3 days in Florence and 3 days in Rome with teenagers

Depends a lot on what kind of teenagers you have...

The Coliseum is cool for all ages; a tour that gives you background stories is wonderfully "educational." Ditto the Forum. The Pantheon is quick. Ditto the Spanish Steps. Don't miss the Trevi Fountain. The Vatican museum is huge (and gets boring fast unless you are a real art connoisseur). The Borghese Gallery is beautiful and much smaller. Get tickets in advance for the museums; most everything else is outdoors. Eat lots of gelato.

Florence: Your plan seems great.

Siena is an interesting transition, from ancient to medieval. If you are going to stay there, take a train or bus. It wasn't built for cars--narrow streets, no parking. If you want to see the countryside, a car is better.

Pisa: Not worth it, compared to the other 3.

A thought: 6 days in 4 cities is perhaps too much. You'll spend all your time getting there and not enough time being anywhere. Narrow it down to 2 (or even just Rome?), and toss a coin in the Trevi fountain so you will return some day.

Yes, you absolutely MUST buy advance tickets/reservations for some of the attractions on your list to avoid the longest lines. You must make reservations at the Uffizi, Accademia, Colosseum and Borghese even if using passes these days so they are not the convenience they once were.

Honestly, if you only have 6 nights to work with, you may not have the time/energy tp do much more than you have on your list but without a detailed itinerary, it's sketchy at this point.

What time of year will you be traveling?
How old are your teens and how many of them are there?
What city will you be flying into or haven't you bought air yet?
How many nights will you have on the ground in Florence and Rome?
How many nights will you have total, on the ground, in Italy?
If you've booked air, which airport will you be flying home from?

You do not want to deal with a car in Florence or Rome - trains are the better choice - and wineries are not always a great idea with kids or if driving. Still, the more information you can provide us, the better we can help you! :O)

Three days in Rome and Florence will fly by, there is so much to see and do in both cities. With teenagers, here are some of the things that you might consider in each city. Note, it is important to get tickets to the major attractions in advance to avoid waiting in long lines. In addition, I will highlight some areas that you might also want to consider a tour versus relying on a guide book.

Florence is the gateway to Tuscany and if you visit Siena or Pisa, it will come from one of your days in Florence. I am assuming you are traveling in the summer.

Option if you want to visit Siena: 2 days in Florence, one wine tasting & Siena

Florence: I think you have a good list. For the Uffizi, it is more enjoyable in the morning before it gets too crowded. RS has a great audio tour that we used last June with my group of 6 (including two college-aged girls). It hits the highlights of the museum with a stop half way through for a light snack or coffee on the rooftop patio. About 1 1/2 to 2 hours is enough and you can then do the Duomo or Accademia on the same day. One of the highlights of our trip was climbing the dome and visiting the excellent Duomo museum.

In addition to the items that you mentioned. I would also like to suggest a food tour. We took the Eating Italy Florence Sunset tour on our first evening in Florence. It was a great introduction to the food and wine of Florence. We had some of the best food on the trip, from Florentine steak to Ribbolita (a Tuscan soup that my niece and I became addicted to and at 3 times in Florence (including leftovers for breakfast). Here is the link: https://www.eatingeurope.com/florence

For the wine-tasting portions, there are wine tours and/or cooking classes that you can take from Florence, but depending upon the age of your teenagers and their interest in food and wine, it may be a bit boring for them. One other option is to take the train to Siena from Florence, spend the day in Siena and wine tasting in the city center, here is a link with some options: https://www.discovertuscany.com/siena/wine-shops-in-siena.html. There is also a wine school in Siena that you might consider: https://www.tuscanwineschool.com/. This has options for food and wine tasting. When we took the girls to Siena, they really just wanted to shop for souvenirs and eat gelato (go figure), if your teenagers are so inclined and you feel okay with them on their own, you could go to the Wine School.

If you want to drive, then I would stop and wine taste on your way to Siena in Chianti. There are two wineries that I would recommend (both require reservations). Verrazano https://www.verrazzano.com/, has a lovely tour and if you want to really go all out an amazing Tuscan lunch (you will not need dinner). It is about 45 minute drive from the Florence airport (where we picked up our car). From the winery, it is about another 45 minutes to an hour drive to Siena and then an hour back to Florence. The other options is Antinori with excellent Chianti Classico and Super Tuscans: https://www.antinori.it/en/experiences/. You definitely need reservations here.

We found driving in Tuscany really easy, parking in Siena is a bear, but not impossible. You will need an International Drivers License (you can get at AAA) and Italy has strict drunk driving laws, so it is best to have a designated driver.

For Rome: you have the right list. One of the things we saw while we were there were canoeing/rafting options on the Tiber river. We didn’t have the time, but our girls would have loved to try this. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.fragrancetour.com/en/activity/soft-rafting-rivers-rome/. The other thing we did do is a food tour in Trastevere with Eating Italy. Like the one in Florence, it gives you the history and food of Rome and is a great way to spend a summer evening. Here is the link: https://www.eatingeurope.com/rome/twilight-trastevere/.

