First time to Europe- will be in central Italy

Will you have the use of a car? Or will you be traveling to various cities by train? Theoretically a car is faster because you're not bound by train schedules, but it is easy to take a wrong turn or otherwise get delayed driving in unfamiliar surroundings, so there are pros & cons either way.

Another question: you'll be there for 15 days, but do you have all 15 days for touring, or are you obligated to be in Viterbo for a certain number of days to fill in for the pastor?

Viterbo is certainly within range of Rome and Perugia for day trips. Florence would be a long day from there, I think, but doable. You will be near Tarquinia, famous for its Etruscan tombs (and it has a nice beach). Making it all the way to Pompeii and back in one day -- I don't think so; you wouldn't have time to see much of anything before you'd have to turn around and go back to Viterbo. Ditto Venice. If you're really keen to go to Pompeii and to Venice, you'd need to stay overnight.

The "must see" question really depends on what interests you. For example, you might go to Rome twice, once to see the Vatican and once to see the Forum and Coliseum. Have you bought the RS guidebook for Italy? The briefer "best of Italy" book might be more manageable since you have only a short time to plan.

On a very limited budget see churches. St. Peters is obvious. But there's also The Pantheon, The Basilica of San Clemontine, The Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, St. John Lateran, Santa Maria in Trestevere, Santa Maria Soprano Minerva, Santa Maria del Populous, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Mary of the Victory, and on and on. The Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, and, Piazza Naviona are free as is the aqueduct.

In Florence you can do the same. Plazas and churches are the way to go. You'll see plenty of art.

We are traveling by train, as we will not have a car. We will have a friend from Northern Italy coming to stay with us, so that will help with some translating and getting around. We speak a little Italian. Both Sundays we are there are out for traveling as my husband will be preaching as well as Thursday nights we have to be in Viterbo, so we will sight see locally those days. I do think we will go to Rome at least twice, and I think that's where I will want to spend the money to sight see. I know there is so much free to see architecturally and church wise. I am going to write all the ones said above! Thank you for the list! That's a great start for me! I haven't bought a guide book. I have been trying to use pinterest, but as we get closer, I have so much to accomplish between work, homeschooling, and planning our trip that I am running out of time!

I guess the northern cities will be out this go around, and perhaps if we end up moving to Italy we will get to see them then! When we take out our travel time, it really is only 12 1/2 days we are in Italy, then subtract working days. Plus that beach city is calling my name! Thank you for all the advice!

Is the Vatican worth the $40 (for both of us) to go?

There is a train every hour to Rome, stopping at Roma San Pietro, Trastevere, and Ostiense. Takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes and cost 5 EUR each way. That is an easy one.

Florence is about 4 hours with a change of trains long the way, not as frequent and costs 18.65 EUR.
With the last return of the day, gives you 8 hours in Florence.

Orvieto and Arezzo are within day trip range, but every thing else should be done with an overnight.

Edit - Beach in October? Brrr.

You're in luck. Viterbo has a walled historic district, very picturesque. The city's not particularly touristy, which makes it all the more fun to explore. Whether it has special sights to see, I couldn't tell you, but just walking around will keep you occupied for awhile, and for free. Outside the city is the Villa Lante, visited primarily for its gardens. There is a not-low entry fee, so I'd say it's worth the price only if you're there in good weather and the gardens are in fine fettle. Otherwise, definitely spend your money in Rome. I think the villa is about 3 miles from Viterbo, but there is public bus service.

Incidentally, Sunday is a good day to have to be in Viterbo. Bus service tends to be cut way back on Sundays, so it's hard to get out of town, anyway.

The charming, very attractive hill town of Orvieto is a highly recommended day-trip from Viterbo. There is bus and train service. If the schedule works for you, the bus will probably be quite a bit cheaper. You can have an enjoyable day in Orvieto basically just walking around and going to the cathedral. There is a fee for one chapel, but that might be free for you, or at least for your husband. There are several museums, one of which is related to the cathedral and again might be free for one or both of you. Orvieto is very popular and gets a lot of day-trippers. If you'll be visiting during the main or shoulder season, you might prefer making that particular trip on a weekday. Do check the hours for the cathedral, though, to be sure you get to see it.

My second major recommendation (second only because it's farther from Viterbo) is the stunning Assisi. Aside from the religious aspects, which I'm sure you would appreciate, the city is lovely. The pilgrims concentrate in the area right around the basilica; if you wander off into other parts of the historic area, you'll be nearly alone. Unfortunately, it's at least 4 hours to Assisi by public transportation. Maybe some kind local person you meet will offer to drive you.

I especially liked the small medieval town of Tuscania, which is less than an hour from Viterbo by bus. It seems to be off the main tourist path, and it was nice to visit such an atmospheric place without seeing souvenir shops on the ground floor of every building. It's basically just a place to wander around.

