Lack of diversity? Venice/Florence/Rome
 

I am planning to go with my family to Italy next April or May for 2 weeks... I don't have a lot of experience in travelling so from what I read the easiest would be to land by plane in Venice stay there for a few days, take the train to Florence stay there for a few days and then take the train to Rome stay for a few days and then leave by plane from Rome. I know that next year is still far away but I find it very fun to read a lot, make research, etc.

From everything that I've read, it's best to not have too many bases in too many cities, so I figure for 2 weeks I should limit things to 3 bases (Venice, Florence and Rome). Depending on the exact amount of days once the best plane deals is found, I'm thinking 3 to 4 days in Venice, 4 to 5 days in Florence and around 5 days in Rome.

I have a few questions and details:

- Hotels, B&B... How far ahead should we book? Do the best hotel disappear fast or will I find good deals in the months/weeks leading to the trip? Should I basically book everything as soon as possible?

- Train transportation... When should I buy the train tickets? Will there be places be available on the spot or should I reserve months in advance? And when I reserve, is it for a particular date? hour? etc, And is it easy to use the train between these cities with luggage or will it be packed with barely a seat available?.

- Dates to avoid... I read that during weekends the crowds are bigger... But what about transportation, should we avoid switching cities on particular days of the week? Do some things close on particular dates? Are there holidays to avoid? And for the months of April/May, what would be the best 2 week period according to you in terms of weather and less crowds? The earlier the better or for example would the end of May be similar to the beginning of April?

- I am not confortable in renting a car, is it best to stay in Florence for the Tuscany part of the trip? I am afraid that if we base ourselves in Venice/Florence/Rome, we will get tired of big cities, too many tourists, etc. Is it better to stay in a smaller town in Tuscany instead of Florence to kind of have a change of pace and add diversity, or are these 3 main Italian cities different enough?

- Do you think that day trips from Florence, Rome and Venice would give us a change of pace and diversity, or should we just sacrifice Florence for a smaller town?

- Any inexpensive hotels or B&B can you recommend for maybe 200$ per night or less, that are well situated at walking distance from the city centers and train/buses for day trips or switching cities? I am particularly attracted to hotels/b&bs that have a rooftop terrace with some nice views, that way during the day or at night, you can relax but still feel as if you are enjoying Italy as opposed to being inside a lobby or room...

Those are the first questions that come to mind, but I'm sure there will be many more... Thanks for taking the time to read...

About trains between those three cities - a snap:

www.trenitalia.com is the site of the Trenitalia or the Italian state railways and has some neat discounted tickets. IF you book weeks in advance to get them as they are sold in limited numbers and do sell out at the limited number sold - you can always IME just show up and buy a full-fare ticket - in 1st class if not 2nd class always.

But if you want to book in stone - discounted tickets non-changeable non-refundable I believe - not sure - you can save a lot. And discountd tickets come in first class too and if I were on the trip of a lifetime I'd definitely splurge and go first class - in many ways a significantly more relaxed ride, especially for folks carrying around typically too much luggage! Seats are bigger - cars are often half full as opposed to often chock full in 2nd class, etc. and you get free drink and snack en route and an Italian newspaper I guess too if you want it!

For lots of great info on Italian trains check www.seat61.com - good info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. And http://www.italotreno.it/IT/Pagine/default.aspx competes on those lines with Trenitalia and www.italiarail.com os a booking agent that sells tickets at about what www.trenitalia.com does others say - I have not used it.

Tickets up to 120 days in advance using italian city names:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...005817f90aRCRD

I don't find a lot of difference between first and second class.

booking.com is a good site known for its reviews, asking guests for both positive and negative comments.

Happy planning!

whfan: you said "with my family" How many people is that? Your budget is probably reasonable but it really depends on how many people.

The beginning of April and the end of May can be quite different. For me the best two weeks would probably be when I could get the best airfare, especially if I were traveling as a family.

I generally prefer the end of April. I think the last week of April and the first week of May are nice. May Day falls in there but it ought not to be a big problem.

All three of your cities are very different, so other than tourists, you won't be overwhelmed by sameness.

Sightseeing in small towns in Tuscany is tough without a car. You can get buses most easily from Siena or Florence, but bus schedules aren't made for touring. Many buses depart in the mornings for school and work schedules and return in the late afternoon and early evening.

You can hire a driver and car for a day, but it is expensive. I think if you want to see small towns in Tuscany, you might want to reconsider a car for a few days.

