Florence or Rome: Which Classic Italian City Is Right For You?

Have limited time on your upcoming trip to Italy and wondering whether to visit Florence or Rome?

You have a very hard choice to make!

Each city boasts some of the most magnificent things that Italy has to offer, from artistic masterpieces like the statue of David to world-class archeological sites like the Colosseum.

We count both cities among our favorites in the world and have been lucky enough to have spent months in each one.

While we would (obviously) recommend squeezing in visits to both the Eternal City and the Cradle of the Renaissance (yes, Italian cities have epic nicknames) if you can, if your Italy trip simply doesn’t have room for both, here are some similarities and differences to help you decide between Florence and Rome.

Florence or Rome: Classic Italian City Showdown

Choose Florence If…

… You want to visit a walkable city.

While Rome is an enormous, sprawling metropolis, Florence is a much smaller city geographically.

With the exception of heading out on day trips to the Tuscan countryside, you likely won’t need any transportation other than your own two feet while here!

… You want to experience some of the most famous art of the Renaissance.

This is the city of Dante, of Michelangelo, of da Vinci. It’s where you can admire the masterpiece that is David, where you can marvel at the work of Botticelli in the Uffizi Gallery, where you can see the final resting place of Galileo in the Santa Croce Church.

If the Renaissance period interests you, it’s hard to imagine a better destination than Florence.

Book your timed entry tickets to the Uffizi today!

… The smaller Tuscan villages call your name.

Florence’s status as the capital of Tuscany combined with the fact that its train station is a hop, skip, and a jump (or a bit more than a 10-minute walk) from the centrally located Duomo mean that it makes an excellent base for day trips!

Engaging cities like Lucca, Pisa, Siena, Arezzo, and Bologna are all easily reachable for day trips by train.

If you opt to rent a car, you can reach some of the even smaller hill towns, such as San Gimignano, Volterra, Monteriggioni, and more.

Prefer to combine convenience with small towns and wineries that aren’t easily accessible on a day trip by train?

This organized day trip is extremely popular and has over a thousand rave reviews!

… You want to soak in city views from above.

Don’t get me wrong–you can find some excellent views of Rome–but there’s something particularly mesmerizing about the Florentine skyline.

The way that Florence’s Duomo completely dominates its cityscape, paired with the many available towers to climb (we’re partial to the view from the Palazzo Vecchio, pictured below), makes it arguably one of the best Italian cities to admire from above.

To sum up Florence…

The bottom line: if you choose Florence, a trip here will likely focus on food, Renaissance art, historic highlights within a walkable center, and visits to the nearby Tuscan countryside.

Where to Stay in Florence

Ready to book your trip to Florence? Here are a few well-located hotels with excellent reviews to consider.

Budget

Hotel Dali — With an impeccable location a 1-minute walk from the Duomo, thousands of excellent reviews, and even free on-site parking for anyone planning a road trip, Hotel Dali is simultaneously charming and budget-friendly–a true rarity in central Florence.

The catch? No air-conditioning, so keep that in mind if you’re planning a summer trip to Italy!

Check rates & book your stay at Hotel Dali today!

Mid-range

Hotel Silla — Located just a hop, skip, and jump from the Arno River, we loved our stay at Hotel Silla!

The hotel itself is lovely and quiet, the included breakfast a nice touch, and the location perfect: you have easy access on foot to all that Florence has to offer, without having to worry about crowds or noise.

We’d be happy to check in again!

Check rates & book your stay at Hotel Silla!

Luxury

Hotel Lungarno — Nestled right against the Arno River and home to one of the best views of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence (not to mention some of the best views of the rest of Florence from their top deck), Hotel Lungarno is our personal “if we ever really want to splurge” hotel in Florence.

You can’t go wrong using Hotel Lungarno as your base during your Italy vacation!

Check rates & book your stay at Hotel Lungarno!

Choose Rome If…

… The history of the Roman Empire is a major draw to you.

At the risk of stating the obvious, if your Roman Empire is the Roman Empire, Rome is the city for you!

