Rent a unit in Florence as a base for a 10 day trip

We love Rome. That being said, it's your trip. If you don't feel strongly about going there, don't worry about going. With 10 days, you can easily stay busy in the CT, Florence/Pisa/Tuscany area, and Venice. It's only a 1.5 hour train ride from Florence to Rome, you could also see your personal interests there on a day trip if that's of interest to you.

One question - have you already purchased your flights? A more efficient route would be to fly inbound to Venice and outbound from Rome.

If the flights are booked, one method you could consider is....

• Flight to Florence, immediately take high speed train to Venice
• Venice - 2 nights
• Train to Florence - 3 nights
• Train to Cinque Terre - 2 nights
• Train to Rome - 3 nights
• Train back to Florence for flight home (it's only a 90 minute trip)

Once you've finalized your Itinerary, it will be easier to provide more specific advice on the trains.

It's will be a bit rushed, but will allow you to see all the places on your list. I'm also retired and manage to get to Europe on a regular basis, so hopefully that will be the case for you as well.

As this is your first trip to Europe, there are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of when using trains or other public transit in Italy. If you need more information post another note. Also, it would be a really good idea to pack along a copy of the Italy guidebook, as that will be an excellent resource for planning sightseeing.

'Kensider' this variation on Ken's plan ...

Flight to Florence, immediately take high speed train to Venice
Venice - 2 nights
Train to Cinque Terre - 2 nights
Train to Rome - 3 nights
Train to Florence - 3 nights

Hi mremer42. I would endorse both previous replies! But for context, I would emphasize that the trains in Italy are generally pleasant and fast, so it's very feasible to do all four destinations. You could do Ken's suggested route, or you could also do immediate train to Rome, then CT, then Venice, ending in Florence to spend time with your grandson. Or immediate CT, then Rome, then Venice, then Florence. :) Adjust the # of nights in each place as you see fit. If you are stuck flying in and out of Florence, at some point you may backtrack a little (i.e. pass thru Florence on way from x to y), but don't worry about it; no big deal. Enjoy your trip!

Your trip is a month away. Whatever you decide, you should start looking for hotels as soon as possible.

Remember, two nights equals one full day of sightseeing. Secondly, coming from the US the first day will be a bit jet lagged so go lightly that day.

Do you actually want to stay in 5 Terre or just visit? You can day trip 5 Terre by train from Florence. It would be a very long day and you would want to start early but you could get to La Spezia (train, bus, hire a car) and jump the local train and see all, or any, of the towns you want and then back to Florence. If you want the experience of spending the night then this may not work. If you base yourself another night in Florence and accept the long train ride you would find extra time in Florence.

I like Florence at the end of the trip. Venice, Rome, Florence, day trip to 5 Terre. Rome is central to Italy's history, I wouldn't miss it. Ending if Florence reduces your hassle factor a great deal. Enjoy Venice, it is unique, pizza at da Mamo!

Our flights are booked in and out of Florence, so that can't be changed. Initially we thought we'd be spending time with grandson both weekends in Florence. Unbeknownst to us at the time of the flight booking, our grandson will be on a study trip to Sicily that first weekend, so we will be free to do sightseeing and touring. I like the suggestions that we go immediately to another city and spend the last few days in Florence. I did make hotel reservations for the first three nights in Florence which are able to be cancelled. I agree we need to get our itinerary firmed up and get rooms reserved. My inclination is to take a train to Rome immediately after landing in Florence (around 11 am). We will be jet lagged and could rest on the train a bit. Are there more than one train stations in Rome? If so which one do we want to take if we want to be near the Colosseum and the Vatican? I would like to see the colosseum area and the Vatican. Am I right in assuming this will take two days? Rather than doing this on our own, can anyone recommend affordable tours to these sites. Is it possible to do one in the morning and one in the afternoon?
From Rome, does it make sense to take a train to Venice? What are the pros and cons of Florence to Venice and then to Rome and then to CT?
From Venice to CT: Venice back to Florence and then trains to CT? or Venice trains to CT? I'm assuming at least one overnight in CT. If possible I would like top be back in Florence on Friday so we can then tour Florence on Saturday and Sunday.
Thanks

I like David's plan:
Florence to Venice - 2 nights (1 full day sightseeing)
Train to Cinque Terre - 2 nights (1 full day sightseeing)
Train to Rome - 3 nights (2 full days sightseeing)
Train to Florence - 3 nights (2 full days sightseeing)

Rome deserves 3 nights, and Venice is smaller so doesn't need as much time on a tight itinerary.

The Vatican and the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine are not in the same area of central Rome so there's no single train station "close" to both. You'll want to come into Roma Termini - which is the most 'main' of Rome's several bigger stations, and get about town on foot and/or public transport.

Now, the other thing to consider are the dates of your trip: you may have to plan your sightseeing around days/hours some attractions are closed. National Museums are closed on Mondays, and some attractions - such as the Basilica in Venice - also have reduced hours on Sundays (2:00 - 5:00 PM in this case). As far as Florence, you'll want to keep your distance from the Uffizi and Accademia on Oct. 4 as it's a free Sunday for Italian National Museums, and they'll be mobbed.

You will want to pre-purchase tickets for Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Uffizi and Accademia to avoid very long tickets queues, or book tours. I would not personally recommend trying to do both the Vatican (basilica and museums) and the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine in one day.

The Vatican offers reasonably priced (prebooked) tours of both basilica and museums on their website:

http://www.museivaticani.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

Many RS members have spoken highly of "Walks of Italy" tours: you might consider their VIP tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine which includes the underground tour of the Colosseum. It's not cheap but if you're looking for quality….

https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-tours

They do offer a one-day tour of Rome's hot tourist spots but I honestly wouldn't recommend trying to cram everything that one covers into its 7.5 hour duration if you don't absolutely HAVE to. I'd spend one morning at the Vatican, the other at the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine, and the afternoons exploring some of the churches, piazzas, etc.

It really makes no difference if you choose to head to Rome or Venice directly on your arrival day into Florence.
The train to Rome takes about 1hr 30min as opposed to Venice at 2 hrs.
Venice to Cinque Terre will involve a train back to Florence and a connection to La Spezia for a local CT train.

For 2 full days in Rome I generally advise:
Day 1 - Colosseum, Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Piazza Navona.
Day 2 - St Peters, Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel), Castel San Angelo, Borghese Gallery, Piazza del Popolo.
The Colosseum and The Vatican are located on opposite sides of the centre of Rome, so a hotel close to both isn't possible.

Sep 25-28 Rome
Sep 28-30 Cinque Terre
Sep 30-Oct 2 Venice
Oct 2-5 Florence

My wife and I just did 11 days in Italy as well. We were able to ad Bellagio, Pisa and Milan. Florence was absolutely the highlight of the trip followed by Bellagio then Venice. Rome, not so much. Remember to pre-book your Vatican museum visit and dress conservatively for St. Peters (yes, even in 100 degree heat.) Other than that, if you see a long line for museum, just walk to the very front and go to the prebooking desk (even if you have not prebooked.) All it takes is four Euros extra and you can get an instant booking. We did the Uffizi and Accademia the same day with this technique. Also the RS guide is correct about avoiding the Coliseum line by buying the ticket at Palatine Hill, where there is no line. Basically don't wait in any long lines, there are legitimate ways around them. Also pack light. Dragging luggage through Cinque Terre will be a pain.

If you are only going for 10 days at the end of September (when it will still be reasonably warm) then there is definitely no need for excessive luggage - keep it to a minimum.