This is all just based on my preferences and experience. Others will surely give you different opinions.

- Hotels, B&B... How far ahead should we book?
For me it depends on if I want to stay at a particular place. Popular places do fill months ahead, and April-May have become a popular time to travel in Italy.

- Train transportation...
You should buy in advance if you want to get discounts. If you are unconcerned about discounts, you can usually walk up on the day of travel and buy a ticket. Tickets for all trains in Italy (except the slow Regionale trains) are for a specific seat on a specific train at a specific time. This will be true for your destinations. You can buy ALL your tickets for ALL your trips at any train station.

- Dates to avoid...
Some people might avoid the Easter holidays, which vary in date from year to year. April 25 and May 1 are big holidays in Italy, so Italians may be traveling and the trains might be crowded.

- Is it better to stay in a smaller town in Tuscany instead of Florence to kind of have a change of pace and add diversity, or are these 3 main Italian cities different enough?
Better depends on your interests. I find these cities different enough from one another, and there are ways to find less crowded pursuits without actually leaving he cities proper. For example, take the local bus from central Florence to Fiesole, a town on a hillside overlooking Florence. Or you can sign up for a one-day tour to Tuscany

- Do you think that day trips from Florence, Rome and Venice would give us a change of pace and diversity, or should we just sacrifice Florence for a smaller town?
Yes

- Any inexpensive hotels or B&B can you recommend for maybe 200$ per night or less, that are well situated at walking distance from the city centers and train/buses for day trips or switching cities?
How many people in a room for your $200?

- Do you think that day trips from Florence, Rome and Venice would give us a change of pace and diversity, or should we just sacrifice Florence for a smaller town?
Yes -- day trips will give you a change and avoid the need for a car.

Let me say good for you for doing your research and deciding that three bases is right for two weeks! You'll have a fine trip!

Lots of questions, but not all of them answerable.

I research and book lodging at least six months in advance, but I admit I'm a little OCD on this. I'm picky about location, don't want 'budget' but can't afford 'luxury' accommodations. Your budget is a little lower than mine, so I can't make any recommendations. Go to venere.com and/or booking.com and do some searches within your parameters.

My only comment on trains is 'pack light.' You have to carry your luggage up a couple of steep, somewhat narrow stairs to board the train. If you want/hope to put your luggage in overhead bins, you have to be able to lift your cases above shoulder height.

You can look up holidays in Italy. A few off the top of my head: Liberation Day on April 25th (same date as Feast of St. Mark in Venice). Workers' Day May 1st.

Weather predictions require a crystal ball. You can look up weather records for recent years and make an educated guess, but it will be what it will be when you get there. If the currency ratios remain as they are now (1E = $1.13), I think it will be crowded everywhere but probably not as crowded as in, say, late June or July.

You don't need or want a car if staying in Venice, Florence and Rome. There are lots of easy day-trip options to smaller towns from each city that can be done using only public transportation. Personally, I think those three cities are extremely diverse in almost every respect and skipping Florence would drop most of the Renaissance art treasures from your trip. Maybe that's OK with you, but who knows.

Your hotel budget is perfectly doable for a couple but might be difficult if you have several kids and need 2 rooms or are looking for a family room for 4 (fairly rare). Man hotels in Italy - esp in the modest/moderate range - are fairly small and may have only one family room (for more than 2, since rooms in europe are much smaller than in the US) per hotel.

I would start reserving hotels as soon as you have your dates fixed.

Thank you very much guys for all these replies and info.

So far, we are going to be 3, which would be myself and my parents. And maybe we will be 4 if my brother can come, or someone else in my family. So it would be 3 or 4. What kind of budget am I looking at?

The thing is, I'm very reluctant about renting apartments because there are much less reviews than hotels/b&b... Since I'm the one planning and basically organizing the whole thing, I feel that I need to pick a hotel/b&b with very good reviews and not take any chances.

It's a once in a lifetime trip and if 200$ per night is too low than I'm willing to increase it. I want to have a good vacation and hotels that are comfortable and at walking distance from the attractions. I'm not going to sacrifice quality just to save a few bucks. But of course I can't increase it by too much, so basically whatever you guys think the minimum could be and hotel suggestions if possible.

Thank you also for the trains info, I'll definitely check the sites and compare all the possible prices as soon as I buy the plane tickets and book the hotels. At least now I have an idea.

