jennfl30

I am planning a last minute trip to Italy for my family of 5 (kids are 21, 19 & 13). I’m hoping I can pull this off, since we want to head to Italy the week of 6/24 - which is right around the corner! This will be our 1st time in Italy and my 1st time planning a trip to Europe so it’s a bit overwhelming! I would love to get feedback on what I’ve put together so far.

We will be flying out of Miami. Since there are 5 of us, we plan on staying in villas and/or Airbnbs over hotels. I also want to look into agriturismo accommodations in Tuscany.

We want to see the major attractions in these locations but don’t want to do touristy stuff the whole time. We want the vibe of the trip to be relaxing, gorgeous scenery, amazing food (want to eat where the locals eat), countryside, winery tours, food tours (cheesemaking, EVOO ?), cooking classes, shopping etc.

Day 1 - Miami to Rome (redeye flight)
Day 2 - Arrive Rome - tentative flight arrives at 11:45am
Day 3 - Rome
Day 4 - Rome to Florence (train)
Day 5 - Florence
Day 6 - Florence to Tuscany (train)
Day 7 - Tuscany (rent car)
Day 8 - Tuscany
Day 9 - Tuscany to Venice ( return car - train)
Day 10 - Venice
Day 11 - Venice to Rome (train)
Day 12 - Rome to Miami

Q’s:
Where is a good central location to stay in Tuscany? We will stay in an Airbnb or agriturismo. We want to explore as many regions as possible. I would love suggestions on must-do’s in Tuscany. Best places for day trips?

For car rental - where is the best place to rent a car based on the itinerary? Get car in Florence? Or get it in Tuscany? Do you have to return to same place?

What the easiest way to store luggage when you arrive by train and can't check into accommodations until later in the day?

For train tickets, do they ever sell out? It's hard to decide right now what time for train so I'm hesitant to buy tickets too far in advance. Is it risky to buy the day of - or day before?

Any feedback/advice is greatly appreciated! Nothing is booked yet but I'm trying to book the trip within the next few days. I'm open to all suggestions. Any places to add/take away?

Thanks so much!

Travel_Nerd

I only have a few minutes to address your questions. Overall, this is a pretty good itinerary and not nearly as rushed as some I've seen. And not exactly last minute. 2 months is a decent time to fine tune.

Have you already booked your flights? If not, I'd actually reverse your trip and fly multicity: into Venice and home from Rome. Suggesting reverse because flights from Venice typically depart very early and would be a potential headache with children (and without!).

If your flights are booked, I'd actually put all of the time in Rome at the end as you will need to be there at the night before your flight home anyway. If booked, consider either taking train to Florence or Venice first on your arrival day - the day is already shot for logistics of arriving anyway.

Luggage: most hotels will let you store your luggage between your arrival and their check in. Contact your accommodations once you have booked them. Otherwise, there should be storage places throughout the respective cities for a fee. I have not done this myself so Google what is available. Bounce is suggested at times.

For Venice, if you have time and want a tourist break, take a vaparetto to Lido for some beach time for your kids.

Jean

I wouldn't stay in Rome after landing. I'd take the train(s) to Florence and put all of the Rome days at the end of the trip. Saves one hotel check in/out.

Your lodging preference may depend on what's available to accommodate 5 people, esp. for the short stay in Tuscany as you're looking for a booking gap. Where to stay in Tuscany depends on both what's available and what you want to see/do. Tuscany is a large area, and there is no one perfectly central location from which you can reach every charming town. (Alternatively, you could stay in Florence for 5 nights and choose some day trips by train/bus from a long list of interesting places... Fiesole, Siena, San Gimignano, Prato, Pisa, Lucca, Montecatini Terme, Bologna, Modena, Arezzo, Certaldo...)

As your itinerary stands, you're not spending much time anywhere, so I'd first decide on your priorities. "Relax" v. "see major attractions" v. tours/classes v. shopping. While in Rome, Florence and Venice, I wouldn't plan on anything but sightseeing. Book/buy entry reservations for things on your list that offer them. Keep in mind that a group takes longer to do everything... sightseeing, dining, shopping...

For Tuscany, you'll need a car that can hold 5 adults plus the luggage (preferably out of sight, so pack small/light!). You'll need to learn all about ZTLs so that you don't get multiple citations for driving into restricted places. The driver will need to get an International Driver Permit.

https://mominitaly.com/ztl-in-italy/

The logistics of Day 6 depend on where you're going in Tuscany, but your best chance of getting the vehicle you need/want would be renting at the Florence Airport. You could keep the car until you reach Venice, if you don't mind the one-way surcharge on top of the rental rate.

https://www.autoeurope.com/

You can save money (sometimes a lot) by buying train tickets in advance, but you can buy tickets on the day you want to travel. Trains don't sell out.

