We will be in Italy 10 days next month. Our home base will be in Florence with one weekend trip to Rome and some day trips to Venice, Sienna and maybe Assisi. Would it be worth it that time of year to continue down to th Amalfi Coast after we visit Rome or would we be better using our time returning to Florence and taking day trips since our time is limited?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32202 posts
bk,
With such a short time frame, I'd suggest limiting your stay to Florence, Rome and day trips. You shouldn't have any problems finding lots to do and see. The Amalfi Coast would be better left for a separate trip (IMO).
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
A daytrip to Venice will make for a long day, get an ealy start.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, USA
1883 posts
Take a day and go to Pisa instead of trying to get to the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi coast is worth 2-3 days by it's self.
Venice will take you 3 hours by train....check into a fast train, and buy your reserved seats asap to save money and time on the train.
Assisi is a long way too, (2.45 hours on the train) but a wonderful town, very hilly on both sides, more so than Florence and Rome for sure.
You could also consider Orvieto...a favorite on this site, and it's a wonderful town. Make sure you take the underground tour, and you can go walk down St Patrick's well for a different experience. If you love Italian ceramics, this is the town with some great shops.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
Thank you for the advice! As far as buying train tickets, I tried to buy through Rick Steve's link as I thought I read that the shipping was free. However, I noticed there was a shipping fee included. Do you know what is the most cost effective way to buy our train tickets? Thanks again!
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11315 posts
Buy your high speed "freccia" tickets at Trenitalia.com. Buying in advance can save you money, but the tickets are not refundable, so be certain of your dates and times. For regional trains, buy at the time of travel. There is no incentive to buy in advance.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
Regarding the train tickets, I noticed the fare is less on Italo from Florence to Rome, but I understand the station in Rome is further to central Rome. I read that the taxi fare is about $10 and overall, for three of us, the cost would be a lot less than the trenitalia fare. Any thoughts on going with Italo for this trip vs. trenitalia? Thanks!
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Both rail companies have some advance purchase discounts, roughly €19, 26, or 43 per person in 2nd class for Florence-Rome or Florence-Venice, with limited seats available at each rate. If those savings are important, then lock in the reserved tickets soon. If flexibility is more important to you, then there is no deadline to reserve.
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
2026 posts
This spring we chose Italo for our travel in Italy and were very satisfied. Their network is not nearly as extensive as Trenitalia, but they served our destinations. I am pretty sure the fares for our travel on Italo were cheaper than Trenitalia. I am sure that I found their website much easier to navigate and understand. We purchased second class with a minor upgrade...perhaps 5 euro?...and had comfortable seats on a fast,spotless train with free wifi. In Rome we used Tiburtina station, an easy 5 minute metro connection to and from Termini. I believe I read on this forum that Italo now serves Termini but I don't know. Italo agents were helpful and friendly. Do advise your credit card prior to purchase. I foolishly skipped that step, despite advice from this forum, because I was in a hurry. Dumb. However, all was corrected when my cc made a 3 way call to Italo to clear it up. I just kept mumbling "Thank you" and "Grazie" into the phone. Safe travels and enjoy your trip.