2 weeks in italy first time

I think its personal. I was in Italy for the first time last summer and we did not go to Venice, simply because Venice is not an itch I felt the need to scratch. And why some places compel me and others don't is a complete mystery, but I always follow that impulse and have loved all my travels. So, after reading about both, which do you feel drawn to? The CT would be a different experience than Rome and Florence, as it is a national park and much of the appeal, imo, is the hiking and views and water. But it is still loaded with tourists, so you will have that in both. I did go to Rome and Florence and the CT... I think I wanted more balance between outdoorsy and city, but I am someone who loves hiking, nature, etc as well as cities

I like your last line: it won't be our only trip to Italy. I'd guarantee that! You do have choices but honestly I'd consider limiting them for this first trip. 5 nights in Rome is a good start. The nice thing about Rome is that if you get tired of one century all you have to do is turn the corner and you can be in any number of other centuries! Cinque Terre is very nice if you are the outdoors, hiking type. It's going to be crowded so that may make 'relaxing' a bit of a challenge. Florence, honestly, is not my favorite place during the summer. Way too many tourists, way too many long lines and way too humid - you're in the bottom of a bowl and the heat just weighs down on you. Venice, also honestly, is my 'go to' place. Tourists come mostly from the cruise ships so they arrive around 10 am and are gone by about 5:00 pm. If you do the major sites earlier or later you can really enjoy yourselves. Take the 'riposo' seriously and use the afternoon to rest and freshen up. That's another way to avoid the crowds. My favorite way though is to just turn left or right and go down an alley or along a canal that nobody else is taking. You'll be amazed the wonderful things you'll see. Think of Venice as a picture, not in a museum that you look at, but rather a distant time and culture that you enter into. 3 days is just enough I think to make you start planning your next trip to Italy!

It really depends on personal preference. Venice is a great place for art and culture and physical beauty of the city. CT is small towns with lots of beauty and hiking. You can still spend plenty of time walking around Venice though! Another consideration is time of year of your trip. In Summer, both CT and Venice will be packed but you can get away from the tourist hordes in Venice fairly easily. in winter, the CT is basically shut down as many businesses close for the season. Where are you flying into/out of Italy? That may have an impact since this won't be your only trip to Italy.

We are arriving April 24 Departing May 8. We are flying into and out of Rome.
Thank you very much for the info!

art,

My suggestion would be to spend the three days in Florence, as there's more than enough to do there (more time would be better). In addition to the sights in the city (Uffizi, Accademia), Florence makes a great home base for day trips to Siena, Lucca, Pisa or even the Cinque Terre.

As it's only 90 minutes from Rome by high speed train, staying in Florence will also facilitate the trip to Rome for your return flight.

My understanding of your question is choosing between CT or Venice for 3 days/nights, in addition to the 5 you plan for Rome and the 3 you are planning in Florence

If so, I would recommend Venice over CT at that time of the year.

If still able to make/change flights I would suggest fly into Venice and out of Rome, to eliminate the backtracking.

Your experience in the Cinque Terra could be adversely effected by rain or crowds. If you want charming villages, there are other places. If you are serious hikers, the weather could blow up your plan (even bad weather during the winter can close trails for months until they're repaired), but if the weather's good, you can avoid the crowds and enjoy the scenery.

If you are more into walking tours, beautiful buildings and museums, Venice may be a better choice.

Get a couple of guide books and do some internet research and get a feel for what you can do in both locations, then choose the one that more appeals to you.

Lastly, it's a good idea to spend your last night in Rome, closer to the airport, though if your flight is in the afternoon or later, you could stay in Florence, visiting the 3rd destination between them.

There are pluses and minuses for both Venice and CT. On the plus side of either, it won't be too hot yet, and the worst of the crowds won't have descended yet. So the choice is between small villages, hiking, and sea views vs another city, but with sites you won't find anywhere else.

I agree with the others that if you must return to Rome to fly home, it will likely be easier to go to either CT or Venice before Florence. For that matter, I might suggest going directly there after landing in Rome, and do your 5 days in Rome at the end, before flying home. That would reduce your travel days by 1.