Need help with 14-day in Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, & Venice
 

My honeymoon trip to Italy will be a 14-day trip (May 18-June1). Both my fiance and I will be first time visitors. Here's my tentative itinerary below. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
1) Arrive in Rome in the morning (giving us a full first day). Spend 5 days/5 nights with side trip to the Vatican.
2) Take train from Rome to Florence. Arrive in Florence by noon.
2) Florence - 3 full days/4 nights with side trip to Siena.
3) Take train from Florence to Cinque Terre with stop in Pisa. Arrive in Cinque Terre in afternoon.
4) Cinque Terre - 2 nights (1 full day) with side trip to Portofino. Stay in Vernazza.
5) Take train from Cinque Terre to Venice. Arrive in Venice by noon.
6) Venice - 2 full days/3 nights.

apart from the fact that IMHO you are slightly short-changing Venice, you seem to have got it about right for a first trip. were I to be picky, I would suggest dropping Florence, where you risk getting culture overload, and increasing the time on the CT and Venice. you've only allowed yourself two days actually in Florence anyway.

and the vatican is not a "side - trip". it's an integral part of the city and walkable to from most parts of the city.

this is what I would do:

1) Arrive in Rome in the morning (giving us a full first day). Spend 6 days/6 nights with side trip to Orvieto or tivoli [for Villa d'este and Hadrian's villa].
2) Take train from Rome to Florence. Arrive in Florence by noon.
2) Florence - 1 night.
3) Take train from Florence to Cinque Terre with stop in Pisa. Arrive in Cinque Terre in afternoon.
4) Cinque Terre - 3 nights (2 full days) with side trip to Portofino. Stay in Vernazza.
5) Take train from Cinque Terre to Venice. Arrive in Venice by noon.
6) Venice - 3 full days/4 nights.

Personally, I would drop Cinque Terre (save it for an anniversary, maybe coupled with Lake Como?). If you want a stop-over between Florence and Venice, you might like Verona. It is a very cool town, and seeing the marble-clad arena in Verona after you've seen the ruins of the Roman coliseum-- well, it really piques your imagination. Plus, it means you can spend more time in Venice, and less time traveling between places.

See my comment on your other thread.

the trouble, IMHO, with the rome/Florence/Venice trilogy is that you risk culture overload, particularly if you have never been to Italy before. his is NOT me being patronising - I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit italy far more than you, and I find myself frequently forgetting what I saw where.

OTOH, if you take some time out, such as your trip to the CT, you have a chance to regroup and relax, before your brain gets hit with a load more information that it isn't used to processing. in other words, variety is good for you! plus May is an absolutely ideal time to go to the CT.

Your trip sounds great. My only suggestion is to find time for another day in Florence - as it is , it looks like you have less than a full day. In our experience there is more to see and do in Florence than anywhere else in Italy. After 28 days over 6 trips, we still find new things to do.

Everyone has a favorite so you will get lots of opinions - the trick is to make it your trip, not someone elses.