Enjoy

Thank you everyone for your input!!

We will be arriving into Rome on the morning of June 25th. We will be really tired that day! We will be there the 25th and 26th. We will be traveling on the train on the 27th to Sorrento to meet up with family. Not sure how long this will take? Later July 2, we will head to Florence by train. We will have the 3rd ,4th and 5th in Florence. Fly out around noon on the 6th.
Our kids are 15 and 12.

We are flying into Rome and out of Florence.

We will be arriving into Rome on the morning of June 25th. We will be
really tired that day! We will be there the 25th and 26th. We will be
traveling on the train on the 27th to Sorrento

So you only have 1 FULL sightseeing day (26th) in Rome and a jet-lagged part of another (25th) before departing for Sorrento. With that very little amount of time to work with, I'd do one of the self-guided walks in your guidebook, doing as much or as little as you can manage. I wouldn't do anything for that day which requires advance, timed-entry tickets, like the Colosseum or Vatican Museums, in case of a flight cancellation or delay + being too wiped to appreciate them. Fresh air will also help you stay awake.

I'd book an early-entrance tour of the Vatican Museums + St. Peter's for the 26th, have lunch, and then do the Colosseum in the afternoon: get timed-entry tickets for that one. All of the underground/panoramic coopculture tours are sold out for June but you can get ordinary-entrance tickets IF you try and land them when next they come up for sale:

RESERVATIONS OPENING
CALENDAR OF RESERVATIONS OPENING WITH GRADUAL RELEASE SCHEDULED ENTRANCE TIME COLOSSEUM TICKETS
DAILY OPENING
Every day new tickets for the next day at 3 p.m (italian time).
WEEKLY OPENING
Every Monday new tickets for the following week at 3p.m (italian time).

You might also buy tickets for the 45-minute tour in English: they are still available for the 26th. These may actually be easier to book than the tickets above and a good deal for the price. You can stay at the Colosseum as long as you wish when your tour is over.

https://ecm.coopculture.it/index.php?option=com_snapp&view=event&id=E6A1B5B3-BFDA-AC94-6929-0161B2E3A0C0&catalogid=BDB46B8C-0C49-10F2-6036-0167A8502B26&lang=en

Your tickets are also good for the Palatine and Forum so if you have any energy left (it is likely to be very warm end of June) you could do one of those. These two sites are, which are close to the colosseum, are connected to each other inside security barriers so essentially count as a single attraction.

With limited time, those early-entrance Vatican tours, while not cheap, are highly recommended so you can see the Sistine before it gets completely mobbed, be guided to some others of the highlights, and enjoy direct indoor access to the basilica. That saves a long-ish outside walk from museums to church, a potentially long, hot queue to stand in + another security check. A couple of the most frequently recommended tours:

https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-tours/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour/

https://theromanguy.com/tours/italy/italy-best-sellers/Sistine-Chapel-Vatican-Tour

The journey to Sorrento will take 1 hour/10 minutes from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale by fastest trains (no changes along the way), and another hour+ to Sorrento by commuter Circumvesuviana train. The Campania Express takes a few minutes less but only has 4 runs per day. Add time in Naples for switching trains + getting to your hotel and settled in once in Sorrento so you'll pretty much kill 1/2 a day.

Some folks like the ferry Naples> Sorrento but you would need to transfer from train station to docks, and they do recommend buying ferry tickets in advance during high season.

Info on the Circumvesuviana, Express + ferries here:
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/getting-to-sorrento-italy

And lastly, some folks use private drivers from Naples> Sorrento. This is the most expensive option but may be worthwhile, cost-wise, with 4 people. It may very well not save any TIME over the train, though, if traffic is very dense...as it is known to be in high season.

(edited to suggest the self-guided walking tour)

Tonight is our 5th night in Italy. Currently in Florence, spent 3 nights in Venice prior. Traveling with our 16 yo. She is having a great time just being out and about window shopping. That being said...we did a day trip to Pisa to get the obligatory silly tower pics. It did come at a cost of 50+€.(cost of 3 RT train tickets from Florence). Today we climbed the Duomo, peeked into the baptistery, walked through the big food market, went thru Santa Croce church, and had late afternoon reservations at the Uffizi with RS audio tour. We are averaging 15,000 steps/day. Tomorrow we are headed to Accademia early then she wants to look at all the fancy shops. Afternoon Pitti Palace and Boboli garden. Make reservations for Uffizi, Academia, and the Duomo climb on the official sites. Students are free or reduced but still need reservations.

Hello.
My wife and I did the scooteroma tour in Rome, and I have to say it was the highlight of our trip. They provide the opportunity for each person to ride behind a driver, so no need to worry about operating the scooter. (I think you have the option to drive as a single, if that’s your thing) Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about them. The tour guides were excellent hosts and they customize the ride based on what you want to see.

