Hello, This Oct will be my first Italy trip. I am going on a scheduled tour with a friend. It is a 11 day tour between Sorrento, Rome and Sicily. We have a free day in Rome where I would like to hop on the train and go to Tuscany/Florence for the day. Is that possibly or too far for a day? I have been researching day tours in the area to see as much as we can in that day. Thanks in advance for your opinions :)
Posted by
Caruthers, CA, USA
244 posts
Simply put, no. Put it this way. Make believe you're on a tour of San Francisco and Napa Valley. You have a free day, and want to experience Yosemite. Could you do it? Sure. Rent a car, drive 4 hours to Yosemite, look at Half Dome for 5 minutes, get back in the car and drive back. You've been to Yosemite, but you have not experienced it, because you have to be in Yosemite long enough to relax in order to have it soak in. Tuscany is a rural region of small villages and towns. You can go there and return, but you won't experience it. Spend your free day in Rome...in Rome. On our first trip to Italy 2 years ago we spent 8 days in Rome, and we didn't see everything. There is a high speed train to Florence that would get you there quickly, and you could run through Florence and say you were there, but it's like the Yosemite example. You're seeing southern Italy. Go back and see Tuscany and Florence on your next trip.
Posted by
OP
Marysville, WA, US
22 posts
That totally makes sense. Thank you very much for the info, greatly appreciated!
Posted by
Caruthers, CA, USA
244 posts
My favorite discovery in Rome was the French Cathedral near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luigi_dei_Francesi If you imagine the french wanting to make a statement in italian Rome, you get the idea. It's incredible. Favorite restaurant was Vecchia Roma, nearby. http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rome/D33584.html Have fun!
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11364 posts
Ted is right: spend the time in Rome. Even if all you do is take a walk, eat a gelato, sit in a piazza with a bottle of wine at sunset, it will be a far better day than a bus or train trip to "see" Tuscany. We spent 5 days in in Rome last fall and barely scratched the surface. Goign back in December for 7 nights. Favorite times were just walking around, sitting and observing, eating!!!
Posted by
OP
Marysville, WA, US
22 posts
Thanks to you both, much appreciated!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Or go wandering in the neighborhood of Trastevere to see the medieval section of Rome. It feels a lot like Cortona or Lucca to me.
Posted by
OP
Marysville, WA, US
22 posts
Is it worth going a day or two early to see this area? I am just thinking it would be nice to see in case I never get back. If I did a "big" trip like this again I would likely try Australia or a different region.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
Definitely, if you can go in early to see Tuscany, it would be worth it... You might just fall in love and have to return. Maybe you can try and find someplace other than Florence to give you a taste of village life, rather than another busy city (I am more a countryside kind of person and after a few days in these intense, sight-seeing cities, I need quiet time or village life)