I am going to Italy in May 2004 with my husband for 11 days. I have been there before but it was right after college and i was backpacking with a friend. As you can imagine, being college students, we were on a pretty strict budget. This time, my husband and I want to do things on a much nicer scale. He has never been to Italy, or anywhere in Europe (!). We are planning on Rome, Venice, FLorence and Tuscany. Of course i need recommendations for everything from hotels, restaurants, trains, nightlife, etc.. but let's start with itinerary. How many days do you think we should spend in each city? Right now we are thinking: 2 nights in rome, 3 nights in florence, 2 nights in tuscany (country side), 2 nights in venice. Or should we switch it to 2 nights in florence and 3 in the tuscan countryside?

Thanks!

I would only change hotels 3 times and do 3-4-3--the 4 being in Tuscany with a day trip into Florence, perhaps by bus from Siena or some other Tuscany location.

I would also change hotels only 3 times.
I would do as follows:
- Rome: 4, if possible 5 nights
- Venice: 3 nights
- Tuscany, countryside: what's left.
And with a daytrip to Florence.

Hi J,

I go along with only 3 hotels. However, without a car I would stay in Florence and visit Siena by bus.

I would fly into Rome - 3 nights; train to Florence - 4 nights; train to Venice - 2 nights; fly home from Venice.

I also agree to increase the days in Rome (min. 3 nights) and combine FLorence/Tuscany into 1 hotel stop.

yes, fewer changes, so less time lost in packing/unpacking, checking in and out, trains and buses from one place to another, etc.

Here's my plan
Fly into Rome. Spend 4 days.
Move on to Florence. Stay 4 days, two spent in Florence, one in Siena, one in another Tuscan location that's accessible by bus or train.
Train to Venice, you can do an evening train if you like.
Final three days in Venice, fly home from there.

I have files on those cities; if you'd like to see them, email me at
[email protected]

Thanks for the advice all! i will speak to my husband about your suggestions. My next issue to tackle is where to stay. Please let me know your favorite hotels in each city.

What is your hotel budget?

We stayed at, and were pleased with:
Rome - Santa Chiara
FLorence - Hotel Casci
Venice - Hotel Flora.

Each of these is frequently mentioned here (that's how I found them). I would return to any of these without hesitation.

I also like the Santa Chiara and the Flora--charming, great locations, pleasant, all services. Though if you want a "much nicer scale" you can of course pay more than either of those hotels cost,and have perhaps larger rooms and more luxury.