week long Rome/Tuscany trip advice.......please!?!

[C_Bruce]

My husband and I are traveling to Italy first week in June for first anniversary. We will fly into Rome and spend 3 nights there, then head to Tuscany for 5 or 6 nights and do day trips to neighboring cities. I'm not really sure about transportation between the two though.....I will try to pack lightly but is there room for suitcases on a dang train from Rome to Tuscany??? It seems like it'd be a hassle. How long does it take? I also want suggestions on where to stay in Tuscany region. We want to get away and not just be in the middle of busy Florence (although I know it would be more convenient for day trips) . I LOVE Palazzo Malaspina in Chianti, but was worried about transportation to Florence, Sienna, Pisa, etc from here. How easy is it because we weren't really planning to rent a car, and I hate to have to deal out $$ on drivers daily... I figured it'd be too much to split a week among Rome, Tuscany region, & Venice, so I thought of day-tripping to Venice. How accessible is Venice from Tuscany region and how long does it take? If you can even attempt to answer any of my questions: YOU'RE AWESOME! It's intimidating planning a trip to a place you've never been and also knowing you won't even be speaking the same language as anyone

Help please,
CB

 

[Chiara]

You'll easily get to Florence from Rome in an one hour and a half train trip, have a look at the official website for further and detailed information (click on the English flag on the top right hand of the page). If you have a look at the SERVICE section, you'll find onformation on luggage also: there's the chance to send your bag at a reduced price.

Once arrived in Florence...it depends on what you want to visit.
Having a 5-6 days at your disposal, you actually have the chance to visit different places: have a look at these itineraries: 5 days in Tuscany and 3 days in Tuscany.
Pisa, Lucca and Siena are some of the most popular destinations in Tuscany you should not miss out and are easily reachable by train, so you won't need to hire a car.

Valdorcia and Chianti are other two wonderful areas you should visit for their enchanting landscape and their wine-and-food specialities, but you'd better rent a car for enjoying the panoramic routes and easily move from a location to another.

Then you need to consider a whole day (or two, it'd be better) for exploring Florence. If you book an accommodation in Florence as base for your itineraries, you'll find no problems for arranging your transportation: public transport when possible or car rental if you want to see the above mentioned locations.

If you plan to move from a location to another booking different accommodation, I think you'd better hire a car or choose big cities only like Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena.

As reguards Venice...I think a daily trip leaving from Florence will be a bit tiring: train takes more than two hours (have a look at the web site I mentioned before) to get to Venice so you'll have only half a day to see the city: I'd rather spend a night there rather than a daily trip.