Please critique my itinerary

I'll just address your question about Ravenna. Some people will tell you that a single day is enough. However, by giving it two, you'll be able to see some of the less well-known but wonderful sights. In case you are looking for a very nice, very reasonable, well-located place to stay, take a look at www.gallaplacidia.it. Gabriella is a most gracious hostess, who includes a very good breakfast with the price of her rooms.

Hi Chani
I'm a newbie poster so others probably have more experience when my husband and I visited Italy last we spent 3 days in Florence and 5 in Rome. I think 5 for Rome was 1 too many for me. There's SO MUCH to see and we made it our goal to see everything(not the best plan).

It really depends on what you want to see in each city. In both cities, it's very easy to get around and in February I wouldn't think you would have crowds. I've heard the foods typically served in winter are hearty and very good!!

Another thing to consider is side trips. Do you plan on making any from either of these cities? From Florence you have so many hill towns and speaking from experience, Siena is wonderful. My husband and I are planning a trip to Tuscany/Cinque Terre only for this October and we have found so much info. about the hill towns on this site (if you were interested in that).

I hope this helps!

On the Florence-Rome question, I did almost the opposite of Allison, 3 days in Rome and 5 in Florence (on the RS tour). We had barely enough time in Rome and a little too much time in Florence. Rome is quite a lot larger and I found it more varied, whereas Florence is primarily focused on art and churches. I would probably do 3 days in Florence and 5 days in Rome, with one of those 5 days being a visit out to Ostia Antica, Tivoli, or Orvieto.

Chani: You're a regular here, have been to Italy before, have been to Florence before--but have not been to Rome before.

And so, the fact that this is a first trip to Rome, seems to be something to consider in deciding how to allocate your 8 days between Florence and Rome.

Some fortunate people are able to take a lifetime to absorb and understand the things both Rome and Florence offer--they are those kinds of places, somewhat like Paris and London in that regard.

On the other hand, you've been on this site long enough to know that they're are people who will come on here and tell you they gave Rome a day or two "and that was enough for us." So you're probably already expecting that you'll get a wide range of advice here on your question of how to allocate the 8 days you have for both Florence and Rome.

As you know from having already been in Florence, it's much much smaller than Rome but probably has more art, architecture, and history per square foot than, maybe, any other destination in Europe.

If half of your arrival day in Rome is eaten up by changing location from Florence, and if your departure flight in the evening means you actually only have 7 nights, then you might want to consider allocating your time so that you have as near as possible to 5 full days in Rome.

Rosalyn - thanks for the reassurance. I wasnt sure one day would be enough in Ravenna or it two days would be too much.

Allison - I was in CT last October. You will love it!

Kent - I love getting lots of opinions. It really helps me make up my own mind! There are so many contributors here who have so much travel experience.

Since the days are short in February, I plan to sightsee during the day (eg, in Florence), then train in the evening to my next destination with dinner en route (sandwiches probably). So, no, I wont waste 1/2 day in travel time. That should mean 8 full days of sightseeing in Florence/Rome.

I started out with 3 days in Florence and 5 in Rome, but I am so ready to be swayed to more time in Rome. What I would have liked to do more of when I was in Florence was walking tours, but in February the weather may not be conducive, and 2 days may be more than enough! But since I've not been to Rome, I have NO idea how much time I would want to spend there.

Are there things to do after dark in Rome?

"Are there things to do after dark in Rome?"

Absolutely. The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain are a lot more impressive in the dark (IMO). Seeing the Colosseum lit up at night is neat. Trastevere was charming at night. Campo di Fiori turns into a major restaurant area though I suspect it's probably more interesting during the day. The front porch of the Pantheon is deserted and interesting after the church closes. I'm probably forgetting other things

Plus, 2-3 hours for dinner tends to eat up a lot of those nighttime hours.

The mosaics in Ravenna are amazing! We stopped in Ravenna on our way from Lake Garda to Assisi (by car) in 2007 for 1/2 day and so glad we did. As a previous poster stated, with 2 days you will be able to see The Church of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, which is out of town about 2 miles and some of the other sites. It is a very nice town with few tourists which is great! We grabbed a seat in the Basilica di San Vitale and were in awe. The Mausoleum of Galla Piacidia, just across from the Basilica is also unbelievable. We also saw the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, The Basilica di San Francesco, and Dante's Tomb. The Mercato Coperto was closed for the day when we arrived. Have a great trip!

From Florence you should do a side trip. Last year I took a day trip to Siena and San Giamango (sp?) and it was absolutely beautiful. I also had a great tour guide that gave me a history of the towns. Rome was great, it is jam packed full of stuff to see and very busy. I only had 3 days there and it wasn't enough time. I guess it just depends on what activities you enjoy. Have a great time! I also went to Italy solo last year and it was a trip to remember.

Michelle, I spent 2 days in Milan last October and I felt I saw everything I wanted to, except the Last Supper. Still, if you have suggestions, I am quite willing to spend a few more hours there before training to Verona. I also spent 4 days in Venice and didn't want to leave. I could spend a whole day just riding the vaporetto and watching the scenery float by. I would stay longer but it's Carnevale . . . too crowded and too expensive!

Brad, thanks. Not having been to Rome, I just don't know if I can happily fill 6 days there. Apparently it won't be a problem :-)

I think it works reasonably well.

Personally I would try for two well planned days in Florence and the rest in Rome.

I think you have too many days in Venice. Even if you are there for Carnevale you will probably get sick of Venice after 3 days. I would spend one of your Venice days in Milan. That way you aren't rushed from the last supper to Verona.

What are you going to do with your luggage while you are visiting "The Last Supper" and sightseeing in Milan? I assume you will be taking the train that evening to stay the night in Verona. Also, will your hotel in Verona hold your luggage for you while you sightsee there before leaving that night for Venice? Check out times are generally 11 a.m. give or take.