Need your expert help. Cinque terre yes or no?

I’d choose B. However I’m not clear if you plan to rent a car for visiting Tuscany and if not, where you plan to go without a car.

Cinque Terre is an unnecessary time consuming detour. I would skip it for sure, especially considering that the weather in March may be iffy. Besides the place has become a zoo in the last 30 years and it seems to get worse every year.

I would do Firenze and the Cinque Terre.
I would skip Roma.
Slower travel is better travel.

I would opt for B. The Cinque Terre towns are picturesque, but overrun. There will likely be less crowds in March, but then if it rains, the trails close. You will experience quaint villages in Tuscany. Will you have a car?

We will be in Rome in March too!

You’re not spending enough time in Florence and since the Cinque Terre is an outlier skip it.

At that time of year I would definitely skip CT and pick Option B. I replied to your original thread but as you noted it has vanished.

In case you didn't read it, familiarize yourself with the rules of the road if driving in Tuscany, speed cameras, bus lanes, ZTLs, and agency closures on Saturday and Sunday (if not at an airport). And don't forget to get an IDP at your local AAA.

For Rome, book tours or a guide well in advance (now).

Thank you, all!

@Roberto - Yes, we plan to rent a car to go from Florence to Tuscany and then drop it off before heading to Rome.

@CJean, thank you for the heads up. Will read up on the ZTL and work to get the IDP from AAA. Looks like the come back home to Ztl tickets are famous! Yikes!

@Sara - Have fun in Rome!

@davebarnes - yes, if it was just me, that's exactly what I would do. We have a 13-year-old who wants to see some popular spots, hence keeping Rome on the itinerary. We told her we could just do the Venice Canal in Las Vegas next time. Can't go everywhere :)

@MaryPat - thanks! leaning towards that for sure!

I'm quite convinced about skipping CT and saving it for the next time. We did Turkey last year and spent so much time just going from one place to the other to "see places" and I wish we had stayed put in a place and enjoyed it more. So, trying to remember that lesson on this trip.

Mid-March is still early in the season, so the Cinque Terre may not be too crowded at that time (unless there are cruise ships in the area). However I agree with previous comments that the weather could be an issue and if it's wet, hiking the trails likely won't be possible. For such a very short trip, Option B does look like a better choice.

Where exactly in "Tuscany" are you planning to visit? You may not need to rent a car at all, as travel by train (especially fast trains) will be a more efficient use of your limited holiday time. That way you won't have to worry about IDP's, ZTL's, speed cameras or whatever.

As this is your first trip to Italy, it would be prudent to have a look at the Rick Steves Italy guidebook to learn about using the trains and other public transit, as there are some potentially expensive caveats to be aware of.

If you're planning to visit any of the major sites in Florence or elsewhere, it would be a good idea to get reservations well in advance.

Option B, you need more time in Florence and Rome, so skip CT.

ZTLs are well signaled and if you avoid the historical costi centers, generally inside the ancient city walls, you will be fine. But the ZTLs are not the only thing you need to pay attention to pay attention to. Speed limits are also enforced by speed cameras and the maximum allowed tolerance by those machines is 5km/h above the speed limit. So if the speed limit is 50 km/h, the camera immortalizes your license plate number at above 55 km/h. 5km/h is only 3 mph, so if you get distracted it takes very little to go above. Also you need to worry about bus lanes. Those are ubiquitous also in many cities and are enforced by camera as well. Make sure to use the Waze navigator. It is the preferred navigation app used by Italians (actually all over the world), so it will warn you of all of the above.

If you decide to do without the car, as Ken said, there are several places that can be reached via public transportation from Florence. So in that case prolong your stay in Florence and use it as a base. Montepulciano and the Val D’Orcia, very popular among Americans p, especially the Rick Steve’s’ crowd, are best done by car and it’s too far to visit from Florence.

We did Turkey last year and spent so much time just going from one place to the other to "see places" and I wish we had stayed put in a place and enjoyed it more. So, trying to remember that lesson on this trip.

I suggest you just stay in Florence and Rome and do day trips to Tuscany. There are some great day trips from Florence such as this Walks of Italy tour.

Dougmac is spot on. Drop CT and focus on two home bases.

I would base in Florence without a car and do day trip to San Gimignano and Siena. Or, in the alternative stay in an agriturismo with a car and do a day trip to Florence. Traveling by train is half of the fun on a trip like this. On another trip, get a car and see the more remote villages in Tuscany and Umbria.

While I have never really cared for Florence, it is worth 2-3 full days itself if you have art lovers in the group.

Yep, Definitely Plan B, with the added suggestions already mentioned above to do a day trip into the Tuscan countryside, or just take a bus or train to Sienna for a day? You could do a walking food tour the day you arrive in Florence & also Rome, get some local suggestions & eat at places you might visit again. We love Eating Europe.

. Also, want to try to get in as much quiet countryside relaxation as we can.

Ok, that might be the outlier, but you don't need to go all the way to CT for a hike so that might be why you want to be out in the Tuscan countryside for a few days? OR - Since you only have 7 days on the ground, 2 hotels would be enough!

Personally, I find the more I research what everyone wants to do before travel, the nicer the trip. Decide how you're getting around Florence & Rome, download the train app, look into restaurants near your favored tourist sites, book those tickets ahead of time, and remember to have time for a meal & gelato!!

Thank you, all! Really appreciate your responses!