Hi friends,

Finallly I have put things together after tons of research. But this truly with the help of this forum . thks a milllion . Itineary as follows.

3 nights Florence- 3 nights Pienza 4-rome- 3 night venice

Florence:
March 18- Fly to Florence, arrive 12 pm, stay hotel Hotel casci- segway tour 3 pm

March 19- Hopon/offf bus tour of florence, Piazzale Michaelango , San Lorenza market

March 20 -Either Pisa or Milan day trip or Boboli Gardens or Acamedia or Uffi gallery

March 21-Pick up car frm florence drive- S.Gimigani- Siena- sleep in Pienza

March 22- Pienza- San Quirico-Montalcino- San Antimo Abbye( hear chants)- Pienza

March 23- Pienza- Montchiello- Montpulcinao- Orvieto- Pienza

Rome:
March 24Drive frm - Pienza to Rome and drop car in Rome- Piazza Navo- Trevi fountain

March 25- Rome- Vatican city/ Sistine chapel ( guided tour)

March 26- Spanish steps, Campo dei Flori, Pathneon

March 27- Forum/Collosuem/Palatine Hill (guided tour)

Venice
March 28- Train to Venice, reach 11am-wandered out onto the Zattere ,dorsoduro- gondola ride at night.

March 29- St. Mark’s Square/St Mark's basilica/ dodge palace/campanile, post lunch
Take a boat to San Georgia campanile- go to top for view.take a sunset cruise on vaporetto # 1 down the Grand Canal

March 30- Rialoto Market , Basicila Santa Maria della Salute, Visit Murano.Enjoy the dueling orchestras with a drink on St. Mark's Square.


Questions: (Since first time to Italy)

1. Do I need to a guided tour of vatican and collosseum? If yes , which one is good?
2. Just want to visit art gallery and museum , which should be ? uffti or academia or borgehese in rome . I am more interested in scenic beauty
3. Is it orvieto worth a visit or skip this time. Which town to spend most time in tuscany?
4. Does it make sense to drive from pienza (tuscany ) to rome or better off taking a train?
5. Recommendation good places to eat rome , venice and florence.

March 26--Spanish Steps, Campo di Fiori and Pantheon won't take much of your time. They are all within walking distance and none of them take very long to see.

March 25--Vatican City will only take a half day.

A guided tour of the Vatican is money well spent--gets you right in and you learn a lot more.

David at the Accadamia is a must, IMO

Wow--that is busy. Let me start big picture. Why not fly into Venice and home from Rome and save some backtracking? Or, vice versa.
Do not drive into Rome. Drive to Orvieto to drop the car and train from there.
Forget day trip to Milan--much too far.
You want 2 galleries---Uffizi and Borghese
You want a group tour at the vatican--I prefer Context/Rome. You can do Colosseum/ Roman Forum on your own
The nite gondola ride will be expensive.
Search on the Forum for places to eat--numerous threads on that.

ttt

Looks fine - with Bob's improvements.

Skip Orvieto on March 23, and visit it when you drop off the car for your train ride to Rome.

Stu Dudley

Ditto Bob, except for

"You want 2 galleries---Uffizi and Borghese"

I wouldn't skip the Academia in Florence to see the David. It won't take all that long.

Monica: Forget the Milan day trip from Florence.

In Florence, I am not sure there will be much in bloom in the Boboli gardens in March. I would plan to see the Uffizi and the Accademia and skip the Boboli Gardens.

Most definitely skip Orvieto; March 23 is too crowded and you will not get a feel for the areas if you rush around that much.

Context Rome is quite pricey; if you want a less expensive tour option, take a look at this outfit for Vatican tours:

www.enjoyrome.com

ps. I do NOT consider myself an expert!

For a person like the OP, who tells us expressely she wants to see but one art museum since this is not her foremost interest, I STRONGLY advise against the Uffizi. This is one of the most terrible museums anywhere in Europe. Not because the art isn't great (of course it is), rather because they've no clue as to didactics, presentation, lighting, labelling... a nightmare of endless drab corridors.

