17 Day Italy Tour

No. If you could double or triple it it would be much better. Donna

Stay as long as you feel you can. Keep in mind that only spending one nite in Milan will not enable you to see much as there is much to see in Milan. You will be jet lagged from the long flight and will need some rest before you can go out and appreciate the city. One nite is only good to get yourself together before the tour and get to the place where the tour begins. If you can arrive more than the day before that would be great. If so, make sure you make a reservation to see the Last Supper and see some of the great churches in the city.
As for Rome, well, again stay as long as you can or plan to go back to Rome for another trip. Rome is amazing and needs time to see. Take a loook at the week long RS tour of Rome. I have been on that tour 5 yrs ago and am going back on the same tour in a few weeks, as there is so much to see and absorb!!! There is a lot to do, go to the library and take out the RS Italy book ( they will send it to you as part of the tour), and the Rome RS book. Both are a wealth of information. Plus look at You Tube videos, ( there are tons showing you Rome and Italy and what there is to see and do). The time in Rome is not enough, but do what you can. Quality over quantity. Have a great trip!!

Since the tour stays 2 nights in Rome then an additional 2 nights might be enough - of course with Italy more is always better. As for Milan it depends on what time your flight arrives, what time you plan on taking the train to Varenna the next day, and what you want to see in Milan. I think 2 nights would be better but that's a personal choice.

Cheryll, I'd suggest staying in Milan for two nights prior to the tour, mostly because that will allow a couple of days to get over jet lag so you'll be in good shape to enjoy every minute of the tour. That also allows a bit of a "cushion" in case of flight delays (who knows, that Volcano in Iceland might again cause problems). You might want to do some research on Milan, to determine which sights there might interest you. Some of the possibilities: > Duomo (be sure to visit the roof also) > Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele > The Last Supper > Sforza Castle Travel to Varenna where the tour starts is an easy one hour train ride from Milan (DON'T forget to validate your ticket prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or you'll risk hefty fines). At least two or three nights in Rome would be good after the tour ends, if you have the time and your budget will allow. Although you'll cover most of the significant sites during the tour (with the help of some outstanding local Guides), there will be others that won't be covered. As long as you're there, you may as well get as much mileage out of the trip as possible. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time on the tour! Happy travels!

These are always tough questions because everyone travels differently with different expectations. But in general one night in any city is very limiting so I would agree that a couple nights in Milan would be preferable for most of the stated reasons. Over the years we have spent nearly three weeks in Rome - hardly enough - and will return for two nights in Oct at the end of another trip. Two nights could be enough at the end trip simply because you are getting tired, maybe worn down some, and eager to get home. Remember you can always return.