Grandma

Well... I'm a Venice lover. Have been there six times and counting. We always discover something new. If you don't want to spend all your time there I second all the Verona suggestions. It's near by and there is a lot to see.

Amelie1

I am a Venice lover, I have to say. Also, I have found that if you travel in the spring, and are open to exploring the maze of neighborhoods and venturing across the Rialto to the less touristy neighborhoods, it really is not that overrun (with the exception of the bridge itself, and P. San Marco). Folks who visit in summer tend to have much worse things to say than those who visit in spring.

As for the other city to visit, if this is your first trip to Italy, I would have to vote for Rome. Attractions abound, and it would really be quite sad to leave Italy without having seen the Colosseum, or for that matter the City that was for so long the seat of such an amazing empire. The history, art, culture, food...all are not to be missed. Also, if you are interested in seeing the Sistene Chapel, you can add the Vatican City to your itinerary, since it is located within the city limits of Rome.

The only thing that would incline me toward Florence is that it is a shorter train trip from Venice. Amalfi and Mt. Vesuvius are a few hours south even of Rome, so not likely to fit into this particular itinerary - but that's always a great reason to go back!

elaine

I'm a passionate Venice devotee as well, and it is possible that the time of year one visits there, (I've only been in autumn)and also the type of visit one plans) affects how much one likes the place. Still, we can't make everyone like it (thank goodness, or it would be even more crowded than it is much of the year)
any more than we can force everyone to like escargots or limoncello. More for the rest of us!

As much as I love Venice, I don't think of it as a foody destination, which ktyson says he/she wants. Great food can be found there,but it has to be sought out; that search is much easier in Rome and Florence I felt.

tcreath

I've never been to Venice so I can't comment on that portion of the discussion, but I will comment on Florence and Rome. For some reason my husband and I didn't particularly care for Florence. I can't quite place my finger on why, because the city is beautiful and full of great sites, but it just wasn't for us. On the other hand, we absolutely loved Rome. We were there in March and loved it so much we went back about 3 weeks ago. I still have a huge list of things I want to see. Florence is probably easier to get to from Venice, but if you are looking for lots of sites and attractions Rome can't be beat.

bilzen

Like you, I have a long weekend in Italy w my 11 year old daughter. r/t nyc to milan. arrive fri at 10 am, fly out monday. she wants to see venice for a day. me, the alps. any thoughts welcome.

ira

Hi bilzen,

I suggest that you stay overnight in Venice - it's magical - before driving up to the mountains.

RufusTFirefly

Damn, stumbled on this thread again with the sophomoric remarks about Venice. Can't help but to weigh in on it again. Rant. Rant.

kfusko--Historic Venice has a population of 60-70,000, not 7,000. Having crowds does not make a place Disneyesque.

Anyone who says that has either not been to Disneyland or not been to Venice. Beyond being a popular place to visit, there is no comparison.

And it's only overpriced (1) if you don't understand the the economics of getting goods to a place by boat and then having to cart them around by hand, and (2) if you are too lazy or ignorant to walk a few blocks away from Daytrippers' Alley along the Grand Canal.

bettyo70

Agreed, Venice is captivating, but try to go in the off-season. (I once had the chance to go in November, which was pure heaven!)

kfusto

Well, RufusTFirefly, so sorry my post annoyed you but I have been to Disney several times (living in Florida as I have for the past 30 years) and also to Vegas, both on business and to visit my brother who lives there.

When I have visited Venice - 4 trips over a 25 year period - I feel the same way about it as I do about Vegas and Disney.

For me, it is not a magical city but feels quite contrived and artificial. For my last trip in February, 2004, I did quite a bit of reseach on this site and Slowtrav before deciding where to stay and where to dine. I chose The Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal, very near St, Marks Square and negotiated a very fair rate directly with the hotel. The Danieli was my home on a previous visit in 2001.

I dined at restaurants recommended by family, friends and trusted posters on several sites. I remain of the opinion that the quality of accomodation and food that my dollar buys is not up to the standard of other cities in Italy I enjoy much more.

I went to Venice this time with my husband and it was his first visit to the city. We booked for three nights and he suggested we leave after the second, which we did.

As to your comments about me being "too lazy or ignorant" to venture beyond the obvious, it is quite obvious you (1) do not know me at all, and (2) you are very arrogant to think your opinion matters more than mine or anyone else's.

Your rudeness is apparent.

Melissa5

Rome is magnificent, Venice is magical, I'd recommend either 2 nights in Venice and 3 nights in Rome, or else spend all 5 nights in Rome.

St. Peter's in Rome is awesome...an experience to remember all your life. Our whole family including my teens treasured this experience as one of the best of Italy.

Rome has other wonderful sights...the Pantheon and the Trevi fountain are within walking distance of each other. Ancient Rome is fascinating...from the Pantheon to the roman forum and the colosseum. Fascinating city with the ancient existing side by side with the modern.

Venice is magical. If you read the history of Venice you'll note that it is a real city and there was a function for the canals...It is one of the most unique cities on earth. (Disneyland is NOT a city, by the way. They are nothing alike.) Our first sight of Venice is a sight I'll never forget.

florence does have important art, like MIchelangelo's David, but Florence is a more compact city, and it suffers greatly from the traffic jams/smog/crowds, in my opinion. This really detracted from our enjoyment of Florence. But if you are going in off-season this might help. We went during very crowded days in June when there were 2 major events in the city.

If you want to e-mail me I love to talk about Rome and Venice. [email protected] and please mentione Rome in the subject line so I won't think you are an add and delete you... Buon viaggio!

Melissa5

ktyson: Have fun choosing your destinations. Oops, I made a mistake in the reply above...my e-mail is on hotmail, NOT yahoo...it's actually [email protected] Sorry! Please do mention Rome in the subject line so I won't delete you as junk mail.

By the way, everything in Venice is more expensive and it's harder to find good food. but I do think everyone should see Venice at least once. But in Rome there are a great many places with great food and the prices are less than they are in Venice generally.

alg

The great Venice debate...we visited this past July and I was not as impressed as I had hoped (too much hype, maybe?). My "Disneyland" moment occured on our first day: we were staying in the Dorsoduro area and as we approached the bridge to cross a small canal, there were huge lines of tourists on either side waiting to cross the bridge, like they were waiting to get into an attraction or something. It was surreal. The Rialto Bridge area was similar, we walked through once in five days.

Venice is an amazing city, it has a fascinating history, and I am so glad I got to see it. I will, however, never go back in July.

bodacious222

If you go to Rome, hold onto your wallet. Had mine snatched on the metro last spring.

We enjoyed Venice and the Amalfi Coast more and they seemed safer.