First time to Italy
 

My daughter is studying abroad in London and we are planning on meeting in Italy, early April for an 7-10 day trip. Any suggestions as to the itinerary? Should we start in Rome, and travel north? I am clueless and have been visiting websites for weeks and I am even more confused.

The "standard" itinerary for 7-10 days in Italy is Rome, Tuscany, & Venice.

The best plan, IMO, is to spend 4 days in Rome. Take the train to Orvieto and visit this interesting town. Rent a car in Orvieto and spend 3 nights in the beautiful countryside in Southern Tuscany near Pienza. Visit the small hill towns and drive aroung the Val d'Orcia - it's breathtaking in April. Take a day trip to Siena if you have the time or can squeeze in 1 more day. Return the car in Chiusi & take the train to Venice & spend 3 days there.

If you don't want to rent a car, you won't be able to see the beautiful Tuscany countryside without some hassel. Take the train from Rome, to Florence, & then to Venice. 4 days Rome, 3 days Florence, & 3 days Venice would be a good allocation of days.

Stu Dudley

I find guidebooks (try your library) less confusing than using the internet for preliminary trip research.

For that length trip I'd do either Venice and Florence, Florence and Rome, or Rome and Venice traveling between the cities by train.

>>I find guidebooks (try your library) less confusing than using the internet for preliminary trip research.<<

Suze - actually, I think a guidebook is more confusing for a first timer. They usually talk about everything, and someone who has not traveled to Italy (or anyplace in Europe) does not know what to include and what to exclude for a short trip. I think your suggestion for an itinerary is an excellent one for a first timer. Now jhl813 can go to the library & read avout Venice, Florence, & Rome and decide which two destinations are most interesting to her/him. Seeking advise from experienced travelers who have already researched & visited many destinations, is a perfect starting place.

Stu Dudley

If you decide to choose Venice as part of the itinerary, try to make it the last stop. It's great to end on a high note. No cars, traffic, vespas. It's a lot more peaceful than Rome when it comes to the noise. It's small enough to enjoy by just wandering around the many small streets and seeing all the bridges and canals.

Monica ((F))

It seems that I need to begin my trip in Milan and end in Rome. I have 6-7 days before arriving in Rome for 3-4 days. Any suggestions on how to spend the first leg of this trip?