We are traveling in July (not the ideal time but the only time we could do).
We would like an overnight stop in a town between either, Pisa and Rome along the coast or Florence and Rome, in Tuscany. We're looking for small and a little off the beaten path if possible. Any recommendations as to one or the other? Would really like to hang out along the coast but I don't want to be in a beach town packed with tourists in July so maybe a town in Tuscany would be better.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11835 posts
It's not a very long trip from either Pisa or Florence to Rome. The fast train between Florence and Rome does not even stop. Pisa to Rome requires a change of trains in Florence.
You could go Pisa to Orbetello-Monte Argentario then take the bus (very short trip) to Porto Santo Stefano. Very cute town and not too beachy. Many people go to the beach on Isola Giglio from there.
Or you might go to Orvieto, very popular with Forum members, between Florence and Rome.
Research schedules at www.Trenitalia.com
Posted by
Oregon
19 posts
There is a Freccia (fast) train that goes direct between Rome and Pisa along the coast with several stops along the way including Civitavecchia, Orbetello, Grosseto, Campiglia Marittima and Livorno. We didn't get off at any of these stops, so can't comment on them, but take a look and see if they fill your needs of being small and off the beaten path.
Posted by
5253 posts
Grosseto was one of the places I did not manage to get to when I visited this region last May, but I would consider it based on your specs. https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/one-day-in-grosseto-00001/
I loved Orbetello, but I'm just not sure what it would be like in July.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
If you stop off, you will need to get two tickets, one for the first train to your stop off point, one for the second train from there.
High Speed trains run on the high speed line and usually don't stop between Florence and Rome. If you want to stop somewhere, this means taking a less direct and slower route.
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1759 posts
Interesting places in central Italy (Siena, Assisi, Perugia) are mainly off main railway lines. If you are going from Florence or Pisa to Rome, the most interesting places are the starting and the arriving places. A possible exception is Orvieto on the Florence to Rome line, but stopping there involves using slower trains.
Posted by
Bendigo, Australia
1297 posts
You might consider doing an overnight stop in Assisi, between Florence and Rome. If you are there on a Sunday night, go to the huge church in the bottom town, and you will find several hundred people singing the Rosary or similar.
You can’t help but be swept up in the feeling of faith.
Posted by
OP
Phoenix, AZ
110 posts
Thank you everyone for the great ideas. We are starting out in Venice and doing a day trip to Chuisaforte (the birth place of my husband's grandparents by the border of Slovenia). From Venice to Florence, the heading to Rome with a day trip to Pompeii. My husband and I did a week in Rome a few years back but we're traveling with our teenage kids and we can't go to Italy without taking them to Rome and Pompeii. I just wanted a place to hang out for a day or two after Florence and before we hit the chaos that is Rome.