Hi D,

This April? Be prepared for airfare sticker shock.

How about mid Sept for 12-14 days?

If you fly into Venice, train to Florence, train to Rome and fly home from there, you can do it yourself.

You can start with airfare at www.1800flyeurope and www.kayak.com

Once you have an itinerary and a budget, we can help you find hotels.

Look up the cities under "Destinations".

((I))

PS,

With 8-9 days, I would fly into Venice - 3 nights, train to Rome - 5 nights, fly home.

Be sure to evaluate the time you are alloted in each city if you do choose a tour. Look for the key words, such as you may drive BY a place, have a photo op which would be standing outside the bus for 15 minutes, etc.

I would not want to be up and out at 7AM, having put my luggage outside the night before. If you see something you would like to get involved in, you can't call the shots, etc. I have been on river cruise tours where I would have loved to have seen a concert in the evening in a town, but I had to get back to the boat.

I have stayred in the same hotel as Perillo tours and they are all eating in a group and being ushered to some store afterwards. Good luck