From her first post, fergie was planning 3 destinations, at 3 hotels. She has already decided to stay 20 minutes outside of Florence. People have been interrogating her with sarcasm and outrage, but the outlines for her trip have been doable from the beginning.

fergie,

If your family's main focus in Rome is seeing the Vatican, you don't have to give Rome anymore time than that takes, and most people visiting Rome do not spend more than 2 full days at the Vatican, perhaps 2.5. You will probably be jet lagged on arrival, so take that into account. But if you'd rather be resting in the countryside than battling the hectic city of Rome, that's up to you and, guess what? Lots and lots of people very happily do that every time they travel to Italy. They don't feel obliged to set foot in Rome. They head directly to the countryside. This is YOUR trip. Rome will not feel slighted if you head to Tuscany in less than 4 days.

Got it. still not sure if one carry one for each of us will cut it. Any advice regarding what to bring mid-May for 10 days??

I don't know if you are american, but if you know what the weather is like in Washington DC in mid-May, pack for that kind of weather in Italy. Paris may be rainier, but it is your last stop and you will be there so briefly, just pack for Italy.

What I thought was weird was the response of "Set your dates first, then look at itinerary."

When I travel, I first decide what I want to see, then I figure out how many days it will take to see it, then I figure out what time of the year would be the best time to go where what I want to see is located (in terms of weather, crowds). THEN I set my dates. I don't just think "Oh, I'll take a trip to Italy. Hmmm. April 3 to 11. Okay. Now. Where should I go?" I realize people have frequent flyer miles or fixed vacations, but most people travel to actually accomplish an itinerary, not just leave the house and travel any old place, figure it out afterwards.

Fergie, we each took a 22 inch Travel Pro and a smaller shoulder bag that fits under the seat in front of you. On the ground, hook the shoulder bag onto the rollerboard and it's very easy to manage.