First trip to Italy, looking for advice on which places to see

With only 7-8 nights, I wouldn’t try to get to CT. You really don’t have as much time as you think. I would map out the days, based on where you sells that night:

1: arrival day, sleep Rome
2: sleep Rome
3: sleep Rome
4: sleep Rome
5: travel to Florence
6: sleep Florence
7: sleep Florence
8: depart from Florence

You’ll notice this only gives you 3 full days in Rome and two full days in Florence. If you must see Tuscany, I would do it as a day trip from Florence.

You will not be able to see “all” the sites in either city in this time frame. Prioritize what matters most to you and your interests. Get up early and go to your “must see” early in the morning.

Keep in mind that departing from Florence will probably be more expensive and may require another layover vs. departing from Rome. The other option is to fly into/out of Rome. Take the train to Florence immediately upon arrival from the airport in Rome. Get over jet lag in Florence/Tuscany, then travel to Rome.

With only seven to eight nights I would split the time between Rome and Orvieto or Rome and Sorrento. There is no good reason to see two big cities (Florence) in one short trip. Orvieto is a small cute hill town north of Rome and close to Rome, so you wont need to waste time moving. Sorrento is a beautiful ocean town about 3 hours south from Rome with close access to Pompeii. No car needed for either place and not recommed on a first trip to Italy. I would shoot for April (not Easter week) as Italy is a very busy place and the less out of tourist seaon the better. Both cities are covered in RS books. J

By all means, if you want to see Rome and Florence, then see Rome and Florence, but limit yourself to stays in those 2 places if you have only a week. Leave CT for another visit. And do a day trip tour of some of the Tuscan towns from Florence if you feel you will have seen all you want to see of Florence in those few days. There are lots of operators offering tours aimed at various interests. But first do your research to see what sights in those 2 main places would be on your list of things you really want to do before committing a whole day for a tour.

While posters here (myself included) frequently recommend using multicity flights, in this case it may be just as efficient and perhaps as cheap or cheaper to just do a Rome round trip. I agree with the first poster that you might consider going to Florence on your arrival day, since that is often a wasted day due to jet lag. The train trip between the 2 cities is only 1.5 hrs (plus transfer time into Rome from airport)

As long as you would arrive after the Easter holidays, I don't think it makes any difference between mid April or the beginning of May.

With 7 or 8 days I’d just stay in Rome. If you haven’t done so, get hold of Rick Steve’s’ guide to Rome. Also have a look at the itinerary for his Rome in 7 Days tour (you night think about taking that tour as it’s your first trip to Italy).

With 7 days You will be able to see most of the major sites and have time to stop for coffees and gelato without feeling you shouldn’t stop! Try and take a food tour; I did Eating Italy’s Testaccio tour and it was fascinating with a blend of history and food.

I’d recommend taking a trip out to Ostia Antica, a complete ruined Roman City just outside Rome. Does not have the tragic demise of Pompeii, rather was slowly abandoned as the river silted up and changed course.

If you can fly into Florence or Rome and out the other, do it. Don’t expect to sleep on the plane so make arrival day about you and not about tackling sights. You need to allow time to get through customs and withdraw euros unless you do so at an American Express office before you leave. (It’s cheaper if you’re a member but is not necessarily a better exchange rate.) You then need to get from the airport to where you’re sleeping. If your room isn’t ready when you arrive at your hotel or Airbnb, leave your bags and check out the neighborhood. It's nice knowing where there’s a pharmacy, grocery store, taxi stand, metro stop, laundromat and café. You then want to shower, etc. I like to spend arrival day on my feet until night time where I can enjoy a good meal and turn in around 9p.
If you fly roundtrip to and from Rome there's a direct train that departs at 1:53p from the airport to Florence SM Novella station (2h 30m).
You need a minimum of three nights in Florence and four in Rome to see it at a comfortable pace. There’s so much to see and do that you need to savor it not rush it. Meal time is a wonderful experience because Europeans don’t eat and run. Service is slower and you need to remind yourself you’re on vacation and slow down.
In Rome, sleep in the Trastervere neighborhood or the nearby Hotel Smeraldo across the River Tiber. Rome is a city you want to get lost in that’s loaded with marvelous fountains. Florence is a city where some of the world’s best museums are. Buy tickets for the Uffizi two months out to guarantee a reservation.
As far as when to go I was in Rome on Easter Sunday and you never would have known it was Easter.