And I'm glad that Venice, Florence and Rome are different enough and that all I would need to do is do a couple of day trips for even more diversity. I didn't even know about Fiesole and it sounds like an easy day trip into the countryside. I'm glad that my plan to only have 3 bases for 2 weeks is a good choice, even though I would have loved to include the Amalfi Coast too, I don't want to make my parents too tired.

But reading the comment that rooms for 3 or 4 adults are more rare and more expensive, and that they disappear fast, is making me a little worried... lol

And finally, the reason why I was hoping for some kind of a rooftop terrace at the hotel is because if my parents are too tired for a day, then they can simply relax at the terrace for the evening or the afternoon while still enjoying a view of the cities... It doesn't have to all be hotels with rooftops, it would simply be a bonus if we get that even for only one of the cities. I know that my dad likes to have a cigarette here and there or a drink, and not just walk all over the city every day, so it would kind of give him a break when he needs it and kind of enjoy Italy without leaving the hotel if one day he doesn't feel like having a big walking day.

I would like to suggest that you avoid the week before Easter as the Italians are also on vacation. We found Venice and Florence to be very crowded. On Easter weekend in Venice we could not move over the Rialto Bridge except with a slow shuffle and bumping into the hoards of people.

You are wise to book open jaw flights to avoid backtracking. If you could start in Rome and end in Venice then you will have the pure pleasure of arriving the S. Lucia train station in Venice (rather than at the airport) and emerging from the train station to see the beautiful Grand Canal right before you. Many of us have said that was a most memorable experience. Then splurge and hop a water taxi to your hotel.

You are also correct to seek to see some countryside and small villages. Since you do not wish to rent a car, day trips from Florence will be the best way to see some of the smaller towns and countryside in Tuscany. In addition to Fiesole, you can take the bus (not train) to Siena for the day. Also, guided day trips can go to several small towns such as Greve in Chianti and/or San Gimignano. 3 days seeing Florence proper and two day trips should give you that diversity.

It should be less expensive to book a "family" room that sleeps 4 rather than two doubles. You could book for 3 and then notify the hotel of a fourth person in the same room as you booked, should your brother decide to opt in. Do book those as early as possible since there are fewer family-sized rooms, they get sold out sooner. We like www.venere.com and www.booking.com for searching. Hotels near train stations are cheaper but much less desirable and, in Florence and Rome, at least, you'll spend more of taxis. Better to stay in the most central areas.

You may find the best deal, since you are staying a few days in each city, is to take an appartment. That gives you the space, allows you to prepare some food and gets you out of the hotel bustle (but reduces advice). Most appartments offer at least a folder on what is on and where to go though it will tend to be in Italian or maybe just a few European languages.

Travel time in Italy, I find midday is great for space, tourists tend to move in the early morning etc but 12 to 2 seems to have more space (maybe everyone is at lunch). If space is a real problem go first class or even send your parents first class (to save a bit) :-)

Tuscany, Florence is not large but you can visit Lucca and Pisa by train easily on walkup trains and do maybe a paid for bus tour one day.

I understand your reluctance to try apartments, especially if you're inexperienced, but it really does sound like the best idea for you, given the number of people and your budget.

At least do a little research. You can start here by posting a request for apartment recommendations. Also, use tripadvisor and vrbo.com to read reviews and recommendations.

<b> Where to stay</b>

If you'll be traveling by train, you need to stay in a city with train connections. Arezzo is a nice small city in Tuscany, which is easily accessible by train. Coming from Venice, you'd have to change trains in Florence or Bologna (preferably Florence, because it's an easier station). Arezzo is an attractive small city, and very Tuscan. The Church of San Francesco has a wonderful fresco cycle, the Legend of the True Cross, by Piero della Francesca. This was restored about 15 years ago, and for a while lots of tourists flocked there to see it, but now Arezzo seems to have been forgotten again. On the first Sunday of every month, starting on the Saturday (even if Saturday is in the previous month) there is a nice outdoor antiques fair in Arezzzo.

From Arezzo, you can make a day trip to Florence or a day trip to Assisi. In fact, since there are also direct trains (with no change of train) from Assisi to Rome, you could stop over there for a night on your way to Rome. (It's best to spend one night, because otherwise there's no place in Assisi to leave your luggage.) If you go on to Rome from there, I suggest you seek out one of the few direct trains, to avoid a change of trains with the possible risk of having to drag your luggage up and down steps.

