of the afore mentioned hill towns? Orvieto? Or some where is the countryside?

Hi Parkert,

We stayed at Pallazzo Piccolomini , 4* in Orvieto back in 2000. We liked it very much. It's at the opposite end of town from the train station, the end of town with the car park below. You can have the hotel pick you up, take the funiculare from the train station, or the underground escalators from the car park.

Buon viaggio!