MY HUSBAND WANTS ME TO MEET HIM IN GENOA NEXT WEEK, FLY TO GENOA FROM BOSTON, TAKE THE TRAIN TO ROME , CHECK OUT THE SIGHTS, AND FLY BACK FROM ROME, ANY ADVICE, MY FIRST VISIT, AIR FARE IS VERY PRICEY, WE'LL SPEND 3-5 DAYS THERE.

Please don't shout!

sorry about the caps, I was not shouting

Is your total trip time 3-5 days? If so, I'd advise skipping Genoa, which isn't so great at this time of year, and spending all your time in Rome.

Thanks for the response, my husband is arriving by ship to the port of Genoa, so I thought I would meet him there, spend a night, then take the train to Rome. Do you think I should fly into Rome, and have him take the train to meet me there?

ssp, you are forgiven. ;-)
Maybe this time of the year isn't so favorable, but we were pleasantly surprised by Genoa when we visited there last September. We had only half a day so we just strolled around in the city, didn't visit any monuments or museums, although there are a lot!

I'd advise going straight to Rome. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing from my own trips that Genoa-Rome is about five hours on the train. Why do that when you have such limited time available?

If this is a once in a lifetime trip or you don't expect to go back for many years, by all means go to Rome. But if you can treat this as if you will be back again, check out Northern Italy. Lots to do from the Cinque Terre south of Genoa to the Lakes region north. You can also head to Florence, Pisa, Siena, Lucca or other Tuscan cities by car or train in less time than you can get to Rome. It will be cheaper flying round trip in and out of the same city (Milan) and you won't have to spend half a day in a train. Have fun.

Thanks for all of the advice. I am checking into all the various ways to make this trip happen. I will check the Milan idea, too. Does anyone have an opinion about renting a car in Italy? Since the train system is recommended, I wonder how many people rent cars instead?

If you are to wander the Tuscan or Umbrian countryside you'll need a car. If not, by all means take trains. Italian trains are excellent.

Ok, it is obvious I am new at this. How unrealistic is it to expect to find hotels when I get there, other than the first night? I just realized I was trying to plan a trip to Rome for Easter. I am rethinking that due to the other threads I have read about not finding a hotel. I may try to hit Rome before Good Friday, and be away from there for the Easter period. I am heading to the book store to pick up a few travel books. Thanks for all the info.

I found a great airfare to and from Genoa. Due to the Easter Holiday, we will focus on The Tuscany region, as suggested. I think it will not be as crowded, and we should have more flexiblity in hotels, etc. Got my books, reading like crazy tonight. I'm sure I'll have lots more questions once I've narrowed down the options. Looking forward to great food, wine, and lots of sights.