Rome in October 2018 - Itinerary Question & Train Question & Misc. Questions - First time to Italy

Hi ocsurfergirl,

1 and 2 seem doable.

3: I don't think that will work. Even if the train is on time. In my experience Italian trains, especially the high speed ones, are very punctual, but it will take you 15 minutes to find your way out of the station. Google thinks you are Jason Bourne. I would allow at least an hour between arrival in Florence and the start of your tour. Then you can grab some nice breakfast at a bar.

As for food, please stay tuned. I need to think. I work on the railways and am in Rome regularly. I need to think what best to recommend.

I am just going to answer your train question. Did you go to the Trenitalia site? I see more options.
You can take either -
Frecciarossa - Depart Rome 6:20 Arrive Firenze 7:51
Frecciargento - Depart Rome 6:50 Arrive Firenze 8:22
Frecciarossa - Depart Rome 7:05 Arrive Firenze 8:36
These are high speed trains, takes 1 1/2 hrs.

I would stay in Florence for 2 nights. You have a lot of time in Rome. You will have p;entry of time to see hat you want and soak up the ambience. Florence is different, and worth soaking in for 2 days itself. Besides which, the 3 hours on the train that day is a long trip (considering you don't want to be exhausted by your vacation). As for food, it really depends what you choose to eat for each meal, but in general, prices are comparable to any other big city. If you do stay in Florence, the Mercado is a great place for yummy food that isn't a budget breaker

How exciting! October is a wonderful time to be in Rome. We travel LAX to Europe also and we never have Jet Lag going to Europe rather we experience it once we are home (extreme sleepiness around 3PM for about 5 days). So I would think you will be good to go.
I would not do back to back days with tours. Put a day in between or else you may feel like you are go-go-go. I have never had a late train in Italy, they tend to run right on time. I would take a Taxi from the train station to your meeting place just to make sure and email the tour company to let them know you are coming in from Rome in the morning.
You do have enough days to spend at least 2 night in Florence have you considered that?
We budget 125€ a day for two people for food, but we do not eat fancy and spend most of that at Dinner. We enjoy following our nose for eats during the day. No set time for eating, just when we get hungry and we usually ask the tour guide for a recommendation close by after the tour for a sandwich or pizza. Do you know about the Florentine Steak? We cant go to Florence without eating a steak.
Have fun!

I am one of those overplanners who overthinks everything about my trips. Let me suggest to you that your stated preference for not trying to do every sight in Italy on your first venture abroad is very wise. May I suggest that you grab a copy of the Rick Steves Italy 2018 guidebook for planning purposes, as well as the Lonely Planet Italy guidebook. Here is what you get: These are both very good nuts and bolts (RS) and hip (LP) guides to all things Italian. They are both available on Amazon, and the RS guide is available on this website.

Slow is better at the beginning, and your idea for a less structured series of days will be appreciated by you when you start to crash on your first non-travel day. Jet lag is real, and after a long flight from LAX to FCO, you will not believe how wasted you will feel. Not to worry, because there are remedies (see the RS guidebook, and also Europe Through the Back Door, together with the various jet lag posts on this Forum) and your adrenaline will keep you going for a while. I have had good luck with this product: https://www.amazon.com/Miers-Labs-Homeopathic-Remedy-Count/dp/B00007KUX7/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1522693949&sr=8-3&keywords=jet%2Blag%2Bpills&th=1 in addition to the guidance about being out in the sunlight and walking around.

For restaurants, I really like using RS references and tips, but you may want to do some investigation into websites that list the "best of" lists of Roman restaurants, e.g., https://www.eater.com/maps/best-rome-restaurants and https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/rome/articles/rome-restaurants/ . There are many other resources for you to review and to drool over. In your travels you will quickly be able to discern which places are too touristy to be really good dining places. With that said, I have never had a bad meal in Rome, or in Florence, for that matter. Enjoy your planning and prepare for a wonderful trip!

I would not book Vatican tours for the day immediately after arriving because jetlag can be an overwhelming issue. I personally would schedule a quiet day of exploring for the city that day.

