7 days in Italy over Easter: Rome/Venice, or Rome/Florence?

hey emily
are the kids going with you, if so how many and your dates? are you flying roundtrip to and from rome from where? yes you are going at a crazy busy time, it will be crowded where ever you go, easter and spring break for a lot of families. if you want to see sights, book them early from their own website and book your hotels now,. i'm sure alot of hotels/apt have been booked for the holiday. when booking check your arrival time, if early checkin or luggage hold until you can check in. you don't want to be pushing luggage around or waiting. good luck and have fun.
aloha

Without knowing your actual travel days and where you fly in and out of, this is difficult to answer. If you can provide us with this, you'll receive more accurate answers.

You mention Florence as a possible alternative to Venice. I was in Florence last Easter and didn't think it was overly crowded, Yes, there was a big crowd around the Duomo for the Scoppio del Carro, but by afternoon things in the city center were pretty normal. I haven't been in Rome or Venice for Easter, so I can't speak to those cities.

I edited my post, but will note here also: we aren't bringing our kids - this is supposed to be a belated anniversary getaway. Our flight arrives in Rome around 8 am on 4/16, and departs around 11 am on 4/23. I'm just wondering whether we'd be happier spending the first half of the time in Rome and then Easter weekend elsewhere, or vice versa. We don't love crowds (I know, bad choice of weeks) and tend to be leisurely sightseers; not the kind to cram four or five sights in a day. Our feet get tired and we like sitting around eating cheese and watching sunsets and taking the occasional nap.

Hi Emily-after reading your second post about your preferred travel style (low crowds, slower pace, café breaks) I would not suggest Rome AND Venice. Both are extremely crowed, especially that week. Of the two, I think Venice loses some of the "romantic charm" because of the overpacked sidewalks, long lines and crowded restaurants... (That said, our several days in exploring Venice were great and even in Rome with the thousands of shoulder-to-shoulder crowds at St. Peter's Square when the Pope made an appearance four feet from us!) Perhaps 4-5 days in Rome then finish with booking at a quieter, more romantic location for a couple of days where you can enjoy the wine, cheese, sitting in the vineyards, and enjoying the scenery. Interior hill towns, Siena, Volterra -there are lots of suggestions on RS Forums. Happy travels!

I would go with your first choice, Venice. I would train to it as soon as you land on 4/16, spend a few days and finish in Rome. The crowds in Venice are only bad in San Marco or around the Rialto bridge. Do those in the evening or early morning. The rest of Venice is not packed.