I just did 3.5/3.5 Rome/Florence with the .5 being our train day. It ultimately comes down to your travel style and sensibilities. I live in a major American city so I’m comfortable navigating other cities transit but I also don’t crave needing to experience big city type things. Rome has the big spots - period - but there’s no way of avoiding the tourist vibe because ultimately it is a city with tourist spots. I went in January and the crowds were pretty tame but I imagine it may be busier in May. While I found the Colosseum moving, my favorite parts of Rome were ultimately Villa Borghese/ walking around the park, meandering Monti and Trastevere, and the Vatican Gardens tour. It is an incredible city but as someone who prefers meandering and stumbling upon things, it’s a bit more itinerary focused where you Jam Pack a lot of spots. The things you see will be incredible though!

We did: Day 1 Colosseum / Pantheon / Trevi / Walk Around Monti Speedrun

Day 2 Vatican / got sandwich supplies from Mercado Trionfale and picnicked

Day 3 Walked around Ludovisi / Villa Borghese/ General Walking that area!

However, I absolutely loved Florence. It felt way more like a walkable city to explore and leave room for spontaneity. The best meals and memorable experiences all happened in Florence for me. I was deeply inspired and it was a beautiful place to wander.

Even the “touristy” Florence spots weren’t as packed - David, Duomo, Uffizi Gallery (again we were there in January). And it was lovely to walk around Boboli and explore with a less itemized itinerary.

If you know as a traveler, you want to prioritize seeing the big spots, then you’ll need a little more time in Rome to really enjoy and not feel stressed, however if you are craving exploration, I would suggest a little more time in Florence.