Jean

"Have you already booked your flights? If not, I'd actually reverse your trip and fly multicity: into Venice and home from Rome. Suggesting reverse because flights from Venice typically depart very early and would be a potential headache with children (and without!)."

You can check, but I don't think there are non-stop flights from Miami to Venice.

Travel_Nerd

Thanks Jean. Because I'm in the west coast, I've grown accustomed to a layover in Europe to hit other destinations outside the "main" cities, including Venice. So if nonstop is a priority for OP and his/her travel companions on either end, I suppose it would be better for them. Being that the day of arrival is such a wash, I personally try to use that extra time traveling to my first destination by air if I can. There is no wrong answer, just preference in the end.

mjs

I think you do not have enough time with your itinerary just to see the basics of Venice or Rome or Florence. You only have 12 nights including transatlantic flights. You are only giving about a day or so for each of these cities. As above consider doing your flights open jaw so you so not need to backtrack. Into Venice and out of Rome would be ideal. If you have to fly RT to FCO I would take the train from the airport to Venice to start there as you will be tired on your arrival day and you might as well use it to travel to your furthest destination. IMHO Venice deserves 2 full days, Florence 2 full days and Rome 3-4 full days. What is it you want to see in Tuscany? Having a car for a short time is expensive, especially an automatic one large enough to hold 5 people and their luggage with a drop-off charge. Best place to pick up a car with an auto transmission would be at the Florence airport for Tuscany. Most credit cards will also not cover you for insurance in Italy. There is also restricted driving into cities and villages in Italy. Read up on ZTL's. An Agritourismo close to Florence with easy bus or train access to Florence might be a good idea for Tuscany if you can find one with a pool as it might be quite hot during the time of your trip. Storing your luggage if you arrive early somewhere is not a problem with hotels but not necessarily so with Airbnbs. Have never had to do it with a Agritourismo. Consider 3 nights Venice, 3 nights Florence and 4 nights Rome.

Jean

I'm also West/Best Coast and am accustomed to connecting fights for some European cities. My preference is to fly non-stop at the beginning and, if unavoidable, put the connection at the end of the trip in case either of those flights goes sideways. We don't care if we get delayed on our way home. Yes, just personal preference.


jennfl30, it may be hard to contemplate dropping the nights in the Tuscan countryside, but you can see a lot of Tuscany from Florence. While having a car sounds freeing, using public transportation can be a more efficient use of your limited time. Trains go from city center to city center, but when you drive you need to find parking outside each town and walk in/out. FWIW, I don't like to drive in the dark in Italy except on the autostrada. If you had listed several Tuscan towns that don't have train or convenient bus service, I would say a car is the way to go. Also, renting and returning the car, takes time. There can be lines at the rental office. You have to fully inspect (if not video) the car for damage before you leave and when you return, you need to be alert to road signs and know what they mean, you need to avoid ZTLs, etc. The driver can't do any wine tasting or have more than the smallest pour (4-5 oz.) with lunch or dinner.

Or you could take the money you would have spent on the car rental and instead hire a private guide/driver to take you into the countryside one long day... wine tasting, scenery, one or two tiny towns... Zero anxiety.

MFNYC

I agree with the others, to go straight to Florence when you arrive. I'd consider hiring a private driver to pick you up at the airport and take you to Florence. 5 of you, after a long flight, probably overnight, will be tired. You can doze in the car then hit the ground running in Florence.

Get tickets for major museums and sights on line. Look into tours of sites as well (usually include entry). Years ago we hired a drivier/guide to take 4 of us on the food tour from Parma (parmigiano reggiano, parma ham and balsamic vinegar, and a lovely lunch). You can look for tour ideas on Viator.com and getyourguide.com.

shelemm

10 nights on the ground and four destinations is not relaxing and gives you little time for activities. You will be spending a lot of time in train stations.

The crowding in Florence can be intense.

If you are already have RT tickets to Rome I would take more time in Rome then rent a car or otherwise go to another destination that will be fun for everyone. Maybe the island of Ischia... or since you are from very flat Miami, get into the mountains to visit sites like Rocca Abbaziale and Sacro Speco di San Benedetto. These sites are just as jaw-dropping as anywhere.

bilboburgler

Unless you just want to see the contents of Florence's museums I might dodge the city completely, take the train there and hire a car (the ZTL curves around the station so you can get out) and just go an enjoy the other towns in Tuscany. Siena is a little hard to visit by train (easier by bus) and has car parks in the valley you can escalator up from.

Jean

If you want to explore Tuscany north of Siena, pick up the car in Florence. If you want to concentrate on the area south of Siena, train to Chiusi and rent the car there. Time your arrival/return during office hours. Avis Chiusi closed M-F 12-:45-3:45, Sat. after 12:45 and all day Sunday. Avis at Florence SMN station doesn't close for lunch and is open Sat. and Sun. mornings. Other companies will have similar hours.