I've learned a lot from all of you as I'm starting to plan a trip to Italy (June 2011). 12 days, not including 2 days to and from. Is this itinerary too much? Arrive in Venice early am. on Fri. Leave for Florence midday on Monday. Stay in Florence until Thursday morning and then: This is where I need help...we want to end our trip in Rome with 4 days there. My question is whether or not we can leave Florence and go somewhere else in Tuscany for a day or two, then on to Cinque Terre for a day or two, and then head to Rome...or should we just pick Tuscany or Cinque Terre? I think I know the answer all ready (pick one), relax, and enjoy, but having trouble picking between the two.

You might consider flying into Pisa or Milan or Genova and heading directly to le Cinque Terre, From there, rent a car and go to the Tuscan countryside. Following that you could either:

Drop off the car in Florence, see the town, proceed to Venice

Drive the car to Venice, then take the train to Rome, stopping in Florence en route

Drive the car to Venice, take the train to Rome, see Florence as a day trip from Rome.

You could also leave le Cinque Terre by train to Florence, see the city, rent a car, tour Tuscany and drive to Venice. Drop off car, tour Venice and take the train to Rome.

I don't have an answer -- and in reality neither does anybody else -- as to how to best enjoy your trip to Italy. Many people really want to spend time outside the art cities but are afraid to do so because they feel they must to an art tour of Italy. Others really do want to see Florence, Venice and Rome but they've just succumbed to all this hype -- and a lot of it is hype -- about le Cinque Terre and "Tuscany."

If you already know that a fast-paced vacation or tour makes you unhappy, If you already know that museums and archeological tours bore you, those are some clues. Not everybody finds hiking along the sea something they need to go to Italy to do, Others are satisfied with a day's drive through "Tuscany" to see the scenery. Others find it frustrating not be able to stop at lots of different the hilltowns.

You've got plenty of time to think about it. There really is no one "right" way to see Italy, even for the first time. Just give it your best shot at what you'd think you'd enjoy. You're probably right.

I concur that some driving would be good. Drive between Venice and Florence, or Florence and Rome, taking in the smaller cities and countryside on the way. "Tuscany" includes Florence, by the way, but there are many beautiful areas, like Umbria for example, and smaller cities like Perugia, Bologna, Verona, the list goes on.

niftz,

Sorry -- I left out one route that might actually be the best route.

Make le Cinque Terre your first stop, then to Florence by train, then to Venice by train, and now pick up a car and drive to scenic Tuscany, taking the scenic road through Chianti to someplace just south of Siena. You then have access to the scenic route down through le Crete Senesi and the val d'Orcia, and you can ultimately drop off the car in Chiusi or Orvieto, and taking the train to Rome.

Most people who post of Fodor's would think that was too rushed a trip for various reasons, and I'm not recommending it. I'm just pointing out ways that if you don't mind a fast paced trip, or feel you don't need a lot of time in one or more of your wish-list destinations, you might see these places in case you can't come to grips with eliminating some altogether.

PS: Some people go by travel "rules" like "no more than 3 destinations max" or "no one-night hotel stays" or "no less than 3 nights Venice" or "no more than -- well, you get the picture. Those are very subjective calls, and some people can't plan a trip to Italy without them. If that's your comfort zone, people have lots of tips along those lines.

You could extend your stay in Florence for an extra few days, butuse it as a base to see other places in Tuscany. This saves the hassle of moving hotels again, and there are many places that make good daytrips by public transport among them:

Siena (75 minutes by bus), Pisa and or Lucca (it would be possible to do both on the same day as they are only 20 minutes apart), Bologna (1 hour on slow cheap train) Arezzo etc.

Be aware that while the town willt mentions are all in Tuscany, they are not the popular hilltown destinations that have come to mean "Tuscany" in picture postcards and other tourist iconography.

If this is what you want to see in Tuscany

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/33/46...8247e4b1d4.jpg

http://www.europeantravelway.com/etw...e_Valdelsa.jpg

you'll need to get out of the art cities in the flatlands mentioned above.

You can go to Panzano in Chianti from Florence by bus (one hour trip)

http://blogs.smh.com.au/lostintransi...%20Chianti.JPG

and take another bus to Siena (another hour) that travels a scenic route

http://lafinestradistefania.simplici...ntigiane-1.jpg

It is also possible to take a bus from Florence to San Gimignano and back in a single day,
but if you want to visit many small hilltowns, you do better with a car.

I should add that some of the towns mentioned by willt are my favorites in Tuscany, and I'm not discouraging you from going there by train. But when you wrote of wanting to visit
"Florence and Tuscany", I thought perhaps you meant what many other people do: getting out of an art city and seeing the countryside of vinyards.

We have done several hill towns from florence - but by car - since train or bus service is sometimes good but sometimes sparse. Also, if you have a car you can stop wherever you want - to see a pretty view - to check out a cute town - to stop at any restaurant you want without worrying about a schedule.

We have never done the Cinque Terre (I will walk a lot in cities and enjoy pretty walks in the alps - but I'm not hiking anywhere - and definitely not anywhere it might be hot. I have a feeling I may be more Portofino.)

We have loved Rome, Florence and Venice on multiple trips - but I want to see every cathedral, museum and roman ruin there is - then sit in a cafe with a campari and soda and watch the world go by. (Also have visited a lot of smaller towns over much of mid and northern Italy, which we enjoyed as well - but filling in between major destinations.)

But we don't know what you like best - so it's hard to say what's best for you.

Your itinerary would suit me fine. I would leave out CT and Tuscany though if this is your first visit. There is so much to see and do in the big 3. I would keep Florence as my base and do day trips in Tuscany from there. If I had to choose between CT and Tuscany, I would choose Tuscany, but that is just my preference.

Thank you all for your input,(Zeppole)numerous responses, I will check out all of your suggestions.