Back in 2012 we spent 7 days in Rome by itself. We didn’t run out of things to do.

Make a list of sites you want to see in Rome and that will tell you how many days you need. Some people would be fine with 2-3 days based on what interests them, others want a week or more to get to everything on their list. I would fly in/out Atlanta/Rome to simplify the connections. If you do Florence take a train from Rome upon arrival and finish back in Rome.

Do not choose the CT over visiting a Tuscan town. If you had two weeks or more then include the CT.
We spent six nights in Rome two years ago, our fourth visit there. There is so much to see and enjoy.
Better weather in May.

We spent 6 days in Rome and it was nowhere near enough. I think if you're trying to do Rome, Florence and Tuscany you will be stretched thin.

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/rome

The above itinerary covers many things but does not include " ....Rome and all its major sites."

You are trying to cram a 17-21 day trip into '7-8 nights'.

As noted by roubrat, make a list of what you want to see in Rome and Florence and how much time that fills, before trying to venture off to other destinations.

I agree with the idea to stay in Rome the entire time. It will give you a nice pace, the opportunity to decide to slow down one day when you hit a wall, the chance to really get to know the city a little bit. You can even day trip to Florence or Orvieto, or maybe out to Ostia Antica (for that Pompeii feeling) or to the magnificent gardens of Villa d’Este in Tivoli which are magnificent in the Spring.

By the way, most experienced travelers feel they can only “do” two major sites in a day and absorb and remember. The Coloseeum, Forum, and Palatine Hill may only take 3-4 hours, but you won’t want to commit to another HUGS experience the same day as your heads will be full and your feet will want a break.

Daylight will be good that time of year so you can plan some activities in early event in before dinner. And rest a bit. Dine after 8:00 PM with the locals.

There is a saying “Roma, una vita non basta.” (A lifetime is not enough.)

Then plan your next trip for Tuscany.

Per rome2rio.com, Delta flies non-stop to Rome, and it appears to be the only one. For such a short trip, I'd opt for round-trip Rome. It will be faster to take the train to Florence from FCO that to fly into another city and transfer, not to mention less stressful.

8N is 7 full days. You don't really have time for more than 2 stays. You can visit Tuscany from Florence on day trips. The best would be either a small group or private tour or maybe just a private driver. You can take the bus or train to other towns on a day trip and maybe see a bit of the scenery on the way, but certainly nice views from the towers of hill towns like Siena. I wouldn't bother with a car, you're likely to find it more trouble than it's worth and wine-tasting is a problem (the legal limit in Italy is just over half that in the US, so more than one glass could get you in trouble). It is also likely to be at least as expensive as tours. While you can see the highlights of Florence in one day, you may still be somewhat fuzzy-headed on Day 2 - your first full day. You'll eat up precious time by packing and renting a car, then packing again and returning the car. The fastest way to get to Rome from Tuscany is the train from Florence. Visiting hill towns in Tuscany is more efficient by bus or train or even private driver than self-driving because parking lots are outside the walls, so you still have to climb up to the historic center from the parking area (and if you aren't early, you may even have trouble finding a space).

Take a day trip from Rome to Orvieto. It's a very interesting hill town in Umbria and the views of the surrounding countryside is just like Tuscany.

Wow thanks everyone for all the great advice. I'm going to sit down this week with RS book and make a list of my must-see places in Rome. My wife really wants to visit a winery and the countryside which is why the trip to Tuscany is important for me to include in the trip. I know we are trying to cram a lot in one trip but I don't know when we will be able to come back so we wanted to get the most out of our trip and see as much as possible.

