I am bringing my 17 year old daughter to Italy for her first time. She majored in art in high school (but also in physics) and also loves countrysides, hiking, history, chilling' and having fun.
I have four full days and another 1/2 day (arrival day is at 1:30 p.m.) to be with her in either Rome or Florence - I wish I could do both but I don't have more days....
Which would you choose??? I have been to both and I can't even decide!!!

Why don't you ask her to choose? Have her research a bit about what both have to offer. That way she'll be more invested and excited about the trip. You can't go wrong, as you know, with either choice.

Thanks for the response KTtravel. Great suggestion except that this is a surprise!

If your flights are in & out of Rome I suggest you save time by staying in Rome. You can't go wrong either way and it's such a short visit every hour helps. Or, if you haven't yet bought your flights, again, go with whichever option will yield the most time on the ground.

There are certainly other ways to think of it, does she have particular eras of history & art she prefers, for instance. But given the short time frame, either place will be full of possibilities. Go with the time element.

This may seem a bit like eating your cake and having it, but can you try to do the two: spend the first two days in one city and while she thinks that's all, surprise her two days later with another trip.
If it won't work, I would go with florence.
I agree with you, it's a tough choice (hence my earlier suggestion) but for the fact that Florence is right beside Tuscany with its beautiful countryside ( and she likes the countryside) I would suggest a little extra Tuscan trip at the end of the last day

Of course ask but I think Florence may be the key since she wants to get into the countryside -easily done for a few days by bus or car to rural Tuscany surrounding Florence. Like one-hour bus Florence to Siena or to smaller towns. Could take a wine tour say from Florence - 16 still legal drinking age in Italy.

Thanks Jessbrown, I actually considered that....and there's nothing wrong with having your cake and eating it too! I just didn't want it to be rushed and hectic in either place. On the other hand, it allows for both options and it's extremely tempting. On the other hand, you really only scratch the surface by doing that. If I did that, what would you suggest re timing/itinerary? I could arrive in Rome at 1:30 on a Sunday and depart from Rome first thing Friday morning.

Mme Perdu - thanks for the reply. I actually haven't booked flights yet. I can book to Rome or to Florence although booking to Rome gives me more flight options. I don't know which type of art she prefers actually - she's quite eclectic.

Which place would you all prefer for that amount of time??

Rome and do a day trip to Ostia Antica - very similar to Pompeii sans overwhelming crowds - few miles by metro:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Osti...iw=944&bih=544

Thanks PalenQ. Interested to hear reasons for preferring Rome over Florence?

Well it's personal for everyone but there are so so many neat places in Rome - the Vatican and Sistine Chapel will take a day - Colosseum/Forum area too but so many ancient famous things and a lovely town to walk around in its old centro - could do a day trip to Pompeii too though it's about 7 hrs return transportation. Hadrian's Villa is another neat day trip along with Tivoli and its famous water gardens. But just wandering along the famous Via Cavour - one of the most fashionable streets anywhere - the ancient Pantheon. Travestere district at night for restaurants or nightlife.

PalanQ, Sassafras - thanks. Ok, I'm tending to Rome.....with a longing for Florence!

Even if this wasn't surprise, it would be impossible for my daughter to decide - she is THE most indecisive person. She's the kind of kid who is totally appreciative of anything you do for her, so I know she'll be happy with either choice. I love both places and even as someone who was there I can't decide, knowing the facts. She'd have a much harder time.

Any other opinions? They're all very welcome and helpful.

Having just spent a few weeks in Italy with several 18yr olds, I can confirm that not decisive is typical. Not having a good feel for distance or logistics is another trait. While staying ~1hr outside of Florence, and not yet having been even to that city, here's an "over breakfast conversation". "Let's go to Rome today." Since the trip was for him, it's wasn't good form to simply tell him no, so we walked through the logic of a) getting TO Florence, to then catch a b) Train TO Rome, and the same thing in reverse. He quickly came to realize that 6hrs in transit for a day trip didn't make sense.

My point being, sometimes youts need direction.

You say you can arrive in Rome at 1:30pm. Is that arrive in the city of Rome, or arrive at Rome airport, after a direct overseas flight. Most flights from North America arrive earlier in the day, so either you'd be on one of the last flights, eg Norwegian from Newark, or connecting somewhere. If you arrive at Rome airport at 1:30, you do NOT have half a day in Rome. By the time you get to your hotel in the city it'd be closer to 3:30 or 4pm, depending on lots of factors including baggage claim, immigration, and transportation. If you're coming overnight from North America, then that means you'll be fighting just so stay awake for another 2-3 hrs until you go to bed by 7 or 8 local time. Maybe later if you got good sleep on the red eye (an oxymoron).

If you are connecting at a hub in Europe, then I'd strongly recommend you consider Florence due to the ease of getting in and out. The airport there is tiny and easy/fast to get to from the city. (it's so tiny, it's the only airport I've ever been at that has no taxiways, only a runway.) The # of flights are limited but you can connect through various Europe hubs. The airport is right outside town - maybe a 10min bus or taxi ride, or ride the new tram right into the heart of the city.