Have you decided how you are getting from the airport to wherever you are staying. I've never flown into Rome but I imagine it will take you at least 45 minutes to get luggage (if checked) and get out of arrivals. If you are taking the train, that adds 30 minutes plus however log until the next train departs (don't forget to validate you train tickets before boarding). Then you have to factor in time/cost to get from Termini to where you're staying. Another €20ish over the two train tickets and you can take a taxi into the city.

I also agree with Jessica that you should possibly spend a night or two in Florence rather than making it a day trip. I've done the Academia/Uffizi tour and you need to be there a certain time in advance to check in with the tour guide and get issued your headphones. Each venue has strict entry times for the tours and I've seen tour guides turn away late arrivals. So, if doing it as a day trip, you want to be on the earliest train practical.

As for food... It's pretty easy to get an idea of restaurant process by going on line. Use google maps to search for places around your hotel and look at the menus. There are food options for every budget... I would also do a google search for Italian food etiquette to educate yourself on the ins and outs of eating in Italy. There are several really good blogs by expats that will allow you act like a professional world traveler...

Also, take Rick's advise. The further away from a piazza or tourist site, the better and cheaper the food gets. However, eating outdoors on the piazza overlooking a beautiful fountain or church should be done at least once - just budget for it.

We budget about €125 per day for food, but usually underrun that. If we have an apartment it is usually under €90 per day because we cook a couple of dinners. But there are some values to be had in dining in Rome!

Lunch in a bar can be a good deal. Grab a panino and a bottle of water , plus a beer or glass of wine. Or hit the tavola calda, a hot buffet served in some bars for about €10 each. This is what Roman office workers do. Just try not to hit bars in touristy spots like across from The Coliseum or too close to the Vatican.

Pizza is a great bargain supper. Get over to Testaccio for Pizzeria da Remo. Two pizzas, a half liter of house wine, water, and 2 suppli will run about €33. Dinner only! Dar Poeta is another reasonably priced pizzeria and near Piazza Navona, we’ve enjoyed goods pasta at a fair price at Antica Taverna. You can eat well there for less than €50 for the two of you.

Don’t be afraid to share portions. We often order one antipasto and two mains (secondi) or two antipasti and one pasta, or some such combo.

Drink your espresso or cappuccino standing at the bar to keep costs down, although if you really need a rest, it is a small price to pay extra for you coffee and do so. Again, avoid the sites on major piazzas or near major sites.

@Edward Haha we are definitely not Jason Bourne. I like your idea of at least allowing an hour between arrival in Florence and start of the tour. We think we might do a 1 night stay in Florence just to be safe.

@Charlotte I was looking at the italiarail.com site. I do see a few more options though. Thanks!

@Jessica I didn't think about how taxing it could be to do a 6 hour tour and 3 hours in train travel in one day. We are thinking of doing a one night stay in Florence. Thank you for the Mercado recommendation.

Everyone else thank you for your guidance as well! I really appreciate it. After reading your comments/recommendations I have changed up our itinerary a bit. Does this look better??

Agenda
Day 1: (Oct 3rd) TRAVEL DAY (Flight from LAX to Rome)
Day 2: (Oct 4th) Land in Rome @ 7:40PM Night in Rome
Day 3: (Oct. 5th) Day/Night in Rome
Day 4: (Oct. 6th) Day/Night in Rome - Colosseum Tour w/ Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

(3 hours)
Day 5: (Oct. 7th) (Train from Rome to Florence in the AM - 1 ½ hours) Day/Night in Florence
Day 6: (Oct. 8th) Day in Florence - Full Day Best of Florence with Uffizi Gallery, Statue of David and Florence Cathedral (6 hours) (Train from Florence back to Rome in the evening) Night in Rome
Day 7: (Oct. 9th) Day/Night in Rome
Day 8: (Oct. 10th) Day/Night in Rome - Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, & St. Peter
Basilica Tour (3 hours)
Day 9: (Oct. 11th) Day/Night in Rome
Day 10: (Oct 12th) TRAVEL DAY (Flight from Rome to LAX)

