First time to Italy - Itinerary feedback please

Jeff, per your question directed to Steve, check to see how much it would cost to keep the car for one more day. Chances are it will be almost no cost to rent for one more day. Even if it is a cost compare that against the cost for 2 people to take the train from Siena to Rome. That will tell you whether to keep the car for Siena or drop it off in Rome.

The train service is pretty slim out of Siena, but other towns, most notably from your list, Orvieto, have excellent train service. That said, it may be cheaper to hang onto the car than to buy two train tickets from Orvieto to Rome

Looks perfect. Trains at the right time and a rental car at the right time. Stays at the locations look good. You should be able to see most everything. Good stuff.

When in Venice be sure to go out to Murano and Burano -- even if it means an extra day there. You can spend all day on those to islands.

You might be better served to spend 2 nights in Siena, and just travel around during the second day. You already have a car, and when you stay just one night in a place, you really don't feel like you've been there. It really does add a lot of stress to your day. Knowing you are going to have to check in, unpack, etc., all over again

All - thanks for your replies. Steve - if we did stay 2 nights in Siena and drive around to hill towns on the second day, would you suggest dropping the car in Siena and taking a morning train into Rome from Siena? We would like to get a 1/2 day of sightseeing in Rome on Day 10. Thanks.

With only two days in Venice I would advise against going out to Murano and Burano. That could easily take half a day. We were just there in November and decided to visit Murano on a Saturday. The vaporettos ran very infrequently and much of our time was wasted waiting to get back to Venice. That was disappointing.Your itinerary looks good.

if you want the real feel of a small hill town then I'd recommend Spello. Walking around in the evening you'll feel like you've stepped back in time, and since its small its not too crowded with tourists even earlier in the day.

For a larger hill town that still has charm, a larger piazza, etc. I'd recommend Perugia. More restaurants, more people, more hotels, but still lots of charm.

Hey Jeff,
Shannon in Grayslake here :)
I'm also planning a first trip to Italy this June. When are you going?
Hubbie & I will be there for 9 days the end of June. LOVE your itinerary
and plan to do nearly the same trip. :) Enjoy

Thanks to everyone who's responded. Please feel free to keep that info coming in. If we decide to stay two nights in Siena, does anyone know how long the drive is down to Rome? Shannon- have a great trip and send those pointers when you get back.

I think it would take about 5 hrs. to drive from Siena to Rome. Once you get on the Autostrada, it goes pretty fast. Be sure to check out Montalcino.
I agree about staying more than 1 night in a place. Just checking in and out, packing ect... take up a lot of time and it's not always easy to find your hotel in Tuscany. We were there in Oct. and the drive with the change of the leaves was so very beautiful. Also you'll be there to see the grape and olive harvests, very interesting.