Florence to Orvieto to Rome in 7 days

Fly to and from Rome rather than Milano.

Just thought since we are going from Florence south to Rome that Flying into Milan would make sense instead of back tracking Rome to Florence and back to Rome.

Florence is a short easy 2 hr train trip from Rome. Milan is a long way from Florence. With only 7 days, Milan would be a total waste of time. I love that you're spending time in Orvieto-it's cathedral is a Wow.

It takes 3 1/2 hours to get from Milano Malpensa airport to Florence, and 2 1/2 hours from Roma Fiumicino airport. So going to Rome saves time and a little bit of money for train tickets.

So maybe it makes more sense to fly into Rome and work our way north to Florence then travel down to the airport in Rome the last day to fly home.

As to AirBNB, for short stays of 2 or 3 nights, an apartment rental is a bit of a hassle. You have to set yourselves up for breakfast, don’t have access to someone for advice, must meet a schedule of some sort to “check in” versus stopping at a hotel or B&B where you have access to local expertise, and an included breakfast, plus someone is there at least during all business hours and possibly 24x7 for your convenience in checking in and out.

3 nights in Orvieto seems like a long time. Daytrips by bus are challenging so check availability to get where you want to go. Don’t shortchange Rome: at least 3 nights there.

I have stayed in some fantastic Airbnb's in Orvieto. I read every single review. I look for options where the family lives in the building. I love Orvieto.

Will we be okay in Orvieto without a car?

I agree with Mack- much quicker to get to Florence from Rome.
MXP is an hour outside Milan/Centrale in the wrong direction.

Do you have 7 days or 7 NIGHTS?
That’s important.
A 2 night stay only gives you 1 full day in a location so 2 nights in Florence is simply not enough. 3 is the minimum there and if you travel there on arrival day your first day is jet lagged and you won’t arrive /get checked in etc til later in afternoon. Every time you change location you lose at least a half a day.

I don’t support airbnb anywhere but for such short stays I don’t think apartments are necessary or worth the trouble. On a first trip especially it’s nice to have access to a 24/7 hotel desk, breakfast included, help with taxis, recommendations, etc. I doubt you’ll have time to source and cook your own meals so a kitchen is not necessary. You shouldn’t need to do any laundry on a 7 night trip. You can always drop your bags at a hotel before check in time. With apartment rentals that is rarely an option.

We loved Orvieto and stayed 2 nights but for day trips from there you’ll likely want a car- that’s a bit of trouble again for first timers. We didn’t get to Orvieto til our third trip to Italy.

I would go right to Florence- 3 nights. *Put all Rome nights at end thus avoiding split stay/hotel change- you will need to be IN Rome night before your departure flight.
There is actually a direct train to Florence from FCO- 1 :53 pm- so depending on your arrival time that might work. Otherwise simply take the Leonardo Express to Termini then fast train to Florence.

Train to Orvieto- 1 night
Train to Rome 3 nights- which is rather short for Rome -again this is only 2.5 days there.

You could skip the overnight in Orvieto and day trip from Rome but still not sure I would do that. Your time is just so short!

Or give Florence 4 nights and day trip to Siena instead- skip Orvieto- Rome 3 nights

Any chance you can add a few more nights?

Terrific advise. Like the idea of substituting Siena for Orvieto. Actually 3 nights in Florence, a night in Siena and 3 nights in Rome sounds perfect. And thanks for recommending hotels. May be a bit pricier than AirBnB but worth the extra benefits.

Start your search on booking.com. Use the filters for budget, # beds needed, location, bkft included, etc.
You can book on booking .com or find the hotel actual website and book there.

I have not stayed at this location but it gets mentioned often here as a very good budget friendly hotel in a great location
I think it calls itself a hostel but is not like a hostel at all-- if that makes sense!

https://www.the-beehive.com

We prefer staying right in historic center in both Rome and Florence. Both cities are very walkable- Florence is super compact.

