We are planning to visit Venice. And, would like recommedations of a second choice that is charming and less touristy. Somewhere that you can get the true italian experience.
Thanks for your help.

Do you mean someplace nearby you can visit as a day trip from Venice? Or a different base for a few days in the same general area of northeastern Italy? Or a different destination far away from Venice?

We are thinking of visiting Venice 3 days and Florence 2 days. Do you think Florence is a good choice? Or, do you think we should spend the whole time in Venice, or somewhere else for 2 days?

don't miss florence; it is one of the best places anywhere. climb the duomo. see uffizi. incredible churches! the garden (whose name I have forgotten). have a limoncello/prosecco/lemon sorbetto desert drink called s'groppino anywhere you can get it. we've had them in venice and florence. they are incredible! 3 days in venice should be enough. have a great time!

What do you mean by "the true Italian experience?" I'm sure Italians living in Venice and Florence and Rome and every little 200-inhabitant village in between would say they're living the "true Italian experience."

Florence is a wonderful, vibrant city, but it's not "less touristy" than Venice.

Do you have only 5 days total in Italy? It would help to know some more about your plans and interests in order to answer your questions.

Hi, my suggestiontions from Italy.

In 5 days visit Venice and Florence... is too much!

Stay in 1 region and try to "get the best" from it.

I mean: go to Venezia for 2/3 days, move then to Padova for 1 day and then to Vicenza. If you have some spere time go to smaller beautiful towns like Bassano del Grappa and / or Marostica and / or Asolo... and / or Treviso. Most part of this itinerary can be done by train.

Florence (and Siena, Lucca, ... and a lot of other beautiful places in Tuscany) must be kept for the next time!

Ciao, if you need any further info I am at your disposal.

Gianni

While Venice is fabulous, Florence is all so different an experience and a great 2nd choice! Florence has many museums and cathedrals and great food...

srhughes,
Gianni is right.
Stay in the Veneto region, you have not enough time to do Venice and Florence.
Padova with the Cappella degli Scrovegni and Vicenza with its Palladian architecture, its palaces and the Teatro Olympico will offer you more than you can handle. Furthermore, Vicenza, Verona, Padova and Venice are on the main railroad line from Milan to Venice: regular and sufficient trains all day long.
CMT, weren't you supposed to go to this region lately?

If you are big on museums, etc., then Florence is good. If you don't go to every new museum exhibit at home, then is less appealing. Florence, as a city, is merely OK. No charm or character whatever.

If you do go, despite what everyone says, 2 days in Florence is plenty. Sure another day would be nice, but 2 days in Florence is likely to be better than wandering around minor league cities like Verona and Vicenza. You can see a few museums and chuches. After that it becomes an overload of the same thing over and over. There is really very little difference between, say, Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella, for example. If you go to Frai in Venice, I wouldn't even bother with either. No need to see everything just because it has a star beside it in a guidebook.

Florence also doesn't fit your criterion of being less touristy. However, tourists usually go to the good places. If you want less touristy, try Bosnia. There isn't a hamlet in Italy that is not touristy these days, especially in Tuscany. Given that, I'd try Umbria and particularly Assisi. At least the tourists go home at night.

As far as getting "the Italian experience," I didn't know that there was just one.

What sort of traveller are you? By that I mean, how much preparation are you willing to do (or have you done) in advance of your trip?

I've found that the more I've learned about the history, architecture, cuisine & restaurants, cultural offerings and venues, music, individual sites like a specific church or palazzo or piazza, shops, specialities of the city/region, the more I "wallow in" spending a lot of time in a single place, with my wish list of places I want to visit if I have the time. With this approach I'd agree with Gianni and others...spend your time in Venice and its immediate environs.

If I'm honest with myself & realize I have not prepared & don't know much about an area I'm about to visit and I do not do much "homework" before I go, then I'm more apt to do the "hit this" and "hit that" in a day or two approach even to places like Venice or Florence, both well known for having so many things of interest to tourists contained within a small and manageable area.

"True Italian experience?" Can't say that I know what that is ...