Feel free to critique my itinerary

Personally - Unless you have some specific reason for 6 nights in Barcelona, I would cut it to about three or four at the most. And again, I like Venice but not sure I would spend four nights there either. I would add a couple nights in Florence and maybe use that as my base for day tripping but Siena is nice. You have no time in Rome but you have indicated in your earlier postings why you are skipping Rome.

I'll be in Barcelona during La Merce festival, so I thought I'd give myself some time to take in the festivities and maybe catch a soccer game. I hate spending less than 5 days in big cities. The list of attractions in Barcelona seems huge.
I'm struggling to cut down my itinerary.

I'm with Frank about Venice. Spend a day or two more in Rome or Siena.

So, only 2 full days in Venice? Wow, some people recommended I spend a lifetime there if I could :) Btw, I've been to Rome before.

I would also say 2 days in Venice. We were there for 5 days and that was too many. I would spend more than one day in Florence, it's such a lovely city and there is so much to see! We were there for 4 days and went to Pisa one of the days, totally worth it.

Was Venice that bad you couldn't wait to get out of it?!

I had a feeling this was a trap. No matter what you recommended there is a come back as to why that doesn't work. That is fine. Not sure why you asked for a critique.

Your itinerary looks reasonable to me ... but why are you asking strangers to critique it? What should they critique? If it looks great to you, go for it. Barcelona is a huge city - why not 5 days? And the Venetian lagoon has more than just Venice.

Wow Frank, talk about insecurity!

Now, now, play nice, children. Venice - some people love it, others don't. There aren't as many "attractions" as other places. It depends partly on what you enjoy doing and mostly on whether it "grabs" you.

Sean, I agree with the sentiments expressed by the others, and here are a few thoughts..... > Barcelona - although it's a beautiful city, I'd drop at least one day, unless you're planning a few day trips (ie: Montserrat, Figueres, Sitges, Andorra). > Venice - I'd drop at least one day in Venice. If you're arriving at 10:30, that will still leave part of Day 7 for sightseeing. Although some people can spend weeks in Venice, I find that I'm ready to move on after a couple of days. > Siena - is there a reason why you're not using Florence as your home base in Tuscany, with a day trip to Siena? Florence has a lot of interesting sights. > Rome - even though you've been there before, there are so MANY sights that there's always something else to see. I'd suggest adding a day in Rome. Generally the Itinerary looks good, but I'd adjust the time in each location a bit. Happy travels!

Ken, thanks for the suggestions. You're one of the most civilized people on this forum.

I think you are at the phase of itinerary planning at which asking people for advice will elicit personal preferences rather than useful travel tips. Which is fine, but may get confusing for you. Think about your experiences and preferences now, and tweak if you want. No matter what, looks like an awesome trip!

I've taken your tips into consideration and adjusted my itinerary. What do you think? Day 1: Arrive in Barcelona Day 2-3-4-5: Barcelona Day 6: Fly to Venice. Arrive in Venice at 10:30 am. Day 7-8: Venice Day 9-10-11-12-13: Florence (2 full days in Florence, 1 day trip to Siena, 1 day trip to San Gimignano, 1 day trip to Lucca/Pisa) Day 14: Train to Chiusi. Bus to Montepulciano. Day 15-16: Montepulciano (daytrip to Pienza and Montalcino) Day 17: Bus to Chiusi. Train to Rome Day 18-19: Rome
Day 20: Fly home.

Just as a slight counter to some other votes... I spent a week in Venice on my first trip, and am going back next month for the 3rd visit in 3 years. I happily occupied a week, visitng amazing museums and churches, exploring some of the less known islands on the lagoon, wandering around the city. The Grand Canal at sunset is truly amazing, watching the buildings shift color with the sun. So if it interests you, I certainly vote for giving Venice as much time as you can.

I loved Venice, been twice, and look forward to more visits. A good friend came back a couple of weeks. Her first-time impression: "Yeah, it was interesting, but 2 days was just enough. I'm glad I went, but I don't think I'll ever go back." Last year she was in Rome and would go back in a flash. We both love Paris. Go figure.

I am team venice all the way. When I was there, i spent 3 nights there and wanted more. way more. I wished I had spent less time in Rome so I could have spent more time in Venice. I was never bored. So I would consider at least 3 nights.

Spent 6 nights in Venice over 3 trips (1/3/2)...love it so much, I'd go back every trip if I could find a way to squeeze it in....Me: "I know we're supposed to be doing the UK, but can't we fly to Venice for a few days?" Hubby: "Uh...no" (spoil sport)...but you may want more then 1 day/daytrip in Florence...we had 2 nights, about a day and 1/4...so much to see, so much we missed... Missed your revised...looks good...

Thanks for the reassurance everyone!
In Florence, can I see the Duomo, Uffizi, David, Bargello, Ponte Vecchio, Boboli Gardens and Piazza Michelangelo in 2 days?

Sure, and you can even see it in one day using advance reservations for critical items.