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Italy - Florence & Rome

Posted by (Green Bay, Wisconsin) on

I am just starting to plan a 2015 vacation to Italy where we plan on spending 12 days - part in Rome, part in Florence and some day trips out of these two cities. When traveling in Europe, we like to stay and eat in places the locals would and skip the high profile hotels. I don't intend on having a rental car unless it's needed for a day trip. I'd like to hear your thoughts on a couple of things:

  1. How would you divide your time? (we enjoy the history, culture, food, architecture, and people)
  2. Which city would you suggest flying into (jaws flight)?
  3. Hotel suggestions?
  4. Day trip recommendations?

Thanks much!

Posted by
32 posts

I'm leaving for Rome and Florence in 2 weeks and am spending 1 week in each location. Many have told me that 1 week in Rome is too many but I'm tacking on a day trip to Pompeii and maybe one additional. I'm staying in very old Palazzos in both locations in neighborhoods so that I can experience the culture better. I've done apartments in other European cities and prefer that to hotels. The one in Rome is in Monti and contains 8 separate apartment and the one in Florence is behind Palazzo Vecchio and is a B&B.

Will let you know when I return of my experience.

Posted by
4152 posts

1) This really depends on what you want to see and do in each location. If you have a ton of things you want to see and do in Rome you may find that you need more time there than you would in Florence, the same can be said in reverse. You should make a list of the things that you want to do and base your time off of that. This way you're sure to have enough time without having to rush around.

2) These two cities are only 1.5 hours apart by train. I don't think it matters which you choose if flying open-jaw. Just pick the best deal you can get.

3) I like to use www.venere.com to find hotels. The reviews are written by people who have completed a stay so they are very accurate. You can narrow your search by area, price or amenities. Be aware that the star rating in Italy is different from that of the U.S. It's based on amenities and not the quality of the hotel. A bad hotel with a restaurant will have a higher star rating than a good hotel without one.

4) It depends on what your interests are but from Rome a lot of people go to Pompeii and Naples. You can also visit Ostia Antica, Orvieto or Tivoli. From Florence you can visit Pisa or Sienna very easily.

Donna

Posted by
15799 posts

If you are ready to immerse yourselves into Renaissance art and architecture, 5-6 days in Florence is not a lot. If you aren't, then more than 2 days can be too much. Florence has almost as much "big city" feel as Rome does. You may have a better time if split your stay in Tuscany between Florence and Siena, or just stay in Siena with day trips to Florence, San Gimignano, etc.

The best day trips from Rome are probably Tivoli and Ostia Antica. Orvieto takes about 2 hours each, factoring in time to get to/from the train station, Pompeii takes as much as an hour longer.

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