So Much to See... Never Enough Time...

I would skip CT to add to Rome/ Florence.

CT is a nice seaside town, but "history" is in Rome (and Florence). With the boys interest in history it is not a choice to second guess yourself about. You/they can do CT on another visit

Your itinerary is very do-able and it's a good one. By all means, go to visit Volterra, but it's a city on top of a large hill out in the country to itself. I would suggest staying at an agriturismo over toward San Gimignano and/or Siena as it's so easy to get to Orvieto from there. There are also more things to do around there.

Cinque Terre is a series of five towns linked by trains, 5-10 minutes apart. I would add those days to Roma, however.

David,
First of all, I hope you and your family are OK and weren't hit by the tornado that struck Thursday near Birmingham.

I think you should listen to your instinct and drop CT.

Bothe Siena and Volterra have much to recommend them. I think it boils down to your family's interests. Siena is of course larger and has potentially more to do. The cathedral is spectacular and the museums are very interesting. I especially enjoyed climbing up the spiral staircase within the unfinished wall. The screenshot on my work computer was taken from the top of the wall looking towards the city tower and the Piazza del Campo. However, we were there in December when the crowds were pretty much non-existent. Access to the wall during June may require a pretty long wait. You'd have a wider variety of accommodations in Siena.

Volterra is charming and would be a good choice if you are interested in Etruscan and Roman archeology. Since you'll be staying in Florence, staying in Volterra would offer a more different experience than would staying in Siena. It would be more small town Italy. There's a wonderful promenade just outside the city walls were townsfolk take their evening stroll. The sun sets on this side and it is spectacular.

Either would be a good choice, but I'm leaning towards Volterra.

Seeing that you have teenage sons, I'm assuming you have many traveling years ahead of you. Thus, you have to figure you'll be returning. We didn't go abroad to Europe until I was 53, then returned after 5 years, then 2 years. My plans are to go every other year, unless funds run out. Interestingly, though, I'm spending less on a per diem basis each trip. Maybe I'm learning how to do it better.

With that in mind, concentrate on fewer areas, so skip the CT. I have a buddy picking up a car in Florence this week and driving to Rome, so once I get his trip report I can let you know. I kind of freaked him out about the ZTL's so he definitely is aware!

I might sound like a broken record, but spend as much time in Rome as you can, and not just for the attractions. Yes, I was there in March and not early June, but I had the feeling that Rome absorbs tourists much better than Florence or Venice. You don't have to go very far off the beaten path at all in almost any area of Rome to experience a neighborhood without tourists or touristed-up places. Take the bus & Metro, learn the ins & outs of them. They will be crowded--watch your pockets--but so rewarding to be able to get anywhere you want without a taxi.

Enjoy your planning!

I'll add my voice to the nays on the Cinque Terre. If you are really worried about the ZTLs, then reconsider the car. Many of the towns in Tuscany and Umbria that you'll consider visiting have them. If you do take a car, consider staying in an agriturismo and think about visiting Assisi. Orvieto gets lots of daytrippers from Rome so it's better as an overnight. Maybe you could work your itinerary so you get to Orvieto late in the day, drop the car, stay overnight and take an evening train to Rome the next day.

Last year was my first trip to Europe (at age 48) and I loved it so much that we immediately started figuring out a way to return with our kids this year. We have three, ages 9, 14 and 16. So in 8 days we leave for 11 nights in Italy - 3 in Rome, 3 in Tuscany (Serre di Rapolano, 30 minutes east of Siena), 2 in Lake Garda, 2 in Venice with 1 final night back in Rome.

Altho I only did the trip on paper (and in my head many times), I agree with the others about leaving out the CT. I, too, fell in love with the photos in the guide books and the beauty of the coastline and really wanted to visit it this trip. But it was just too far off the beaten path and would have required a half day just to reach it from Rome. I opted instead for the beauty of Lake Garda, which won't take as much time to get to and is only about 2 hours west of Venice, as opposed to 4 hours from the CT. I know we will return in the next year or two, and we will make the CT a definite stop on that trip. I'd like to do a drive along the entire Italian Riviera into France and experience more of northern Italy.

Volterra seems like an amazing town. We will visit it, along with Siena and San Gimignano.

There is so much to see in Rome and in Italy. You might notice I cut out Florence. My husband and I went last year and loved it, but I wanted to take the kids to Venice and we simply couldn't see everything. It was important to my stepdaughter to have time at the beach, so Lake Garda filled that requirement and Florence would have been more museums that might cause my 9-year-old to whine.

It's really about balancing what your family likes with what you have the time to do. And it seems you're doing that well and planning far in advance. I didn't even start planning my trip until March this year!

I like your original itinerary and would not trade the Cinque Terre for more nights in Rome. In a 16-day trip, you need a break somewhere. Even though they love history, I think teenage boys will appreciate the variety of village, beach, boat riding, and/or hiking break.

The only major car rental agency to drop the car at Orvieto is Hertz and you probably have to book directly with them, not through Auto Europe. Hertz and other rental agencies in Pisa are at the airport. You can leave your bags at Pisa Centrale station while visiting the town, then take the People Mover from there to the airport. Hertz in La Spezia is 3 km from La Spezia Centrale station, so you'd probably take a taxi between, if picking up the car there.

It seems like a lot to me... 16 days is 14 nights?

I would skip CT...it is so crazy there anyway....not my thing..

You will want a break from the heat...I suggest going to beaches outside Rome for 2 nights on way to Rome...just decompress and cool off before seeing Rome. Or just 1.5 hours from Rome on the fast train you can take ferry to Ischia an island with history and real beaches for a great family vacation.

Laura,

Thanks for the info on Orvieto and the rental car.

JJ, It is 16 nights (18 days with flights)