Thank you again for looking this over and advising me :)

Hello,
We will also be traveling to Rome in October. I have not read all the recommendations so I may be repeating. Do give yourself time to just wander around Rome. This will be my sixth time to Italy and I go to Rome each and every time then go to other cities and towns. I did not schedule a tour the day we arrived, we arrived early morning like your itinerary shows, took our luggage to the hotel and walked. You can take the Hop on Hop off bus tour, gives you an overview of the city and helps to put places in perspective and you can rest up a bit. Be sure and get the map they provide so you can see what sights are near each other, like Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Go into less famous churches that you pass, you'll be amazed at the architecture and artwork, as pretty as St. Peters. When I scheduled a tour I would do only one tour a day and 1/2 day at that, so we would have time to relax and explore. I would do a morning tour then the next tour we'd do in the afternoon so that we could go to early markets and etc... Be sure and explore at night, the major sights are lit up, making it such a difference experience. Again, take the Hop on Hop off bus to see the Colosseum, Trajan's Column, Forum etc.... You do have time to stay in Florence for two days if you choose, great city too. If you can and want to take another day trip I'd recommend Pompeii and Amalfi coast, long day trip but so enlightening and beautiful. We used Romecabs tour company. I researched numerous companies, they were great, pick you up at your hotel and return you there. Also had them take us from the airport to the hotel when we arrived.
I could go on and on but I'm sure you may have grown bored with my ramblings. If you have any specific questions just email.

Most importantly, just enjoy your trip.
Dana

With the amount of time you have I would consider 2 or 3 nights in Florence. Something like this ...

October
4. Arrive Rome (4 nights
5. Rome
6. Rome
7. Rome
8. Train to Florence (3 nights)
9. Florence
10. Day to Pisa / Siena / Lucca
11. Train to Rome (1 night)
12. Depart Rome

Ordinarily I'd say, 'daytrip from Rome to Florence?! Lunacy!'

But having made a base, an Italian home of sorts, at an apartment in Roma (if only for a week) I'm thinking only one full day in Florence--on this trip only--might be a pretty good use of your time. Only thing you'd miss, and this is a very cool part of Firenze, is the strolling-at-night aspect, walking through the somewhat-deserted streets, looking in shop windows and searching for a killer cup of crema gelato. You'd have to hop on the train back to Rome before you'd get to experience that. But I'd assume you'll be back to give Florence more of your time at some point in the future.

However, not having to schlep all your worldly goods from Rome to Florence for 1 or more days is a pretty sweet factor as well. With just a little daybag, leave Roma Termini as early as 8AM, you're in Florence before 10, do your stuff until 6 or so, then walk back to Santa Maria Novella station, and rest your dog-tired feet on the smooth 90 minute Freccia ride back to Roma. Then you're ready for a nice dinner, a stroll of your own in your respective neighborhood, then bed.

Not a bad day, not a bad day at all!

I was thinking along the same lines as Jay, but my solution is different. Pack a small overnight bag for Florence, and leave the rest of your luggage in your Rome hotel - they will store your stuff until you return. When you get to Florence you can either drop your bag at your hotel on arrival or put it in storage in the train station and pick it up later.

I like to spend a day sight-seeing, then relax on a late afternoon train, and have a leisurely dinner at my new location. You have the option of spending the day in Rome and then going to Florence or going early and spending 2 days there.

I was thinking along the same lines as Jay, but my solution is
different. Pack a small overnight bag for Florence, and leave the rest
of your luggage in your Rome hotel - they will store your stuff until
you return.

Chani, are you saying that the hotel in Rome would store baggage for the OP even if they weren't staying there for a night or two, and not paying them for those nights?

Inquiring minds wanna know...

