Spending more time in Rome or Tuscany

Old Mar 13th, 2018, 11:24 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Spending more time in Rome or Tuscany

I'm planning a 12 full day trip to Italy next spring (this doesn't include travel there and back). The three areas we want to see are Rome, Tuscany (including Florence, a day drive to perhaps Siena, then a trip to Cinque Terre), and Venice. We really want to see as many sites in Rome and hopefully the Vatican without literally running around, and also want to see Florence, plus the country side of Tuscany. Then of course Venice. Looking at flying into Rome and out of Venice. Plan on taking the train between cities, and would like to rent a care one day and checking out Tuscany.

So question - How many days should we allot to each area? Also, is Naples worth giving up a few days for? Meaning, less time in Tuscany & Rome for Naples?
jrnelson627 is offline  
Old Mar 13th, 2018, 11:50 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Your plate is already too full - forget anything but Rome-Florence-Venice isn those are your priorities and would be mine on any first trip to Italy.

At most a day trip by bus to Siena, an iconic Tuscan hill town - car would be a waste of time for a day - getting it and out of Florence and back - buses are cheap and go all the time. I'd also forget CT for this trip for it is a long day trip from Florence by train or car.

Rome 5 nights
Florence 4 nights
Venice 3 nights

would be a logical allotment - now Rome could include a day trip to Naples and or Pompeii - Naples just being little over hour from Rome by high-speed train. But to cut two days off Rome - no as the Vatican and Colosseum area both take much of a day. And there is so much more to see. Ostia Antica is an easy jaunt by commuter train from Rome and is kind of similar to Pompeii - being Rome's ancient port now a vast archaelogical ruin.

Book trains way early to get maximum discounted fares - much cheaper than waiting until in Italy to book - Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia or www.italotreno.com - 2 competing train systems using same tracks and stations - take whatever is lowest. www.seat61.com is now the bible on booking your own discounted tickets - general info trains also www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Mar 13th, 2018, 12:00 PM
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the quick response. So you think Pisa & CT aren't worth a few days? We would really like to spend some time out of big cities and exploring the countryside and smaller towns, which is why we thought about renting a car for a day. But I'm not sure about CT in the spring, if it's better during the summer. And I think we'll skip Naples, and spend more time in Rome.
jrnelson627 is offline  
Old Mar 13th, 2018, 12:09 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,748
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I would skip the CT on a spring trip; too weather dependent and too far from your stated priorities. You could possibly do 4 nights in Rome, 3 in Florence, 2 in a place like the Val d'Chianti or Val d'Orcia, and 3 in Venice. BUT you would have to leave Florence to get a car and return to get a train to Venice, all a bit of logistic managing and route planning and juggling that will take time.

Why get a car for Tuscany and drive all the way to the CT? Why not get your car, maybe upon leaving Rome, spend two nights in chosen location in Tuscany with driving about, then figure out how to leave your car and get into Florence (training from there to Venice)?
Skip the CT and Naples unless you want to skip "Tuscany" and pick one of them. If I wanted to visit somewhere in Tuscany I would probably choose a smaller town than Siena.

Simpler with the most bang for your time is the itinerary Pal has sketched for you.
From Rome you can daytrip to Ostia Antica or even Orvieto.
From Florence, you can bus to Siena or train to Lucca for a daytrip.
If you need more than Venice, my preferred daytrip is Torcello.
tuscanlifeedit is offline  
Old Mar 13th, 2018, 12:14 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,748
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just saw your response. Of course Pisa and the CT could be worth a few days but you didn't mention a few days. You did say a car for a day, and it's too much for a day from Florence with too many booby traps in the form of ZTLs in Florence. But Pisa is a city. If you want countryside, do a little more research into which part of Tuscany appeals to you. Are you scenery buffs, hikers, art lovers, church-abbey-monastery lovers, wine lovers? Tuscany is too big to really even refer to it as a destination and if I wanted countryside I wouldn't go near Pisa or the sea. Now if you want seaside, that's different.
tuscanlifeedit is offline  
Old Mar 14th, 2018, 10:19 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,741
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
PalenQ has excellent advice. Do please consider it. So does tuscanlifeedit. You should probably first prioritize exactly what is important to see on this trip.

