Please sign in to post.

11 days in Italy

My partner and I arrive in Rome November 9th department Rom on the 20th. I welcome suggestions for an itinerary as we would love to see Florence and then perhaps southern Italy or should we make a trip to Venice or is it too cold to visit Venice this time of year. We will purchase a europass and will decide the number of trips we need once we have secured the places we will vist. I appreciate your time and effort in replying. Thank you.

Posted by
282 posts

With 11 days (really 10 because much of the first day is lost to jetlag), I would stick to Florence and Rome. Don't both with a europass - it is generally cheaper to buy point-to-point tickets in Italy. Personally, I would do 6 days in Rome and 4 days in Florence, with day-trips out of each city (Ostia Antica or Tivoli from Rome and Pisa/Lucca from Forence).

Posted by
91 posts

I just returned from a bike trip in southern Italy...although the "biking" was disaterous, the towns we visited were incredible: Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Lecce, Arborabello and Galipoli. Prior to that we visited Rome..after seeing all the main sights in the historical center, I encourage you to take a picnic lunch and head over to the Borghese Gallery ( a gem!) and after touring the museum take your lunch and spread out in the wonderful park, just steps from the museum entrance. It was one of my favorite days in Rome. We also visited Sorrento and Positano...both lovely, more touristy than the cities farther south. We travelled from Rome to the heel of the boot by train, metro and bus and found it to be very relaxing. Have fun!

Posted by
32173 posts

Hilda, I tend to agree with the first reply. With only don't believe you have time for visiting much more than Rome and Florence, with perhaps a day trip or two. Some possibilities for day trips would be Orvieto (while based in Rome) and Siena (while based in Florence). With such a short time frame, I really don't think you have time for Venice or southern Italy (there's a LOT to see in southern Italy, and transportation is often not as well developed as in the north, so you'd use more of your short travel time just getting around). I also agree that a Railpass is not a good value in this case, especially given the few trips you'll be taking. Keep in mind that Railpasses DO NOT include the reservation fees which are compulsory on some trains. You would need to pay separately for those. If you're caught without a valid reservation where it's required, you'll be fined on the spot and it won't be cheap! I witnessed people being fined when I was in Italy several weeks ago. Also, if you're travelling on Regionale trains, you MUST validate your tickets, or face the same consequences! In order to develop an Itinerary, I'd suggest buying a copy of the Italy Guidebook ASAP. That way you'll have all the information on activities that appeal to both of you. You should be able to find a copy of the book in larger bookstores such as Chapters or you can download the E-book version in a few minutes. Happy travels!

Posted by
11247 posts

Hilda,
Two cities with day trips is the perfect plan as Ken and ekc have said. What might help you in planning your time in addition to a Rick Steve's guidebook is to consult the "Plan Your Trip" menu at the top of this site. Then "Italy" and scroll down to find "Rome: Planning your time" and "Florence: Planning your time." Very good advice from Mr. Steve's! We spent 5 nights in Rome last year and are going back for 9 more soon! There's so much to experience. Don't spread yourself too thin; savor your trip by limiting the number of places you stay.

Posted by
1201 posts

whatever you decide on destinations and I also think two would be good. Florence and Rome or Venice and Rome, on your arrival day immediately travel to your farthest point and then finish up in Rome. that way you'll avoid having to burn a sightseeing day at the end to get closer to the airport for departure.

Posted by
719 posts

Hi Hilda, I would start in Rome, then make my way to Venice, with at least one Hill Town. For instance, start in Rome for 4 days, head to Assisi for 2 nights, Florence for a night or two (sorry, I'm not huge Florence fan, but you should see if you might be) , then to Venice 3 nights. If you want to break up the train ride from Florence to Venice, stop in Verona for a layover. I love that town. Bottom line, do Rome and Venice, and include at least one Hill town to see that side of italy. The above itineray is easy with public transportation. Keep in mind, if you include Verona, you'll leave from the Campo di. Marte station, not the Santa Maria Novella, from Florence. Oh yeah, skip the rail pass. Point to point tix are almost always cheaper in Italy.
If your tickets are already set, then drop Venice and do a loop from Rome to a hill town or two, then Florence, then back to rome and out. Open jaw travel is much better, but I don't know your circumstances.

Posted by
951 posts

Rome 4 nights Sienna 2 nights Assisi 2 nights
Venice 3 nights This is what i would do if I had to do your trip. But since I have been to Rome and wish to never go back, I would then add more time to Venice and spend more time in Tuscany, discovering the small towns and drinking the wine.

Posted by
1003 posts

I would recommend visiting Rome and Florence during your visit with some daytrips from both if you wish. Most of the time people have the tendency to squeeze as much in as possible but having been to Italy many times I find that the more time I spend in a city the more I learn to love it. My sister and I just returned from Rome on Mon. night after visiting her daughter who is studying there for the semester. We arrived in Rome early on Oct. 13 and had 11 full days. This was my 3rd visit to Rome and my sister's first. Previous visits to Rome were for 2 and 3 days and I could take it or leave it. But this was great to be able to spend more time here and get to " know" the city, which we did and I now realize what an amazing place it is! Orvieto and Ostia Antica make easy daytrips from Rome. The first weekend, on Fri. we headed to Florence for two nights and had a great time. All of us had been to Florence before and love it here. But again I will say on my first visit it was only a daytrip and again it wasn't high on my list but after spending 5 days here in 2009 I found myself loving Florence. From Florence you can do an easy daytrip to Siena, Pisa, and Luca, which is lovely. As another poster stated, I would head to Florence upon arrival and leave Rome for the end of your trip. Email me if you need accomm. recommendations. Buon Viaggio!