First stop after landing in Rome

Oh and we’re not renting a car and only using public transport. Additional info!

There is a direct train to Florence from the airport. It stops at the main station in Rome, too, but you can get on it at FCO if your timing is right and sail into Florence without changing trains. Check it out at Trenitalia.com. I believe there have been two each day, late morning and early afternoon. That is easier than Orvieto. Orvieto is a great lace to chill, but you have to go into Rome and change trains at the massive station there to get to Orvieto.

@Laurel oh that is awesome! I’ll check the schedule and see if that’s an option for us because that would be so ideal! Good to know Orvieto is super chill too. I’ve always loved Rick’s advice to head to Bath when flying into London and I’ve been kind of searching for the equivalent for Italy!

Hi and welcome to the forum, yolaleah!
I think you might receive a variety of responses, and none of them will be wrong as it's sort of a subjective question. Personally? I'd go directly to Florence so you can unpack and settle in for a few days without having to change cities/accommodations on your 1st morning in Italy. Frequent changing of locations/hotels eats time and and a certain amount of energy. Also, you know best how well/quickly you expect your young child to acclimate but, well, maybe get some of the moving about done on arrival day and then take a breath on Day 2.

I don't feel Florence is THAT "intense" at all; the historic center, although busy, is relatively compact and has lots of pedestrian-only areas. Also, the more time you can give ANY of the Italian cities, the more you can slow the pace, and the less "intense" they can feel. It's cramming the most-visited/crowded attractions into a short time, at a dead run, when the exhaustion/overwhelmed factor kicks in! 😵 Your wee person may also be holding the reins as far as how much "different" what he can tolerate in a day?

Sooooo, how much time will you be spending in Florence? It might be helpful for us to have a look at the rest of your itinerary if willing to share?

@Kathy - this is just the sort of info I needed re: intensity so thank you!! I’m still working and re-working our itinerary but I want to use Florence and Rome as our main places. So right now I’m thinking:

Day 1-4: Florence (use one of these days to day trip to Lucca if we’re up for it)
Day 5-6 or 7: Siena (day 7 is up in the air if we can manage to book a Tour by Roberto!)
Day 7 or 8 - 12: Rome (including a Walks of Italy bus tour to Pompeii bc my husband is obsessed and determined to do it even though I know it’s gonna be a heck of a long day)

Yes, you are overthinking it. Whether you go to Florence or Orvieto, you will still be travelling. But Orvieto adds even more travelling, since you'd be riding the rails again the next day.

Its not so much the location, but what you do while there, that determines whether your time is "chill" or not. Go to Florence, dump your bags, and then do something relaxing. Take a walk and soak up the atmosphere. If the weather is nice and you like gardens, then the Boboli Gardens would be a nice, quiet, outdoor choice. Sit outside and eat some Gelato. Just enjoy being there.

I am going to take the opposite thought and do only Rome and Naples, especially since you are traveling with a 5 year old. Your son is going to be tired and will get bored during your travels. You would be better off chilling in Rome and maybe save Florence etc for another time. As for a day trip to Pompeii, I like for people read Sarah Murdoch's, who is a former (?) guide for Rick, she has posting for a day trip that she and her son took to Pompeii. The posting is: https://www.adventureswithsarah.net/blog/travel-tutorial-day-trip-rome-to-pompeii?rq=Pompei.

It can be done , but it is a very long day. You might be better off spending 2 nights in Naples and going a little slower.

Just my two cents worth, whatever you choose to do it will be fun.

Instead of Pompeii, consider Ostia Antica. It's very close to Rome and you can get there via Rome public transportation. I've been to both Ostia and Pompeii. Both are very interesting. It's cooler and shadier at Ostia, and less busy. There is a small museum and a cafe. Ostia is in the Rick Steves guide book.

Jules has a good suggestion about Ostia Antica, especially in light of the fact you will have a 5 yr old. I suspect he would be 'done' , long before the day was finished if doing Pompeii as a day trip from Rome.

