We will be traveling to Italy this coming March for the first time. We have 2 weeks, with the second in a villa in Tuscany. Now I'm struggling with the first week's itineray...We'd like to see Venice and, ideally Cinque Terra, but my husband feels you can't go to Italy & skip Rome. Any ideas of how to make this itinerary work?

That only gives you one week. Can you split up the time surrounding the week in Tuscany. If so I would fly in to Rome and spend 3 days. 1 week in Tuscany. Then continue to the Riviera, maybe Portovenere 3 days and day trip to Cinque Terre (which is wonderful). Fly out of Milan or Genoa.

I happen to agree with your husband...Rome should not be missed.

The ideal would be to fly into Rome, then Tuscany and fly out of Venice. You could do four days in Rome, seven days in Tuscany and end the trip with three days in Venice. That is if you villa dates are flexible.

Natalie M.,
I too agree that Rome is not to be missed. May I ask how you decided on your Villa and where in Tuscany you will be staying? We have been to Rome 3 times and next year is Tuscany
Thanks.
Carol

This is the challenge; our week in Tuscany requires Saturday check-in, so we can't do the logical 3 day Rome, week in Tuscany, 3 days elsewhere. How about arrive in Rome, fly to Venice, then rent a car for Tuscany, then fly home from Venice?

Dear NatalieM,

I have been planning a trip for my mother, father and myself for months and it has not been easy. (There is a saga in words on this site and on SlowTravelers Italy message boards. You might want to ck out that site also.)

I did find villas in Tuscany willing to change the check-in dates but it sure made picking the villa very confusing. I finally got my folks to agree to just go along with the common check-in date. Because of this our trip is shaping up as such:

1) Rome- Hotel 3 nights. Ck-in Monday and Ck-out Thursday.

2) Rent car and meander towards Cortona villa rental over 2 night period.

3) Arrive Cortona villa rental for stay on a Saturday to ck-out on the following Saturday. This will be home base for more exploration by car and train of Florence, etc.

4) Ck-out on Saturday and either drive immediately back to airport in Rome or drive to another airport OR we may possibly spend 1 more night somewhere before going to airport.

Natalie:

Do you actually have 7 nights IN Italy before the villa in Tuscany?

Or does that first "week" include travel time?

Hi Natalie,

>...my husband feels you can't go to Italy & skip Rome.

We have been to Venice many times and recently did Florence, Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

We might never get to Rome.

Yes, we will have 7 days in Italy, before check in at the villa on day 8. Good suggestion to check & see if the villa might be more flexible!

Gasp ! You'd choose going to the CT over Roma ??? Nix on the Cinque Terre; lovely, charming, but I would not choose it over visiting Rome. And especially since your traveling in March --- weather will be better in Rome than in the CT towns. And as long as you're not in Rome during Easter season (when is Easter for '05?), then March is a "relatively" quieter time to be there.

Soooooooo, I'm agreeing with your hubby. Divide your first week between Rome & Venice. And then for second week, head off to Tuscany. You'll be staying in a villa in Tuscany and that sounds like it'll be a laid-back relaxing portion of your Italy trip.

Rome 3 nights (Days 1, 2, 3)

Fly or rail to Venice for 3 nights (Days 4, 5, 6)

Train to Florence to pick up car. Drive to Cinque Terre for a night (Day 7)

Drive on Day 8 to villa in Tuscany. (Assume you can do Florence on a day trip from there.)
______________________________

This would not be my choice of itinerary, but it meets your needs.

It would also help to know where the "villa in Tuscany" is located.

If possible, can you travel mid-week to mid-week? We've done that quite a few times and the airfares are usually less also.

Mid-week would be ideal, but we're traveling with my mom who is a teacher, so working around her spring break. In Tuscany we will be staying just outside of Cortona. Thanks for the suggestions. So far, 2 itineraries have emerged: 1.The crazy-see-everything-too-quick plan - Day 1 & 2 in Venice; Day 3 drive to Cinque Terre; Day 4 at Cinque Terre; Day 5 Drive to Rome; Day 6 & 7 in Rome; Day 8 drive to Cortona. Would anyone do this, or would this be ridiculous? or 2. The logical plan given our constraints: Day 1-3 in Venice; Day 4 fly to Rome; Day 4-7 in Rome; day 8 drive to Cortona. Any great day trips out of Venice or Rome, perhaps by train?

Hi Natalie,

>The logical plan given our constraints: <

Much better.

You have only 3 days in Venice. I don't think you will have time for a daytrip. However, Padua and Verona are interesting.

From Rome, you might want to visit Orvieto and/or the archaeological site at Antia Ostica.

Natalie:

The last option is much better. Assuming you're flying into Venice, that's 3 days Venice, 4 days Rome.

If the March weather is nice and you really want to see Cinque Terre, you still could do a long day trip from Cortona (about 3 hrs one way, I'd think).

I can't even imagine the first scenario. However, your second option is a good one.

Once you have settled on the outline of your itinerary, you can plan day trips. If you have never been to Venice or Rome, I personally would not plan any day drips from those cities because there is just too much to see and do. Day trips would be perfect while staying in Cortona...such a lovely town.