Rome, Florence, Tuscany honeymoon advice?

Rent a car in Tuscany to have the best experience. We have been there many times, always have a car and I can't imagine not having one there. It is small towns in a rural area. You don’t want to be sitting , waiting at bus stops, especially in the heat.

We really want to get away from the crowds as best we can while still getting a feel for Florence.

If you want to get a feel for Florence I don't see how you can get it in July. It is unpleasantly crowded (you already know this from hearsay) in the daytime in July compared to the first time I was there in 2002 and then a 2nd time in December 2015. I would skip Florence in July and just do the countryside. Florence in the summer, nope, you still have to guard your valuables in heat and crowds.

Get one of those guide books at the local library. What you will hear here on the forum is corroborated in the book and will be easier to process than reading on the Internet.

We were in Florence in late June and it wasn't as crowded as when we visited it on another trip in early October. Can you go to Italy a little earlier?

We have 11 nights in July - I am aware it’ll be quite hot and crowded in some areas with tourists, but this is the only time we could get off work.

According to the OP, they have eleven nights and can only travel in July (as approved.)

Lizhennessy, welcome to the forum! How wonderful that you are planning to honeymoon in Italy! Even though it will be quite hot (as mentioned!) it will still be Italy! Just to get to your original questions: For your first time, you might schedule 4 nights in Florence, 3 nights in a smaller town/village, and 4 nights in Rome. Now, the following advice follows your hope to NOT rent a car: While in Florence, you might plan one or two day trips, either on your own by train or bus (Siena is one hour by bus; Lucca is less than an hour by train.) Small group day tours from Florence are much discussed on this forum. Suggest you put in "day tours from Florence" into the search bar at the top of this page, and see what other folks have enjoyed. I was very happy with a small group tour with ToursbyRoberto (who you will see in some of Rick's TV shows). For a smaller town, you might stay in Orvieto (actually in Umbria, but on the train line between Florence and Rome) or Lucca, among others. IF you decide to rent a car, you could spend those three wonderful days in Montepulciano, and day trip to Montalcino (wineries), Pienza, and other incredibly scenic villages and vineyards that are hard to get to by public transportation. Car rental is available near the train stations in Chiusi and Orvieto (both on that train line between Florence and Rome) which would mean you wouldn't have to drive in and around the big cities of Florence or Rome. In Florence you might look to stay in the Oltrano neighborhood (not quite as crowded) and in Rome in the Trastevere neighborhood (ditto). Finally: BE SURE to ONLY book hotels/bnbs/etc. that have AIR CONDITIONING. Read the reviews before booking and make sure people haven't had a problem with the AC. And re. cooking classes: Suggest again that you use the "search" function. Lots of great ideas from folks who have done those in Italy. One more possibility might be to stay 2-3 nights on an agriturismo that offers cooking classes and maybe has vineyards and wine tasting too....

Hi liz,

You have 11 nights which equates to 10 days. So you will need to plan carefully to make the most of your time and have a day to just wander as is one of your wishes. Pay attention to crosswalks. The traffic will stop. If you "jay walk" somewhere, they may not be expecting to see pedestrians. Also, there are bicycles that zip around here and there.

I cannot help with Florence (Firenze) but, maybe you'd be interested to read below:

Then spend a few days in Rome.

Rome is awe-inspiring, amazing, crazy busy, fun, exciting and pops with surprises around every corner or down every street. It is really an outside walking museum. I love it!

The main attractions you may want to visit are pretty close walking distance -- The Pantheon, Campo de Fiori, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. The Vatican /St. Peter's and The Colosseum will take longer to get to unless you are staying in the neighborhoods of each.

Rules have changed for some attractions. It is best to go on each website to read up on time changes, bag policies, Basilica and Church modesty policies for women and men (especially in the summer months.)

Here are sample itineraries you can check out and then customize to your own likes.

Click on the number of days to see some examples of an itinerary

https://www.visitacity.com/en/rome

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/rome-itinerary

Rome In A Nutshell (good for first-time visitors) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2VcEkPaeF4

The Roman Guy (many videos) Here is a new one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIDP6zNbHbA
Sean, one of the owners I believe, and narrator of many videos over the years, gives a quick insight to "walking Rome."