We are busy bodies we like to get up before daylight and hit the ground running, it's just kind of how we have always experienced the big cities. I like the idea of possibly going to Florence first, I will look at the times the train runs based on the flight arrival times in Rome airport. We could day a full 2 days in Florence and then a day trip to Tuscany with a tour, any recommendations here for a great day trip to get out in the country and see that part of Italy? My hope is we love the trip so much we decide to return again within a year or two and use this trip to decide where we want to spend more time the next trip.

Suggest staying the whole time in Rome, there is much to see there.

For sure forget Cinque Terre.

If you had two weeks you could do the BIG 3 in Italy, Rome, Florence and Venice.

Orvieto, is in Umbria and is surrounded by wineries and is only about an hour by train from Rome so with your time constraints might be a good place for a winery visit without trekking to Florence. Orvieto also has some Etruscan sites and a lovely museum.

My wife really wants to visit a winery and the countryside which is why the trip to Tuscany is important for me to include in the trip. I know we are trying to cram a lot in one trip but I don't know when we will be able to come back so we wanted to get the most out of our trip and see as much as possible.

If you are concerned about returning, try hard to extend the time of your trip. I understand this may be hard or darn near impossible if you are working, but by trying to do Rome/Florence/Tuscany, you'll be doing a disservice to them all. Also remember that 7 nights is six days and depending on flights, it might actually be 4 or 5 days on the ground. I recommend:
Day 1: Arrive Rome in the morning. Take express train to Florence.
Day 2: Explore Florence.
Day 3: Day trip to Tuscany. Definitely take a tour if you want to visit a winery. It will be cheaper than renting a car and you won't be driving.
Day 4: Spend morning in Florence, take express train to Rome. That evening, take the Walks of Italy Evening Stroll to get a feel for the heart of the city.
Day 5: Rome.
Day 6: (if available) more Rome.
Day 7: Fly home.

PS The first time my wife and I were in Italy was on a high school trip in 1966. We returned 50 years later.

If you want to add Tuscany to a Florence / Rome itinerary spend two nights in Florence and then take a direct bus to Siena (1h 15m) and spend two nights there. After one night in Siena rent a car and drive on the Sienese Crest Road. This is one of Tuscany’s most scenic stretches where you’ll climb rolling hills and see many landscapes that you won’t get tired of.
Two places worth stopping is the old town in Pienza (1h) and then on to Montepulciano (30-minutes) before going back to Siena (1h). The following day take a direct bus from Siena to Rome (3h).

If you decide to stay in Florence, contact Tours by Roberto for a wine and history tour to make the most of your time. Stopping in wineries in Italy is not quite like it is in the U.S. We find it goes better with a guide.

There are a few trains that go to Florence from FCO. However, it is easy to take the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini (main station) and transfer to the train to Florence. There's at least one fast train an hour. You can buy the tickets from Termini to Florence (Firenze SMN - Santa Maria Novella) at the airport when you buy the Leonardo tickets. The journey with a transfer takes only a few minutes longer than the direct trains. Use the official website.

Offhand, I can't think of anyone who has only been to Italy once. And one of the hardest parts of planning any return visit to Italy is choosing where to go among so many inviting places.

After reading the posts here we have decided to stay in Rome for the entire week and take some day trips to explore other cities. I'm thinking 3 full days in Rome and probably 2-3 day trips to explore nearby cities.

I really want to take one day and see Florence so we will catch the earliest train possible to spend as much time there as we can. I'm thinking we need to find a hotel close to the train station if we are going to be using the train a couple days.

Orvieto seems to be really recommended for a day trip so we are definitely going to look into this location. If we wanted a day to get out and explore a vineyard would anyone have good recommendations for a daytrip? Would there be a vineyard we could reach in Tuscany or is that too far on the train ?

I would do Rome and Florence and nowhere else. I would not miss Florence, as some have suggested.

I'm only doing Florence (4 nights) and Rome (7 nights) and it doesn't seem long enough