I have approximately 7-8 days to fly in/out of Rome from Atlanta. I have always wanted to spend time in Tuscany but my wife (HER Birthday) is going to want to spend time on Rome as we are Catholic. I will get a car and don't mind driving although we also like being able to walk around at night and not drive after a glass of wine.
Do you have any suggestions?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
I'm not sure what you're asking. Suggestions for what?
Posted by
OP
Atlanta
2 posts
See: Rome for part of the time; drive and stay in the Tuscany region part of the time;
visit/stay in smaller towns/villages- possibly Florence- where one can walk to attractions and restaurants part of the time without having to drive. Tuscany, as I understand it, is a region where you would get a villa and drive on day trips everywhere?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
1317 posts
If it were me, I'd stay a full week in Rome and rent an apartment, but not a car. (Driving in Rome = nightmare!!) However, I adore Rome so that's my personal bias showing. It doesn't make very much sense to me to rent a villa in Tuscany for a week and then take trips into Rome, as the driving and parking situation will be frustrating, to put it mildly. If you wanted a nice mix of city and country, you could consider spending 4-5 days in Rome and the balance of your time somewhere like Orvieto, which is technically in Umbria but an hour outside of Rome by train. You could rent a car in Orvieto and drive around the surrounding countryside, if you so desired. Hope that gives you some ideas! Edited: Oh, and if you do decide to drive, research ZTLs - no traffic zones that will ding you an insane amount of fines if you accidentally stray into one.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32213 posts
Ron, With only 7-8 days, keep in mind that you'll lose both the first and last days in flight times. That leaves six days for touring in Italy (some of which you'll be jet lagged). With such a short time frame, IMO you don't have time for a touring Rome as well as a leisurely drive around Tuscany. I'd drop the car, as you'll be able to travel quicker by train (it will be a more efficient use of your very limited travel time). There's also the issue of ZTL's as someone else mentioned and you'll require a compulsory International Driver's Permit for driving in Italy, which must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. One option you could consider would be to book open jaw flights, perhaps inbound Milan / MXP and outbound Rome / FCO. When you arrive in Milan, go directly to Florence (from Milan, some trains take only 1H:45M). Spend a few days in Florence (which is in Tuscany), with perhaps a day trip. Then take the train to Rome and spend the remainder of your time touring there. You could also spend most of the time in Rome, with a short trip (two days?) to either Orvieto (Umbria) or Siena (Tuscany). There are lots of ways to structure such a short trip, but as it's your Wife's birthday you may have to focus on Rome for this trip. Assume you will return! Good luck with your planning!