Jayne11159

Let me add that we will have a total of twelve days--two being used for travel to and from. Originally this was to be a three-week family vacation this summer, but an athletic scholarship (but yay, college is now paid for!)has pulled the plug on three straight weeks of togetherness.

At least six of the 10 days will be split between Rome and Venice (probably 4/2 respectively). I'd love your suggestions for a third venue. Tuscany? Umbria? Cinque Terre? Umbria? We want a homebase to explore one of these regions. It doesn't matter to us where we start and end.

To help with suggestions, you should know that our kids are 17, 15 and 11. We will be going in March, 2004. We love the outdoors and the water (not so great there that time of year I know) and are pretty adventerous. We're prepared for an intense itinerary.

Thanks for your help.

Jayne11159

Oops--instead of listing Umbria twice, I meant to say Dolomites.

DRJ

My inclination would be to limit your stay to Rome and Venice. The latter deserves much more than two days, IMO.

If you must do a third I'd recommend Umbria, since it is what Tuscany was twenty years ago. Even less traveled is Le Marche, with the Adriatic and several great cities.

JandaO

add more days to Venezia !!!

ira

Hi Jayne,

I suggest 4 days Rome, 3 days Florence, 3 days Venice.

RufusTFirefly

I'd go with Ira's suggestion if you are huge Renaissance fans. If not, use one of the Florence days for a day trip somewhere, or take a day from Florence and add it to Venice. On our first trip to Venice we had 4-1/2 days and lacked time to see any of the lagoon islands, the Accademia, the Naval Museum, and the Guggenheim among other sights.

donw

I agree with 4 days Rome, 3 days Florence, 3 days Venice and rent a car one day in Florence and drive around Tuscany too.

mclaurie

I would split the time between Rome & Venice but plan to do some daytrips from each. That way you're not packing & unpacking constantly. Both cities have more than enough to offer for 5 days. Here are some ideas of daytrips from Rome.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34448389

Here are some daytrips from Venice but I'd add Verona & Asola

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34424583

Since you're a family of 5, you might consider renting an apartment. Here is some info on that (the thread says inexpensive rentals but the website advice will cover all price ranges.)

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34432537

Hagan

Lake Como! One of the most beautiful spots on earth, in good weather. It has water, shopping, hiking (to the Castle Vezio in Varenna), and absolutely breathtaking views in any direction. It has my vote. For Tuscany, I think you need at least 1 week.

Jayne11159

Thanks everyone. I just hate to miss Florence and Tuscany so I think we'll try to fit it at least a couple of days. What would be a good home base for two or three nights in Tuscany with a day trip to Florence?

WanderingTexan

The Locanda dell Amorosa is within each reach of the hilltowns and Florence. I really loved the place.

hydra

Jayne, I would suggest you split up your city vacations with a taste of rural life. I was in Italy in June and spent three days on a "Short Escape" bike tour through Umbria. It was a great way to see the countryside and to get away from the busy roads. Your children sound like they are the perfect age for this type of travel.

The bike tour began in Perugia, then biked over to Duruta (sp?) and into a little town called Cortona. The next day we biked to Assisi and Spello. The trip was self guided (which meant no guide or pick-up wagon) but the pace was all our own. We followed a route description and felt like we were discovering a different Italy. I was over on work (taking photographs for a client) so getting away from the main road was essential. The trip is one of my best travel memories ever!

We booked through Randonnee Tours (www.randonneetours.com) and they booked all of our hotels (nice B+Bs) and transfered our luggage. We just got on our bikes and off we went arriving at the next hotel to a nice welcome and a wonderful Italian dinner.

If you are looking for an alternative way to see Italy on a short time frame I would recommend this trip.

Jackie_in_Italy

I would suggest visiting areas around Venice. Verona is a beautiful city nearby that is worth a visit, and there are other great Veneto sites: Treviso, Padova, etc. that will keep you from rushing from place to place and give you a little bit of relaxation near the Veneto. However, if i were to suggest a place strictly on appeal and not having anything to do with your location, I would suggest Puglia. A very tranquil southern region, less touristy but almost the better for it. Cities like Ostuni, Lecce, Alberobello, the Tremiti Islands: all well worth a visit. Also, the food is magnificent.

cparris

Since it is summer you might want to find a beach type place for a couple of nights such as around Capri or Portofino...or at least find a place in Tuscany that has a pool. If your kids are like mine they get tired of too many museums. The Cinque Terre might be good if they like also to do some hiking. The bking idea might be fun too. You could check out http://www.ibikeitaly.com/ which has single and two day bike tours around Florence.