Also use the Search function here for hotels in Rome and Florence
Be sure to filter search by Type and Date

Siena is charming and evocative at night so I can see wanting to stay over
Just know that’s time spent moving location/changing hotels/dealing with transportation
One long full day trip would be just enjoyable

Take bus to Siena-it’s easier
Then there is a FlixBus from Siena to Rome-no experience
Or take bus back to Florence to catch fast train to Rome

Because there are extremely fast trains connecting Florence and Rome but only slower trains (or buses) connecting those two large cities to Siena, you'll spend more time on transportation if you spend a night in Siena as opposed to day-tripping there from Florence. With a day trip you wouldn't have to deal with your luggage that extra time. I'm not saying you shouldn't spend the night in Siena, just that it's not a no-brainer decision despite what the map indicates.

While I like the idea of spending some time in a smaller town, you don't have many days, and you could certainly fill them very fruitfully just in Florence and Rome.

You do not need a car in Orvieto, but it's a nice area to have one. Too few find their way to Tarquinia. I'm all for less Rennaissance and more Etruscan. A couple Rennaissance museums and I'm ready for any other diversion.
I would encourage both Orvieto and Sienna. They are both worth a visit.
Orvieto is enroute so making a stop there is not difficult. Make it a lunch stop.

I am definitely planning a day trip to Siena while in Florence and a day trip to Orvieto while in Rome.

We usually just fly directly into Florence via Paris/London/Amsterdam. IAH to one of these cities then a connecting flight to Florence.
Last year we did Florence (our 6th stay) and then trained to Orvieto for 1 night which was plenty. We stayed in a lovely little 2-bedroom apartment - very inexpensive, and the owners could not be more accommodating. They lived upstairs. We have a fully equipped kitchen as well. We did not have a car. We took a cab up the hill and it dropped us off by the apartment, which is only steps from all the action. We enjoyed Siena too, but as suggested, would probably do that as a day trip from Florence, and take the bus since it will drop you off where the main areas are. Florence is a great base for day trips, I would spend 4 nights there, and three in Rome. Your first day will be a wash as far as doing much of anything other than dinner out and early to bed. There is SO MUCH to see in do in Florence itself.

I would do 3 nights Florence, 1 night Orvieto, 3 nights Rome and no day trips.

Blockquote I am definitely planning a day trip to Siena while in Florence and a day trip to Orvieto while in Rome.
Blockquote

I don't know how much thought you have given to logistics but making Orvieto a day trip from Rome seems a bit silly.
En-route to Florence or from Florence to Rome your train will literally whizz right through there. By going there from Rome and back you are adding an unnecessary train ride.
Going to Sienna as a day trip does make sense in that the options for getting there are not quite as obvious.
It's your salad, but I would make Orvieto an in-transit stop coming or going to or from Florence/Rome.
There was mention of using a cab to reach the top of the hill. Don't. Take the funicular from near the train station.
Store your bags at the train station.
Consider a simple but perfect carbonara at the small and underwhelming restaurant near the funicular. If there are a bunch of boars heads hanging on the walls, you have found it.

The fast trains from Florence to Rome do, indeed, whiz right past Orvieto, but they do not stop there.

Freccia train Florence-Rome: 1 hr. 35 min.

Intercity train Florence-Orvieto: 1 hr. 58 min.
Intercity train Orvieto-Rome: 55 min. (7:25 AM departure, most considerably longer)
Minimum travel time Florence-Orvieto-Rome: 2 hr. 53 min.

You don't really save a great deal of time by making Orvieto a stopover rather than a day trip from Rome, and if you opt for the latter you aren't encumbered by luggage. Plus if you plan Orvieto as a day trip and are willing to pay a bit extra for a late purchase of an InterCity ticket, you can keep your options open. I can't imagine having only 1-1/2 days in Rome, and I'm betting these folks will decide not to spend a day in Orvieto on this trip. (I adore Orvieto, but...) Orvieto isn't one of those cute tiny hill towns with no real sights other than picturesque streets. It has very worthwhile sights (cathedral and multiple good museums for starters), so it's not somewhere you go for just a couple of hours. For most people it will, truly, be a day trip. The train station is below the historic center, requiring a bus or funicular trip uphill (and back downhill before departure); that time should be added to the train time to figure out how long the trip will take. The funicular is really part of the Orvieto experience; it usually runs every 15 minutes.