How to Spend an Extra Day In Italy

Spend the night in Orvieto on your way to Rome.

I would do the day trip to Venice - it is unique and enchanting. Also, this option gives you the advantage of changing your mind if you fall in love with Florence or something tickles your fancy. Plus one less hotel move. ( but I would do Venice )

I did a search on 1 day trips from Florence and here is the link:
one day trips and tours from Florence

I love the smaller towns Lucca (my favorite) Pisa etc.

Given what you're doing on the cruise--and before and after--I'll second Gerri's thought of Orvieto to spend a night on the way to Rome.

First, it's on the way to Rome. A little more than 2 hours from Florence SMN station, then when you leave it's only an hour to Roma Termini station. And it's so...different. You get off the train, and buy a ticket for the funicular up to the plateau that is Orvieto. The cathedral is magnificent, the overlooks to the valley below are wonderful, and the great restaurants--from fine-dining to excellent hole-in-the-wall joints--might be some of the best in Italy.

And...maybe not in September, but it certainly was for our day trip from Rome early in March of this year--it was quiet. Like peaceful quiet. Like everyone was in awe to be in a little hilltown so beautiful.

Enjoy your planning!

I am going to get a lot of heat from other responders but we all have our own opinions. I am also older and tonight is my last night in Italy after 3 and a half weeks. If you can book a private tour with Hills and Roads from Florence you will be delighted. They will tailor the tour to your needs and you will see more of Tuscany and understand the culture and the history the way you can't do on your own. Angela was our guide and she was fabulous. Second I spent 3 nights in Venice and yes it is a place you should see but I don't think you can appreciate it in that time frame. Third I am not a great fan of Lucca. Maybe it is because Angela had taken me to towns that were smaller and quainter. I did spend 2 nights there and one would have been enough. Personally I think the wall thing is over dramatized. Yes you can walk and picnic and cycle on it but is so wide that it didn't feel that special although the view is nice. I spent 3 nights in Orvieto and loved it for reasons others mentioned. I can hear it all now. Four months ago I got on this site and had no idea where to begin and now I am a pro. Well maybe but I owe this fabulous time in Italy to the dedicated people on this site. If not for them this would have been a disaster. Advice is read opinions and do some research.

I'd put a vote in for Orvieto. It's really easy to get to off the mainline train from Florence back to Rome and you'll get to enjoy the experience of a small hill town. There are some really fun sites there, including St. Patrick's well, which we really enjoyed.

As much as I adore Venice, I'd say skip it as a day trip. The real beauty of Venice in my opinion is to be there at night after the day trippers have gone. It seems folks that do Venice as a day trip tend to have a bad opinion of it, which I can understand.

A close second would be to go head on to Rome. You could spend a month or more there and still find something new and exciting to see in Rome.

Enjoy your trip.

Sat
Arrive Rome. Train to Florence (4N)

Sun
Florence - Accademia & Uffizi

Mon
Day to Siena

Tue
Morning in Florence
Afternoon to Pisa

Wed
Early train to Rome (2N)

Thu
Rome

Fri
Cruise departs

Thanks very much for all the information. You have given us some good food for thought. We need to decide soon so that we can make our hotel (probably Airbnb) reservations.