<b>Hotels </b>

I don't believe it's true that triple and quad hotel rooms are so rare. The modern (and usually more expensive) hotels tend to have rooms that are all the same size, and they usually don't have many triples or quads (or singles, for that matter). However, the older, smaller, family-run hotels often have rooms of all different sizes, and I've never had trouble finding triples and quads. Rooms for five or more people are definitely rare.

A lot of hotels are completely non-smoking, so you'd want to make sure your dad could smoke on the balcony or terrace of whatever hotel you choose.

I use www.booking.com to find hotel rooms. You can enter the destination as (for example) "Rome center city" instead of just "Rome", to get a selection of hotels that are in the center of the city. In most larger cities, the cheapest hotels are those near the train station, and this may not be the most central part of the city. If you don't find a hotel you can afford in the most central area, you can look in the left hand column, under "Location", for the train station area. The main stations you'd want are Termini in Rome; Santa Maria Novella in Florence; and Santa Lucia in Venice.

If you book a room on a reservation site, you might want to send the hotel an email asking about the smoking rules. They're often stated on the information page about a hotel, but not always. You could also check to see if the hotel can offer you a cheaper price for booking directly with them. However, on the whole, I prefer using Booking.com because they have an excellent "manage your reservations" facility, and they also have a good app for your smart phone or tablet.

I wouldn't book rooms this far ahead; most hotels haven't even decided the prices for next year yet. I usually book a month or two in advance, but April and May are high season, so you might want to keep that in mind and book a little earlier.

Don't pay much attention to the number of stars a hotel has; it's not a reliable mark of quality in Italy. I rely on the guest ratings on www.booking.com . You should always read the guest reviews as well before making a final decision.

<b> Trains </b>

You can get tickets at the last minute for almost every train, but, as others have said, you might miss out on the bargain prices, which are available in limited numbers. Since you're traveling next year, the specific types of discounted tickets mentioned above may no longer exist, but they'll certainly be replaced by other discounts. You can use the present year's schedules to research your trip; the prices and timetables don't usually change much. Have a look at http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...005817f90aRCRD

You need to use the Italian names of the cities: Venezia, Firenze, and Roma. Choose the station name I mentioned above, under hotels.

Yesterday, on the spur of the moment, I went to Venice for the day, to meet a friend. I had to change trains in Bologna, and the trains between there and Venice are on the very busy Rome-Venice line. I bought the tickets the day before, and had no problem getting the trains I wanted. In fact, on the afternoon train returning to Bologna, I even got a last-minute economy ticket.

I always ride in 2nd class, unless I get a discount in 1st class that brings the price down to the level of 2nd class. Trains on the Rome-Venice line (which also passes through Florence) are heavily used by foreign tourists; I would estimate that about 30% of the passengers in the morning were non-Italian tourists. People usually check out of their hotels in the morning and head immediately to their next destination. I would estimate that the 2nd class carriage I was in was about 75% full in the morning. I had a window seat, in a carriage with airline-style seating, and there was no one in the seat next to me for the entire journey. On the way back, I'd be surprised if the carriage was even 25% full. (That's surely why there were still economy tickets left.) This was a train leaving Venice at 16:35, arriving in Rome at around 9 PM. If you want a less crowded train, and a better chance at discounted fares, you might want to travel in the late afternoon where possible. Usually a hotel will keep your bags after you check out, allowing you to spend several more hours in the city.

If any of your trips are on regional trains, it's best not to buy those tickets in advance. These tickets have no reserved seats, so they never sell out, and the prices are always the same. Just buy the tickets at any train station in Italy. Regional tickets are not for a specific train. In order to establish the time of travel, and prevent the tickets from being reused, you have to stamp them in a little machine by the trackside before boarding the train. If you buy a regional ticket online, it's for a restricted time period, and the tickets are absolutely not exchangeble for a different train, not even if you want to change the ticket for a reason that's the fault of Trenitalia. This is why I never buy regional tickets online. All other tickets on Italian trains have reserved seats on a specific train. If you pay the full price, you can change the tickets for a different train, up to an hour after the scheduled departure time.

<b>Final thoughts</b>

Palenq often implies that I'm a skinflint because I insist that 1st class on Italian trains isn't worth the extra 30% to 50% the tickets cost. I don't think I'm a skinflint, because I often pay full price for a train ticket even when a discount is available, to preserve my flexibility. To me, my flexibility is more important than two extra inches of leg room, so that's where I put my extra money. There are no tiny cramped seats in any class on an Italian train, and the trips are fairy short.