Have you always wanted to bask in the glory of the Colosseum, to wander through the Roman Forum and see if you can squint and imagine life 2000 years ago, or to theorize at how the Pantheon was built while staring up at it in person?

If so, you’ll adore the Eternal City.

I’ll never forget laying eyes on the Colosseum for the first time–even knowing we were on our way to see it, the sheer majesty of it, combined with the fact that it is such an iconic, world-class site, caused my breath to catch in my throat.

(Just don’t forget to nab skip-the-line tickets before visiting–these days, the lines are also breathtaking.)

… You’ve always wanted to see the Vatican.

Whether you’re Catholic or not, there’s something about Vatican City that draws you in.

As the smallest country in the world, it’s impossible not to marvel at the sheer amount of power that has come from this small city-within-a-city.

From St. Peter’s Basilica to the Vatican Museums and, of course, the iconic Sistine Chapel, there is something very special about exploring Vatican City.

If you’re so inclined, the Pope gives public addresses on Wednesday mornings when he is in town, and also appears on Sundays at noon when he is in Rome (you can check the schedule here).

Like the Colosseum, you’ll definitely want to either book tickets in advance or schedule a tour (this early morning tour is popular for good reason–it lets you beat the crowds!), but visiting the Vatican is incredibly memorable and worth planning for.

Grab skip-the-line tickets or book your tour of the Vatican Museums today!

… You want to enjoy a large city.

Rome is enormous.

Far from a quaint Italian village, exploring the best of Rome will likely mean using both the metro and bus systems to get around.

Major sites, like the Colosseum and the Vatican, are not within walking distance of each other, so planning an itinerary (and getting around to all the most popular photo spots in Rome) takes a bit more legwork than in a smaller city like Florence.

That being said, Rome is not difficult to navigate–it simply requires a bit more planning to make sure you see everything you want to without doubling back or spending extra time in transit.

… You’re interested in heading south after visiting the city.

If Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Mount Vesuvius, Capri, Pompeii, or many more destinations to the southare calling your name, Rome is a great jumping-off point to reach them.

Conversely, Florence could be used as a jumping-off point to reach Emilia-Romagna, Veneto (including Verona and Venice), Milan, and Cinque Terre.

To sum up Rome…

If you opt to visit the Eternal City, a trip here will likely focus on majestic monuments, the Vatican, and historic sites–many of which are tied to the Roman Empire.

Where to Stay in Rome

Budget

Hotel Casa Valdese — Located within a 25-minute walk of the Spanish Steps and (importantly) a 2-minute walk to the metro, Hotel Casa Valdese offers a beautiful atmosphere that balances price point and location when visiting Rome.

With excellent reviews and an on-site terrace, Hotel Casa Valdese offers a quiet escape within the city.

Check rates & book your stay at Hotel Casa Valdese!

Mid-range

Pantheon Inn — If you’re looking for a building with classic Italian charm in the heart of Rome, this is it.

Located right behind the Pantheon and within reach, the Pantheon Inn offers a quiet, peaceful escape in the middle of bustling Rome.

You will need to walk a bit to the metro stop–but since the walk will take you through the heart of the beautiful Centro Storico, we doubt you’ll mind.

Check rates & book your stay at the Pantheon Inn!

Luxury

Hotel Condotti — Located just a couple of blocks from the Spanish Steps (and consequently the Piazza di Spagna metro station), you couldn’t ask for a better location in Rome!

Well-reviewed and boasting incredible suites and exceptionally clean rooms, Hotel Condotti is the perfect choice for a traveler who would like to be within walking distance of the best that Centro Storico has to offer while also having easy access to a metro stop.

Enduringly popular and perfectly positioned, you can’t go wrong with checking into Hotel Condotti.

Check rates & book your stay at Hotel Condotti!

Visit both Rome and Florence for…

… Delicious Italian food.

While all of Italy is home to incredible food, there’s no doubt that Florence and Rome are both home to iconic foods that more than stand up to the hype!

