Venice - Florence - Rome in 10 days - Suggestions as to time in each
 

My trip is way far off but I so enjoy the details that I start early.

We are going with 2 teen boys for 10 days - Arriving a Thursday am (after an overnight from the US)hopefully and departing the following Saturday.

We ant to start in Venice, train to Florence and then train to Rome.

I cannot decide how many days/nights to allow for each area. Wer want to do a side trip to Pisa from Florence, and to Pompeii from Rome.

Suggestions as to how best to lay this out (remembering I will prob be in Florence on a Monday - but might be a good day to do Pisa trip).

Thanks.

Donna

You actually have more like 8.5 days altogether. Presumably your flight on Saturday won't allow much time to do much that day.

It might be easier if you just did Florence and Rome, considering you want those day trips.

We just returned from nine nights in Italy. We spent five nights in Rome after arriving at 8:30am. We took the train to Venice and spent four nights there.

I think that any less time in either city is a mistake. We wished we had a day more in each city. Venice was only three full days, because we arrived in late afternoon on the train for the first night.

We initially were going to include Florence in the nine nights, but are VERY HAPPY we did not stretch ourselves too thin. Only a few nights in Rome would have made the city feel TOO hectic. It takes a few days there to adjust to the pace of the city. I think you will find most people on this Forum recomending you do not stretch yourself too thin!

Isn't trip planning fun!

I am wondering if you have not planned one city too many as you are allowing 3 nights in each place and sidetrips.
Is your heart set on all three places?

Venice and Rome would be a good combo
(biased towards rome :) )
We easily did a daytrip from Rome to Pisa as that was high on the list for my kids the first time we went.

If you really want suggestions, here are mine. You will note that they don't always conform specifically to your early plans. While 10 days is a short time to cover the "big 3", it can be done. I would spend 4 days in Rome and 3 each in Florence and Venice. Based on several trips to Italy over a lot of years, I would start in Rome and end in Venice, taking trains as you have planned. I would not plan on day trips with such a short time in each place - especially to Pisa. Pisa will take the better part of the day and is definitely not worth the time in our experience. Have lots of fun planning - it's half the fun!

I'll let you know in a few weeks - we leave Tuesday and come back on the 30th. In 10 days we are visiting the same towns (plus 2 nights in Tuscany) - will have a "taste" of all, even if not too much in depth (can decide where to spend more time on the second trip to Italy some day:)...

I could probably steal another day in the beginning of the trip to make it 9-1/2 days.

I really want the 3 cities, I have been to venice and Rome and regret having missed Florence last time around.

My son has his heart set on Pisa and Pompeii so those are pretty much set in stone - since the trip is for his 13th birthday.

My thoughts are Venice first since it is mellower than ROme and a more relaxing place to recover from the jet lag - also I have never had a more amazing travel experience than my first ciew of Venice when arriving by water taxi from the airport and I want my kids to experience that as well.

I was thinking the least time in Venice since I am not going to Museum them to death so early in the trip. I figure we can walk around, so San Marcos, The Jewish Section (which we missed last time), Doges Palace and Secret Itinerary.

In Florence I really want to get an overview, take my 13th year old to the Science Museum (he is a math/science nut), Pisa (he is insistent).

Rome I think will take the most time. There is so much to see and do there.

So maybe 3 nts, 3 nts and 4 nights?

Given all you would like to fit in you should definately "steal" that extra day and any others that are lying around!

I'd also suggest starting in Rome and ending in Venice just because there's more chance of a more direct flight to Rome vs a less direct flight back from Venice. If the flights are similar I start in Venice as this is you preferance.

It sounds like a great trip and it's wonderful that you're traveling with your children. Definately reserve museum tickets in Florence in advance.

Also, may want to purchase your tickets ahead to climb the Tower of Pisa --- http://www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/index.html

Steal another day for sure!
And, while many people do not think it is worth it, my kids really enjoyed Pisa.

Hi donna,

I also think you need that extra day.

You will lose 1/2 day from Venice to Florence and 1/2 day from Florence to Rome.

Pisa will take almost a full day.

Pompeii is a verrry looooong day.

Going home will cost you a day.

That gives you 6 days to see Venice, Florence and Rome.

2 full days in Venice
1 full day in Florence
3 full days in Rome.

Rome 4
Florence 3
Venice 3

That's the way my wife and I did it back in 1996. She was five months pregnant at the time, too.

I just got back from Venice on sunday- we stayed only 3 nights and I wished I had 1-2 more days! It was so beautiful! Please note that Alitalia was a terrible airline for us. We were flew in from Barcelona to Rome (flight was over 3 hours late and we missed our conecting flight to Venice.) They said it was the weather- the weather was PERFECT! Needless to say, we almost had to sleep in the airport! We were lucky to get teh last flight out of Rome at 10:30pm (which also was delayed 1.5 hr.) We arriveed venice at 11:45pm and just had enough time to find our luggage and catch the last shuttle from the airport to the aliguna! We didnt get to our hotel until 1:45am! so much for a nice quite romantic first nite dinner! lol lol
I think ending your trip in Venice would be a highlight!

This question has come up before, and 4-3-3 seems to be the general consensus. I'd lean more toward 5(R), 2(F), 3(V)...but that's just me.

Enjoy.

I'm for 5 Roma, 2 Firenze, and 3 Venezia or 4-2-4. I'm not so much into Renaissance art and architecture.

We are doing 3 in Rome, 4 in Florence with side trips, and 3 in Venice.

I would not cram 3 ciities into this amount of time.

For me, I would skip Venice and concentrate on Rome and Florence, especially with teens.