A LOT of the flights OUT of Venice leave very early in the morning. Getting to the airport from Venice can be difficult and expensive. I would start in Venice and fly out of Rome.

2Italy...good point.

I vote for Venice because when I am jet lagged, I end up sleeping and getting up at odd hours for a couple of days. If you end up wide awake at 3 AM in Venice, you can go out wandering around. The place is amazing when there is no one else up and about. Be sure to get to San Marco Plaza just before sunrise.

I have done a similar trip and I started in Venice. It's perfect. Exactly what a lot of the others have said, Venice is much more laid back than Rome, fewer "must see" sites, great place to get aclimated. Rome is a great city to end your trip on. You will be pumped up and ready to tackle Rome - you really do need to be "with it" there. Enjoy!! Both cities are great, my husband and I had a difficult time deciding which we loved more!

I agree that Venice is the more relaxed city to get around in.

Since we are on Venice and/or Rome, we will be arriving Milan in March, and want to spend a few days before taking train to Venice. We would like to take a cruise ship from Venice to Rome or Venice to Venice in March. Any ideas?
Thanks.

As a friend of mine always says, "Rome is work." Much as I love the eternal city, you really do have to be on your toes the whole time you are there. The streets are narrow, so there's much jostling during your stroll. Crossing boulevards could be a contact sport if you aren't careful (watch out for cars and vespas!), and there are only a few pockets of quiet (like the Palatine Hill). The pace in Rome is relentless and has always been for centuries. While Venice does have its challenges ... the seemingly dozens of bridges and stairs you have to navigate to get you your hotel, for example, presumeably you'll only have to do that twice (upon arrival and departure). Best sure to ask your hotel for specific directions on how to get to the property. If they're good, they'll tell you how many little bridges, left and rights and meters you'll have to go. Feel free to email me for more info. I just got back from both cities a week ago ...

Although I don't believe in must-sees, I am puzzled by the remarks that there are fewer "must-sees" in Venezia than Roma.

For me, I spent a week in Venezia and still did not get to half of what I wanted to see, and I probably saw 10 or more famous sites.

I sometimes go to cities and don't do any sightseeing (or just a little). I sometimes skip the major sites entirely. (Hey, someday I guess I might go to the Tower of London.) But I wouldn't say there were fewer 4star attractions in these places. And I do think Venezia has just as many 4star places of importance as Roma.

Obviously, one person's must-sees are different from another's. To get a generic view, I looked at my Michelin's guide to Italy and counted 3-star places; Venice had 11, Rome 78. (Disclaimer: I might have missed a three-starrer or 2.) So you can see how a first-time visitor might get the idea there is more intense touristing to do in Rome.

I would agree that getting around Venice sucks when you are jet lagged. The streets are confusing enough when one is alert! I once got in late to Venice and by the time I found my way to my hostel they had closed so my friend and I cozied up and slept on the sidewalk next to it!

First, I agree wholeheartedly with the tip on Sonata. I first took it on a flight to Venice 4 years ago, had no grogginess afterwards, and was able to spend the whole first day doing things and feeling like a real person. Second, if the cost isn't a huge factor, take a water taxi directly from the airport to the stop nearest your hotel. It is great to pull away from the dock at the airport, on your way, AND enjoying the city from its best perspective, while other people are still trying to figure out how to reach the main train station. Skip a gondola ride if necessary. Our hotel was on a canal and we walked up the steps from the water to our hotel, left our luggage at 9 a.m., and didn't come back until dinner. Very easy. There are so many places to stay, you should be able to book a convenient place. Third, traffic in Venice is other people, so you don't have to worry about being crushed by a scooter driving on the sidewalk behind you. (Yes, that happens often in Rome.) As someone else mentioned, Venice is magical very late at night when it finally goes to sleep, so if you are not, and you have company to explore the area safely with you, that is another way to address your jet lag. Just got back from a weeks in the Lake district, and wish I were sitting on the patio of the house we rented, drinking wine, instead of at work, reading Fodor's to figure out where to go next!