Italy in November
 

I'm looking into booking a short trip to Italy during Thanksgiving. A friend of mine will be just finishing a semester in South France and I plan to meet up with her in Italy for a few days of sightseeing. We haven't decided on anything for sure yet, but we're leaning towards Florence or Venice. I know Venice is easy to see in a short period, and it also has the most convenient departure flight from the States for me. But we'd also love the art of Florence (and maybe a quick trip to the Tuscan countryside). We'll be two women in our twenties traveling alone until we meet up and really just need some guidance on the best place to go for now. (I definitely plan on going back for a more extended stay in the future.)
What's your advice on the best place to go (feel free to throw in other cities too) for a Wednesday-Sunday trip? We're very spontaneous, fun loving people who want to make the most out of life on a little whirlwind trip! Heavy planning ahead and detailed itineraries are not our thing, but I do want to make sure we get off to a good start :)

If you are visiting Italy you should never look over Rome. It is a great historically beautiful place to visit. Venice is also a great place to visit and yes, easy travel too. But if you can't manage, don't go for Florence.

A Wednesday to Sunday trip to Venice and Florence is a great idea. You won't be able to see everything. Both cities are overflowing with treasures and atmospheric places to stroll. In November, you won't experience the hordes of tourists that spoil the experience for many people.

In November, the lower lying areas of Venice can be subject to morning tidal flooding, so you should pick a place to stay that is closer to the train station than to San Marco. You don't need to stay right on top of the train station, which is not the sweetest part of Venice. Just draw a mental line through the middle of Venice, and stay in the half that has the train station in it, not San Marco.

I think Venice and Florence are ideal picks for November, because it often rains everywhere in Italy in November, there is plenty to see and do indoors if it does rain, and the sights are extremely close together, so they are easy to duck into on short notice. Sightseeing in Rome for most people involves being outdoors a great deal of the time.

You do need to make reservations for some of the most popular art galleries and palaces, even in November. I honestly don't think you'll have time to visit the scenic Tuscan countryside unless you hire an expensive driver to take you for half a day. Many people find that the 10 minute bus ride from the middle of Florence up into the hills at Fiesole is a nice way to walk among olive groves and history, with a beautiful view of the "skyline" of Florence below.

Have a great trip.

The Tuscan countryside is not particularly scenic after the harvest.

We have been to Venice in November a couple of times, and we were lucky enough to avoid the acqua alta. But one visit was very, very foggy. How foggy? Foggy enough that we didn't see the Italian naval ship anchored off San Marco until the last day. But it was a wonderful time to stroll the city because everything was mysterious and even eerier than usual. I can still see the piazza outside La Fenice, completely empty except for wisps of mist.

Florence would be great at that time as well, though I have only been at other times of year.

WIth the time you have available and if you have never been, I would choose Florence. It would be easy to visit in 4-5 days. Next suggestion would be Rome.

Thanks for the advice! We probably don't want to try to do Rome so quickly, I know its big and don't want to be rushed trying to do everything there is to do.
That is good to know about the Tuscan countryside after the harvest, I didn't really think about that. Maybe Florence would be better in the spring/summertime?
I like the idea of a foggy, eerie Venice...it sounds different and unique! At first hearing about the acqua alta I got a little nervous but after researching it doesn't seem like that big of a deal.
Wherever we go, my main concern I guess is just our time contraints. After you take out travel time, we really only have 3 days, and I want to make sure we really get to see a good bit of whichever city we choose.