Day trip from Rome to Florence – best day of the week to go?

The Thursday/Friday won't make any difference.

Ths whole idea of the day trip doesn't make sense to me..especially if you are already going to the CT,as Florence is on the way there from Rome.Why not visit Florence on the way there or back?

Agree with above just go between CT and Rome.

If you have seven nights in Rome, but want to see Florence, I would cut down on your time in Rome (four full days) and allow more time for Florence (two or three full days) - the others in your group may not have seen the city before, even if you have.

If you do have only one day in Florence, I wouldn't allocate any time in museums or galleries if (as you say) you're more into history than art. In any event you would spend too much time queuing (even with a timed ticket), and would miss out on the marvellous cityscape. There's a copy of David outside the Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria you could see instead.

If you want to minimise hotel check-ins, don't double back to Rome (which also wastes time). Fly open jaw, into one city and out of another (Florence or Pisa).

Agree - local train from CT changing at either Viareggio or Pisa to Florence taking around 2 -3 hours, and then spend at least one night in Florence before getting the high speed train back to Rome - worth booking the high speed trains in advance for a discounted fare.

Do as Luca told you:
Rome Tiburtina dp by train 7.55 - Florence ar 9.17, put your luggage into the lockers in the railway station, visit Florence, leave Florence at 18.28 and arrive at Vernazza at 21.33, change at Pisa and La Spezia

Thanks so much for the helpful responses! I have been debating the best way to work in Florence. The idea of going there on our way to CT is not appealing due to the number of trains we’d have to take, having to hassle with our luggage while in Florence, and arriving so late into CT. I think stopping on the return from CT to Rome would possibly be a better option to stop for a night in Florence, but then we have sort of two half days (evening and next morning) if we only stay one night, as we don’t want to rush out of CT. That is why a separate day trip without being encumbered by luggage is appealing to us. I live in Chicago and commute 45 minutes to work each way every day, so 1.5 hours each way for a day trip doesn’t sound too bad! I completely understand though that we’d be backtracking geographically and adding an extra train ride to our overall trip. For those who have done day trips to Florence from Rome, have you enjoyed them? (Our Rome hotel is only a 10 min walk from Termini.) Would being there for one evening, staying the night, and leaving the next afternoon be significantly better than a day trip?

Thanks all! I appreciate your expert advice.

If you left Monterosso on the 1107 Intercity for example (best to pre book for cheaper price on the Intercity trains) with one change in Pisa you could be in Florence at 1332 , and then not leave till the evening of the following day, giving a day and a half sightseeing in Florence. Amd wandering the side streets in the evening after dinner and seeing the floodlit buildings, or stopping at a bar etc is a very relaxing way to sightsee. Plus which you could be front of the queue when one of the attractions opens the following morning before all the day trippers (from Rome! - but also off cruise ships) start pouring into town.

If you really want to visit Florence in a day trip from Rome, leave your hotel (without breakfast) at 6.25am, Roma Termini at 6.45 am and arrive at Florence at 8.17
Way back: Florence dp 21.53 - Roma Termini ar 23.25

It's much better to spend a night in Florence, but may be you wouldn't do that without luggage.

If you want to visit Flrorence on the way back from 5Terre, leave Monterosso at 9.06 and arrive at Florence at 11.32. There is nothing to do or to see at Monterosso between breakfast an 11.06 anyway.

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