If Pompeii is a 'must', have you considered going to Naples for a night after leaving Florence and then heading to Rome after visiting Pompeii?

Think of Pompeii as the name brand and Ostia Antica as the store brand. Really the same kind of experience, but for your trip Ostia is much closer and more 5 year friendly than Pompeii. Do Pompeii on the next trip when you son will old enough to appreciate it with his Dad.

Concur with the thought to go directly to Florence on arrival day.

Definitely overthinking it.

Do Rome first. That way you’ll adjust to the sights, sounds, smells of Italy. Not to mention the hustle and bustle of a major European city.

Arrive, taxi to your accommodation. Unpack and freshen up. Nap if needed. Walk along the Arno path.

Meander and find your neighborhood market. Buy bottled water and snacks. I had the best sandwich off a little “ alley way “ in the Campo D’ Fiori neighborhood where I was staying.

Meander some more. Locate where the metro tram is.

Few things of interest to note:

Church bells chime often.

Italians eat late. Let your internal clock set to that reality.

Wear worn in comfortable shoes or sandals. Walking on cobblestones so much different than walking on sidewalks.

If you go to a cafe of restaurant look for the venues business card. I always grab one so I can return or phone if I need a reservation. Also, if I had a good meal there, helps me recommend a place to eat to friends.

If a woman bring a scarf to cover your head and possibly shoulders when visiting churches and cathedrals.

Lastly, I’d train to Florence and on the way back by rail, spend a night and day in Orvieto…last night in Rome.

Oh I am absolutely loving the suggestion to do Ostia Antica in lieu of Pompeii. Working on the husband right now to do that instead because y’all are right — my kiddo will be DONE partway through that day.

I like the idea of waiting on Naples and Pompeii until our son is older. My original itinerary had us doing less time in Florence and Rome, and instead going to Sorrento with day trips to Pompeii and even Amalfi Coast. The more time I spent reading here on the forums, the more I realized we were trying to smoosh way too much into too short a time.

I truly appreciate all these answers and the feedback on our itinerary! This forum is just the best resource out there besides Rick’s books of course!!

There are no "right" or "wrong" answers here but I'll vote for going directly from FCO to Florence if your timetable allows you to take that train (or an easy flight). Get all the traveling done on arrival day so you can settle into the city from there. But Rome would also work as your first city, as Claudia suggests. What I wouldn't do is head to a third location for just one night, then have to move again the next day.

I've been to Ostia Antica and liked it, certainly much more convenient to Rome than Pompeii. But I haven't been to Pompeii so I can't really compare the places themselves. There may be a qualitative difference between an ancient city that gradually deteriorated because the river changed course (Ostia) vs. one that was destroyed in one afternoon, i.e. "frozen in time," and uncovered only in relatively recent times (Pompeii). Of course, you could send husband off for his Pompeii fix while you and kid enjoy something else in Rome (or even Ostia).

I agree Ostia Antica works for this trip instead of traveling south to Pompeii.,. Save Pompeii for when your child is older ,it is incredible and Ostia Antica is not a substitute for a future visit.

If a woman bring a scarf to cover your head and possibly shoulders

Since the 50s, Women who visit a Catholic Church as tourists must cover their shoulders and knees not their heads. Unless they are meeting the Pope, of course.

The train to Firenze is only an hour and half. You will likely land in Rome in the morning and won’t be able to check into your hotel anyway, so I highly recommend going to Florence that first day. I agree that Florence is as intense as you want it to be.

We visited Ostia Antica in June, and enjoyed the day. It is indeed much simpler than a day trip to Pompeii. However, when we were there both the museum and the cafe were closed. Check before you firm up your plans.

If a woman bring a scarf to cover your head and possibly shoulders
when visiting churches and cathedrals.

Nope, ladies, you do not need to cover your head. Bare shoulders and knees are another kettle of fish, men OR women.