From sipping Chianti Classico in Florence to devouring plate after plate of carbonara in Rome, you cannot go wrong with food in either city.

The key to appreciating Italian food?

Appreciating how regional it is!

Here are some of the best things to eat in Rome, and here are some of the best things to eat in Florence–as you can see, you’re spoiled for choice either way.

… Ridiculously impressive architecture.

Whether we’re talking about ancient architecture like the Pantheon, Renaissance architecture like Florence’s Duomo, or simply the thousands of unnamed, beautiful buildings that line the streets of both cities, it is a feast for the eyes to wander the streets of either Florence or Rome.

… Experiencing history that you likely learned about in school in an up-close-and-personal way.

There is something magical about seeing sites that you have heard about your whole life in person–and both Rome and Florence offer that experience in spades.

Whether it’s the art, the churches, the archeological sites, or simply the streets themselves, Florence and Rome are both iconic, world-renowned cities that are exciting and often overwhelming to visit for the first (or fourth) time.

No matter which city you choose to visit, you’ll almost certainly walk away knowing more about the history of Italy and the world as a whole by the end of the trip.

Is it possible to take a day trip from Rome to Florence (or vice versa)?

Yes, it is doable to day trip between Rome and Florence, though it’s best done in only one direction: taking a day trip to Florence from Rome.

If you book high-speed train tickets (which you’ll want to do in advance), it takes an hour and a half to travel between the two cities. (The slower regional train takes 3-4 hours each way, making a day trip much less feasible).

Florence’s main train station, Santa Maria Novella, is just over a 10-minute walk from the Duomo, and you can reach most of the city’s main tourist attractions on foot during your visit.

Is this a good idea? It depends.

Both cities have so much to offer that if you are taking an exceptionally short trip to Italy (which is quite possible if you’re trying to figure out whether to visit Rome vs Florence in the first place), it’s likely you’ll have a more engaging time simply staying in Rome.

However, if you absolutely want a taste of both cities… it’s possible, and with a well-planned itinerary, you can see enough of Florence in a day to make it worth your time.

Here’s our blog post on how to take a day trip to Florence from Rome.

Now, the other way around? We don’t recommend that.

Rome is simply too big and too spread out to do justice on a day trip from Florence, and there are too many other incredible day trip ideas much closer to Florence!

Florence or Rome: The Final Decision

There is no wrong answer when choosing Florence or Rome to add to your Italy itinerary.

If you absolutely must choose between the two, we would recommend Florence if you are interested in smaller, walkable cities and accessible countryside on your trip, and Rome if you’re looking for a large, majestic city.

What other kind of experience could Rome offer, after all, after being the seat of an empire?

Personally, we love both cities for very different reasons and will continue to visit them both over again and again (and yes–after all this time, we still end up doing new-to-us things on each visit!).

What to Pack for Florence or Rome

Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L GII Portable Safe — The easiest way to keep your belongings safe in your hotel room and to give you peace of mind on the road? A Pacsafe! We use this all over the world to store our electronics.

Scarf — If you’re visiting Florence or Rome in the summer and are female, it’s likely you’ll sometimes be wearing a tank top or off-the-shoulder top when you also want to visit a church, where exposed knees and shoulders are banished.

Be sure to throw a scarf in your day bag for those church trips (or simply buy a pretty one in Italy!).

Reusable Water Bottle — Don’t get stuck buying overpriced water when you’re out and about!

Aave money and avoid putting more plastic on the Earth by carrying a reusable water bottle with you on the go.

Read More About Visiting Rome and Florence

Excited to visit Italy and ready to keep planning your trip?

We would love to help!

You can browse our 100+ Italy blog posts here, or check out these guides:

• How to Order Coffee in Italy: Essential Guide for Caffeine Lovers
• Trastevere, Rome: 17 Terrific Things to Do (+ Travel Guide & Map!)
• 25 Terrific Things to Do in Tuscany (+ Travel Guide!)
• One Day in Rome: How to Conquer Rome in a Day
• What to Do in Florence at Night: 13 Fun Ideas