My wife and I have never been to italy and there are so many places to see. We have only two weeks and we are going in October. Where would be the top places to go? We want to sight see, and do some fun activities(Festivals, concerts, etc). I would really appreciate it. Thanks to all who reply.

You might not believe me, but if you spent the entire two weeks in Rome you would not run out of things to do but have a deeply rewarding experience, plus many fun things to do. In Rome, not only do you have fabulous sites from antiquity, but fabulous restaurants serving every cuisine Italy has to offer. You also have great art museums, including the Vatican. And you have the fascinating life of modern Rome, a wonderful mix of sophistication and style and traditional Italian love of relaxation and fun.

You would have a feast of concerts.

From Rome, you can easily take a day trip to the Tivoli Gardens or to the beautiful Etruscan hilltown of Orvieto, with its breathtaking cathedral and famous wine. You can strike out in almost any direction and find places in an hour's reach that tourists never go, but which are filled with local color and great food -- or wine festivals at that time of year.

So I say rent an apartment in Rome for two weeks!

If you don't want an urban setting, decide whether you want the beach or the hills -- or the lakes and the hills. If it's the beach and hills, map out a trip that gives you one week in Tuscany and one in Liguria. If it's lakes and hills, go north and hang out in Lombardy and the Veneto, and include a few nights in Venice and/or Milan for concerts.

Italy is so overwhelmingly rich with sights, it's best to stay in one geographic area and take bites, than fling yourself around in indigestible gulps.

While I do agree with nessundorma that one could spend the entire time just in Rome, another trip to consider would be one that would also include Florence and Venice. Does your two weeks include your days of travel to and from where you live?

Of course, much depends upon your interests and preferences. Do you like to stay in one location and savor it or do you like to cover lots of territory? Are you interested in visiting churches and museums or do you prefer shopping and fine dining? Do you prefer visiting cities or more rural locations?

I would recommend looking at a few guidebooks to see what locations intrigue you the most. I'm afraid I don't know much about festivals and concerts but am sure someone here will be able to help.

Have a great trip!

Hi B,

The usual itineray for first timers to Italy is Venice, Florence and Rome.

I would fly into Venice (4 nights), train to Florence (4 nts with a daytrip to Siena), train to Rome (5 nts with a daytrip to Orvieto), fly home.

Train schedules and tickets are at www.trenitalia.com

Have a lovely visit.

Venice! Don't miss Venice.