Only 6 full days in Italy. Should we stay in Rome the entire time?

You're going to get the same variety of responses here. And that's because there is no right answer. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to traveling. Only you can decide what works best for you. Personally, I would maybe do 4 days in Rome and 2 in nearby Orvieto for a change.

I think 6 full days (plus arrival & departure days) in Rome is too much. If I'm calculating correctly, that would be 7 nights. I'd recommend 3 nights in Rome, go somewhere else for 3 nights, return to Rome the day before your departure and spend a final night there. Where to go depends on your interests. I personally would go to Venice for those 3 nights, as I found it fascinating and beautiful and unlike anywhere else in the world. It's just a couple of hours from Rome by train. Or you could spend 3 nights in Sorrento, visiting the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Lots to do there. Or you could visit Orvieto. Or Siena. Or Florence. Any of these places would be interesting and worthwhile. I suggest getting an Italy travel book and reading about the various options, and then you can choose the one that most appeals to you.

depending on what time your flight arrives to Rome I would immediately head to Florence and spend a few days there and then take the train back to Rome to spend the final days there before flying out. If you choose to do all 6 days in Rome that would be okay and you could take a very leisurely pace but my preference would be spending some time in Florence too.
You really can't go wrong either way.

If you decide to go north, Venice for example, OMH I would fly open jaw out of Venice, if possible, to avoid back tracking and spending valuable time on the train, unless you are already booked. A day trip to either Florence or Venice from Rome does not leave much time to see much of anything in each. You run the risk of being completely exhausted, which you said you want to avoid. The Amalfi Coast or Orvieto are relatively close and offer a completely different experience than the large cities...you will make it back!

I vote to spend the entire time in Rome. We went last year and want to go back for a week next time. There is so much to do and see and the city is just amazing. Relax, take an afternoon break and a late dinner. Study the RS book and pick restaurants recommended by Rick, you,ll eat well. Do the guided walks in the book, especially the nighttime walk.

Lori, I would suggest reviewing books and video on Italy for as much information as possible and then deciding what is best for you. There is no right answer. For some, a week in Rome is not long enough. For me, two days were enough, and I need not go back. I saw what I needed to see and, though not disliking Rome, simply did not like it as much as other places in Italy or other large European cities such as London and Paris. I think Rick Steves said in his Italy book or on one of his TV programs regarding Rome that Italy is more charming elsewhere, and I agree. I would much rather spend time in Venice or on the Amalfi coast than Rome. But that's me, based on my experience and my interests. Get as much information as you can and then decide what is probably best for you. Good luck.

If it's your first time in Italy, I'd suggest doing a bit of a 'sampler'. Maybe not stretching too far out of the area considering how much time you have, but if it were me I'd do two nights in Rome, a full day/night in Assisi, a day in Siena (then to Florence in the evening), a full day/second night in Florence, and then up to Pisa/Lucca on day 6. If your day 7 doesn't allow for travel time from the Pisa area back to Rome, then (in my opinion) that could be cut into a half day. I definitely agree with what Richard said though- go through books and videos to decide what would be best for you! It completely depends on what you want out of this trip. Italy is an extraordinarily charming place, so no matter what you choose to do you won't be disappointed.

If it were my trip I would spend 2 full days in Rome and the rest of the time elsewhere. Probably somewhere in Tuscany or else Venice. I prefer the villages and small towns and after a few days of tromping around seeing tourist sites I am ready to head for the countryside. I do however love Venice... its a great place to wander or take a day trip to Burano. What ever you decide it will be great.... its Italy.

If you want to stay in Rome for 6 days there's most definetly enough to keep you busy. It's up to what you want really. For me 6 days was not enough but if ya'll want to get out and wander just keep in mind that you'll start eating up time on buses/trains.

We've spent 14 nights in Rome in the past 16 months over the course of two trips. We're still not done with her. I'd stay in Rome the whole time and day trip to Orvieto or Ostia Antica if you want a change of scenery. Settle into an apartment and live local for a less touristy experience.

" I want to enjoy the time I have there and not be completely exhausted. Hopefully I will make it back again someday." Moving from place to place is tiring & time consuming. There is plenty to keep you busy in Rome. Have a great trip!

Check out Ron in Rome website. Get the RS Italy/Rome book. Watch the mini series Rome.

You could take in Rome for 3 days and move 2 hours (by fast train) north to Florence for the other 3 days. But, if you want a more restful trip, I would suggest booking the full 6 days at olivetreehill.com. They are TripAdvisor's #1 rated B&B in the Rome area, and get fantastic customer ratings. They're 20 miles south of Rome, 30 minutes by train. There are great sights to see outside of Rome in other cities. By staying there, you could take it as busy or as easy as you want to make it. The owner is supposedly a great cook too. We'll be there Easter weekend until Wednesday.

The Amalfi coast takes a bit of "work" to get there-train to Naples, then taxi-tram to port, then hydrofoil over to Sorrento or Capri. If you had already been to other parts of Italy, then I would suggest that, but sinceyou have never been to Florence and that is a quick train ride that drops you almost in the city center, I think I would do 3 nights in Florence and 3 nights in Rome. In Florence, I highly recommend a day tour called Best of Tuscany. You can book it at viator.com. It goes to Siena, San Gigimano (sp?), and Pisa. You have lunch at a winery. Everyone in our family from 9-65 yrs old loved this tour-it was one of the highlights of our trip.

I am leaning towards Venice right now instead of Florence. It just seems fascinating because of the canal. But the tour that you mentioned to Tuscany sounded really good too. Would you choose Florence over Venice? If we choose Venice over Florence, would we still be abe to do do the tour to Tuscany?

I have to offer a different perspective from David of Alabama on whether to stay outside of Rome instead of in the center. We've stayed outside the center of cities in Italy before and without fail have regretted it. Staying in or extremely near the historic center allows you the opportunity to see the city or town at its best and at your own pace. If you want to take a break or a nap in the afternoon, it's easy to go back to your hotel or apartment. Not true if that means taking a half hour train in each direction (which you have to wait for, so make it more like 40 minutes each way). And olivetreehill.com is not actually the #1 B&B on TripAdvisor for the Rome area. It's #1 of 2 in the town of Zagarolo. If you want to see the TA list of B&Bs for Rome, go here. And Lori, your question about Venice over Florence is an age-old question. Personally I much prefer Venice over Florence. There's no other city like it in the world. If you choose Venice, then choose Venice. Don't try to do Tuscany as well. You'll spend all your time in transit. Happy travels.

Lori - Venice is a magical place, so if you don't want to stay in Rome all 6 days (which is what I would recommend), you could do the following (assuming you can't change your flights): Day 1 - arrive in Rome, immediately train to Venice, get to hotel, check in, see a little bit of Venice Day 2 - Venice Day 3 - morning Venice, afternoon train to Rome, get to hotel, etc. Day 4 - Rome Day 5 - Rome
Day 6 - Rome

I also would stay in city center, esp. if limited time. We loved walking around all 3 of these places and popping back to the hotel as needed to relax, change for dinner, etc.
I prefer Florence--but the Tuscany day tour was such a home run with our family, it tipped the scales. Elaine