2010 Italy Visit Rome + one other stop

Wally,

Given the short duration of your trip, you'll want to minimize transportation times. Therefore, Siena would be the best choice of the three places you listed. Travel by train would simplest method. The trip is about 3.25H with cost as low as €13.10 (PP, second class), and usually one change. The station is at the bottom of the hill so you'd have to take a Taxi or the "C"(orange) mini Bus up to the town. You could also travel by Bus as Steve mentioned, and you'd disembark at Piazza Gramsci (in town) as I recall.

Portofino would be a reasonable second choice, but as Steve mentioned it tends to be a bit on the "pricey" side. Cortina d'Ampezzo is a bit "off the beaten" track so would be more challenging in terms of transportation. It's also the farthest from Rome, so I'd suggest planning that for a future visit.

Have you considered either Orvieto or the Cinque Terre? Both are easy and relatively short trips from Rome. Orvieto (Umbria) is only about an hour from Rome by train, and if you're able to stay a few days you could visit one of Rick's favourite hill towns, Civita di Bagnoregio.

Happy travels!

Hi Wally - I certainly agree with most of what the other posters have said - One thing - Portofino is VERY expensive!! How's 20 euro's for two cocktails? If you decide to stay in that area go around the bend to Santa Margherita - A Beautiful city and The Hotel Metropole is Fabulous!
My absolute best suggestion would be Le Cinque Terre - easily accessed by train from Roma and a tremendous area to explore - certainly the trails are incredible and each village has a lot to offer.
http://www.nerinarooms.it/ Located on the harbor in Vernazza and a great base of operations to explore the villages.

Ciao, Greg

hi Wally, I notice that you asked "how best to see the sights without a car rental". If you're spending time in Siena and you're planning to see Chianti country without renting a car, I'd recommend a one-day walking tour with Gianni who runs Walk About Tuscany (http://www.walkabouttuscany.com). He's received many excellent reviews on Tripadvisor (including one from me). He's knowledgeable, professional and takes your interests into consideration in planning the walk. He offers several tours including half-day and one-day Chianti wine country walks, San Gimignano walk, Montalcino walk, and others. It's easy to visit a few of the Tuscan towns using the bus service from Siena. To travel to Siena from Rome, the SENA bus departs from the bus terminal next to Rome's Tiburtina station and takes about the same time as the train. The bus is a direct service and drops you inside the city of Siena. The train station, on the other hand, is outside the city walls and you have to take a taxi or bus ride into town.