Hi Aj Gupta, I hate to tell you that former posters are right in my opinion. I know it is a set back, you would love to see everything do everything. But the reality is that the days you travel from city to city you loose a lot of time not only traveling but checking in, sometimes rooms are not ready , etc. Jetlag takes a lot away too even from young and active guys.
I agree to stick to the basis for what I presume is the first time in Italy for your two young sons. Rome, Florence and Venice. From Florence there are nice day trips if you need to venture in Toscana. You will need a little time to appareciate Rome, to walk in those beautiful streets full of history like Via Gulia, not only go from landmark to land mark. Same in other cities.
Italy haas a fascinating culture, and now there are many changes going on, most of them I regret them
and I think I have a right to say so because we are half Italians at the very least by blood, and full Italians by love to Italy. Have a nice trip. BTW I think it is wonderful to take your children along.

My husband and I have more time (6 weeks) but, this being our very first trip to Europe, we're not sure where to begin. We will be coming from Ireland where we are visiting family for 2 weeks before heading to Europe. We want to see Lake Como, Venice, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Florence and Tuscany, Pisa and Cinque Terre. Included in this 6 weeks would be Austria (Vienna, Innsbruck) and Switzerland. We are open to plane, train, buses, car rental and hiring a driver to get around. We are in our late 50's, enjoy leisurely walks and beautiful scenery. We are not history buffs and would like to absorb the atmosphere as opposed to visiting museums, ruins etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Aj Gupta; Nothinbg to do with your trip, but do you know Raja and Berti Gupta? Iris

I would leave Florence out of the itinerary and spend time in Tuscan countryside instead. I found Florence just wasn't as enjoyable as other cities.

"I found Florence just wasn't as enjoyable as other cities. "

Well, I can certainly disagree heartily with that. I will agree that during the day it can be hot and crowded because of all the day-trippers from cruise ships, etc. But that's a reason to stay there after they all go away, in the afternoon. And likewise, early morning is not so bad. You really have to experience Florence slowly to understand it. WE have been going to Italy for 25 years, off and on, and only ONCE have we not stopped in Florence. We don't always do all the sights, but we just enjoy the ambience. This year we will be there two days, and expect to just hang out and decompress from our overseas flight.

Florence is my favorite city in Italy, but I have seen that some people have very different reactions to it. It's a personal thing that you can't know until you've been there, and for some people it takes multiple visits. I wouldn't add or drop it from your itinerary based on anyone's opinion but rather based on what works best in your plans.

Hi senga,

If you start a new thread, I think you will get advice more specific to your needs.