Traveling from Dublin...where to in Italy?
 

We are flying out of Dublin, bound for Italy for a total of 7 days. Initially, we wanted to fly to Florence, spend a few nights there, and then retreat to a smaller town in Tuscany. From there we would rent a car and explore the towns. However, we can only get flights to Rome, Milan or Venice. Is it worth it to try to make it Florence? Or is it a better idea to opt for Venice or Rome? Essentially, we want to see one of the large cities, and then go to a smaller, less touristy town for some relaxation. We're interested in renting a car and exploring. Any recommendations on nice towns in and around Venice or Rome? Or should we head for Florence and Tuscany?
Thank you Fodorites!

I think you should also be able to find direct flights to Bologna. That can add to the confusion!

If you've never been to Rome, you could easily spend the week there and not even see everything. If you wish to go to Florence, it's only 90 minutes by Eurostar from Rome where you can rent a car for your rural Tuscan visits.

You could also check out www.harefares.com as it lets you choose multiple origin and destination airports and then shows all the cheap airlines that fly those routes. So if you put in Dublin as your origin, you could check routes to anywhere in Italy. Hope that helps.

Our August trip to Italy started in Venice then we rented a car for an almost 2 week road trip to Rome. South of Venice we found some delightful towns - Stra, Monselice, Montagnana, Ferrara. On another trip to Venice, we went north and visited Trent, Verona and the Dolomites. I'd happily return to all or any - all for their distinct appeal.