I would say definitely not three cities, especially if 8 days includes an overnight travel day.

Personally, I would stay in one city as a base and do day trips. I think Florence is a perfect choice but then I just adore Florence! There are so many daytrips to do from there and the city itself is wonderful!

I am sure that you know Easter is an incredibly busy time there so booking early is important and everything will be crowded.

Perhaps you can do an open jaw ticket and fly into Florence and out of Rome, spending 5 days in Florence and 3 in Rome.

By Eurostar, it is a 90 minute trainn ride between the two cities.

That is what I would choose.

I think Rome, Florence, and Venice all in 8 days would be very ambitious...

That said, I did see all three cities in 6 days in 2002 on a backpacking trip after grad school. However, each day was a 16+ hour day FILLED with tons of walking, sightseeing, and precious little R&R. Even with the super intense pace, I found that I did not see any one of those cities in as much detail as I would have liked... so I went back to Italy for my honeymoon this past June and are headed back there again this coming May!

In summation, unless you want to run yourself to exhaustion, I'd narrow it down to 2 of the three cities. Rome and Venice are my favorites, but Florence certainly has a lot to offer if you are an art lover. For me, Roman ruins edge out Renaissance ones - but just barely!

I agree that to do "The Big Three" will be running yourself ragged. Of course you want to see a lot, but a vacation means you should be doing it at a relaxing to moderate pace, not racing through everything.

All three cities have plenty of charm, and a lot to see. Personally I would recommend Rome and Florence. I'd also recommend you book your hotels soon; I was in Rome last month, and they were already taking reservations for June of 2005!

BC

Year before last 2 teacher friends and I went to Italy for (their) spring break--it did not coincide with Easter for them. I think each woman took maybe an additional day or so at the beginning and a day at the end, so we had about 9 full days there.

We went only to Rome and Assisi--both incredible. I recommend something more along those lines.

However, as you haven't been to Italy before, hitting the Big Three might be fun if you're both high-energy people. Fly into Rome and out of Venice. I might not do it with anything less than 9 full days.

By the way, I love travelling with teachers! Have a great trip.

If you want an "Italian Easter" Rome might not be the place for you. Wil you be in Italy for Good Friday? Many of the smaller towns have processions. Rome wouldn't be very relaxing- just way too hectic. Think small (town).

My husband and I spent 10 days travelling Rome, Florence and Tuscany in September. I can't speak to your Easter issue, but I can tell you that 8 days is probably best spent between Rome and Florence and possibly Siena or some other day trip from Florence. (Venice is a whole other area and city. 8 days is not enough to do all three.) By the time we got to Rome (after delayed departures and, as a result, missed connections) we only had one night and one day. It was not nearly enough. And, people had told us Rome is a big city that is busy and crowded and that we would get sick of it and be ready to leave. We were not. We loved it--so much history, amazing things to see. I would suggest spending at least three days to take it all in.

From Rome, we trained on Tren Italia (purchased the tickets the morning we left Rome) to Florence. It was very convenient and easy. Four days was more than enough time in Florence. It is much more contained than Rome, so we were able to get a really good feel for the city, the museums, etc. If you split your trip into Rome for three days and Florence for five, you could take day trips from Florence into areas of Tuscany like the Chianti region or farther south to Siena. Or, you could go Rome, Siena, Florence, so that you work your way south to north.

We stayed at the Hotel Mascagni in Rome which we really enjoyed and we stayed at the Hotel Belletini in Florence which was also fine. In Tuscany, we stayed in Montaione between San Gimignano and Volterra, but we rented a car at the end of our Florence leg to drive there.

Hope this helps! You'll have a fabulous time. Italy is wonderful.

weims, choose 2 cities and enjoy. Before you know it you'll be planning your 2nd trip. And when your youngest child is about 5, you can take the kids great places...take them to see the geysers at Yellowstone; take them snorkeling in Hawaii; when they are in high school take them to Italy!

We just took our first family trip to Italy in June...just amazing! Took son, 22, and daughters, 17 and 18 years...teens loved Rome the best, and Venice second best.

My personal favorites were Rome, Siena, and Venice. I didn't care for Florence, as its unpleasant when it's crowded and smoggy. (We didn't feel crowded at all in Rome...maybe because Rome is bigger and more sprawled out and can handle more people without feeling crowded; Florence is more compact. Also, there are more places in Rome where you can feel a sense of some open space...in florence I felt hemmed in by tall buildings and not enough open space.

There is so much to do and see in Rome you could happily spend your 8 days there. But it is exciting to look forward to 2 different destinations.
You could also do Rome plus a small town in Tuscany...like Siena.

Preparation makes a tremendous difference. I researched what were the least crowded times for museums and sites, and arranged museum visits or reservations for the least crowded times. This really paid off! For us, there weren't any lines for the Vatican Museums, no lines to see the Sistine chapel...it makes all the difference.

A good plan is 4 nights in a city...that gives you 3 full days. Make well-researched plans for 2 of those days. Leave the 3rd day as free choice day...on the last day in the city...by that time you will know exactly how you want to spend your time!

Choosing a hotel with a good location, near sights that you can walk to and restaurants you can walk to, makes a big difference. It will make your experience more enjoyable, with a better atmosphere, and you will also see more.

Have a great time!

I totally disagree with doing ANY day trips on an eight day trip. The "big three" are totally "do-able" in right days; they just can't be seen in a comprehensive way, of course. I don't see why there is something better about eight days in one place - - with three "day trips" (one hour out on a train, one hour back; six hours total for the week), versus x days in one city, 2 hours onward to the next city for y days, then 2 hours onward to the final city.

