Hi,
Me and husband visiting Italy for 11 days in November 2010. We have planned a tentative itinerary, would appreciate comments, critique of the same.

Day 1: Reach Rome
Day 2: Rome sight seeing
Day 3: Day trip to Pompeii
Day 4 : Vatican tour
Day 5 : Arrive in Florence. Uffizi, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Day 6 : Day trip to Siena & San Gimignano
Day 7 : Half day trip to Pisa. Back to Florence, then visit Galleria dell'Accademia
Day 8 : Stay in Florence or go to Milan?
Day 9 : Arrive in Venice. An opera/ballet in Musica a Palazzo or La Fenice.
Day 10: Venice
Day 11: Back to Rome
Day 12: Fly back

The aim of the trip is to see the highlights of the country, I understand 11 days is just not enough to experience the culture in-depth.

Thanks very much for your time.

arka, try and get open jaw or multi-city tickets, that let you fly into Rome and fly out of Venice. Taht will save you the time of having to go back to Rome.

Book the Uffizi, Accademia, Vatican in advance.

For day 8 - I'd say stay in Florence, I don't see it being worth going to Milan for just half a day or so there. You could try to get a flight that leaves from Milan, so you could go from Venice to Milan, and leave from there on the 12th.

For your first trip, I'd say skip Milan unless you really really want to visit "Last Supper", awesome duomo and La Scala museum (others will have other suggestions). It would be a tight day with travel.

Use that time to either add a day to one of the 3 base cities. You'll have to decide what you like the best in choosing which city.

You will be tired on Day 1, the Vatican will eat up most of the day and the day trip to Pompeii will be long. If you like art, Borghese in Rome is a must see.

If you stay in Florence, you could make Siena a full day and split Pisa and San Gim.

As sam86 says, try to fly into Rome and out of Venice. And, have a ball!

If you have time before/after Vatican tour, try to see the excavation under St. Peter's called the Scavi. It is very early necropolis/perhaps burial location of St. Peter (not suggesting this b/c we are particularly religious--it is a remarkable, beautiful site). In the past you needed to get advance tixs for Scavi (it is not included in Vatican tour). Can be done via Internet/fax, etc.

Skip Milan and Pisa. Stay longer in Florence and enjoy.

I wouldn't skip Pisa if poss. Touristy for a good reason and you can see that area in a half day. The duomo is exquisite and the tower is a visual treat. Get advance tix to climb the tower.

Stick to your guns about what you wish to see. We can make suggestions and say why, but you are the ultimate trip designer here.

As mentioned you will be tired the first day, but it is important to throw yourselves into the time zone. So, if you arrive in the morning walk around a great deal or take a city bus tour to orient yourself.

Will you have a car?

hi arka,

I can see what you are trying to do, but IMHO you are moving around far too much in the time you've got.

as it looks as if you are locked into flying into and out of rome, you will be better off leaving rome as soon as you get there, and leaving you time in Rome until the end of you trip. i would also suggest jettisoning Milan, as you don't list anything you want to see there.

Day 1: Reach Rome. Train to Venice.
Day 2: Venice sight seeing
Day 3: Venice
Day 4 : Arrive in Florence.
Day 5 : Uffizi, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Accademia
Day 6 : Half day trip to Pisa. Back to Florence.
Day 7 : train to Rome
Day 8 : Rome
Day 9 : Day trip to Pompeii [you may want to rethink this, and opt for somewhere nearer like ostia antica]
Day 10: Rome
Day 11: Rome
Day 12: Fly back

this gives you 3 nights in venice and florence [which is about what you had in your original itinerary] but groups your nights in rome altogether, so that you do far less moving around, and more seeing actual sights. it also means that you could think about staying in an apartment in Rome which saves money and is lots of fun, too.

have a great trip,

regards, ann

Oooh, good suggestion from annhig -- if you've already bought your plane tickets. Otherwise fly into Venice and out of Rome.

Where are you coming from? Flights from Venice leave early if you need to connect for a flight back across the Atlantic. With that early departure you'll have less time on the ground. So better to arrive in Venice. And, as it's November, start north and work your way south.

And, if you're arriving after an overnight flight, you'll be tired and jetlagged for a couple days. Training on to Venice is an efficient use of that sleepy time. Plus Venice is a good place to get over jetlag. It's less intense than Rome, no cars or trucks. And very romantic.

Great inputs folks. Appreciate very much your thoughts and comments.

We will be flying in from India, hence day 1 is kept free just to acclimatize ourselves.

I see the logic of dropping Milan from the itinerary, so will stay back in Florence for an extra day. Or would you suggest an extra day in Venice.

We do not have the option of open-jaw tickets now (already reserved), so it will have to be Rome-to-Rome.

We plan to travel by train and bus, no cars.

There is far more to enjoy in Florence than in Venice. I would recommend the extra day in Florence. I like Ann's suggestions but all of my friends have said that Pisa was a waste of time. If it were me, I'd skip Pisa and enjoy a day trip either to Siena or San Gim - both excellent choices and worth the trip. Plan to have ceramics shipped back from San Gim, just stunning. There's a fantastic restaurant there with bistro service in the front and full restaurant service in the back. See if you can get one of the locals to identify it for you, sorry I can't recall the name. Enjoy your trip.

corayesq: There is far more to enjoy in Florence than in Venice.

That's not my opinion. Or the opinion of many other Fodorites. However, it sounds like the OP is interested in Renaissance art and architecture.

What time does your flight from India arrive in Rome? The reason annhig suggested taking the train to Venice on that first day is because it's a good use of a day when you're tired and jetlagged. You spend that time getting to your furthest point, then work your way back. Whereas checking in and out of a hotel (twice in Rome) and getting to your next destination takes time, time you could better use sightseeing.

You must make your own decision between Florence and Venice. We debate which is "better" constantly and it really boils down to what interests YOU! If possible make a list of the venues that interest you in both places and stay in the town that has the longer list!

We debate Pisa also and I hope you find time to see it. In my opinion, you can visit it in 1/2 day if you limit yourself to the Tower area. If possible, take a guided tour of the duomo-Pisa and Rome's history was intertwined (if I remember the talk correctly) and there is some awesome art in there.

I'd skip Milan and add the day to Venice.

I only included the half-day trip to pisa as that was in the OP's original itinerary.

personally i like Pisa and think that the campo dei miracoli transcends all the tat that the hawkers can throw at it, but a very pleasant alternative is a trip up to Fiesole on the bus either from the main bus station or piazza san marco [convenient if you've just been to the duomo area and/or accademia, which is just round the corner].

Thanks once again, all of you.

Mimar, we arrive in Rome at 1845 local time. And the last train to Venice is somewhere around 2130. I feel it is too short a time to come out of the airport, go to the station and get in the train. So we are planning to take the train the next morning. Or am I overestimating the time between airport and termini travel and it really can be done in 2 hours?

Coraesq: that is a fabulous idea to have the ceramics shipped back. Do you know if the same is possible for Venice glass artifacts.

Yes, I believe the shops in Venice will ship your purchases for you.

A vote for annhig's itinerary.

Well, you probably can get from the plane to Rome's Stazione Termini in 2 hours. But I'm unwilling to guarantee it. (I remember spending a long time in the non-EU immigration line my last flight into Rome.) And those evening trains to Venice are inconveniently long in duration.

So I agree. Spend the night in Rome.