My family is very excited for our upcoming trip to Italy. We will be traveling in early June for 8 nights. It will be my husband and myself with our 2 kids, 13 year old girl and 9 year old boy. My husband is blind but is fully capable of navigating most places. Here is our current itinerary, but I am looking for the last thing we should do.
Arrive and leave from Rome
Stay 3 nights in Rome
Travel by train to Florence and spend 3 nights in Florence. We will take the train for a day trip to Pisa during that time.
We have 1 more night to stay somewhere and then I want to spend our final night in Rome as our flight out is early in the morning.
My son loves animals and we all love getting out in nature for light hikes. We will visit the beach in California later this summer, so beach is optional but not required. Also, my husband and I have been to Venice before so we are not looking to return on this trip.
Where would you stay/ do for that last day and a half?
Posted by
Massachusetts
997 posts
These don't fit your criteria for animals or hiking but Orvieto and Siena are located between Florence and Rome.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
6990 posts
I’d give the night to Florence
With just 3 nights that’s only 2 full days and one of those is a day trip to Pisa
Or head to Orvieto on arrival for 1 night to get over jet lag then
Florence 3 or 4
Rome nights all at end 3 or 4
Posted by
Irving
3127 posts
What time does your flight arrive in Rome? The reason I ask is because there is a direct train from ROMs Fiumicino Aeroporto to Florence (Firenze SM Novella station) departing at 1:53p: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html. Even if your plane arrives earlier, still go to Florence on arrival day that will require a change at Rome’s Termini station. Visit Rome at the end of your stay.
Buy tickets for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence two months out to guarantee a reservation. Florence deserves three nights for Florence only. If you add a day trip to Pisa add a night in Florence and make it four nights.
Save the beach for CA you do not have time nor is there a beach in Florence, Pisa or Rome.
Rome alone requires four nights if visiting Vatican City and sleep in the Trastevere neighborhood. If you can’t then stay at Hotel Smeraldo across the River Tiber from Trastevere.
Posted by
Phoenix🌵
2982 posts
How about spending your undecided night back in Rome? Maybe take the train from Florence to Rome noon-ish which will get you back to Rome early afternoon. You will have half a day more in Florence and half a day more in Rome.
There is a feral cat sanctuary at Torre Argentina. Would your son like that? https://www.gattidiroma.net/web/en/
If you want something more active, you can go to the Appian Way to ride horses (yes, blind people ride). I understand that the guide can do leadline for your husband, but best to check on that. https://www.ridingancientrome.it/
For walking you can visit the Rose Garden near Circus Maximus. It may give your husband a sensory feel of the park if roses are still in bloom. We visited in early May and not all bushes were in bloom then.
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/rose-garden
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you all for these thoughts. We have a long layover on our way to Italy so I don't think that traveling by train will be the best idea when we first arrive. After looking through these ideas, I think we will take the advice offered here and just focus on Florence and Rome during our trip.