In an ideal situation, I recommend starting with Florence, then Rome, then Venice - - even though it does not fit the train travel description above. But it depends on what is your departure city and whether you can reach Florence in only two flights (essentially means a non-stop trans-atlantic flight from your origin city).

Best wishes,

Rex

Having only been one time to Italy I may not be the best person to give you advice, but here I go any way:

I was there in Oct for almost two weeks. Rome was great. I just don't see how one can go to Italy and not go to Rome. I found 3 days to be just about right. (Of course 3 days in any place with my folks could be considered just about the limit.)

I also loved Venice and wish I had spent at least one extra day there. We had two nights.

I was not impressed with Florence, but that may have had something to do with the ordeal of getting there. Melissajoy echoes some of how I felt about it. (Rome, although crowded didn't make me uncomfortable as it did in Florence.)

We had day trips from Cortona, but we had a villa for a week.

It is SOOO hard to narrow down things to see and do in Italy. I know many Fodorites say you can always go back, but that might be easier said than done.

Also, does the 8 days INCLUDE the days to get to Italy and back?

Went to Italy for 2 weeks in 2002... planned 5 places in 14 days, so if I look at our time in the big 3, it was 3 days Venice, 1 Florence, 3 Rome, so you could do that with a day of travel from the States.

That said... I left my heart in Venice, I would recommend it to anyone! It is something to experience, the city lives and breathes, but is quite relaxing compared to the rest of Rome because of the lack of 'traffic'. Yes its busy, but with no cars/trucks/vespas, it has a serene feel even when packed with people. It is the most relaxing of the three, so I would plan your last days there.

One option is to fly into Rome, and take the overnight train to Venice, thereby maximizing your time in both, but skipping Florence. My feeling on Florence is that there are wonderful things to do there ( the Duomo, David, shopping...), but it is not the overall tremendous travel experience that Rome and Venice are.

Summary: You're tying to do something special before 'venturing into parenthood'. Italy is that something special, and Venice is the icing on the cake!

Happy Planning, Kristy

8 days or 8 nights?
Overall, it depends if you want to experience some great cities, or want some time in some hill towns.
Rome needs at least 4 nights (IMHO) and even then you'll never hit all the things you will want.
Since you will probably be there late March-early April, I would not choose going any further north than Florence.
I suggest reading some trip reports here and at SlowTravel. If you are drawn to one area more than other, let that help make your decision.
Even if it's 8 nights, you really don't have the time to make too many moves. If you consider the day you arrive as a "wash",depending on when and where you arrive,try and concentrate on Rome and Tuscany.
Have fun planning! Remember, no matter your choice,it'll be right.Afterall, you'll be in Italy.

Hi weims,

I also suggest 2 of the 3; visit Florence and Venice and do Rome as a separate trip when you have a week.

Just wanted to add, when you become parents it doesn't mean you can't travel. We took our daughter to London and Costa Rica when she was one and one and a half, and then we just took both kids (oldest now 3.5, youngest 1.5) to Italy. It only gets easier from here, as they get older. So I think it's a great idea you're taking one last trip as a childless couple, but it doesn't have to be your last trip.

Hmm....IF you can fly open jaw AND you like energetic vacations, I'd do Rome 3 or 4 nights, Florence 2 nights, Venice 3 or 2 nights (or the reverse). Of course, this is a "tasting menu" approach to the Big Three, allowing you some lovely temptations to mull over in the toddler years as you plan that first trip as a young family.

If you two are the types who enjoy a slower paced vacation, or a trip with a home base & lots of excursions, don't even think of doing this! Stick instead to one city, or perhaps two, as others have advised. Which cities should depend on your interests and what you hope to get from this vacation.

Hi Weims,

We were in Venice, Florence and Rome the week before Easter on year. Venice was uncrowded. Florence was a zoo, with large groups of touring school children and long lines. This was before the days of museum reservations.

Rome on Palm Sunday was very busy and most sights were closed for the holiday including the Sistene Chapel.

I agree with Rex, with limited time, DON'T stay in one place. When I have done that, I felt it was a waste to drive back and forth each day when I could have been traveling in a continuous line! I'm all for staying in one place for as long as it makes sense, but if it doesn't make sense timewise, travel light and stay in more places. Checking in/out isn't that big of a deal if you're traveling by train/taxi.

I,too, like traveling in a continuous line or circle. My preference:Fly into Rome and stay there. Then rent a car and drive to southern Tuscany and finish/fly out of Florence.

Weims, I went to Rome for the week last Easter. It was great. Yes, things were pretty crowded (especially the Vatican) but not intolerably so. It was also pretty special being in Rome at such an important holiday for Italians. I recommend you check into an apartment. I used www.sleepinitaly.com. You can stay for less than a week that way as well. It's not a long train trip to Florence, so you could see some of both cities in 8 days.

Have a great time.

Thank you to everyone for all of your information. I'm so glad a friend referred me to this site. I think we've decided to visit Rome and Florence. We have eight days to spend in Italy and I don't want to spread ourselves too thin. My focus now is to find air and hotel arrangements and then figure out the rest. I've heard Siena is amazing and we'd like to visit there, too. I will probably be asking more questions later when we have plans to get there and somewhere to stay. Thanks! From what it sounds like this won't be our last trip to Italy.