From Evernote:

Anne & Mike's 8 nights in Italy (on going posts)

Some close friends asked our opinion about an 8 night stay in Italy, landing in Rome to start and ending up on the way to Geneva on the 9th day.  They are excited to see sites, but more interested in "experiencing" Italy.  For efficiency sake, I will address this in a few/several posts.

Tonight's research is looking at the trip from a macro level.  Main sites to hit as they relate to their interest and logistics in getting to Geneva to see friends before they head home.  They arrive in Rome, and plan 2 days there.  One could spend a month in Rome and not really experience Rome, so 2 nights is enough for a taste (and to realize you need to come back).  They are excited about Tuscany (rightfully so), given their appreciation for the food and wine attributed to it.  There stay will be late May into June, so the tourist season will be just getting started and the city filling up.  I have suggested they train to Florence and rent a car and drive to Sienna, 50 miles/1.5 hours.  They would then base themselves there for 4 days and take day trips to possible locales as San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Volterra, Orvieto & other places I don't even know of...  More on that later.

Some overall logistics relating to Sienna/Florence.  Below are current Trenitalia information relating to travel between respective cities (travel time) and their current pricing (in Euros, first class/second-class):

Rome to Florence - 1:35 - 63/45

Florence to Venice - 2:03 - 60-/43

Florence to Milan - 1:45 - 71/55

Florence to Como - 3:43 - 77/57

Como to Geneva - 6:30 - ?/?

Venice to Geneva - 6:55 - 152/99

Milan to Geneva - 3:50 - 113/72

More on this later.....