Your son is going to be tired and will get bored during your travels.
You would be better off chilling in Rome and maybe save Florence etc
for another time

I'll disagree. Only YOU can judge what your little one is up to, and what they will or will not be bored with. I will, however, vote for Ostia Antica over Pompeii with a young child. It's much closer, and much lest VAST than the Pompeii scavi.

Your 5 year old could run around some at Ostia, too. Not on the ruins, of course, but there is plenty open space.

Another vote for going on to Florence. The high speed (“freccia”) train is so very fast, room to move around, and the movement of the train can likely lull an exhausted 5 year old into a happy nap. Whether you get the train directly from FCO airport (only twice a day) or go by train from FCO to Roma Termini train station (every 20 min) and then get one of the almost hourly fast trains to Florence, you’ll still get to Florence about the time that you can check into your hotel. (Get some food from a cafe in FCO or especially from Termini station to carry on and eat for lunch on the train; there are tray tables at your seat.) One less packing-travel-unpacking day at the beginning of your trip might well make for a much easier first few days.

Dario, funny how my young Catholic priest said to take the scarf for my head when I visited the Vatican.
Guess the advice was given because I was visiting the Vatican…

A HUGE thank you, everyone! We've decided that we will head straight to Florence (from the airport, hopefully, if we can make it with the schedule!) and also switching out Pompeii for Ostia Antica - a place I never would have considered without you all. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Regarding Pompeii...since Dad wants to go to Pompeii, I suggest he take the train instead of a van tour and do it on his own. He'll have less travel time and he can leave when he is ready.

In the meantime Mom and son can do whatever they want...including a cool trip to Ostia Antica where he can walk around what we look like the play forts he may have in his imagination. Climb the steps of the arena, walk wherever you want, have a meal in the cafe. It is about a 30-minute train ride and a 10-minute walk. Or you can find another kid-centric activity in Rome. It may still be more walking than a 5-year-old will want or be able to do.

If your husband is obsessed I wouldn't substitute Ostia for either Pompeii or Herculaneum because there is also the amazing archeological museum to go with. And you don't need to do the bus tour unless you really want to. Take the morning train with one switch in Naples to get out to either site, Rick has an audio guide for Pompeii, then train back into Naples. Do the museum during the heat of the day. Pizza for dinner and train back to Rome.

We did both Ostia and Pompeii. I liked them both, a lot. Yes, the RS audio guide for Pompeii is quite good. I did use info from a couple other guides to catch things RS missed. In terms of the visits, honestly, Ostia was such a relaxed pleasant morning. No crowds, grass, shade. You could bring a picnic. Pompeii was very hot, heat radiates off all the rock.

I agree that Pompeii is very easy to get to on your own. However, it is time consuming to get to and to add the Naples museum in on the same day would just make the day very rushed, and exhausting, IMO. In any case, it would be a very full day. With Ostia, you would still have time in the afternoon for Rome.

The RS Rome guide discusses the merits of Ostia vs. Pompeii

As a fellow Pompeii-obsessed individual, I echo the suggestion to split up for one day and send your husband to Pompeii while you and your son do something better geared towards a 5 year old. I love traveling solo, but even if I didn't, I would rather spend one day on my own than risk never returning. I also recommend the train rather than a van tour. It takes much less time to get there by train and, in my opinion, it's more pleasant. I've done the high speed train from Rome to Naples and then the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii and back and it was totally doable for me as an adult. It was a long day, but not exhausting at all. I even had time to grab a pizza in Naples before getting back on the train. The Rick Steves audio tour is great, just be aware that new sections have opened since that was created. If the audio tour available at Pompeii has been recently updated, it might be worth the small expense.

Since you mentioned Lucca, I’ll call your attention to the Pinocchio Park and Garzoni Gardens (with butterfly house) nearby. Your 5 yo may appreciate something geared to kids.