Rome-->Florence-->Venice or Rome-->Venice-->Florence
 

Will be in Rome Oct. 28 thru Oct. 31. November 1-6 are for Florence and Venice. Need to be back in Rome the evening of Nov. 6 to fly home on Nov. 7. Should we go to Florence or Venice first, or does it really matter?

I'd travel southbound, meaning starting in Venice and ending in Rome, mostly because of the season and weather. Venice is colder and dumper than Rome and Florence, so the earlier you go, the better the chances are of a more pleasant weather in Venice.<BR><BR>OTOH, Veniice would be THE golden key for any trip, so, you choose...

It doesn't matter much, but I think that Venice will be the perfect end to the trip. Rome is high-energy touring, Florence is almost as high-energy, and Venice will be a very gentle way to finish your vacation. But whatever you do, it will be fun!<BR>

I totally agree with Paule. Start with the most active part (Rome) and finish with the more relaxing--or as Paule put it, "gentle"--Venice. The weather won't make that much difference during that period.

Good suggestions from previous posters, however if you've already purchased your plane ticket in/out of Rome, then those answers aren't responsive to your question.<BR><BR>It doesn't really matter. Given that, I'd suggest you do Rome-Venice-Florence (then back to Rome for your departure). And the reasons I propose that scheduling is that Rome is the most 'hectic' &amp; high energy of the 3 cities. I like Rome, especially because of it's pace &amp; character. Good city to start with on a Italy vacation --- fresh out of the box, you're pretty excited to be in Italy! Then on to Venice, which although has alot of tourist traffic is a fairly low key place. So it'll be a nice change of pace. Finally, on to Florence---crucible of the Renaissance. Major sites are in easy walking distance of the historic center of the city. And if you want to get outside the major cities, Florence is strategically located (whether you're driving or taking the train or bus) to be able to visit a smaller city (Siena, San Gimigano, Lucca). Also, Florence is just 1 1/2 hr train ride (EuroStar) from Rome. It would be an easy ride (or drive) on the evening of Nov. 6th back down to Rome for your morning flight out.<BR><BR>FYI--if you are traveling via rail, make sure you select the EuroStar (ES) between each of the cities. They're the quickest &amp; nicest mode of transport between each of these cities. Schedules can be checked at http://www.fs-on-line.com<BR> <BR><BR>