JEStarr

I'm heading to Italy in 10 days, and looking for advice from the great board to help fill out my itinerary. I don't want things mapped to the minute, but a rough idea of things to do (with options) so that I can use them when necessary.

Any suggestions to fill out the other days in Florence? We are planning on probably doing at least 1 more day doing museums.

Rome (staying in Ponte)
Saturday- Arrive around 7PM. Planning to do dinner at Emma. I figured Pizza some wine, maybe gelato then bed. Figure we'll be pretty jet lagged from traveling
Sunday- Planning to see Ancient Rome (Colosseum, Pantheon, etc.). Any recs for lunch and dinner? Anything else we should check out? Was thinking of doing Katie Perla's tour for this
Monday- Vatican, St. Peters. Dinner planned at Roscioli per Perche's recommendations on a few threads

Florence (staying close to the Boboli Gardens)
Tuesday- Arrive at 2PM. I figure we'll walk around that afternoon
Wednesday- no plans
Thursday- Trip to Siena and San Gimignano
Friday and Saturday- Open

Camogli
Sunday-Wednesday

Any suggestions for Camogli? Mostly lunches by the sea, and relaxation? We have a car to drive from Florence to Camogli. We can do day trips from Camogli.

Perche

Katie usually spends parts of the summer in the USA. She'll be in the USA next week. You'd better check with her. I don't thinks she's going to be there. All good things in Italy require a reservation, a good time ahead. For example, for Roscioli, now is not too early. I just booked my reservation for there for July 18th yesterday, and barely got it. In Italy you have to do everything with reservations, and do it early, unless you just want the basic tourist stuff.

JEStarr

Thanks Perche. I already have reservations at Emma (Saturday night), and Roscioli. Thinking about doing Piperno for lunch on Sunday, and perhaps Cesare al Casaletto for dinner on Sunday.

Was thinking perhaps we do the Colisseum, Forum, Pantheon on Sunday before lunch, and perhaps lunch at Piperno.

Any thoughts?

What about filling out the rest of the Florence itinerary?

Perche

Those are good. Keep in mind, Pantheon goes one of several ways. There are long lines and it's not worth going in. There is a mass, you are genuinely Catholic, go to the front of the mass and tell them you want to attend mass, and then truly do so. No walking around. Or, go early or late enough to beat the crowds. Don't wait on a long line to go in there. It's nice, but it's a 15 minute thing unless you are truly fascinated with the amazing architecture, like how they lit up a gigantic building with a single, strategically placed hole in the ceiling to maximize sunlight inlet.

Colosseum and Forum are either buy ticket, go to them and to Palatine Hill sites, but that's more or less a one day thing. If you are going during the summer, the sun will beat on you, and you will be pretty much not able to do much more than that archeological trio. If you want to see as much of Rome as possible, you just need to walk, stop for a glass of prosecco, walk, stop for a gelato, etc., and see as much as you can.

You won't be sorry if you go to Cesare. Which reminds me, I'll be in Rome on the 22nd and need to make my own reservation. Remember, they don't open until 7:45 at night, like a typical Roman restaurant. Then you have to take the tram or cab back, but it's worth it.

Florence, I can only give general advice. I have to go there every now and then and know my way around, but PWMTrav knows much more about it than I do. I'm just not that crazy about the place.