Rome or Florence

I would stay in Verona. It's a charming city, and out of the places I visited in Italy, it felt the most like someplace I would actually want to live. You can easily visit places like Florence and Venice from there.

I love Florence. Easily walkable and the tourist area is compact, not spread out as in Rome.

Don't know how much cafesandgetaways knows about about Italy or Rome. Probably only what they read in the guidebooks. Trastevere is as touristy as any other part of Rome. If you are using Rome as a base then Trastevere is a little out of the way. It is a nice area with nice hotels and restaurants but it is not very local. Then, again, none of Rome is very local. We like Rome but don't know if I would pick it just to hang out for a week. If I did, I would stay in the Termini area just for the convenience to the train station.

Florence, on the other hand, is Rome Lite. Has much the same feel as Rome but just scaled down. It is easier to get around but still have a lot of tourist. Don't know if you could truly get a local feel. Lot of nice wineries around Florence. We spent a week visiting wineries but we had car. The local TI can put you in touch with some local tours. I could hang out for a week in Florence.

Milan is more like a New York with modern busy city. Lot to see and do but still it is busy. It is worth a couple, maybe three days but no more.

You should consider flying into Florence and coming home from Rome to give you the best schedule choices.

Every two hours there seems to be a direct Freccia train between Florence and Verona taking about 90 minutes. Otherwise, that trip requires at least one transfer and takes considerably longer. I'd be very cautious about planning to daytrip between those two cities.

Both a great cities, but Rome is my most favorite city in the World.

Neither Rome nor Florence can be seen in "a day", not even the "major sights." But I agree that you can be a local anywhere. It's a question of what you want to have to do/accomplish the rest of the day. Are you prepared to stand up in a bar and have pastry and strong coffee for breakfast? Or do you require a pod coffee machine and eggs just like home in an AirBnb? Does your mother need a taxi available as soon as she gets tired? How far can she walk in a day? Has she been to Europe before? Will the day trip be by train, rental car, private driver, bus?

We have been a day in Rome seen the major sights. We have been a day
in Florence and seen major sights and museums

As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day! I'll absolutely agree with Tim that neither Rome nor Florence can - or should - be SEEN in a day. There are a great many wonderful things to see in both if those things appeal. As you said "we" I'll assume that previous trip included your mother?

I'm also a bit curious as, looking back to your previous posts, you asked about a 13-day Italy itinerary for a group of 23 year-olds back in 2019 (you were one of the 23 year-olds), and mentioned in a couple other posts that you weren't into museums or much for history. So, I'm curious what sort of sightseeing you wish to do, and if you took that 2019 trip with the others of your young friends? What, more exactly, did you see in Florence and Rome during your single day in each? Also, does your week include travel days, and are you willing to fly into one airport and out of another?

LOL, "life as a local" means going to work, going to school, paying bills, cleaning house, cooking meals.... You get the idea. :O)

Correct, acraven, there are 12 direct trains per day between Verona and Florence, and, yes, they take about 90 minutes.

I guess I don't see 90 minutes each way as too long for a day trip???? I know people whose daily commute is nearly that long.

Do I understand this right - you are going for a week? You said Milan or Rome but Rome or Florence in the title. Florence is not really near Milan.

I don't think it matters much as you can find the local coffee shop to walk to in either place Florence or Rome but know you are not going to linger at the coffee shop like in the US.

Do you plan on taking public transport or will you have a car?

I prefer Florence over Rome as Florence is more compact but cities like Verona or Padua might be a good place to settle in for a week and both are on train lines.

I want to begin bu saying thank you for all your input. I am so grateful.
Yes, we went to Italy with the whole family. My husband, boys and parents a few years ago. And yes we hired a private chauffeur and visited museum and sights in Florence in one day. Same in Rome.
We Went to Prague for 5 days and loved it. We were in Lyon, two months ago. That is the kind of getaway we are looking for. It was nice discovering neighbourhoods and took a day trip yo Annecy. We spent one day on a private history tour.
Our sons like the museums and history.

My mom does not have issues walking for long periods.
We are from a big city. And wld like the feel of something different. Florence might ne the answer according to replies. City feel and option to visit Verona and tuscan countryside. Or maybe stay Verona?
We speak Italian And i think I didn't mention our sons will be joining my mom and I.

Oh and yes my week includes the travel days. Although we arrive at 9 am.
So maybe we shld stay in Padua or Verona? Or shld we stay in Florence and take day trip to these places?

Now I'm really confused, Maria! :O)
Weren't you 23 in 2019?
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/italy-tour-for-23-year-olds

So you must be around 27 now, and your boys must be really young? Let's just say that a VERY broad age difference (your mother's to your sons') can add to the overall picture.

So if your time includes travel days, you have just 5 nights/4.5 days on the ground in Italy? For instance:
Day 1 - fly to Italy
Day 2 - arrive, 1/2 day
Day 3 - sightsee
Day 4 - sightsee
Day 5 - sightsee
Day 6 - sightsee
Day 7 - fly home

If this is the case, I'd base in Florence (fly in and out of it) and take a day trip or two. Otherwise you'll use too much of your time relocating. As there's much more to see in Florence than you can do in a day, can you tell us what you saw last time? Also, are you planning on using a private driver for, say, a day in the countryside?

You are from Montreal, correct?

We will fly to Rome. And take train to Florence.
We will take a day to go to cinque terre. Does that sound good? We will spend last day in Rome since we have to fly out of Rome.
We also have to look into a place to stay in Florence.
Any ideas for day trip to cinque terre? Or district we should stay in.
Yes we are from Montreal.