10 days flying in/out of Rome. I am having a hard time with the flow of this trip.
Is there good advice on the logistics for transit and cars to visit all of these places efficiently?
Want to see
-Rome
-Florence
-montepulciano
-Venice
-cinque Terra
It is very ambitious for 10 days. We did a similar itinerary on our first trip many years ago but we had 22 nights. Still felt fast, now that we look back,
Do you have 9 or 10 nights on the ground in Italy? Using that assumption, I’d say no more than 3 places to lay your head. Proceeding on the assumption of 9 nights, when you arrive Rome, assuming your flight arrives before noon, take a train immediately to Venice for 3 nights, then a train to Florence for 3, and finally Rome for 3. If you have 10 nights, add a night to Florence and take a daytrip to a Lucca, which is easily accessible by train. Montepulciano is tougher to reach without a car.
What time of year are you going?
There is NO way you can see all that in only 10 days. Italy is meant to be savored and enJOYed, not rushed. Plus, it takes over 1/2 day to change towns. You need to copy the Rick Steves Venice, Florence, Rome itinerary which is only 10 days and do that itinerary.
Book MULTI CITY tickets and fly into Venice for 3 days and take the train to Florence for 4 days (with a day trip with WalkAboutFlorence to see some Tuscan towns - I suggest either their Best of Tuscany tour or their Chianti Wine and Food Safari Tour), then take the train to Rome for 3 days. Plan to go back to Italy for the rest of your itinerary.
With what you have now - you will spend more time traveling and changing locations than you will exploring the area.
Be sure to buy the RS pocket guidebooks for each place.
If your flights are already booked, upon arrival in Rome train to Venice. 3 nights. This will give you 2 full days. Then train to Florence for 3 nights. If you are not really big into art, 1.5 days for Florence could work. Day trip to Montepulciano. I would hire a private driver and go at your own pace and where you want to visit. Then on to Rome for 3 nights. That will give you 2.5 days. If you have 10 nights in Italy, add the extra night where you want. The Cinque Terre could be a long day trip from Florence. It is doable.
I would not hire a car, as you can't use it in Venice and don't need it in Florence or Rome. Save the hassle and hire a driver for the day trips or book a small group tour.
Remember, you will lose a half day traveling from one destination to another. That is why 3 nights is only 2.5 days.
Do you have 9 or 10 nights on the ground in Italy?
This is a critical detail as even 1 night, plus or minus, can affect the itinerary. But even with 10 nights on the ground, you can't effectively do 5 destinations. You'd spend more time packing up, dealing with transport, finding the new hotel, unpacking, getting acclimated to a new place, etc. than sightseeing.
So why have you chosen these destinations, and what do you want to do when you get there? Your interests will determine which of them should stay, which should be given more time than another, and which should be removed from the list. Time of year can matter as well. For instance, the CT isn't a great choice for winter.
Yes, ditch the idea of a car: public transit is the way to go. Italian trains are great; some locations, such as Montepulciano, require a combo of rail and bus.
Ditto, pare down the list for an enjoyable trip. Three places would be good for ten days, but I leave which three up to you—what did you most want to see?