Visiting The Vatican Museums https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxHpQ-A9hs4
If this is one of your choices, to max your time, as an example, you would visit The Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica and Castel Sant'Angelo. The Vatican and St. Peter's are close. Castel Sant'Angelo (Bridge of Angels) is a few-minutes walk away from the Piazza.

Check out TRG's other videos too such as specific areas: The Neighborhoods and their YT channel to get a real-time feel of Rome https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCobaqk2JEYLiBJAhJZG0Oiw

Florence (Firenze) The Roman Guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlbJQUVTWaw

Rome's Bus Transport: https://www.rome.info/public-transport/ If you take any city centre bus, make sure you validate your tickets as soon as you step on the bus. The machine is located behind the driver near the first few seats. Transit Inspectors have increased their presence on popular city buses in Rome. If they find you do not have a valid pass or BIT (ticket), you can be fined a lot.

There is also the Official Taxi of Rome. https://www.romewise.com/taxi-in-rome.html

You may enjoy Campo de' Fiori and Piazza Navona for leisurely strolls and little restaurants off the beaten path. The street musicians travel to the Piazzas and put on a great musical show! I've seen them a few times in my travels.

Also, check out these webcams strategically placed in and around areas of Italy

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio.html
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/toscana.html

There is also Orvieto, a quaint, "hill town" that resembles Tuscany. Orvieto is becoming more and more popular as a day trip from Rome via train or a couple of nights stay. It is known for its Classico wines. Casually strolling around, viewing the hills, sitting and enjoying a glass of wine may fit into one day of your plan.

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/umbria.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6k0J15SRXQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_-YAqx90Pc

Hope some of the ideas help you to organize.

Have fun planning!

We spent 3 nights in Florence and that was fine for us, even though we loved the city. That gave us time to visit the museums (buy tickets ahead of time) and have time to just walk around, or buy a sandwich or pizza and sit in the piazza and people watch. We stayed 3 nights in an Agriturismo in Tuscany. I agree with other posters that a car is really necessary in Tuscany if you want to see some of the smaller towns. 4 nights in Rome will give you enough time to see the main attractions.

There are some towns that you can visit in Tuscany without a car--Lucca, Siena for example. But it sounds like you want the full rural experience, which does require a car.
Make a list of what you want to see and do in Florence and Rome, then allot your days accordingly. The best place to start is with a comprehensive Tuscany book (you could read up on Lazio and Umbria while you are at it--I don't think those areas will be anything approaching quiet in July, but you might encounter fewer international tourists).

1. PACK LIGHT!!!

2. Bologna is very underrated. Go there and do the Italian days tour. It is very expensive but so worth it

   1. Book hotels or air bnbs way early for July.

While I agree with Suki, that a car is optimal in Tuscany, you can still see many of the hill towns by bus and train.

Here's my reply to another post last week.

With 11 nights, I'd fly into Rome, head immediately by train to Florence.

There are 2 direct trains to Florence at 11:08 and 3:08.
If these times don't work, take the Leonardo Express into Rome and travel to to Florence from there.

4 nights...Florence, several day trips by train in under an hour. ( Pick 2 day trips.) Bologna, Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini Terni/Alto, Pisa, the beach town Viareggio and Lucca at 1:17. By bus Greve.

Bus Florence-Siena. Bus drop you in town.

3 Nights Siena...day trips by bus bus to San Gimignano, Castellina, Radda, Montereggioni.
By train Buonoconvento. By train/bus ( Siena-Chiusi then bus Chiusi-Montepulciano.). Do this last as it puts you at the Chiusi station to connect to Rome. Montepulciano-Chiusi bus.

Train. Either Siena or Chiusi- Rome.

Rome 4 nights.

This should give you a good balance for a first trip.

In FLORENCE, stay in Oltrarno, it has a more Florentine feel than the Duomo area.
Then try to decide whether you prefer to stay in a hotel or rent an apartment via vrbo, for instance.
In an apartment, you have more place, you are not disturbed, have your breakfast exactly how you do it or want it. However you do not have constantly a person to answer immediately all your questions.

4 nights -FLORENCE
2 nights - Siena
5 nights - Rome ( 1 day trip to either Tarquinia or Orvieto)

I am blown away but your kind responses! Thank you so much for all the help!! More than I could’ve asked for. I am definitely considering renting a car now for Tuscany. Thanks again all!