Florence or cinque terra?

No you are not a heathen for skipping Florence, or anyplace else for that matter. In 10 days you can only see a small fraction of Italy, and so you should see the fraction that interests you at this time. Furthermore, you are using logic by putting a "restful" destination between Venice and Rome. So, follow your instincts!

I have seen both and loved both - I am not a huge museam or church fan but loved Florence for the old buildings and it is a very manageable city to walk around the old parts. Ponte Vecchio and the street along the river - gorgeous. Cinque Terre also gorgeous and unique - we had 5 days there in 2011 just before the mud slides - I have heard it is not fully recovered and some of the walking trails are not yet opened fully. Nothing to stop you going from town to town by ferry which is what we did. We stayed at Villa Steno in Monterosso - our hosts Carla and Matteo could not be faulted - would 100% recommend this town. We pottered, walked, wined and dined - and spent evenings sitting on our private balcony taking in the sights with a vino....... Perhaps, thinking about it, the Cinque Terre wins...

Todd, I tend to agree with the others. If you're not a huge renaissance art fan and not interested in the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio or other sights in that area, you're probably better to head for the Cinque Terre. I'm sure the C.T. will be more relaxing as you won't be doing much touring. I'd suggest staying in Monterosso, as it's the largest of the five and has the greatest choice of hotels, restaurants, etc. I also highly recommend Hotel Villa Steno, which Catherine mentioned. Sitting on the patio with a glass of Prosecco in the late afternoon is one of my favourite activities there. I was also there in late September 2011 (the floods occurred on October 25th). Just to clarify, the floods of 2011 affected only two of the five towns and they've recovered. The Sentiero Azzurro trails open and close at varying times every year due to weather conditions at the time. At the moment, two of them are closed. Even if the trails are closed, it's easy and cheap to get around on the local trains. I'm not sure if the boats will be operating in October? Boat service is subject to weather so may be suspended if the sea is rough. If you decide to go to the C.T., it will be easy to get to Rome. There are a few direct trains every day from La Spezia to Rome, with a travel time of about 3H:40M. That's the method I'd use. Happy travels!

If you have limited time and money (like most people) then you are being wise to conserve your resources and choose a destination that appeals to you over one that doesn't. Be sure to take the ferry from one end of the CT to the other in the afternoon, when the sun is behind you, for wonderful views of the colorful villages nestled in the hills.

Please consider Santa Margherita Ligure as an option or addition to Cinque Terra. (Easily reached by train from the Cinque Terra.) We have stayed in both, and would rather be based in Santa Margherita Ligure and train over to C.T. Rick's guidebook has very good info on Santa Margherita.

Good suggestions all. Heading west out of Florence toward 5 Terre there are lots of places to see, including Lucca, Montecatini, Pisa (a bit out of the way), Portovenere and other areas. No heathen here, ABC can be tiring (Another Bloody Church).

You can go wherever you like. However consider that October may be rainy, especially the second half, which is the wettest time of the year. As such, I wouldn't make any firm plans until I'm reasonably confident it is not going to rain when I'm headed to the Cinque Terre. Because, if I were in your shoes, and the weatherman predicts rain, I will not even attempt to go to the Cinque Terre, I will stay in Florence. If you think churches and museums are boring, try the Cinque Terre on a rainy day. Besides I haven't visited a museum or a church in Florence in years. I go to visit family in Florence every year. I'm done with Those museums and churches. Now I visit only wine bars. Need a list?

I would have to agree with the majority here, although I never tire of Florence. Plenty of exploring to do w/o ever stepping into a museum or a church. Good base for discovering other towns. @Roberto, I would love a list of your fav wine bars, if you would be so kind. I will be traveling to Florence 2nd week of Sept. Preferablly where the locals prefer. Thanks.