For the same reason, I almost never accept a discounted prepaid, nonrefundable price for a hotel room. I prefer to pay the full price in return for being able to change the dates or cancel without a penalty.

I agree that you should pack light when traveling by train, because getting huge suitcases on and off a train, and down the aisles, is no picnic. Finding a place to put them is the least of your worries. Yesterday, I saw two enormous suitcases, cabled to a hand rail, right in the entryway to one of the trains I was on. I have a feeling the owner (or owners) got them that far and realized they couldn't get them into the carriage. Actually, it's forbidden to block the entryway or the passageway between cars; these weren't totally blocking the passage, but the conductors must have been feeling indulgent to have allowed them to remain there.

Indulgent until the next rain crash...

Good advice bvlenci

To me, my flexibility is more important than two extra inches of leg room, so that's where I put my extra money>

There you go again - the only difference between first- and second-class is a few extra inches of leg room - so so inaccurate beyond beleif you would even say that - makes you seem you've never seen first class - the major difference is not just a few extra inches of leg room - it is the rows with just one seat in them - an aisle and a window seat - two of these can face each other for couples with a table in between - this is a plus much more than just a few extra inches of leg room.

Plus in first class seats are as bvienci recently said usually half full - more room to spread out in - you can find an empty seat to put your bags on - 2nd class has 25% more seats in the same size rail car and they are typically much fuller - harder to easily stow luggage - Man in Seat 61 last year on an Italian traint thread said that he 'was an aficionado of first class' for reasons he gives on his web site.

No to say that ony a few extra inches of leg room is the difference is just NOT true - there are many benefits - not to say 2nd class is not comfy enough - the seats are - just for the reasons I gave above it should be obvious to anyone who has seen each class in actual service that there are indeed significant benefits to first class on any European train and for the trip of a lifetime splurge a bit and again sometimes discounted first class tickets may not cost much more than the cheapest available 2nd class ticket.

Oh yes, agree 100% with PalenQ!! Last year in the Intercity train between Chiusi and Bologna I made the foolish decision to purchase 2nd class tickets to save a few Euros. Had to travel in a compartment 100% full, barely space to move. Not sure what I would have done with my suitcase if I had not been traveling with my friend who's fit and was able to raise our 26" suitcases and place them on the overhead racks. It was the most unpleasant trip I've ever taken. Never again will I travel 2nd class in trains that offer first class, except maybe if its for a daytrip where I'm not carrying suitcases.

Our first trip to Italy we stayed in an apartment. It was so nice, there is so much more room in an apartment than in a hotel. Even if you don't do any cooking in the apartment there will be room for you to all have space and not bump into one another. Both times in Italy we used Sleep in Italy and for Venice last year we used Venice Apartments. You just have to read the reviews on the apartment site as well as another site, I used Trip Advisor. Both times that we have stayed in Rome the apartment was opened by another person who lived in the same building,so that if we had any questions there was someone we could talk to. Very easy. You have a lot of time to research and make your decision. Have a great trip!!!

An apartment will definitely give you more room - but less local support - so it depends on which is more important.

As for hotels - it depends on what bed configuration you need. If you can use 2 double beds then you should use this as a selection criteria after price and location when searching the web sites. If you need one double bed and 2 single beds - this will usually be quite difficult to get and you may need to get two separate rooms - one double and one twin.

As for getting a roof terrace, there are a number of hotels that have them but many will not be in your price range. I know that a few months ago someone was looking for this in Rome - you might want to search for that thread to see the recos, which seemed to include a number in a more modest/moderate budget.

Sorry I can;t help with specific since this is not our price point. (We had a great hotel in Florence with a roof terrace/bar - right by the PV - and the views were gorgeous - but the rate was more than twice your budget for the two of us - a deluxe room with seating area.)

Ditto to NYTRAVELER's suggestion to book hotels as soon as you know your dates, especially if you book a cancelable rate that does not require a deposit.

Hotels do fill up, and rates can rise over time. This puts a ceiling on the price you pay.

On the other hand, if you book early and the rate goes down, you can either get your rate revised or cancel and rebook.

There's no advantage to waiting to book if just a CC guarantee is required and the room is cancelable.

I avoid the InterCity trains at all costs; I'd pay double to avoid one of those tiny compartments and the crowded corridors. You wouldn't have found it much better in 1st class. You certainly wouldn't have found the seating Palenq is praising to the skies. The 1st class compartments are identical, except they have only four seats instead of six. Same overhead racks and nowhere else to put your luggage. The corridors are just as bad. Fortunately, those old compartment trains are disappearing.

