7 night itinerary

Well, for 7 nights (which assumes only 6 full days assuming that one of those nights is your arrival day) ) I would say "yes" - you would be spending more time in transit than actually seeing and enjoying the sights - remember, each change of location is going to eat up anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 of a day. Don't get me wrong - what you've outlined can certainly be done but it all depends upon the type of trip you want to have and what you enjoy about traveling. Some people enjoy being constantly on the move and others find it exhausting - only you can decide which category you fall into to. If you are concerned that you'll be rushing around too much, I'd recommend doing Siena as a day trip from Florence - thus saving you having to move hotels and would give you another day in Florence - given your current plan, you really only have 1 full day in that city. As for Pisa/Lucca, it really depends upon what you and your wife want to see/do in both Florence and Rome. Suffice it to say, given the time you have it won't be sufficient to see or do everything each of these cities has to offer so I think your best bet is to figure out what your priorities are for each city and go from there.

I agree with Nancy. If you really want to, you can do it that way - but I would advise staying in Florence and taking day trips to Siena and Pisa/Lucca from there. You will only have one full day to explore Florence (so just consider that when planning your day trips) but I think it's better to stay in one place and not have to transfer yourselves/luggage to Siena. Lay out what your priorities are, what types of things you want to see... that may help you figure out your plans.

If there is any way to add one more night, I would so you can have 4 nights in both places. It is a busy trip but it also is better than nothing, in my opinion. Hopefully you can get back again another time and see more!

Spend the first three nights in Florence. Use one day for a Day-trip to Siena. (I personally would spend ALL of this time in Florence, but some people must see Siena.) Make sure you take an early A.M. bus to Siena, not the TRAIN because the Bus arrives in the center of the Old City which is where you'd want to be. (Or you can get a private guide to drive you there, again, I'd skip Siena, but that's just me)

Take the train to Rome and spend the rest of your time there. The other poster who advised that every time you change locations you're losing at least half a day is correct. Arrival day you're jet lagged, and departure day doesn't count because flights to the states leave in the A.M.

NOTE: Departing from Rome will take a lot of time, because people using flights direct to the U.S. and Israel must go to Terminal 5. Extra security, then you get bused to the terminal where your flight actually departs from. This is post 9/11 stuff. You need to be AT the airport 2 hours before departure. So, allowing for that, plus Rome Rush Hour traffic, day of departure is gone! If you're connecting through a European city, this is irrelevant.

You will get a nice "taste" of Italy without spending all of it checking in/out, taxi's trains, etc., and actually have some time on the ground to enjoy yourself.

I'm one of those people who has to see Siena, but you can do it as a daytrip from Florence. Lucca and Pisa can be another daytrip as well (allow for more time in Lucca than Pisa).

Thank you all for your suggestions, I really appreciate how helpful everyone is on this forum. I would love to add another day but airline availability for award seats is a problem. I think we will adjust our schedule and try and relax a little more and maybe leave some other places for our next trip.