"I know its not fair to rush through cities"

It's got nothing to do with fairness: your plans are simply impossible.

You've determined you want to be in Rome from at least midday on March 29 (the latest you can arrive in the city to be at St Peter's by 1400 to be inside for the 1500 start of the Good Friday Liturgy) till 0200 on March 31 (when the Easter Vigil mass is likely to finish).

Entry to the Easter Vigil is by ticket only: if you've not got tickets, you need to apply now (details at http://ukinholysee.fco.gov.uk/en/FAQs-top/faqs-visiting-vatican/attend-mass1 but don't hold your breath). Italy's high speed train system claimed a week before to be fully booked over Christmas. It's now just 21 days before your Easter journey starts: a period Italians travel during far more than at Christmas and, with a new Pope, an Easter when Europeans are more likely to be going to Rome than any other in recent memory

Timetables for the two competing high speed train systems at the Trenitalia and Italotreno websites. You might find a way of doing what you want, but I doubt it.

My advice is to go straight to Rome from Denmark, do what you're able to do, then get the train to Florence and go back to Denmark from Pisa (the airport, 30 mins by train from central Florence, that's now central Italy's major arrival point from Europe). In four days, with half taken up by liturgies that differ scarcely an iota from what's being celebrated at tens of thousands of other Catholic churches in Europe, it's pointless going to Milan at all, and Venice is just too far away in the wrong direction.

For "what to see": buy a guidebook

...though there is another point of view.

Florence has the world's densest concentration of High Art. But if you're asking "what places we should visit in these cities" the likelihood is you're not that interested in dead men's paintings. Apart from the content of its infinite number of churches and art galleries, Florence is just another blissfully walkable, but unexceptional, attractive European medium-sized city. It can't be visited sensibly in a hurry: all those frescoes are just primitive paintings to the non-enthusiast rushing past

Milan, as I said, is close to pointless for a time-pressed tourist, and you're committed to spending a substantial proportion of the Easter Triduum in Rome. Though you might not be able to get into the Vigil, you may, on reflection, want to be in St Peter's Square for the new Pope's first Urbi et Orbi blessing at midday on the Sunday.

Venice, though, is unique and gobsmacking, even to someone uninterested in the visual arts, practically the moment you walk out of the station. Its unique townscape is a million times more extraordinary than what's inside its churches and galleries. You don't need to be told what to see: just walking from the station to St Mark's Square and getting the vaporetto back (or vv) is something you'll never forget.

If you can't get out of flying back from Milan, you might be wisest to go straight from Rome to Venice, then go from Venice straight to your Milan airport (taxi from from your Milan station to Linate, or train from it to Malpensa). Rome-Venice is slightly faster by plane than train - and gives you the opportunity to come into the city by water taxi

Incidentally, you're very unlikely to be able to indulge in the luxury of choosing where to stay in either Rome or Venice. Both are likely to be getting dangerously close to full over Easter by now.

Wow, not asking much.

Firstly the plan is crazy, over Easter. I'd try for one city with a little gentle commute to local sites so Venice or ? would be great, I'd drop Rome off the list completely but you might find that Pisa/Siena/Florence/Lucca is open for a visit, while Milan is ok it is not my favorite city for a visit.

Secondly accomodation will soak up your money and since we don't know if you are 5* or 1* people it is hard to get a figure. I'd use something like booking.com to find out what is available or even lastminute.com

You have about 3 days to spend in Italy. Consider spending it all in one city, you don't have time for more. Choose either Florence or Venice because Rome will be terribly crowded over Easter and, at this late date, it will not be easy to find accommodations.

You haven't said what your interests are so it is hard to recommend a specific place. In Florence, you will have better food and can visit Pisa by train one day. In Venice, the scenery will be unique and you can visit the islands one day.

Better do some research, get a good guidebook, look at maps and distances and make your decision soon. Italy is quite busy over Easter so you need reservations.

Just like to point out that in pretty much all Catholic Churches worldwide, midnight mass is only a Christmas event. As flanneruk correctly indicates, the evening mass on Holy Saturday is called the Easter vigil. It is typically held after dark (9 pm at the Vatican) and is usually quite lengthy. Although filled with religious significance, if you are not Catholic, it may not be a particularly enjoyable experience for you.

The Easter vigil is a very long service, starting with blessing the fire of candles, an endless sequence of readings (five readings and four psalms on a rushed service, nine plus eight for the full one), baptism of babies (if any) and then the proper Mass begins. If the Vatican turns out to be unfeasible (and this year could be a problem as they do not even know who the Pope will be at the end of this month), any cathedral or church will have the same church, so you can plan to attend in any city. The beginning time varies very much, from 9pm to 11pm.

Hi Friends,

Thanks for your replies...

We have been doing a lot of research online to see if we can make our plans work..Actually I am flying from India to be with my husband for easter...

I have taken note of all your views and we are trying to work out accordingly.

We say an option of eurail italy passes..is this good to opt for..given the condition that most of the trains are booked and prices are very high for the open ticket. will it be a good choice also...incase, if you know of any drawback or loop holes please, let me know...we are trying to freeze our itienary asap and get the bookings done.

Thanks,
Parri

For most trains in Italy, if you have a pass, you still have to pay extra to reserve a seat on the particular train you want to ride. Therefore, if all the trains are already booked, a pass will not get you a seat on a train, since no seats remain.