It's an entirely different situation from the high-speed "Freccia" trainsm which, even if they're full, an exceedingly rare event, are never overcrowded.

I don't care whether I sit next to someone else on the train, especially if it's my travel companion. And, you know, Palenq, you're not guaranteed one of those single seats. In 1st class only 1/3 of the seats are one-across. It's true that you can choose your seat on the Freccia trains, but not everyone is going to get what he wants.

Your plan is fine. Especially since you don't want to rent a car I think sticking to the 3 cities is best.

Is the $200/night for all 4 of you to stay in the same hotel room? Finding "quad" rooms is not easy.

I'm no expert (only been to Venice, twice) but I didn't buy train tickets in advance, just went to the train station when it was time to go. Between these 3 cities trains run all the time.

bvlenci,

The intercity was the only option for my trip. Yes, I knew about the compartments but when I have done it in 1st class there have been much less people on 1st class , actually both times I had a compartment just for myself.

If you are going to use the trains I would suggest you go onto either the Trenitalia or the Italiarail sites around 120 days out and start looking for fares. The cheapest ones sell out very quickly.

I always use First because IMO it is worth the money for the additional room it offers. Using Frecce services means there will also be more room to store luggage although depending on how much you have those overhead racks on the IC/EC services are often large enough if you are willing to get creative and stack bags.

If you are leaving from an origination station such as Venice Santa Lucia you owe it to yourself to get there early and be one of the first to board regardless of which service you use IMO.

You certainly wouldn't have found the seating Palenq is praising to the skies. The 1st class compartments are identical, except they have only four seats instead of six.>

cruiselov's experience of having a whole compartment to her/him on the two IC trains she's taken in first class mirrors mine - almost always a compartment to myself on trains that have compartments and fewer and fewer IC trains I believe do - rather be in a compartment by myself then one with six folks packed in it. Again I differ from bvienci's take that the difference between classes is just a "few extra inches of seat room" - it is the often half-full first class that makes it relaxing and bvienci recently said first class was usually half full.

There is a significant difference between the classes - not just a few inches as bv says - and this I will stridently present - especially for those on the trip of a lifetime and carrying way too much luggage.

Thanks guys... What is considered too much luggage? And how big is the compartment? What luggage size should be avoided? The plan is to travel light but for a 2 week trip I can't imagine simply backbags at least not for my parents... I suppose for my parents it's better to have 2 medium size suitcases instead of 1 big one?

If you are traveling by train, I'd recommend each person has one small suitcase on wheels, about 22-24" in size. Plus one purse, tote, small day pack.

Oops, I mean one additional item, not all 3 of those things!

I travel with a 21- or 22-inch rolling bag and a shoulder tote that slips over the rolling bag for trips of 2-3 weeks all the time. I suppose one could use a 24-inch bag without much difficulty, but I wouldn't want to move around with anything bigger than that.

The key really is how much each piece of luggage weighs, since you have to lift them. And I suspect the bigger the bag, the more it will weigh since it will contain more. I'd rather deal with my two smaller, easier-to-lift bags than one large suitcase.

Not only might you have to lift the suitcase over your head and into a rack, but you also have to get it up three steep, narrow steps just to get on to the train. If I'm traveling with a friend, one of us usually gets on the train and the other passes the luggage up the steps to him or her. Some of the train stations might require climbing stairs with your cases just to reach the train platform. And Venice is full of bridges, so you might have to carry your suitcases over a bridge or two (or more) just to find your hotel.

It's not only the size of the bag, it's the weight. Regardless if I took a 22 or 24 incher, I would not pack it any heavier than about 20-25 pounds max.

I'm a woman and not a strong one. Unfortunately , I don't know what it's to travel "light" :) Somehow I have always been able to get my suitcases in or out of the train and find space for them, except that time in the horrid 2nd class compartment. However, with the Intercity type of trains( and frankly, any other type of train) , I must add myself to PalenQ's admonition : just go first class! Usually the price difference is not that significant, specially if you buy your ticket in advance. Caveat emptor!

Next year (2016) Easter will be the 27th of march, so that shouldn't be an issue for you, on the other hand the 25th of april (public holyday in Italy) will come on monday and that will be a chance for short trips for many italians, so expect bigger crowds on that weekend; the next holyday, may the 1st (labour day) instead will be on sunday, which is already an holyday obviously, so I wouldn't expect a worse situation than other weekends.

