Alright the flight I am looking at (yes I know it's early) would be 20 days Sunday through Friday..
I have decided to take my extra day in the Cinque Terre and add it to Florence for now, we will see. We are going to fly home on day 20 instead of day 19. This will give me an extra day in Rome. This is how it ends up falling

1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: train to Cinque Terre
7.Saturday: 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
10.Tuesday: Florence
11 Wednesday: Florence
12.Thursday: Siena day trip (pick up car)
13.Friday: rural Tuscany (not sure where yet)
14.Saturday: rural Tuscany
15.Sunday: travel to Rome
16.Monday: Rome
17.Tuesday: Rome
18.Wednesday: Rome
19.Thursday: Rome
20.Friday: fly/arrive home (FCO-SEA)
21.Saturday: recovery day at home

I think We will be in the right cities on the right days if we do it this way. Please let me know if I am missing something. Pisa on a Monday?

As you can see the Tuscany stretch of the trip is still the least developed. We will get there.

The flight I am looking at is through Lufthansa and connects in Frankfurt. On our flight to Seattle from Rome we only have a 1hour and 20 minute layover in Frankfurt. I hope this isn't a silly question, but is this enough time for an international connection?

The itinerary looks pretty good, IMHO. The Monday stop in Pisa (just to see the tower, I assume) is OK. As you've probably figured out, you have to change trains there anyway to get to Florence, so taking in the tower then, if that's your goal, will work.

Can't give you a good answer about the layover in Frankfurt. I'm sure others here have done it. I will tell you that I flew Lufthansa once with a short layover in Munich (connecting to the US), and our plane arriving in Munich was late. Lufthansa held up our connecting flight for us, and took us by van and through VIP security to the plane. I was impressed. (Our luggage didn't make it till later, but that's understandable.)

You could consider staying in Levanto while visiting Cinque Terre. The best hiking around to the hamlets and beach hikes to the town to the north. And the best part is it is a 5 minute beautiful train ride to Cinque Terra. This enables you to dash down any time to see them or do hikes or dinner without the crowds. Levanto has a public pool on the beach and I feel like it is a step back in time for that area. I spend a week hiking and relaxing there and I could have stayed longer and had tons to do.

Dreamgoddess, great suggestion. I will look into that.

As far as Pisa is concerned, we mainly want to see the tower... Maybe have lunch if it is that time of day..

For your Tuscany piece, we found a villa near a little town called Quersagrossa that had a pool and bikes. We rented a car in Florence, drove to the villa, took day trips around Tuscany (to Siena, etc) and then dropped the car in Orvieto (on the way to Rome) and caught the train there into Rome. It worked perfectly. It was fun to have a car in Tuscany and explore on our own for a few days. We also relaxed by the pool and did our laundry while staying at the villa. We found our villa on villasintuscany.com.

if you put Florence before the CT, you could get the train from La Spezia all the way to Rome - it takes just over 3 hours.

and if you decide to spend all your time in Florence, rather than some of it in the countryside, you can always decide on day trips whilst you are there.

the Maremma is indeed a good alternative to the CT though very different, not least because there are far fewer tourists around. You can definitely swim in the sea near Orbetello - there is a lagoon where the water is very warm, even at that time of year. the town of Orbetello itself is very interesting [many different cultures have lived there, starting with the etruscans] and there's plenty to do and see in the area. excellent food and drink too.

Thanks for the suggestions annhig and Saltysmom mom, I'll look into both of those towns!

You have planned a lovely trip! I have rented cars in Italy through Kemwel - they are based in the US and use a variety of rentals in Italy. Their prices are good and they're very helpful. They also don't charge a drop fee if your rental is over 3 or 4 days. Call them to ask. Driving in Italy is fairly easy outside of the cities and I always get a 0 deductible rental through Kemwel so that I don't have to worry so much about scrapes.

I think you'd really enjoy staying in a Tuscan hill town. My daughter and I stayed a few days in a LOVELY apartment in Montepulciano, heart of a really gorgeous area. There are good restaurants in the town and parking at this location was fairly easy. This apartment is often recommended here on Fodors: http://www.politian.com/.

I also like Annhig's recommendation of the Maremmo area as it looked nice when we took the train from Pisa to Rome and this area will be relatively untouristed.

We were just in Italy in May and it was too cold to swim (for me.) Pools weren't open yet. Agriturismos were VERY quiet and in one place, we were the only ones at dinner. That was too quiet for me and I'd prefer stay in a small town during the off-season.

I found the flight I want and am pretty much ready to book. Being ready to book makes me of course look at the places on my travel wish list that didn't make the itinerary and wonder if I will regret not seeing them. My most desirable location that is not on my list is Sicily... So here is a crazy thought.


