Hi There, My boyfriend and I are in the midst of finalizng plans for our upcoming Italy trip! As of right now we arrive in Rome September 11th and will be heading right to Positano where we have accommodations for 3 nights. We are then looking to make our way to Florence/Tuscany, we had plans of staying right in Tuscany but since we don't plan on renting a car we were told to stay in Florence. Looking for suggestions of what the trip should look like from here. How long should we stay in Florence? What day trips should we plan? After going to Positano should we still plan on seeing Cinque Terre? We have also been told Florence is a busy place, any suggestions on where to stay a little more 'off the beaten path' but still accessible to transportation? We are huge foodies, and love the idea of touring wineries and really 'living like locals' with our time in Florence. Frome then I guess we will travel back to Rome, we have decided to stay for 2 nights at the end our trip before we fly out. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16235 posts
From the Amalfi Coast you can go to Florence by train. Either go to Salerno or to Naples first, then take the train to Florence. You can go to Naples or Salerno from the Amalfi Coast via boat or via bus (to Naples via bus+Circumvesuviana train). For the main trains to Florence (from Naples or Salerno), search here:
www.trenitalia.com If you don't have a car you should stay in Florence for Tuscany visiting. You could stay a couple of nights in Siena as well, from where you can take buses to the small towns around there. But without a car you can't really go off the beaten path and also have access to public transportation. Besides what is "off the beaten path"? Every corner of Tuscany has been beaten to death, if not by North American tourists certainly by Germans, who are everywhere like termites in infested wood houses. You can do the Cinque Terre as a day trip from Florence, although you need to start early, since it's a 2.5 hrs each way (with 2 train changes). To live like locals, you would need to rent a house, get a job, pay the bills, etc. I lived like a local in Florence for a large portion of my life and I've decided that I'd rather "live like a tourist". Living like a local sucks, especially the working part. That is true also here in California. I much preferred it when I used to come here as a tourist. When I decided to 'live like a local' I had to find a job. Bummer! I didn't mean living like a local that way! I just wanted to drink wine in Napa. Stay at least the last 3 nights in Rome (4 even better). 2 nights aren't enough.
Posted by
Tampa, FL, USA
1054 posts
For some Winery Tours check out Tours By Roberto. He is recomended in Rick's Book. I booked a tour with them for September, I had a friend who did a tour with them in June and loved it. They have several options and will pick you up at your hotel in Florence or Siena. https://sites.google.com/site/toursbyroberto/
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32404 posts
Shawna, You've received lots of great information so far, and I have a few thoughts.... I was in Florence in June, and didn't really find it to be too "busy". As you're "foodies", you'll have LOTS of great restaurants to try. I visited one that Roberto suggested, I' Cche' c'e' c'e', and it was exceptional! On this trip to Florence, I didn't bother visiting the Uffizi or Accademia since I've done that on previous visits. Those are usually a "must see" with most visitors. In addition to just enjoying the city, I took a trip up to Fiesole for a fine meal with a great view and also took a few day trips. If you don't want to stay in Siena, it's VERY easy to take a day trip there by Bus from Florence (about an hour or so each way). A day trip to the Cinque Terre is possible, but as Roberto mentioned it would be a good idea to leave early to maximize your time there. I'd suggest starting in Riomaggiore and then working north, have dinner in Monterosso and then return to Florence from there. Some of the No. 2 hiking trails are open, but it's also very easy and cheap to get between the towns using the local trains. Depending on your interests, you could also take day trips to Pisa or Lucca. Happy travels!
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
My only suggestion would be not to shortchange Rome - it seems like it's almost an afterthought in your planning. If you're much more interested in Florence, why not fly into and out of there instead? Rome is a fascinating city and really deserves more than 2 nights (in contrast you've got 3 nights in Positano, which is tiny in comparison and scale and doesn't have as many sites to see)
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
My opinion - Cinque Terre is too long a journey to make it worth a day trip from Florence. Either stay overnight or skip it. If you decide to spend time in Rome, I'd skip it. Getting to Positano will take several hours from the Rome airport, then from Positano to Florence will use up the better part of a day, so I'd not waste so much time on traveling to the CT, charming as it is. If you love Renaissance art and architecture, you'll need 3 full days in Florence. If not, a day trip from Siena will probably be enough! Day trips from either to the other, San Gimignano, maybe Lucca or even Orvieto from Florence.
Posted by
St Petersburg Florida
951 posts
If this is your first time to Italy and Rome, I would totally agree with those who say more time for Rome. Rome was not my favorite city in italy but I felt the sites were of importance to history. There is so much to see. 4 nights minimum will help to somewhat crack the shell of ROme and give it a minimum justice.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
If you do spend 4 nights in Rome, Orvieto is easier to get to from Rome than from Florence. Three nights in Rome is minimal - lots of great restaurants. If you want to stay a little away from the center of Florence, you could stay in the Oltrarno (across the river). But there's no reason not to stay in Florence itself.