Hi,

My fiance and I will be travelling to Italy around 22nd Sept and wanted feedback on the following itinerary,

Date Place Remarks
22-Sep Venice Arrive at Rome around 2.30 PM local time. Catch the evening flight to Venice.
23-Sep Spend Day in Venice
24-Sep Spend Day in Venice
25-Sep Catch morning train to Florence
26-Sep Spend Day in Florence
27-Sep Catch train to Rome
28-Sep Spend day in Rome
29-Sep Spend day in Rome
30-Sep Spend day in Rome
1-Oct Spend day in Rome
2-Oct Return home.

Would it be advisable to spend and extra day in Florence rather than Rome and would a night train be convenient as compared to a early morning train.

Any suggestions on places to see or general recommendations would be appreciated.

Thank You.

Why not fly into Venice--cost is about the same?

looks about right for a split. Might just check the tides for venice but flooding normally needs low pressure as well as high tide.

It depends upon your interests. Florence is the one city we go to each trip to Italy because there is so much to see and do and the food is so fantastic. Do a little research to see what you want to do while there and then decide. I would spend at least two days in Florence but you may prefer the extra time in Rome.

I agree with Bob - once you factor in the cost and time of the train to Venice, it makes more sense to fly into Venice.

You shouldn't experience any problems with high tides in your time frame.

You might consider stopping in Florence on your way to Rome. Stow your luggage at the train station, tour the town, go back to the station and take an evening train to Rome. if you want to go back, you can from Rome. It's 90 minutes on the train.

hi baja,

I am one of those who can never get enough of Rome, but for a first trip, I think I might want to spend a little longer in Venice, by borrowing a night from Rome, especially as it's your first destination and therefore where you will be recovering from your wedding, the journey, and possibly jetlag.

if you can, fly into Venice and out of Rome, and spend at least 3 full days in Venice. after all, the "Eternal City" will always be there; La Serenissima, possibly not.

Hi, Bajajamon - for whatever it's worth, I concur with Ann: you're short-changing both Venice and especially Florence, and since Venice is your first stop after a presumably long trip and a wedding, you will be wiped out. I'd try and add a day to both Venice and Florence. If your flight arrangements are not already paid for, perhaps you can do as Ann suggests, fly in to Venice and out of Rome to avoid backtracking in what is a very ambitious trip in a relatively short time. It's an easy train ride from Venice to Florence, and a bit less Florence to Rome, but you still lose a lot of time travelling and getting from the station to check in to your hotels. I'd want to maximize my time in my chosen destinations.

There are several airlines that fly nonstop from the US to Venice and to Rome so why not fly into one city and leave from the other-less time and expense and alot less hassles.

If you can't fly directly into Venice, I wouldn't wait at the Rome airport for an evening flight to Venice. You would either need to build in a safe cushion of (wasted) time or risk missing your connection. Instead, I'd take the first train to Florence you can catch and start your itinerary there, then train to Venice and train to Rome.

IMHO if it were my honeymoon i would want a more relaxed trip - spending more time in fewer places, rather than rushing so much.

IMHO 5 days is minimum for a relaxed first look at Rome and 3 days for either Florence or Venice. So I would fly into one of the latter, spend 3 full days there, then train to Rome for the rest of the trip.

After all, don;t you want some late-night dinners walking back to the hotel afterward through beautiful piazzas with flood lit fountains - and late mornings with breakfast in bed? And some late afternoon sitting with a drink and watching the world go by. (The cafes in front of the Pantheon are great for this - a 2 thousand year old sight, a nice drink and munchies, watching a good part of Rome wander by going home or for a drink - and perhaps music from a nearby church - which we've had several times). the perfect way to spend 4 to 5 or 6 in Rome - before heading back to the hotel for shower, change and dinner.

Sometimes less really is more!

Thank You all for your suggestions. We will increase our stay in Florence by another day and may fly into Venice depending on the ticket cost which is around 30% higher compared to the flight to Rome from India.

Thank You again. Appreciate it.