And to make (aptly) a complete exhibition of myself, I'm also advising against the Florence Accademia. It's ok if Michelangelo's David is a work of art you always wanted to see (no, the copy in front of Palazzo Vecchio doesn't count - it's a terrible copy, so terrible that you can't quite call it a copy). But David is the ONLY important work in that whole (otherwise incredibly insignificant) museum, and if you share my humble opinion, Michelangelo created many far better sculptures than this all-too-mannerist David.

So I would say the choice is between the Venice Accademia (really GREAT art, and the presentation pleasant enough) and Galleria Borghese. Borghese is far smaller, and has retained the original presentation from around 1600, the Galleria building having been designed for and around the collection. The Venice Accademia - to make a very very rough differentiation - is more into Renaissance painting, Borghese into (early) baroque sculpture and painting. So it's up to you to decide whether you prefer Carpaccio and Veronese (Venice), or Caravaggio and Bernini (Rome).

ps. If ek is not an expert, then I'm certainly not an expert either. I just wanted to warn you that for a non-museum-buff, the Uffizi might be the final stroke, and you'd perhaps never again visit any art museum in your life. Which would also be a pity, you know...

I hereby delete my recommendation of the Uffizi based on a re-reading of the original post (I am guilty of not noticing the stated desire to visit only one gallery/museum!) and on absorbing the information posted by a true "expert," directly above!

hi friends,

thanks so much for the inputs. i guess i am now going to be only 2 nights in florence and 4 nights in tuscany . i am truly looking forward for the val d' orcia region. any favourties restaurants there which is a must visit. also favourite gelato shops in the area . thks

Forget Milan or Pisa.
David is a MUST.

Hi Monica,

I'm glad you have another day in beautiful Tuscany. That will give you time to drive to Orvieto on your travel day to Rome. I don't think you will have time to do it on the other days. Spend at least a 1/2 day there. It's a wonderful, beautiful town with much to see. Duomo, well, underground cave tour, art galleries, wonderful restaurants.

Drop your car and train to Rome - 1 hour. The rental offices are about a block from the station.

I would agree to skip the Uffizi if you aren't big on museums. I loved seeing some of the famous pieces I had studied in school, but after about 5 million "Madonna and Child"s, I had seen enough!

I would definitely take time to see David in the Acadamia. It's a very small museum and you can only spend as long as you want. David is worth the trip to Florence on it's own!

In Rome, I would definitely include the Borghese. Sculpture is spectacular and they only give you a 2 hour visit anyway. The park surrounding the villa is worth a good stroll too and it's on the way to the Spanish Steps (which is the most skipable sight in Rome in my opinion).

I took tours with Context Rome for the Vatican museums (outstanding) and the Coliseum, Palentine Hill and Forum (very good). I thought both were well worth the money and I'm a budget traveler. Their tours are like a small group seminar. Lots of info from very qualified tour guides..

Hope this helps. Buon viaggio!

I took a non-museum person to the Bargello which he enjoyed. Donatello's bronze David and some other known pieces and the building itself is interesting (in Florence).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bargello

I am a person who could practically live in art museums, and see people who do not like sculpture fall in love with David.

However, based on your personal likes, I would say to go to the Borghese in Rome. I especially recommend it over the Uffizi for people who aren't really into art museums. The interior of the building is interesting and beautiful. The scupltures are exciting. Work is well displayed. You will see some great art without being intimidated, bored or overwhelmed. Since entry is timed, you won't have long lines or a long wait. The Borghese just might be the museum that turns you into a museum person.

Btw, you didn't ask this, so probably don't need/want my opinion on it, but Florence is such a nice city for walking, I've never taken the hop/on/off bus there. Rome, yes, but not Florence. Is that something others recommend in Florence? Just curious.

Also, how is a segway on cobblestones? I recently rented a bike in a city with cobblestones. I managed, but it took some practice. I know lots of people do it in Paris and seem to have a lot of fun. It is getting to be popular everywhere. Is it safer/easier than a bike? Probably should have asked this in a new thread, but since you are planning to do it, I figured you had researched it already. Thanks.

I'm with Franco on all points for skipping the Uffizi.

I'm not sure the orchestras will be dueling yet in March in Venice--you may be right on the cusp.

thks friends , i guess i am thinking of doing borgehese gallery now , leaving tonight. promise to pose trip journal once back .