Itinerary review to reduce anxiety

Thanks for validating my planning. Did need to do some shifting when we ended up in Florence on a Monday and most museums are closed then.

Our flight out is at 1000am so the train seemed the easiest due to concern about traffic in the morning and FCO hotels looked pricey...

Next agenda item is purchasing tickets to museums up front and deciding if we want a guide one of the days in Rome. It seems a guide is a more efficient use of time but it is necessary for the cost? In past travels we toured on our own.

This helpline is a great resource.

Char, you get an A for itinerary planning! Apparently you've remembered everything that's been said here on trip planning, travel times, etc. in the last few months. Of course each traveler would do a trip differently, but I can't see any problems in your itinerary.

GOLD STAR FOR CHAR!!. It looks great. For you last night in Rome before an early flight, some travelers will choose the stay in Fiumicino (where the airport is located). The hotels aren't that great and they know why you are there. The prices are higher. However, many travelers will spend their last evening in Rome and have their hotel arrange to have a taxi waiting for them at any time you need it. For early flights, you can have a taxi waiting at 4:00am or whatever to make sure you get to the airport at least 2.0hrs early for check-in. A typical taxi will hold 4 passengers plus luggage and the fixed fare is 40Euro to the airport. If your party is larger, the rules change a bit. You may need a shuttle and not a taxi and the cost will be a bit higher. The Leondardo Express doesn't begin running until 5:52am and that first run is often too late for many travelers that need to be at the airport by 5:00am or so. Again, schedule looks great.

Char,
You might consider going to Florence the first day. It is only about 1.5 hours from Rome and this would eliminate one day of travel and put all the Rome days together.
I usually use a limo service to get to the airport for an early flight. It is about the same price as a taxi. I like to have the number of a radio dispatched taxi in my pocket as a plan 'B'.

I second Henry about group Rome at the end. Not only it saves a bit travel time, also I found Rome best for shopping so want to do it last. Besides, I like to leave the grandest for the last. It'll be hard for the Florence Duomo to impress after St Peter's.

We just returned several weeks ago and also spent our last nite in Rome. We had a 10am flight and had a driver from our hotel pick us up at 7 am. We left on a Sunday so there wasn't the traffic you may have on a weekday but we got to the airport at 7:30am. It would probably be smart to leave earlier during the week I would think.