Advice for Itinerary - March 2026 trip

Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice and Rome all in only 8 nights?

Wow!

Maybe on March 9 you can also take a day trip to the Amalfi Coast as well.

It reminds me of the movie "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium"

Skip CT
March not a good time there and you simply don’t have the time
8 nights is barely enough time for 2 cities

If you must
Arrive Rome
Train to Florence 3 nights (day 1 is a wash -jet lag and travel)
Train to Venice 2 nghts
Train to Rome 3 nights

You would save time by flying in to Venice, out of Rome

Honestly I would pick 2 cities or just stay in Rome and add a day trip or 2

A 2 night stay is really only 1 full day
Each location change eats up at least half a day

Look at March Forcast for Cinque Terre, mild temperatures in mid 50sF and overcast with chance of rain. Not really Beach/Swimming weather. But might be OK for Hikers? Less Crowded? Personally, I would enjoy what the cities have to offer this time of year. Enjoy Cinque Terre when you have more time.

This sounds really ambitious. You don't say your ages, level of fitness of from where you're flying so it's hard for me to give solid advice. It is far more than I would choose to accomplish and I've been to 15 EU countries over the last 32 years or so: Paris 9 times, Amsterdam 2X, Florence, Rome, Venice & Milan 2 - 3X each. I've been to all of the cities you mentioned.

Cinque Terre has five towns - which one are staying at? And are you planning on skipping some of them? It seems to me that if you're only doing one night in both Florence and Venice that is not sufficient amount of time and you'll spend so much time commuting to and from train stations that you won't have quality time to enjoy the cities

IF it were me, based on the above schedule, I would choose between either Cinque Terre or Venice and I'd go with Venice. It is one of, if not the, most unique cities in the world and you should see it before it: a) gets so flooded that foreigners are no longer welcome; 2) gets so crowded that foreigners are no longer welcome. I spent 5-6 nights in CT ten years ago and although it's gorgeous, I'd still pick Venice. Edit: I missed that you said you were "hikers." Sorry. Nevertheless, I'd still pick either CT or Venice as this is a lot of travel in such a short time

Best of luck and if you stick with your chosen itinerary, I hope you write a trip report when you get back so we can all see what worked and what didn't (if any thing)

How fun to meet up with your daughter in Rome! I know you’re excited!

I agree with ChristineH, you have too much in your itinerary for 8 days. I realize that March is just around the corner, but if you’re asking for itinerary advice, then maybe you haven’t locked in places yet. I would start in Venice and make your way back to Rome. Can you fly into Venice, or at least Milan? Here’s what I would do:
Venice - 2 nights

Florence - 3 nights

Rome - 3 nights

2 nights (a day and a half) in Venice will give you a good taste of Venice. Save your other days for Florence and Rome. You can come back to the CT on another trip when it’s warmer.
Enjoy your trip and have fun with your daughter!

I agree with the majority. Forget Cinque Terre on this trip. Early March is just too early, and very off season. There's a good chance of cold and rain, a non-zero chance that some or all of the hiking trails could be closed, depending on weather in the preceding days, and definitely closures of some stores, hotels and restaurants in the CT villages. And the ferry wont be running.

This early in the year, stick with the cities as recommended. Personally, with only 8 days, as first timers, I'd just do 2 cities.

Good advice given. It’s just too much moving around. Id suggest just two cities. Three would be a stretch but doable. Florence—->possible hill town——>Rome

Maybe check out AllTrails for dayhikes near Florence or the regional train stops between. I know there’s an Etruscan “pyramid” you can hike to near Orte

Also… Did you check flying open jaws with Venice or Florence for your inbound and then out of Rome? Even if the fare is $100 more, that would be worth it. You should be able to change for free if you decide to.

Thank you all! This is the feedback I anticipated and validates my concerns. This will be our 1st trip to Italy (though have travelled to Spain, England and Ireland). My 20-something children sketched out this itinerary and maybe they could manage it themselves (without their dad and me along), but you provide valuable insights we don't have. We have only booked our air travel from the US and were waiting to book accommodations, etc, until determining the itinerary. I'll consult with the others on cutting either Venice or Cinque Terre (likely cut CT based on feedback). Or even focus on just Rome and Florence this time around. I appreciate your advice for a novice.

The best of the CT is the hiking and the views while hiking. If winter weather knocks out parts of the hiking trails (it happens a lot), they won't be repaired by early March. The views are wonderful on a sunny day. You're putting a lot of time and money on a bet that you'll have a sunny day. I'd guess the odds are against you.

OTOH there is much to enjoy in Rome, Venice and Florence no matter what the weather.

I would even consider going from Rome to Venice. You wrote that the train to CT is 4 hours. That looks to be from Rome Termini, in the heart of Rome - not from the airport. You can get to Venice in slightly less time. I used bahn.com for train schedules. Venice is the best place to get over jetlag - it's very laid back. Ride the vaporetto (waterbus) down the Grand Canal and watch the city float by. Walk along the back canals away from the touristy places of Saint Mark's and Rialto and enjoy the peace and quiet. Soak up the atmosphere without traffic noise. Then Florence and Rome.

You aren't doing justice to any of these places by spending such a short time at each.
First of all, I would pick 2 or maybe 3 places and plan again.
I have been to Rome twice, spending over 10 days there and not seen all the key sites. Two days in Rome, you may see the Vatican, St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel and maybe one more place. The next day, you could do the Coliseum and Forum.
That is about it. You would miss quite a lot.
Go to TripAdvisor.com and look up the main sites for each place you want to visit and then try planning what time you have for each.

Another item, if you stick with this plan, you should go from Cinque Terre to Venice, then Florence and then Rome.

It absolutely correct to worry about the weather for CT in March, but as you shift your itinerary, it is perfectly acceptable to not only see the big three on your first trip, and maybe even include a national park if time allows. There are many others aside from CT. I think for a group trip, it helps to poll everyone for their top three sites, though of course parents get the say if they are paying!