Planning a thirteen day (includes arrival and departure days) trip in June. So far, the itinerary has us three nights in Venice, three nights in Florence, and four nights in Rome. This leaves two nights available. Do you suggest we add nights to either Venice and/or Florence (Rome is not an option unfortunately), or try and find another location. If another location is recommended, any suggestions for maybe a place between Venice and Florence or Florence and Rome. It should be pretty "easy on easy off" so to say. We are planning a tour one day out of Florence that will take us to Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano.
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
I'm not sure why you can't add to Rome but if that's not an option then it's not an option. I would add time to Florence. There's tons to see and do. You have a day trip planned so that takes away one of the three days you have allowed for it. This way you can do a second day trip if you wish. I wouldn't add another location, but I hate changing hotels. You lose too much time when you do that so I prefer to stay in one place and visit others. Donna
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8158 posts
You can take bus trips to the outlying towns, like Siena, Volterra and San Gimignano. These three cities are preferable over Pisa. Pisa would be okay if you have the time. Buses sit across the street from the south side of the train station to the right of the McDonalds. They're staged around the block.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Given what you've stated above, definitely add at least one day to Florence. Trying to see Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano all in one day will be exhausting. By adding days, you can see one (or at most two) cities per day in a daytrip, and have some days in between daytrips when you just stay in Florence (where, as Donna says, you won't be lacking for things to do). Since you're arriving in Venice, I would add a day there (remember, the day of arrival is often a jet-lagged haze), and a day to Florence. This will give you some time to relax and actually enjoy your trip, rather than having having it turn into a marathon/endurance test. Don't underestimate how tiring these 3 cities are. Are you familiar with Stendahl Syndrome? It's not an accident that his problem occurred in Florence; it could just as easily have happened in Venice or Rome as well. Remember, both Venice and Florence have a plethora of daytrip possibilities. This means an extra day is not a problem; even if you hate the cities themselves, you can "escape."
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4140 posts
I must STRONGLY agree with Harold's comments. Heed his counsel , you will not regret it . I must add that I had not been familiar with Stendahl's Syndrome until I read his post , but it was an eye opener . The only thing I would like to add is , before you go ,make it a point to see the 1955 film " Summertime " with Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi , directed by David Lean . The real star of this film is Venice ,and it has not changed much since this film was made . It is truly a paen to this beautiful place !
Posted by
Atlanta
4862 posts
Absolutely agree with adding a day to Venice. Your first day there you may well be jet lagged and not really able to appreciate the city the way you need to. TC