Oh snap, I said that backwards. We are very much looking for apartments! Sorry. We are trying to stay under 140e per night. I know this thread has gone astray, ill check out some focused on Rome, or start a new one, thanks guys.

Annhig

If your suggestions for Rome fall in that price range could you private message me the names.

no need for a private message, it's www.lacasadiclelia.webs.com.

it's about €120 per week i think.

very nice for 2 people - ground floor, near the piazza navona, and catherine, who owns it, is very helpful and friendly.

Jerry S, I am so very sorry to be responding so late; I'm just now looking back on this thread.

The vehicle with Hertz was booked thru Hertz on their Italian site; www.Hertz.it. It included the mandatory insurance, and the vehicle was a Fiat....I can't remember the model, but it was NOT the Panda!! Also, on the website was a coupon for a free extra driver. Sat four rather comfortably, I have to say, and it was a manual shift. The only problem with the car was that going up very steep hills with it was an adventure. Felt like there was no get up and go, if you know what I mean. But it did the job and ultimately I was pleased. The gentleman at the Hertz location I rented the car from (in Chiusi) was extremely nice, and even stayed open during his siesta time so that I could retrieve something I had forgotten.

Again, I apologize for the late response.

You will constantly be told by some that the only way to see any place in the world is to rent a car.

Last year my wife and I went to Tuscany, did not rent a car and had a great time.

The trip was 10 days long. We based in Florence the entrie time. Stayed in a hotel on Piazza Santa Maria Novella right near the train station.

Our 10 days were split Florence for 4 days and daytrips for 6 days. Two of our day trips were actually overnighters with a small backpack. We kept our hotel in Florence so that we did not have to pack for the overnighters.

We went to Cortona (train/bus) and Arezzo (train).

Went to Pisa, Lucca and on to Cinque Terre (sleep over)(trains).

Went to San Gimignano slept in Sienna (train/bus).

Went to Medicci Villas in several towns (train/bus).

The only museum we went to was the accademia (David). We had been to Florence a couple of times over the years and had been to the Accademia once before and the Uffizi twice. In my opinion the Uffizi is somewhat somber and stodgy (whatever that means).

The Accademia has been updated since our first visit there many years ago. By updated I don't mean they changed what they have but how it's presented. The visual displays explaining some of the works are outstanding.

And of course there's David and the unfinished works.

We did go to the Bagello but that was only a relatively short visit.

The rest of the time we wandered around making short stops.

Oh yes, we also took a bus to Feisole for a few hours.

The only hassle we had was on Medicci Villa day. The plan was to take a very short train to Castello, visit two Villas there and then train to Prato for more.

I figured we'd get off the train in Castello and take a taxi up the hill to Villa La Petraia . After that walk down to the gardens at Villa Castello and continue on down to the train station and onward.

Well, getting a taxi at the train station was easier said than done. We ended up walking to a restaurant a block away and they called a taxi for us. Twenty minutes later it arrived and we were on our way. The blistering heat didn't help much.

Other than a few minor hasles the trip worked out great.