Hello! We are planning a 14 day trip to Rome and Florence(arrival and departure days included in that number - we arrive in the morning in Florence and depart Rom in the morning as well). We are flying into Florence and plan on taking the train into Rome, and fly out of Rome. I am now trying to figure out how to divide our time between those two and any other towns in between that we could realisticall manage to visit. I was thinking of allocating 7 days in Rome and 3 days(or should I make it 4) in Florence and trips to Siena, San Gimignano or any other place that you folks could suggest.

Initially I was thinking, after the 3 or 4 days of exploring Florence, that we will remain there and keep it as our base in exploring the nearby towns of Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, etc. However, I've been reading everywhere that it is not advisable to have a car in Florence due to the parking situation . That being the case, should we transfer, and where?


Also, I read that Florence is very small but is there a particular area that is the ideal place to stay?


We enjoy history & architecture(just to admire, not in a scholarly way : ) , visiting musems(probably because this is a short stay, just the must-sees), GREAT food, and gelato : ), just getting lost and meandering.

Thanks!

If you haven't already bought your train tickets, it would be better if you flew into Rome and out of either Pisa or Florence.

I do think you need 4 nights in Florence, not 3, if you want to visit some museums, have some leisurely enjoying of the beautiful city and still do day trips.

It is possible to base in Florence and not have a car and use public transportation to see Lucca and Siena easily by train. San Gimignano can be seen by bus, but it is a two-hour bus trip just to get there. Although San Gimignano has gained the status of a "must-see" hilltown -- and it is striking -- it has become intensely touristed and some people end up feeling it wasn't worth the effort. There are lots of other lovely hilltowns that can be reached by public transportation from either Rome or Florence, so if that two-hour bus ride to San Gimignano sounds a bit much, you have other options.

Be aware that if you don't have a scholarly interest in painting, the guidebooks always list the vast Uffizi as a "must-see", but it really drains a lot of visitors. Far more delightful to most people are the much smaller museum of the Duomo and the Museo San Marco, an old monastery filled with small pastel and gold Fra Angelico paintings painted directly on the walls of the small monk's cells.

For such a long stay in Rome, you might want to invest in David Downie's book Food Wine Rome to find the great food you are looking for at a very reasonable price.

PS: I wanted to add that a lot of people who don't enjoy Rome will try to talk you out of your 6 days in Rome in favor of renting a car and spending time "under the Tuscan sun" in what has become practically a package tour of Tuscany (except you drive yourself and haul your own luggage). You will of course want to hear them out, and if you really would rather go history-lite and art-lite and have an extended tour of the hills, you should do precisely that. But if you hope to experience Rome as something other than a few days of a steady of march of monuments and "must-sees", then having a week there is a joy.

With the side trips you are planning, I would allocate 5-6 nights to Florence. We use Florence as a base very often (a week at a time is not unusual for us as we like the city) and enjoy it for the wide range of accommodations, dining options and interesting things to do and experience.

I have driven in this area and prefer not to so we depend on public transport and have been quite content with the many area we can explore. We also hire a driver to take us to the wineries in the countryside (Luca Garapa of Hills and Roads) since food and wine are our major interests.

You mention great food as being high on your list. Bologna is a short train ride away from Florence and you could also include a visit to Parma.

I agree that you should give the Uffizi a pass and enjoy the smaller, more digestible museums. The Bargello is a personal favorite of mine.

I also am a fan of Rome and prefer to end my trips there rather than to begin them there. Rome is a city with endless possibilities and a day trip or two from there is a great option as well.

A split stay would be my personal preference.

Just one note: If traveling from Florence to Siena, I believe the bus is a better option than the train. Just be sure to take the "rapide" (express) bus, which should get you there in less than 90 minutes.

There are so many wonderful and approachable museums in Florence that we stopped visiting the Uffizi many trips ago. If you do go, try to choose a few works that you want to see (e.g. the Botticellis) and don't try to digest the entire museum. It is exhausting and crowded.

Instead take St Cirq's advice and visit the San Marco. Also the Accademia, the Bargello, the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, for the fresco "Procession of the Magi", and the Museo del Opera del Duomo.

Stay 6 days if you want to do some side trips and have a wonderful time. Florence is a great city.