My husband & I are traveling to Europe for the 1st time to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We definitely want to see and experience Rome and either Florence or Venice. Unfortunately, our tickets are already purchased and we are arriving/departing from ROME. Can someone give advice -- should I try to change tickets so we can stay in a 2nd city for more than 2 nights? Can we just plan a day trip to Florence (take the hi-speed train?) I don't want to feel rushed - I have accepted the fact that we can't do it all with such a short stay. But since we are already in Italy .. I don't want to miss the must see! We'd at least like to go to a second city. I've read a lot of the experienced traveler's comments...HELP!

Trying to fit in a day trip to Florence will make you fell rushed. Don't do it on this trip - save it to savour another time. The basics of Venice would probably fit into 2 nights. If you could plan to fly Rome to Venice you will save precious time.

I think whether 7 nights is a short stay is quite subjective. I have done 6 nights visit to Florence and Rome and was not rushed. I flew into Rome, took a train to Florence in time for lunch, stayed there 3 nights, trained back to Rome, stayed there 3 nights before flying home.

You can make a rushed trip out of a long stay or not rushed trip out of a short stay.

If your heart is set on visiting certain cities, do it. You must carefully manage what you have to do to keep it from being rushed. While some says this is overplanning, if this fits your style, nothing wrong with it. I have read many times to keep it for the next trip. But I have also seen too many people whose future travel plans got cut short suddenly.

Set priority so things you need to drop are taken from the bottom of your must do list.

Study attractions carefully; days open, hours, waiting line considerations, prices, whether need to pay in cash or cc ok, reservation needed, layout, amount of time needed for the visit, etc. There is no reason not to study the activities when you can find it before leaving home by using the internet or guidebooks. You do not want to waste time doing research after you get there.

For example, you do not want to goto Accademia or Uffizi without reservation. Of course you might feel tied to a schedule, but not having reservations at these places can means literally half day wasted in line. It is a trade off.

What if the visit turns out to be shorter than expected? I plan for this and have a list of if-opportunity-rises things to do. If the visit turns out of longer, I also have a plan on what activities need to be dropped.

I use train trip time to catchup my journal and review the upcoming itenerary. Some people just want to read books instead, but this again is a trade off.

Hi J,

For an anniversary, I suggest 2 nights in Venice.

See how much it would cost to change your tickets.

I think the best visit would be fly into Venice and out of Rome.

If you can't do it, it's only 4:30 hr on the ES*.

Have a nice visit.

The first time I went to Italy, we spent 6 days in Florence with a day trip to Rome. It was one of the high points of our stay. The next time we stayed in Rome and did a day trip to Florence. Again we had a great time. It's a nice, short train ride. The countryside is beautiful and the cities are very different. Rome is late Renaissance and Baroque; many of the major buildings in Florence are medieval. And if you like art, Florence is unique. If I were you, I'd book tickets at the Uffizi beforehand, plan a walk from the train station (by the lovely Santa Maria Novella) to the Duomo, wander inside for a quick look, and go on to the Piazza Signoria and the Uffizi. Pick a restaurant for lunch that appeals to you from the guidebooks (or from this site)and have a great day.

Okay -- I got to change our flight and are now flying in to Rome and flying out of Venice, also, I've added another day to our trip so we will be staying a total of 8 nights. Thanks for all the great comments! Here's what were thinking:
4 nights Rome, 1 night Florence, 3 nights Venice. I really just want a chance to go to 1-2 museums in Florence and spend a day. I feel that with so much in Rome I would need more time. Please share your thoughts...Thanks again!

Another thing you could consider is to have 5 nights Rome, 3 nights Venice, but leave Rome early in the morning, stop in Florence for the day and leave your luggage at the train station, do your 1-2 museums for which you have made reservations, and then continue at night to Venice. Of course you'd want to be sure your Venice hotel had late-night reception.

On the other hand, maybe a night in a hotel by the Florence train station would work efficiently too.

I am not clear if this is your first time abroad or just to Europe, but whatever your itinerary, you will want to consider doing some things to help potential jet lag so that you can make the most of each day and evening you are there.

Italians don't even really start eating dinner until about 8pm and you wouldn't want to crash and burn from jet lag just when the evening begins, whatever city you are in.

I know there are countless posts about jet lag, but just a few that have worked for me each time I travel:
1) Get a good neck support pillow, especially if you are traveling in coach;

2) As soon as I board the plane and get settled, I immediately change my watch to the time of my destination and I try to get on their time schedule, when possible.

3) A friend with whom I travel takes Ambien. It works for some, not for others.

4) No Jet Lag seems to help me. It's natural and you can get it in travel shops.

5) When you arrive, get on their time schedule right away. If it's daytime, get to the hotel, check in, shower and LEAVE! Don't sleep. Don't lie down to rest!! MOVE! hahaha Go to bed perhaps earlier than normal in the evening, if need be - but I have really found getting right on their schedule helps me!

Rome, Venice and Florence - such WONDERFUL, breath-taking places! Enjoy!

ttt