You say she likes countryside, and hiking. Taking a driving tour through Tuscany (eg sitting in a car for half a day) is NOT the same as getting out and walking. There are plenty of places where you can walk- lots of guides about "Walks in Tuscany" that make for a fun day. I'm not as familiar with such things to do near Rome, especially ones that don't involve visiting ruins or other sites. Perhaps others can recommend some.

just my 2c.

There are some great walking opportunities around Rome, too. I spent most of a day on the Appian Way on the southern edge of the city, reached by bus then a beautiful walk back to the city. I found it VERY atmospheric, the road built for ancient Rome's armies, lined with ruins of tombs of aristocratic Romans.

https://www.parcoappiaantica.it/home...i/appia-antica
https://freetoursbyfoot.com/appian-way/

Solomon says split your time: Rome, with a (long) day trip to Florence.
You really don't have sufficient time to truly immerse in either place, so resign to this being the introductory visit that stimulates rather than satisfies her appetite for future trips. Forget the sylvan hiking, this will be urban save for countryside glimpsed out of train windows. The advent of high speed trains (90 minutes transit time) makes a day trip to Firenze quite feasible. If you arrive Sunday, have a nice dinner in Rome, then play tourist Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday head to Florence, Thursday back in Rome (maybe she'd like to do some shopping on via Veneto?) and arrivederci Roma on Friday.

Rome has at least a dozen great museums, and if your daughter is an art lover, she could easily spend four happy days there with no day trips, and without even considering the archaeological sites. I consider four full days to be a minimum for a decent visit to Rome. A day trip to Florence would be feasible, and since it's a smaller and more compact city, you could see an art museum and a few churches. As already said, you can decide when you're in Rome whether to make a day trip. At that point it might be too late to make reservations for the most popular museums, but there are many other museums with no long lines and where reservations aren't necessary or advisable. Much of the art in Florence is in the churches, and there are several which have great masterpieces on display. You can easily visit three or four of these church / museums in a single day. Florence is only an hour and a half by train from Rome, and trains run very frequently.

Florence is also a good choice for four days. Again, since it's smaller, you could consider a day trip without cutting too much from your experience in Florence. I really wouldn't recommend a day trip to Rome, though. Siena and Lucca are good choices, but if you want to see some countryside, consider a wine or gastronomic tour. These are enjoyable even if you don't drink wine. They usually take you to visit a small town or two, a tour of a vineyard, and lunch in a rural spot. You can arrange a tour with your hotel; no need to decide in advance. I would choose a small group tour, because the big coach tours overwhelm a vineyard or little town.

Likewise, if you decide to spend the time in Rome, you can decide on a day trip at the last minute. Ostia Antica, which is actually part of Rome, is a good choice. If you want to experience the countryside, your best option would be to go to one of the towns in the Castelli Romani region, an area of lakes, castles, and hills. Castelgandolfo is a good choice. You can get there by train or bus. It's on a lake, and overlooking the lake is the castle which was the summer retreat of the popes. (Pope Francis doesn't do castles or palaces, and doesn't take long vacations.)

Another good day trip from Rome is Bracciano, on the lake of the same name. There is a wondeful castle overlooking beautiful Lake Bracciano, where Tom Cruise married Whatserface. They often host weddings and conferences, so I'd check to see if it's open for visits. I once attended a conference there, and it was still open for tourist visits, although some rooms were closed off. You can reach Bracciano by train or bus. The bus stops closer to the castle. The train station is closed, so it's best to buy return train tickets in Rome. Also, if you don't take the right road back to the train station, you'll have to make a detour to cross to the other side of the tracks. All in all, I'd probably prefer the bus, at least for the way back. I think you have to catch the bus in Rome at Tiburtina bus station. (I went there on a bus hired by the conference center, but I took the train back, as I didn't want to stay for the dinner.)

J62 - thanks for your reasoned reply. We'll be arriving from Israel - so luckily no jet lag involved. The flight arrives at 1:30 to Rome airport.

If we continued on to Florence, we'd have to take the train from the Rome airport. (or plane I guess, but somehow I think train might be easier/faster? Am I wrong on that point?)

Seamus - thanks for suggestion. I've been reading a lot about one day trips to Florence. People say it's doable but oh, so intense... What if I did 2 1/2 days Rome (1/2 day Sunday, or whatever is left after arriving at airport at 1:30 p.m., Monday and Tuesday) and then Florence Wednesday and Thursday, return Thursday night to Rome and out of there Friday morning first thing? That sounds hectic too, but maybe?

bvlenci - you make a good case for the one day Florence idea. But if I went there, I'd definitely want to take her to the Acedemia and the Uffizi (even if not for an extended period) at the least so I sort of have to decide.....also need to decide if perhaps I should do an overnight in Florence. You give great ideas for both sides of the coin! Thank you for the time you spent writing. I love the wine/gastro tour idea - I think she'd love that.....

This is getting more difficult by the second.....

Agree, if flying into Rome, stay there. They are both great, but Rome needs more time. Possibly add Tivoli for a great easy side trip.

If you decide to do both cities, definitely go to Florence upon arrival and do Rome at the end to eliminate a hotel change. If you split the time in Rome, you waste time with the extra hotel change.