Hello,
I am planning on spending about two weeks in Italy in mid-March of this year. I am quickly learning that headquartering in Rome for the whole trip and doing satelite trips from there will be too expensive.

At this point, I am just fishing for ideas on other places to visit to spread out my visit and cover as much ground as possible. I have info. on the daytrips from Rome, however, does anyone have any pitches for any places they like to stay that aren't incredible far from Rome relative to eventually returning to Rome for the return trip home? Suggestions and experiences appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

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Orvieto for one.

What are some of the day trips you are thinking about? Different towns may make more sense depending on the locations.

There are dozens of possibilities. A few years ago we stayed on the coast about an hour south of Rome and did lots of daytrips into the city by car and train. You might look into the area around Sperlonga or Gaeta. In addition to being lovely beach towns, there are myriad hilltowns and other things of interest inland - and Rome is eminently accessible.

I'm afraid Sperlonga and Gaeta will be deader than doornails in mid-March; they are primarily beach resorts.

You might consider staying closer to Rome in the Colli Albani/Castelli Romani area: Nemi, Frascati, Grottaferrata, Castel Gandolfo are all villages that operate year-round. They are very close by train to Rome, but the last trains out of Rome tend to be at around 9:00 p.m. Check it out at

www.trenitalia.com

Southern Tuscany isn't all that far from Rome. You could consider renting an apartment for a week in Montepulciano or one of the other towns in that area. To get around in Tuscany, though, you would need to rent a car.

Hi cc,

>...places they like to stay that aren't incredible far from Rome relative to eventually returning to Rome for the return trip home?<

Some folks find that a week in rome, foloowed by a split week in Florence and Venice makes a good visit.

Do you already have your plane tickets?

Please explain why you feel staying in Rome and doing daytrips is "too expensive"....that is, is it too expensive to be staying in Rome (the accommodations) or too expensive to take the day trips?

There are possible solutions to both of these "problems" depending on what the problems are.

Hi everyone,
When I say HQing out of Rome is too expensive, what I mean is staying at a very basic accomodation to the tune of about $100 US/night is out of my budget for a 2 week stay + the notion doesn't appeal to me. It has nothing to do with the cost of day trips.

I definitely want to and will stay elsewhere in Italy during my stay-it's just a matter of where. Some of the most memorable travel experiences I've had have been in the smaller towns of the various places I've visited. I find that is where the "real" residents of a land reside. Those are the kind of experiences I crave.

A friend of mine really likes Sienna. Naples/Pompeii come highly regarded. I plan on going to Florence for at least a day even though I've heard mixed things about it, however, I am seeking suggestions on how to build time around the above.

I haven't booked the flight itineray yet, but will soon. The dates are looking like a March 7 departure and a March 21 return.

Thanks again everyone.

xyz

Okay, FWIW, on one trip we spent a week in Rome in an apartment. Then we went to Assisi and Gubbio (not as daytrips). Went back to Rome because my friends were leaving and my mother and aunt were arriving (I was taking them on for the rest of the Big Three).

Easy, easy, easy. Fun, fun, fun.

p.s. This was a late-Feb/early-March trip. Great weather, and Assisi and Gubbio were not crowded this time of year.

p.p.s. As you haven't yet booked your flights, why not start in Rome and fly out of Venice?

Also, I liked Gubbio but preferred Assisi. Had great food both places. Assisi is an easier train ride from Rome.

Hi Leely,
I've already been to Venice/Verona, so I figured I'd just work the area around Rome for the time being. I may investigate flying out of Naples, however. I am having a hard time at this point of crystalizing on where I want to go around Rome. Thanks for your suggestions.

We too are spending 10 days in Italy. We just booked our air and we start in
Rome but will not stay there because we've already seen it. We would like to head down to the Amalfi coast for a days. Has anyone given you any ideas.
Thanks