Good Afternoon! I keep going back and forth on my October itinerary. I need advice. All of my hotels and confirmed and some of my travel and tours. I will in Rome for 2 nights a Friday and Saturday. Then on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday we are staying at a farmhouse outside of Siena. On Monday we are going on a Tuscany tour. Should I stay in Rome longer on Sunday or try to go to Florence and spend half a day there and then catch a train or bus to Siena. Since it is a Sunday it might have to be a train. I don't see many bus options past 6pm. We have Tuesday as a Free day that we could go to Florence but I think I would prefer to lounge in Siena that day and not travel. On Wednesday we are heading to Pisa to fly to Paris. It looks like the train is the best option to get from Siena to Pisa. My flight is at 2:20. So I am trying to decide if I should try and get there early to see the tower or spend some extra time in Siena. My questions are
1. Should I spend extra time in Rome or spend a half day in Florence. Is traveling to Florence from Rome then doing a tour then going to Siena too long of a day? Should I skip Florence this time and not over do my schedule? 2. Are there any direct buses from Siena to Pisa or just the train. I have Ricks book and it looks they have both but I am not finding the train station. Is it worth leaving Siena early to see the tower? Thanks All!
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, United States
907 posts
2 nights in Rome equals 1 day. There is a lot to see in Rome. A half day in Florence won't give you much by the time you travel. I would vote for more time in Rome. Pisa is worth seeing although a lot of people will tell you not to bother. Since you are flying to Paris from Pisa, take an hour or two and see the tower, but, don't miss the Baptistry!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15806 posts
Everything Gordon said.
Posted by
Vern
9 posts
I recently returned from RS Heart of Italy tour. We had about 1.5 days in Florence at the end of the trip. For me that was not enough. We saw Michaelangelo's David and the Uffizzi gallery as a group which were great, but I didn't fit in time to go into the Duomo or the Campanile. I will definitely recommend at least two-three days in Florence especially if you like to shop. It doesn't seem like half a day would allow you to see or do much. The decision may be quality or quantity of what you see and do. Have a great trip!
Posted by
OP
Austin
69 posts
Thank you all for your advice!
Posted by
New York
148 posts
Why are Rick's trips so fast-paced? I mean 1.5 day in Florence? Really? Changing hotels every night or two is not my idea of fun.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
Pace is the difference between tours and self-directed travel. I think the ideal tour is a week to 10 days at a fast pace, then I want to go my own way and spend more in-depth time at one of the places on the tour. This is usually the last tour stop. I was on an 8-day RS tour earlier this year; we were BUSY. And then it was over. Perfect. I saw some new areas I hadn't visited before, and now I know where I will return to stay.