Am just starting travel plans for Italy - September/October 2002 - approx. 10 days. 2 couples who enjoy travel - but haven't yet travelled much outside of the U.S. We're looking to get a feel for Italy (history, romance - and of course, food!), but realize that we won't be able to get it all in in the course of one trip. <BR>In working on our itinerary,I've done a bit of reading already (books and this site), but everything in Italy sounds so wonderful!! <BR>For our trip - my thought is Rome, Venice and Florence. Is this the best itinerary for a group of first timers? And can we forgo the car and get everywhere we need to go by train? I'd greatly appreciate your experienced feedback!

If you are just "looking to get a feel for Italy" then you can probably do that in 10 days in Rome, Florence, and Venice. You must realize, though, that you will only get a feel for these three cities. Italy has so many faces that you could spend years and still be getting a feel for Italy. You'll miss out on the entire southern half of the country, of course, and the smaller, very beautiful, cities and small towns. But your choices are good as an introduction. Now, do you really have 10 days? (You'll "lose" a day traveling there probably.) If you have ten days in country, I'd suggest 5 days in Rome, 3 in Florence, and 2 in Venice, or 4-3-3. Having said that, you'll get other recommendations from other people, all of whom have their favorites. This will give you just enough of a taste that you'll want to return. And yes, train travel between these three locations is excellent and easy.

Ten days? Ten &gt;&gt;full&lt;&lt; day? <BR> <BR>Even with 10 full days in Italy I'd tend not to do more than two of those cities. If your trip, as is most often the case, leaves you with only 7 complete days then biting off more than two is too much for sure. <BR> <BR>Do be sure to take into account how much of your holiday will be taken up with travel, getting to/from trains, waiting for trains, orienting to your new location, checking in/out, packing/unpacking. To each his own of course, but we tend to want to minimize those non-productive parts of the trip. We lose, at least, a half day or more for every move. <BR> <BR>Rome will keep most visitors amused for weeks, let alone a few days. It takes at least three days to &gt;&gt;skim&lt;&lt; the top sights, and in that time you'll feel rushed and cheated. And beyond sightseeing you'll regret you didn't have more time to sit back and enjoy the rhythm of the city.

Ed, you're right, and I meant to add something of that to my last thread, but somehow lost that train of thought before I finished. If Stacy simply wants to get a taste, then it CAN be done, but one of the real joys of Italy, and many other places, is in just strolling, or ditting in a piazza with a glass of wine, or in strolling through a marketplac--in short, taking time to take it all in. I did recommend an itinerary for all 3 cities, simply because she said they want to "get a feel" of Italy. <BR> <BR>Stacy, listen to Ed; he really has it right. If you pare your itinerary down to 2 cities, you'll be happier.

I think you have to experience small towns and the Italian countryside to begin to get a feeling for Italy. If you're flying in and out of Rome, Stacy, you could spend several days there (definitely without a car) and then rent and be in a delightful town in Umbria, like Spello, in less than 2 hours. Pick one town as a base and make day trips from there. If you're set on the "big 3," definitely only do 2 of the 3 - I'd pick Rome and Venice without hesitation. <BR>

You can easily travel between any of the big 3 (Rome, Florence, Venice) on the train. Quickest & most comfortable trains between these cities are the EuroStar ('ES'). Explore the train schedules at -- http://www.trenitalia.it/ <BR> <BR>It's tempting to want to hit the trio, but you really might consider balancing your itinerary with a couple days in a quieter, more laid back setting. I'd suggest starting in Rome -- 3 full days there, only a tip of the iceberg, but Rome is truly the crucible of all things Italian. After that, I'd rent a car & get outside the city. Be it Tuscany or Umbria region, or perhaps further north around the Lakes area. Then do your last 2 or 3 days in either Florence or Venice.