Our trip will be 4 nights north of Venice with family, then 3 nights each Tuscany (Florence or Siena for base?), 3 nights CT, then 3 nights Rome, fly home. When leaving Venice should we go to CT or Tuscany first?
i was leaning towards renting car in Venice to drive to either Florence or Siena then dropping car on the way to CT and train to Rome from there.
Also would like opinions on whether to base in Florence or Siena for the Tuscany part.
Advice?
I would think it is easier to go from Venice to CT then to Tuscany.
Florence is my FAVORITE city in Italy so I would "vote" to stay in Florence and take a day trip to Siena, San Gimignano, other hill towns... just because there is so much to see in Florence.
If we go to CT first, I assume we could go by train?
Everything can easily be done by train. The travel time works out better if you go Venice-Florence-CT-Rome.
Stay in Florence and day trip to Siena by bus. Or you can take a tour and have someone drive you around Tuscany. You don't want to drive in Florence! Too many restricted areas, too many traffic tickets and fines!
If you want, on your way to CT you can stop in Lucca or Pisa.
You can get from Venice to the CT by train either via Florence or Milan (with connections). The times are similar, and I don't think it makes a huge difference whether you go from Venice to Florence to the CT or Venice to the CT to Florence. Sometimes the departure time of one vs. the other just works better. Just look at the schedule for the day you'd be traveling. Last May, I traveled from Venice to Camogli (on the riviera, north of the CT) via Milan, but because it was a last-minute trip, the regional trains (one extra change, less than an hour longer) were a lot cheaper than the last-minute fares on the faster trains. Keep that in mind, too - the cheap fares tend to sell out early on those fast trains. Waiting til the last minute to buy tickets means either higher expense or taking the regional trains like I did.
If you to go Florence first, then the CT, you'll have a longer train ride back to Rome after that, for what it's worth.
See:
www.trainline.eu (Trenitalia and Italo trains)
www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en (Trenitalia trains only; must spell stations with correct Italian names)
Thanks all! I thought about train to Florence then renting car to explore Tuscany but thought train would be unnecessary expense. Aren’t there places in Florence with parking for a car?
With only 3 nights in Florence/Siena, you have two full days there and a few hours. Are you sure you'll have time to drive around the Tuscan countryside? You could certainly do that, but there's lots to see in Florence, Siena and Lucca. If you really want a countryside experience rather than time in the cities, I'd recommend staying in an agriturismo or small-town hotel--with a rental car--instead of in Florence or Siena.
There are parking areas, but if you are not familiar the area, you risk driving through ZTL's. But, I know others here are more familiar with the parking and will help out!
Also, remember that each driver must have an International Driver Permit. Available at AAA for $20.
I thought about train to Florence then renting car to explore Tuscany but thought train would be unnecessary expense. Aren’t there places in Florence with parking for a car?
Venice - Florence - Cinque Terre - Rome is the best order. The train trip from Venice to the CT is a long day that is lost to any other purpose.
If you stay in Florence, do not get a car except perhaps for a day trip to the countryside. You may find parking outside the ZTL but the cost will be high. You could stay in the countryside in an agriturismo if that is of interest, renting a car to do your day tripping and then drop the car in La Spezia to proceed on to the Cinque Terre town of your choice. I would still take the train Venice to Florence as opposed to renting in Venice as the train is so fast and convenient.
In terms of best use of your time, always choose the fast freccia trains. The Regionale trains for long distance are cheap but not comfortable and a waste of precious vacation hours.
Hmmmm, May have to add a night for Tuscany especially since I want to day trip to Assisi!
Thanks all! I think we will do Venice, Tuscany, CT, Rome. Now biggest decision is where to stay in Tuscany that is the most centrally located! I should mention that we are not big on museums but more into countryside, food, small towns, experiencing the country of my origin. So do we dare SKIP Florence? RS raves about Siena but am also thinking of staying in Montepulciano.
You asked "... do we dare SKIP Florence?" Why not? It's your trip and you don't have to justify going or not going anywhere to anyone. If museums are not your thing, and the countryside and smaller towns are, then that's what you should do. Siena is a really neat place whether you day trip or stay overnight. Enjoy!