I agree with PalenQ's itinerary. And tuscanlifeedit has great advice. Though there is plenty to see in Florence for 4 days, if you really want to visit Siena, take a day trip from Florence. The express bus takes one hour and drops you right outside the main square. Pick up the return bus at the same place.

You could also do Ostia Antica while you are in Rome. It is a 1/2 hour train ride and then a short 10-minute walk to this fabulous and fascinating (and green!) archeological site. (Take a lunch and beverage!)

And one more piece of advice.. my traveling companions and I have always found it beneficial to plan an afternoon nap each day.

Buon viaggio!

Last edited by sarge56; Mar 14th, 2018 at 10:32 AM.
sarge56 is offline  
Old Mar 14th, 2018, 01:37 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
CT in spring could be awesome - weather could be nice (was one January when I was there) but could be rainy and trails wet too - never can tell. I've done day trip to CT from Florence but just took trains and visited the 5 old towns - had already walked it before - at least in spring the place is not all mobbed with the small cities not being elbow-elbow as oft are in summer. To me more appealing in spring in that regard.

Pisa is a nice city but not one that, outside the Leaning Tower area, awes you with old-world splendor as places like Lucca or Siena do. But yes a nice base.

Afternoon siesta sounds cool especially in hot weather.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Mar 15th, 2018, 12:01 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks everyone!
jrnelson627 is offline  
Old Mar 15th, 2018, 12:56 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It sounds like your first trip to Italy? As suggested above, we all have different priorities, so would slice the days up differently. My experiences are from May/June, so you may have different experience in Spring (though avoid Easter around Vatican).

I love the ruins in Rome, but find the Vatican crowded and less enjoyable than I'd hoped both visits. I like 4 days touring Rome and environs.

Orvieto is a great recommendation for a neat smaller town (20,000 in all). We stopped there by train and stayed overnight to be out of the city when leaving Rome once.
I haven't been to Ostia Antica, but it is closer to Rome. Pompeii is a great, but very long day trip from Rome. Easier done as a trip from Sorrento or in combination with Naples for the museum on a longer stay. If you want some green space away from city center, look into the aqueduct park and the Appian Way.

We really enjoyed Florence (after the crowds left in evening) for the museums and the architecture, but it can be "seen" in fewer days than Rome. We did a day trip by bus to Siena, which is a city of more than 200,000 people. The old center is very scenic and we happened upon a special event, so our memories are special. On return to Florence, the bus a/c was broken or the driver wouldn't turn it on and the windows wouldn't open, so everyone was miserable and complaining to no avail.
To me it is too far to CT for a day trip. I enjoyed the walk and the villages along with Portofino with 2 night stay, but I read they are more crowded since we visited, so may not be as special experience. We saw the tower in Pisa out the train window once.

I'm one of the people that likes to go to Venice, but for just a short visit because of the crowds. As everyone tells you, the major sights and the main routes get packed from mid morning until late afternoon, but early morning and early evening are lovely, so plan to see Venice early/late and take a boat to other islands during the day. Two or three days is enough for me there.
Kay2 is offline  
Old Mar 15th, 2018, 03:20 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
With only 12 days, I would choose Rome and either 1. Florence and nearby towns, or 2. Venice.

I would try to travel as early as possible in the spring, avoiding Holy Week.
ekscrunchy is online now  
Old Mar 15th, 2018, 04:04 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
And keep in mind that a 1-day car rental is often the same price as a 3-day rental, so if you are only allocating a single day to Tuscany, it would likely be better to take public transportation.
StCirq is offline  
Old Mar 16th, 2018, 06:49 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
For just one day and wishing to see a lot of Tuscany take a tour from Florence - there are many. Waste of time and money renting car for a few days.
PalenQ is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
geriward
Europe
7
Jan 29th, 2017 09:35 AM
lilim26
Europe
20
Nov 18th, 2012 06:01 AM
PatriciaLS
Europe
6
May 8th, 2012 02:43 PM
mly78
Europe
5
Jan 5th, 2011 09:38 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -