Hello everyone!

My fiancé and I are flying into Rome August 16 and out of Venice August 30 (I know August isn't ideal, but I'm a teacher). We already booked the hotel in Rome for 4 nights and were planning to fly into Sardinia for 3 nights but decided against it, so now we have 3 days to fill up. The thing is, we also booked the hotel in Florence for 3 nights assuming we would fly from Sardinia into Florence. So, this is what our itinerary looks like right now:

August 16-19: Rome (including a day trip to Pompeii?) [BOOKED HOTEL for 4 nights]

August 20-22: ?????

August 23-25: Florence [BOOKED HOTEL for 3 nights]

August 26: Siena?

August 27: Cinque Terre?

August 28-29: Venice

We are 28 years old and we love: drinking wine, dancing, eating (my fiancé is a huge foodie), art, history and local culture. We understand that covering a lot of territory will be tiresome, but we look forward to unwinding at the end of each night with a good meal and a bottle (or two) of wine. Also, this is our honeymoon trip, so we'd like to squeeze some romance in there if possible

We would appreciate any and all input, thanks in advance!!!

~DnA~

p.s. We are NOT interested in visiting Milan (I've been there before and did not enjoy it at all!)

How about staying on the west coast of Italy at a beach resort for a few days? Then train to Florence. http://www.discovertuscany.com/what-...n-tuscany.html
We loved this area and enjoyed 3 days on the coast before going to Lucca and Florence.http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Revi...o_Tuscany.html
I would go back to this hotel in a heartbeat.

One day each for Siena and Cinque Terre is not enough time. Do Siena on the way to Florence and save Cinque Terre for the next trip. Then use the open time in Venice, or make a stop over in Bologna - great foodie town.

I wouldn't go to the Cinque Terre unless you can spend two nights there. It's a long trip from Florence and a very long trip from there to Venice. When you get there, it will be lunchtime, and you'll have to leave early in the morning the next day. It's too much travel time in relation to the time you'll get to spend there.

I really hate changing hotels, so I would prefer to stay an extra night in Florence and visit Siena as a day trip. You might also spend an extra night in Rome if you intend to take a day trip to Pompeii. (Warning: it's usually dreadfully hot at Pompeii in August, and there's very little shade there.)

In fact, if you extend your stay in Rome by one night, and anticipate your stay in Florence by one night, you'll have two nights after Florence to spend in the Cinque Terre, giving you a full day there. (Warning: the Cinque Terre is practically sinking under the weight of the tourists in August.)

This would still leave you one extra night between Rome and Florence. You could spend this in either Rome or Florence, or perhaps in a town along the way. Orvieto or Assisi would be my suggestions. Both are on train lines that connect to both Rome and Florence.

Another vote for Bologna. Well placed for days out by train or road. The food in the area is great and you are slightly out of the main tourist drag (which is where you are for the rest of the time)

I would see Siena as a day trip from Florence (so add another night).

To get your dose of the ocean, I would skip CT and visit the Amalfi Coast after Rome. It is a 2-hour train ride from Rome to Salerno, then you can catch a ferry to whichever town you stay in. You can then catch a train from Salerno to Florence.

If you are foodies, and end up in Bologna consider doing the Italian Days Food Experience (http://www.italiandays.it/index.asp.) Spending the day with Alessandro is a wonderful eating, and drinking, experience.

Was Sardinia for the beach? If that's important, you could do a few days in a coastal area(Orbetello, etc.) between Rome/Florence. You can reach much of that coastline by train from Rome.

If the beach isn't important, you could spend some those 3 days in hill towns in southern Tuscany before going to Florence.