I am planning to visit, but we'll get there very, very early, before the tour buses.

I've definitely read a lot of people say that the crowds ruined the experience there.

This post was edited on 12/8/25 at 8:43 pm

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Posted by baldona

Florida

Member since Feb 2016

23453 posts

Posted on 12/11/25 at 2:31 pm to GOP_Tiger

quote:

I am planning to visit, but we'll get there very, very early, before the tour buses.

I've definitely read a lot of people say that the crowds ruined the experience there

A couple things. If you go before the tour buses, literally nothing will be open. The French and Italians don't work early.

I just left Tuscany and Rome for 14 days. Personally, and this will be a hot take, the towns are very similar and got boring after the 5th town or so.

If you have 2-3 days, I'd try and find some time outside of just town hopping. Go on some hikes, relax in the country, etc.

Our favorite towns were Piensa and Orvieto. Mostly because these were the least touristy but also some of the flattest. San Gimignano, Maltipuciano, etc. were great but again they were mostly the same: Wine shop, gelato shop, tourist shop, tourist shop, Restarante, Bar (cafe), repeat. I know I sound like a curmudgeon but honestly i felt the town hopping was my least favorite thing to do. Just very touristy and I was there during a slow season.

If you fly into Rome I think 4 days is great. The vatican is a very full day and the Colisseum and Roman Forum is a very full day. Throw in your arrival day and 2nd day not being 100% and you don't have a ton of time for anything else.

I would look up local festival times. For example the christmas markets were there when we were there and we missed one by going on Friday and not Saturday.

I would spend 3 days in Florence. Not a TON to do but its just a great city and felt the least touristy, much much less so than Rome.

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Posted by GOP_Tiger

Baton Rouge

Member since Jan 2005

20794 posts

Posted on 12/11/25 at 9:55 pm to baldona

quote:

I just left Tuscany and Rome for 14 days. Personally, and this will be a hot take, the towns are very similar and got boring after the 5th town or so.

If you have 2-3 days, I'd try and find some time outside of just town hopping. Go on some hikes, relax in the country, etc.

Thanks. That's kind of a conclusion that I was already coming to. We're going to spend two nights at the Laconda Palazzone inn right outside Orvieto, so we'll have a real rural day after Rome. We might do a truffle hunt, or some hikes, etc.

Then we'll travel to Siena through the Val d'Orcia and spend a couple of hours in Pienza. After a day in Siena, we'll spend part of a day seeing San Gimignano (which I expect to be a quick visit) and Volterra.

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