»» Driving from Rome to Florence: suggestions for non common itinerary
By driving from Rome to Florence you have one of the richest itineraries in Italy for art, history, landscapes etc….
However, as this itinerary is so common and well-known, travelers would like discovering new places worth to see there. So a frequent question is:
“Any suggestions for places other than the common ones – i.e. Florence, Siena etc…, to visit on the drive between Rome and Florence?”
It would be better to list what is intended for common places (1) and what is not (2), first.
1. Common over visited places on Rome – Florence itinerary could be the following.
–Southern area of Tuscany: Siena and surrounding, with S.Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Volterra etc…It is a one of the more visited destinations from first time travelers to Italy, because Tuscan countryside is a ‘must to see’ area if you travel to Florence.
– Florence and Chianti countryside (for the same reasons above)
– Umbria: a few cities, such as Perugia and Assisi.
2. After excluding the places above listed, what would remain to visit there?
– In the extreme south of Tuscany, you have the Maremma with great landscapes, different than the typical ‘postcarded Tuscan countryside’, national parks, natural oasis, and ruins from the ancient Etruscan time.
– Approximately 100km away from Rome, you have the hill town of Orvieto, with ruins from Etruscan and Roman time. It is easy to get there, because it is just a couple of km from the highway A1, and well worth seeing. Recommended visits to the Cathedral (Duomo di Orvieto) and Pozzo S.Patrizio.
– By doing a little diversion from highway, still in Umbria but going toward Perugia, there are art cities such as Todi and Gubbio (20km north of Perugia), well-known for being among the more interesting medieval centers in Italy, but not so well connected by rail, so maybe missed from many travelers visiting Umbria.
Those above listed are just a few ideas, we’ll back on the options about this itinerary in the section Italy Driving Tours
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