Yes for folks who may not realize it the week before and after Easter are hectic times in Italian towns and especially Rome because of the pilgrims or whatever you call the faithful who flock in from all over.

But Europeans also have school holidays and vacations then to and they come south to Italy - though it may be exciting to be in Rome and the Vatican around Easter expect hotels to be hard to find so if going in that time span book extremely early - if not into the religious thing try to avoid those two hectic weeks.

Thanks guys. I'll keep you updated. I can't wait.

After much research, I'm starting to think that Florence is less interesting than Venice and Rome... There seems to be a few squares and churches that are beautiful, but otherwise it will be museums... And since both Rome and Venice have so much architecture and are basically outdoor museums, I'm thinking of maybe skipping Florence and staying somewhere else in between Venice and Rome. The problem is that Florence would have been the easiest since we will only be using public transportation, but what are other options? Maybe a beautiful small town set in Tuscany with some nice views, basically something "nature" oriented...

I know that my dad loves nature and beautiful scenery, over big cities... So where in Tuscany can I stay for maybe 4 days that gives us the experience of a countryside village with enough to do for a few days? Not too big but not tiny either, something that just feels like we are in the countryside but where we can walk many streets, many shops, many terraces with views, churches, etc. but still feel that we are surrounded by nature and we are in the countryside...

Or it oculd be a village near a lake? you know, just something relaxing but with amazing scenery and just a different experience from the big cities... I can't imagine skipping Rome or Venice, but for some reason Florence feels repetitive and I'm thinking of staying instead in some small town in the countryside. But something maybe near a train or bus, that way it's easy to get there from Venice and then go from there to Rome?

Anyway if it's basically almost impossible to do this without a car, I guess we'll pick Florence and do some day trips into the countryside, and hopefully Florence will surprise us and we'll actually love it. But based on the videos I've seen it looks less interesting than Rome and Venice :( So might as well trade it for a smaller town somewhere in the countryside or near a lake, surrounded by some amazing settings of nature. Hopefully there are options/suggestions to do a Venice-Town-Rome trip very easily by public transportation...

I hope I'm not underrating Florence too much... lol but I've also read many comments how Florence was disappointing to many people, while for Venice it seems that everyone is saying how it's unique and how everyone should visit it at least one in their life, while for Rome everyone is saying that it's so full of history and things to do... Florence just seems to be less special? People seem to be raving about the Tuscany countryside more?

There are some places that might suit.

There are a bunch of walled cities in the plains you could look at like Lucca or Ferrara both on the railway system, with castles or towers and lots of nice restaurants, people watching, parks etc.

From Lucca you could day commutes to Pisa and Florence using the local commute train.

From Ferrara you could do local commutes to Bologna and Padua maybe even Ravenna. Bologna might also be a good base but it is a much bigger city.

Up in the Tuscan hills train links get a little poorer but certainly Siena is worth looking at and Pienza (which I often don't recommend) offers you a flat town with fine views over the hills around which might be good if you've had enough of tramping for a bit. Getting here might mean a taxi or a bus but why not (I suspect Pienza for 4 days might be a little dull) Siena, on the other hand, would fill at least a couple of full days and you could catch a bus to some of the other local spots.

April and May still not too hot but you could look at spas a bit further south for a 4 day soak, other than that I think a car is needed as you head into Tuscany for other "cities" to stay in.

Is Florence special? Well two things happened that make Florence special. The area was ravaged by war, mainly between Florence and Siena, then along came the black death that killed between 1/3 and 1/2 of the population of both cities.......

just think about what that would mean in your home town.....

over the next generation whichever city got back on its feet faster had the chance to win the war. Florence did it and suddenly had a chance not to be at war (at least with their bitterest enemy) and spent the next hundred years launching the Renaissance. Nothing (nothing) in your life would be as it is unless the Renaissance had come along when it did. So is it special?? Yep.

If you go to Siena you will see the cathedral that they had before the Black Death (if a bit tidied up over the last 500 years) but they were planning a bigger one which would have filled the square the present one is in.

Florence is so special - bilboburgler puts it in context - spend at least a few days here and get off the main tourist drags too - a really delightful town reeking of history. And in spring it should be delightful - not too many tourists as can suffocate it in summer as can the really hot weather then - don't short Florence IMO.