For food, I’d recommend a meal in Trastevere - Trattoria Da Enzo.
Lunch at Alfredo e Alda (a RS recommendation, sorta near the bridge to Vatican) get there early!
Dinner in Monte - La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali

Good luck and I hope you have a great trip!

We're heading to Rome & Florence with 13 & 15 year olds this summer. Here are a few items on our list: Segway tour of Rome. Rex-tours will take kids as young as 10. You can also just rent segways or bikes in Borghese gardens and probably other places depending on how old your youngest child is. This may be a good activity for your first day when no one wants to walk far. For a lesser known place, visit the capuchin friars crypt where human remains are used for decorations. In Florence, consider a half day trip to Pisa from Florence. You can book timed tickets to climb the tower something like 20 days in advance. Everyone says the leaning tower isn't worth the time, but honestly, it's a place everyone has heard of, so we're climbing it. From Florence we're doing the Gelato Ride with I Bike Tuscany. We added in a winery/olive oil tasting stop for an extra bit.

Thank you everyone for your help!! We are on our way to Italy with ease due to all of your recommendations. Appreciate your time and thoughts!

1. Anyone know of a reasonable and reputable driver who will take us from Naples to Pompeii and then onto Sorrento in an afternoon? Silver Star is $270 for 4 people. Is that pricey?
2. Also, any tips on ground transportation? Good website for English speakers? Right off the bat, Im needing to get from Rome airport to hotel in Trasteverere.
3. Shopping in Rome or Florence? I heard there are luxury name brand handbags at a discount. I don't want to waste valuable museum time if its not worth it. But I heard there are outlets outside Florence that have good deals. Or are these bags just cheaper in Italy overall at normal retail stores in town?

4. Should we go on a tour bus to Tuscany (Siena, etc..) or should we hire our own driver? Recommendations?
Thanks

Anyone know of a reasonable and reputable driver who will take us from
Naples to Pompeii and then onto Sorrento in an afternoon?

A couple of recommendations were noted on this recent thread:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/private-transfer-from-naples-to-sorrento-with-a-stop-in-pompeii

Silver Star is $270 for 4 people. Is that pricey?

Nope.

1. Also, any tips on ground transportation? Good website for English speakers?

For which places? Florence is compact enough that we didn't need any public transport and have barely needed any for Rome. For airport>hotel in Rome, Rome Cabs has been often recommended or just a cab from the airport taxi stand. This thread might be helpful:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/fco-to-trastevere-and-beyond-four-adults-getting-around-in-rome

Transport around the Sorrentine/Amalfi Coast area is well covered here (click on the "Getting to Sorrento" dropdown):
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com

"Ground transport" from Sorrento to Florence is another animal as it'll involve at least one high-speed train: are you sorted for that journey yet?

1. Shopping in Rome or Florence? I heard there are luxury name brand handbags at a discount...

I'm not much help there as we don't dedicate time for shopping and, with only 1 full day, it doesn't look like you'll have time to shop much if at all in Rome. My only caution regarding "inexpensive" brand-name bags is not to buy the knock-offs sold by roaming street vendors in either city: it's illegal both to sell OR purchase them.

Thank you everyone!
Ground transport from airport to hotel in Rome.
Ground transport from Naples to hotel Florence.

We have family in the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento and Ravello), with a car, who will be picking us up and dropping us off in Naples.

Ground transport from airport to hotel in Rome. Ground transport from
Naples to hotel Florence.

Those are easy. You have multiple options from Fiumicino into central Rome.
http://www.adr.it/en/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-to-and-from

Budget and personal preference will determine what works best of you. We stayed a reasonably easy walking distance from Termini the last time so took one of the coach buses - such as SIT or Terravision - into the city. They are inexpensive and easy to buy tickets for when you arrive. Kiosks are right outside baggage claim at the airport, and the attendants usually speak English.

Others have preferred taking the Leonardo Express train into Termini and either taking taxis or walking from there, or taking taxis all the way to their hotels from the airport. This last option can be an economical choice if traveling with more than 2 people, as it appears that you are.

From Naples to Florence, you'll want to take high-speed trains. The station in Naples you'll be departing from is Napoli Centrale, and the one you'll be most likely to want to arrive at in Florence is Firenze S.M. Novella. You can explore your options by date on https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html (Trenitalia is Italy's national rail service) or Italo: a private line which services many of Italy's major cities (https://www.italotreno.it/en). Depending on where your hotel in Florence is you might be able to walk from the train station (we did), or just grab a taxi.

Have you done any background reading on trains in Italy? Buying advance tickets for the "fast" trains can save you a fair amount of $$ but to land the most economical rates you have to commit to specific trains at specific times. These also come with reserved seats.

https://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm