We will be flying into Rome airport (getting our rental car) early this Saturday morning. We have an apartment in Cortona that we will not be able to get into till Sunday. Therefore, any suggestions on which town we should stop and visit for the day and stay overnight before we on our way to Cortona Sunday morning ?

Also, any suggestions on where to stay overnight ?

As always...thanks to all the Forum for your help !

If you want to stay in Rome close to Termini I can suggest a La Casa dell'Arte [email protected]

I found it convenient to stay there because it was so close to Termini.

Why not drive down to Florence and spend the night in the city?

Orvieto or Chiusi. And I wouldn't pick up a rental car in Rome after an all-night flight, even though it's out at the airport, not in the city. I'd take the train to either Orvieto or Chiusi and pick the car up there.

Generally, I agree with StCirq except that you'd probably have trouble picking up a car on Sunday. The agencies in Orvieto are definitely closed on Sunday. I don't know about Chiusi.

I'd drive to Bracciano. It's about an hour from Fiumicino. But I wouldn't arrive on a Saturday without a hotel reservation. Try the Hotel Villa Clementina which is still showing availability for this Saturday.

http://www.hotelvillaclementina.it/en/home.php

My post wasn't clear. The Orvieto rental offices are not open Saturday afternoons either, so you'd have to be able to get there by about 11:30a. If your flight is delayed or you can't hop a train at Fiumicino by 9:30a at the latest you won't get to Orvieto in time.

I just checked Chiusi. Same story. Closed Saturday afternoons and all day Sundays.

If you like ancient history and don't want to drive far (or not at all), Ostia Antica is a fascinating place to visit. You can stay in either Ostia or Fiumicino, with or without a car. (You can return to the airport and pick up a car the next day if you'd rather not drive upon landing).

If you are not daunted by driving when you arrive, then I would drive to Orvieto or a nearby sweet small town like Civitella d'Agliano. They are about 90 minutes from FCO. That way, you have a much shorter drive to Cortona the next morning.

(The drive from Bracciano to Cortona is 2.5 hours. The drive from Civitella d'Agliano is 90 minutes, and from Orvieto it is less.)

http://www.welcometotuscia.com/en/civitella-dagliano/