6 Days in Italy - Itinerary Help!

Can you please give the exact dates and times of arrival and departure? You don't have a lot of time really and the days/nights you have on the ground is important.

I sort of feel like helping you plan a six day itinerary to Florence, Venice, and Rome that starts and ends in Milan would be doing you a real disservice. I'm assuming that your morning flight out of Milan is early enough that you'd need to stay in Milan for your last night, meaning you only really have five nights in the places you want to see. Traveling from place to place will eat up so much of your time for seeing things that your romantic, enjoyable trip will become stressful and exhausting. And you can expect it to be extremely hot and humid, which will add to the stress.

Can you be convinced to eliminate at least one of the three cities on your wish list? Maybe consider one city plus some time at the beach or Lake Como?

You have just 7 nights total on the ground in Italy, and really have to spend the final night in Milan before your flight home. Unfortunately this really doesn't give you enough time to make it to Rome. This is at a pinch ...
July 9, 10 Como
July 11, 12 Venice
July 13,14 Florence
July 15 Milan
July 16 Depart
Go to trenitalia http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en to book trains as the fares will rise closer to the day.
Use tripadvisor and skyscanner to search hotels in central areas (near sights and station) according to your budget.

We land in Milan at 8:40 am on July 9th. We depart Milan at 10:40 am on July 16th (I apologize because I said the 15th in the earlier post). However, we have to be in Milan on the morning of the 15th because my boyfriend has a work conference. I will have the day to explore on my own. Hope these details help and thank you already for the suggestions!

Thanks, Heather. I would take the train straight to Venice after your arrival and spend 3 nights there, then take early train to Florence for 2 nights and then spend 2 nights in Milan. I prefer Venice over Florence but after your research you feel you like Florence better, switch to 2 nights in Venice and 3 nights in Florence. All of your lodgings should be booked ASAP, particularly Milan (if bf's work has not taken care of it already) bc the Expo is in town. Hotels there are mostly booked and $$$. I agree, with everyone else to skip Rome. You don't have the time . . . so visit there your next trip :) Buon viaggio!

Heather, I would advise that you stay each location two nights. Otherwise, you're going to waste at least half a day each time packing up & arriving at your next location. Part of the romance is lingering over an espresso at breakfast - not rushing to the next location. Even with this itinerary, you're going to be wishing you could stay longer at each location as you're leaving.

July 9-10 nights: Venice (reserve a hotel on the islands, not the mainland "Venice" or Mestre)
July 11-12 two nights: Verona
July 13-14 two nights: Stresa
You can catch a shuttle to the Milan airport from Stresa

As others have suggested, I would drop Rome and focus on northern Italy otherwise you'll spend more time traveling than actually on the ground seeing things. Also build in some time just to sit and have a coffee, etc. I think Rome & environs is a 6-day trip in and of itself. Whatever you decide, have a great time!

I think two cities plus the time you need to be in Milano is about as much as you can do. Go straight to Venezia, then to either Firenze or Roma.

Thank you to all of you for great advice. We have decided to skip Rome and enjoy Venice and Florence (maybe a day at Lake Como if possible). Looking forward to a wonderful vacation!