@jay & @chani we are thinking of keeping our Air bnb for the 8 night in Rome but booking a 1 night stay in Florence. We’d leave all our luggage in our Rome Air bnb and just pack an overnight bag. So the plan would be to take a morning train to Florence on Oct. 7th check into our Florence Air bnb, spend the day walking around Florence, shopping, getting dinner and strolling the city at night like recommended above. Then we’d check out in the morning on Oct. 8th have our Air bnb host store our overnight bag for us for the day and head off to our Florence in a day tour, the tour would end around 3pm we’d go back pick up our overnight bag and hit the train and be to our home Base in Rome by 7 and have dinner in Rome.

My main question is does that seem like it’s going to be hectic we really don’t want to over do it and be exhausted, this trip isn’t suppose to be go-go-go. After we get back from our Florence one night 2 days we still will have 4 nights and 3 more days in Rome.

"Chani, are you saying that the hotel in Rome would store baggage for the OP even if they weren't staying there for a night or two, and not paying them for those nights?"

I'm not Chani, but I'll answer. If you are staying in a hotel, and taking a break of a few days away and then returning to the same hotel, most hotels will store bags for you without difficulty (and usually without a fee as well). However, Airbnb is not the same as a hotel. If you're in an apartment, you have to check the particulars of your exact apartment.

ocsurfergirl--

Bravo. I think you are employing the best of both worlds by really having a base with your airbnb in Rome and spending a night in Florence, with just your bare necessities. But what do you bring? How much of your stuff? George Carlin will tell you...enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

Hey OC, have to say this is probably the most reasonable, well thought out itinerary from a first timer I’ve ever seen; congratulations. Sounds like you’re using walks of italy for tours? If so, we’ve used them many times and enjoyed every one. Italian hi speed trains are great; you can go right to the operator’s websites and book; Trenitalia or Italo; Italiarail is a reseller. Stefanos Romecabs is great for airport transfers; very reliable. You’ve got the big sites covered, I’ll try and give you some of our other favourites later.
The David in Florence though was amazing!

@jay thank you. I think the 2 days, 1 night in Florence is going to be perfect for us. Thanks for your help!

@douglas44 what a wonderful complement! Thank you :) I’ve really tried to gather up research and take people’s advice before writing up our itinerary. We’re actually going to use Dark Rome Tours. My brother had great experiences with their tours. I’ll be booking the train tickets from italiarail.com :) And thank you for the RomeCabs recommendation. I’ll need an airport transfer from FCO to our Air Bnb so I’ll check them out. We’re seeing David on our Florence tour can’t wait!

Thanks everyone. I’ve taken note of all your food/restaurant recommendations as well!

Jay - I've had hotels keep my luggage for several days before I've checked in and after I've checked out, as well as when I've stayed both before and after.

Not to belabor the point, Chani, but if this is somewhat usual & customary in Italy, what about the other EU countries? I know you're well-traveled. Can't imagine the French not giving you a hard time about doing this! :)

I think your modified itinerary with a night in Florence looks like perfection. I'm headed back to Rome for a second time in a month, for four days (or previous trip was also four days in Rome), and we felt that we really moved, but saw all we wanted to see. I'd recommend the Eating Italy food tour (twilight Tastevere was great) to add a little something extra to your Rome events. And if you're itching to get out of the city, you can take a train to Ostia Antica, check out some great Roman sites, and then get lunch in Ostia which is a beach town. It was a really great way for us to spend our last day in Rome, and it really felt like an area where the locals go to get away from it all. It's all described in the RS Rome book. :)

Just a few tips for sight seeing, try to see the big attractions more than once, sunrise, mid afternoon, sunset, and night. There are so many different looks with shadows, sun beams streaming through the windows, daylight, late afternoon light, etc. Europe really knows how to light up their attractions, so do not miss seeing everything at night! Take a late night walk around the Vatican city area or the Colloseum and forum area. The same applies for Florence, sit on the Ponte Vechio late at night or on the steps of the Palazzo Vechio with a few of your new friends, bring a bottle of wine to share. Also, early morning walks are great because they clean the streets at night and now everything is nice and clean and there are no crowds to deal with. Again, great morning light for taking pictures.