Lake Bolsena is easily reached by bus; it's a pretty lake, and there's a small, picturesque town (Bolsena) clinging to the side of the hill. There's a charge to enter the castle, but you don't need to do that.

The hill town of Montefiascone is very near Lake Bolsena and very accessible from Viterbo. It looks really picturesque from the bus, but I didn't have time to visit the town itself. I don't know whether there's a bus that actually goes up to the town, but I imagine there is; it's not a super-tiny place. Definitely the bus to Bolsena goes right by the town.

If you got an early start and the bus schedule cooperated, you might be able to see two of Tuscania, Bolsena and Montefiascone in one day, perhaps even all three.

I haven't been to Spoleto but have heard it's nice. It's about 2 hours from Viterbo.

Although Pompeii is too far, you could day-trip to the ancient Roman site of Ostia Antica, which is WSW of Rome. If you can tear yourself away from Rome itself, that is. You'd probably need between 2 and 4 hours at Ostia. The site is a bit of a walk from the train station.

It's tricky to find some Italian bus schedules online, but you can always try Googling "bus Viterbo to Orvieto", etc., and see what pops up. What I'd do is get to the tourist office (which, frankly, tried hard but ultimately failed to help me last summer) and/or the bus station on Day 1 to see where the buses actually go. I'm sure there are many charming towns within one or two hours of Viterbo that I've never heard of.

You need a guidebook that covers central Italy well. Maybe Rough or Lonely Planet.

Is the Vatican worth the $40 (for both of us) to go Honestly, probably not. It is one of the largest, finest museums in Europe but you will see so much other fine art in the churches. Do go to St. Peter's, that's free. You can download Rick's audio guides for free - be sure to print the maps to make it easier. There are several for Rome and for Florence.

You all are great! Thank you for all the advice! I will look up all your recommendations tonight. I am really excited to see all these free and low cost places. You've made our planning easier, thanks again.

Wow, you've gotten some great advice! I don't think I can add anything substantive to the detailed posts that have already been made.

I just want to say buon viaggio! We were in Tuscany last December to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our high school trip to Europe. You'll fall in love! We've been to England, Scotland, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Italy is our favorite!

Viterbo is wonderful. Via San Pellegrino is in the heart of Viterbo's old section. It is a must-see! This street has not changed since medieval times. We stayed at a small pensione that had been owned by the same family for over 400 years. There is a duomo nearby that, for a short while in the 1200's, was the Vatican in exile, and was the church for several popes. Viterbo is a college town and there are lots of young people. What I love about Italian college kids is they love to hang out in front of bars, but they aren't there to get drunk. They are there to socialize. We've seen this throughout Italy, namely college towns like Bologna & Siena.
There are also a couple of excellent restaurants in the city. Other than the old section, the town itself is just workaday. We stayed several days in Viterbo, but for most people it would probably be only worth a daytrip or just one night. Too bad because the surrounding area has lots of things to explore. Vitorchiano, Sutri, the Bonmarzo Monster Park, Tarquinia, Lake Bolsena and others are well worth a day trip. With no car, we were only able to visit Tarquinia. It's one of the premier towns for Etruscan ruins, with a great Etruscan museum, and dozens of Etruscan underground burial sites which you can enter.

I think daytriping into Rome would take up alot of your time. It's a several hour bus or train ride. Florence is way too far for a daytrip. Orvieto is nearby and so is Rick Steve's cherished Civita di Bagnoregio. Both are fabulous and are must see villages. Just a little farther of a daytrip to. Have fun! I have photos if interested.

Jen, your reply is loaded with typos. (Don't you love auto-correct?) If I may:
The Basilica of San Clemente
Santa Maria in Trastevere,
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva,
Santa Maria del Popolo,
St. Ignatius of Loyola, (Sant'Ignazio di Loyola)
Santa Maria della Vittoria
Piazza Navona

As pointed out, there are loads of free and inexpensive things to see and do in Italy. Have a great time!

Day trips from Vitervo to consider are Pitigliano and that natural hot springs near Saturnia (they are about 15 miles apart). These are easiest done with a car; looks like Viterbo has car rental companies and the roads are not crazy in that area.

Thank you everyone!!! This is all so wonderful! I am finally sitting down and able to start researching all your great ideas. I am disappointed to see that Florence may be too far for us to go see. Maybe someone in the church will have a family member we can stay with overnight. Again thank you :) You have all saved me so much time, and I am sure you are sending us to amazing places for cheap!

PS I can't wait to go to the monster park!

Wander around popular locations in Italy and talk to some people. They're sure to give you great suggestions and you might find some secret local spots just by talking to someone.