My husband and I will be taking a port-intensive 12-night Mediterranean cruise in October that starts in Rome (Civitavecchia) and ends in Venice. We will be flying in the day before the cruise starts and plan to mostly spend the day getting over jet lag, maybe seeing some simple walkable sites to get outside, but no serious sightseeing. We will be spending an extra 7 nights in Italy once our cruise is over.
The last five nights will be spent in Rome. (We are using Marriott reward points, which allow us to book four nights and get the fifth night free.) We are debating what to do with the previous two nights. Our cruise ends with an overnight in Venice, but of course we could spend a couple extra nights in Venice before heading to Rome. We’ve also discussed spending those two nights in Florence, or we could even stay somewhere more relaxed in the countryside of Tuscany or Umbria to take some time to relax and unwind before heading to Rome. (For example, we found an adults only wine resort outside of Orvieto.) Whatever we do, we’d prefer for it to be primarily accessible by train, with perhaps a short taxi ride from the train station if necessary. If you had two nights to spare if you’re starting in Venice with the ultimate destination of Rome, how would you spend it?
As a follow-up, should we choose to not spend two nights in Florence, should we consider taking a long day trip from Rome? I know there are fast trains that make it a relatively short trip. Would seeing some of Florence this time around be better than seeing none of Florence? We kind of like the idea of maybe taking a day trip outside of Rome during our five nights there, so is there anywhere else you’d suggest if not Florence?
For reference, we are in our mid-30s and are generally fit. We love a good adventure and seeing new things, but we also appreciate relaxation and a good spa day. This trip was supposed to be for our 10 year wedding anniversary back in summer 2020 but of course was delayed.