lynda55

Hi, I will be traveling to Italy for the first time with my 73 year old mother and 23 year old daughter. We will be there for 11 nights/12 days, starting and ending in Rome, 3 days in Rome to start, 2 days somewhere else??? before we get to Florence (3/4 days) to visit my other daughter, then thinking of Venice for 1/2 days....would love suggestions/ hotel (3 star?) recommendations, etc. Thanks!

iamq

I've been to Rome once and stayed in an apartment, but if I went back and stayed in a hotel it would be the Albergo del Senato. The location is spectacular.

txgrl99

How wonderful to travel with your family! I personally think 3 days is plenty in Florence. You may want to consider adding one of those days to Rome. It depends on your traveling style, though. I really like to see the larger citiies (which I love) more thoroughly. Yes, yes, yes to Venice. My then boyfriend (now DH) stayed one night, and we were heartbroken to leave. We vow to go back and spend at least 4 nights. It is just magical. We stayed at the Hotel Antiche Figure. We absolutely loved it, but I'm not sure about its star rating. It is very nice, though. It is by the train station and not by St. Mark's, which might be a downside for some. Enjoy your trip!

SusanP

Since you're flying out of Rome, you will need to be there the night before. Three destinations are more than enough for eleven nights. To cut down on hotel changes, upon arrival in Rome, immediately go to Venice and spend three nights there. Take the train to Florence for four nights with a daytrip to a Tuscan town. Then take the train to Rome for four nights. (Or do three nights in Florence and five in Rome, which is what I would do!)

Enjoy!

brando

I would say 4 days in Rome, which won't be enought, 2 day in Florence-make sure you see David at the Academia- my biggest regret, and IMHO I wounld spend 2 days in Assisi, it's a great go between, great food, great views, great art, and if your catholic a great moving experience. I've never been to Venice but I want to so you couldn't go wrong going that direction.

Jean

What time of year? If summer, you need hotels with A/C.

What's your hotel budget?

Does your mom have any mobility or stamina issues? Will she be able to "hit the ground running," or will she need a day to catch her breath?

Because you're visiting your other daughter in Florence, I wouldn't cut down on the days there. You don't have enough time to see all three cities in depth anyway, and I'm guessing your mom is more interested in seeing her grand-daughter than having an additional day in Rome or Venice.

I agree with SusanP's suggestion to head immediately to Venice on arrival at Rome, but what time of day do you arrive? If your air tickets aren't purchased yet, see if you can arrive in Venice and depart from Rome. If they have been purchased, look for a low-cost flight from Rome to Venice which would save you a couple of hours of travel. The train is at least 5 hours from the airport to Rome to Venice.