First Italy Trip-Need itinerary help please
 

My wife and I are taking our first trip in June. Wanted to ask the forum's advice about our current itinerary. June 7-20
We are arriving in Rome 2pm., (4 nights)-going to Florence by high speed train
Florence (3 nights)
Renting car and driving through Tuscany/visiting vineyards and seeing some of the hill towns & Sienna (3 nights)-Taking a high speed train from Florence to Venice.
Venice (2 nights) flight out of Venice 2pm

My questions:
Does this look to leave enough time in each city?
Is three nights in Florence too much, or better served elsewhere? Venice? Tuscany?
Any recommendations of favorite areas not to miss in the Tuscany region while we have the car?

Thanks for any help. These forums help so much to connect with seasoned veterans. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to become one someday.
-David

Will you keep Florence as your base , or are you moving to Siena? I would stay in Florence, do day trips from there, and take one of those days and give it to Venice. A day and a half in Venice is not enough.

Looks good.

As a minor quibble, I might suggest making sienna 2 nights and venice 3 nights, but just because I love venice.

Re florence -- if you like art and are intrigued by the history (esp. renaissance) of Florence, 3 nights is good. If you tend to avoid art musuems, it could be a day too long. You could take a spur-of-the moment day trip to Pisa if Florence starts to wear thin.

Tuscany: I liked Castellina in Chianti, nice little town to stop for lunch. Sienna itself can take a full day. Others will have more suggestions.

Is three nights in Florence too much, or better served elsewhere? I THINK SO - TWO WOULD BE BETTER. Venice? 3 NIGHTS - VENICE IS MAGICAL. Tuscany? 3 NIGHTS BUT NOT IN SIENA - STAY IN AN AGRITURISMO IN THE PRETTY COUNTRYSIDE IN THE SIENA ENVIRONS TO CONTRAST WITH YOUR CITY STAYS. Any recommendations of favorite areas not to miss in the Tuscany region while we have the car? VAL D'ORCIA.

Very good period and very good itinerary.
I don't like too much big cities, so my suggestion is to cut one night to Rome and another one to Florence to increase the time assigned to Tuscany tour, with base in Val d'Orcia (wonderful suggestion by TuckH) in such places as Pienza or Montepulciano or S.Quirico, with day trip to Siena, San Gimignano, Orvieto, etc.); for Venice two full days are the least.

Hi M,

>Renting car and driving through Tuscany/visiting vineyards and seeing some of the hill towns & Sienna (3 nights)-Taking a high speed train from Florence to Venice.<

Why not just drive to Venice and drop your car at the Piazzale Roma?

I would drop a night from Florence and add it to Venice.

You will need an International Driver's permit in Italy.
http://www.aaasouth.com/home.asp

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Hi, David -

> Is three nights in Florence too much?

I'm an art lover, and I found 5 days in Florence to be just barely enough - I could easily have enjoyed more time there. But as others have said, it depends on what you want to do. In general, I think your plan sounds good.

Hope that helps!