Hubby and I are planning a 10 day trip to Italy in Sept flying in and out of Venice. Flight is all set. Hotels are all set. Trying to learn Italian. Looking for a great tour book. Any recommendations? Hoping to stay in Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and back to Venice. Am I nuts not to be working with a travel agent to help plan each day...am I nuts to think that we can tour these places on our own with the help of a good tour book? How much time is enough time to spend at each location? HELP!

Please drop one city.
Getting from one to another, even the closest ones, will eat up a half-day. That's about 2 days gone right there with the four you have, leaving 8 days for four cities. Not to mention the packing and unpacking, wear and tear, etc.
Pick 3 cities. Most would suggest skipping Naples on this trip, but if you absolutely must go there for some reason, it can be done as a long daytrip from Rome. But, you could use the day added on to Rome.

My suggestion would be, fly into Venice, change planes, fly on to Rome. The day is a tired one anyway, might as well go on to your farthest destination. That day, plus 3 other days, in Rome. Take train to Florence, spend 3 days. you could daytrip into Tuscany if you like.
Or, spend two days only in Florence, take that day and add it onto Rome, and do that daytrip to Naples.
Final three days in Venice.

In Rome, guided walking tours are very often recommended, both Context Rome and Enjoy Rome are good agencies. Venice and Florence are small, a good map and a guide book will be fine.

If you go to the Fodors Italy superthreads, there is a wealth of information

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34568596

I have long files on Rome, Venice, and Florence
if you'd like to see them, email me at
[email protected]

My husband and I are planning a similar trip for summer 06. It will be slighly longer - 12-14 days and we are thinking of flying into Venice and out of Rome, seeing 2 other locations in between - more than likely someplace on the sea and someplace in the hills.

We are not working with a travel agent. For us, research is part of the fun and we don't want to over plan. When we travel, we like to have one or two things planned out each day and then an idea of other things we'd like to see if the mood strikes us.

Other people aren't as interested in doing the research, so a travel agent makes sense.

I don't think you would be nuts to do it either way - it's just a different approach.

Four major locations in a 10-day trip is a bit too much. I'd leave out Naples since it's 6+ hours by train from Venice and 2 hours from Rome. Three days each in Venice, Florence, and Rome will give you just a taste of each city.

If you do a search here you'll find lots of good information.

I'd actually do only Venice and Florence in a 10-day trip and save Rome and Naples for another time. There's more than enough in both cities to keep you busy. I usually don't like to spend less than 5 days in a city.

You're not crazy to do it on your own. There's no better way. You can pick up walking tours in each town or book ahead on the internet.

There are lots of good guide books. Here are a few of my favorites: Eyewitness (color photos), Lonely Planet, Let's Go, Fodors, Access, Green Guide, An Architect's Guide to Rome. Each has it's own merits. I find that one guide book doesn't say it all.

Go to your library and check out a few books. Choose which ones you like and then purchase them to take with you.

Just the opposite, having a travel agent plan each day would be my worst nightmare!

Read a guidebook or two and do what you want. You don't have to plan a single thing before you arrive, since you already have flight and hotels booked.

With 10 days I would drop Naples, and possibly even Rome. For me 5 days each in Venice and Florence would be ideal.

You can find 1/2 day organized bus tours if that would help structure your time to see more of the tourist sites than you might be able to fit in, doing it on your own.

Oops, no bus tours in Venice, but walking tours are available.

I like Michelin's Green Guide books. I beleive that there is one for Tuscany and a separate one for Venice.
The Thomas Cook books are also good. The best selection of Thomas Cook books is in England (the joys of the internet).

I agree that you should drop Naples for this trip. You will have plenty to do and see in Venice, Florence and Rome and will only scratch the surface in 10 days. Part of the charm of Italy is just wandering and sitting in cafes and soaking up the atmosphere.
You have done the hard part, you definitely don't need a travel agent.
I second the recommendation of the Michelin Green Guide. There is one for Italy and there are separate ones for Venice, Florence and Rome. These guides are the best for the touring aspect once you know where you are going and have hotel reservations.

Hi jb,

Very good advice above.

Go immediately to Rome and work your way back to Venice via Florence.

Drop Naples for this trip.