1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: train to Cinque Terre
7.Saturday: 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
10.Tuesday: Florence*
11 Wednesday: day trip to Siena sleep in Florence*. *days interchangeable for closures on Tuesdays
12.Thursday: train to Rome
13.Friday: Rome
14.Saturday: Rome
15.Sunday: Rome
16.Monday: travel to Sicily
17.Tuesday: Sicily
18.Wednesday: Sicily
19.Thursday: Sicily
20.Friday: fly/arrive home
21.Saturday: recovery day at home

On my last posted itinerary I had not had my heart set on the middle details, so for this itinerary I've cut out the rural Tuscany stretch and have tacked that time onto the end with a visit to Sicily. This is NOT the new plan but just another option I am exploring before I commit to my previous itinerary. I am throwing this out there to hear thoughts, advice about Sicily and hopefully have a couple questions answered.
Is the best way to Sicily from Rome flying, or train down then ferry?
Is this too intense and fast paced a trip for a couple of newbies?
Thanks in advance for your help.

My view is Tuscany is beautiful and you are there anyway why avoid it to go to Sicily. Sicily is an aquired taste. Given how little time you have given Florence I struggle to advise you to do this new trip.

The way I see is it that North Italy is enough to visit in 21 days and given that your present plan is only looking at a small part of it why whizz off to the south? Why not fly to Greece?

bookmarking - I'm doing a similar trip in Mar 2015 but only 13 days, plus two travel days. No Cinque Terre though. No Sicily. My trip is Rome, Florence, and Venice. Your trip sounds wonderful!

After 5 trips to Italy I still have yet to see Sicily, mainly because I haven't had the time I think it needs to really explore the island. Sicily is a large, complicated place and it takes time to see and absorb it.

I agree with bilbo that it makes more sense to see Tuscany, since you are already in Florence. And you need more time in Florence. I think Tuscany is easier for Italy newbies than Sicily (at least it was for me).

Concur with those above who don't think you should go to Sicily on this trip. We've been to Sicily and, while we loved it, do not believe it's a choice for a first trip to Italy.

Your first itinerary looked good except you had too much time in the CT and not enough in Rome and Florence (that is, too many day trips from Florence.)

If you do want to "see the Sea", spend a few days in Naples and the Amalfi Coast. The view of the Bay of Naples is,in my opinion, much lovelier than anything in Sicily. But I'd add the time back into Tuscany. Instead of basing in Florence, stay outside and take a day trip or two into it, or, better yet, split your time between Florence and the Tuscan countryside. Get a car for the countryside but don't try to take it to Florence.

Thanks everyone. I will stick with my previous itinerary. Oh darn I may just have to plan another future trip

Dwdvagamundo around the middle of this thread you will see my revised itinerary, where I took a day from the Cinque Terre and added a day to each Florence and Rome.

looks like a good plan, cbgetaway.

yes, there are plenty of future trips to be had, but this looks like a good one for a first visit.

Thanks. The "revised original" itinerary looks good.

Buon Viaggio!

Last one I promise

Since I last posted I have booked my flights! Next stop...where to stay, which means I am trying to finalize my itinerary while I am in Italy.

Option #1 (revised original)

1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: train to Cinque Terre
7.Saturday: 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: 5T
10.Tuesday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
11 Wednesday: Florence
12.Thursday: Florence
13.Friday: Siena day trip on way to rural Tuscany (not sure where yet) pick up car here
14.Saturday: rural Tuscany
15.Sunday: rural Tuscany
16.Monday: travel to Rome (drop off car)
17.Tuesday: Rome
18.Wednesday: Rome
19.Thursday: Rome
20.Friday: Rome
21.Saturday: fly/arrive home
22. Sunday: recovery


Option #2 cutting down Tuscany to avoid rental car and adding to venice

1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: Venice
7.Saturday: train to 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: 5T
10.Tuesday: 5t
11 Wednesday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
12.Thursday: Florence
13.Friday: Florence
14.Saturday: Siena day trip sleep in Florence or Siena
15.Sunday: day trip to volterra or other busable day trip in Tuscany*. Sleep Florence or Siena *assuming this is possible on a Sunday at all. Please correct me if I'm wrong and I will make other plans.
16.Monday: travel to Rome
17.Tuesday: Rome
18.Wednesday: Rome
19.Thursday: Rome
20.Friday: Rome
21.Saturday: fly/arrive
22. Sunday: recovery

First seems better to me. Still too much time in CT, though.

I really like your #1 option.

One day in CT, try the ferry between the towns and to Portovenere. We loved that, for a totally different feel than CT, on a sunny day. The views from the water are amazing. But I would agree, I would spend only 3 nights there and add the extra nights to either Florence, Tuscany or Rome.

Have a great trip!

For a first timer, you have done some of the best research and planned one of the best itineraries I have seen. Also, you waited to book until you had a good plan and you booked multi-citi. You also took advice and tweaked things. Very wise to not include Sicily, which is larger than it seems and needs much more time. Bravo!