Advice on Trip Itinerary

Good news, you have a little more time! I suggest at least one more day and night in Venice. And the other in Nice since you would have preferred to stay there a little longer. I don't know anything about Santa Margherita but three days in a villa seems like enough. Don't crowd this itinerary further by trying to squeeze in the CT (less crowded in October, but still).

Trains would be the way to go to/from Venice, Florence, and Nice, no faster alternative. Again, I don't know Santa Margherita, maybe you'd want a car there to explore?

Edit-- Sorry, I just reread your post and saw that the villa is outside Florence, not SM. So just ignore everything I said about SM! Other posters will have more I'm sure.

If you have two extra nights, add one to Venice. People who don’t stay more than 2 nights seldom seem to enjoy the city. That extra day gives you time to go to the islands of Torcello, Burano, and Murano if you like.

I do think trains are your best bet. Leave early in the day and once you are at your destination you’ll have time to settle in and get oriented, take a walk, etc. Nice that your bill has shuttles!

As far the Cinque Terre is involved, I think you’ll find plenty of beauty and adventures in the area around SML. From neighboring Rapallo, take the gondola up to Montallegro to see views and maybe have lunch at the hotel there https://www.hotelmontallegro.it/ . They have a lovely terrace. Also, go to Camogli and take a boat out to the Abbazia di San Fruttuoso, a very old abbey. If you fancy a hikes, there are many in the area, or for a level walk, go to Levanto and take the tunnel walk to Framura from which you can take a train back, stopping in cute little Bonassola

Hi Maggie, you are going to some beautiful locations, but your transportation time is heavily affecting how much enjoyment time you will have at the locations. Even your villa outside Florence is going to take away time getting to/from it to Florence, and their shuttle actual timing may be more “relaxed” than you’re expecting. If you haven’t purchased your flight, yet, think about how much several less hours of transportation is worth to you. You commented that it’s feeling rushed which won’t give you the overall trip you’re wanting. (That’s completely your decision.).

Itinerary: I would add another day to your time in Venice. Venice is fantastic, so it’s sad to rush it along with arriving with jet lag. If you decide to fly out of Milan or Rome, I would add several nights in the northern part of Italy - many options for atmospheric smaller cities that are only an hour or two by train. Since there’s so much to do in Florence, you could pick a beautiful villa near one of the smaller cities or out in Tuscany to experience that type of lodging, too, and maximize your Florence time by staying in the city.

Otherwise, if you haven’t been to Nice, there’s a lot to do in that vicinity. I was there five nights in 2019 and planning to go back in 2025 and bring my adult daughter.

Hello Dick,

Thank you so much for your reply and advice!

We are definitely adding on another night in Nice and will see what we can do in Venice. It would mean pushing all our reservations forward by a day but we still have time, depending on availability. From what I am reading, Santa Margherita is a good base even for a day trip to the Cinque Terre. However, like you said, we don’t want to overcrowd the itinerary.

Appreciate your insights - have a lovely day!

Maggie

Purchase your trains in Italy a month or so ahead of your trip to obtain the savings as long as you have the exact date & time solid. I always use Trenitalia.com, but there’s other options, too.

Thank you so much Jean and Laurel,

We are very happy to say we just extended our stay in Venice to 3 nights and managed to push each reservation forward by a day. I should clarify that the hotel we are staying at in Florence is housed in a former villa/palace (I believe) and the shuttle is only 15 minutes to the center of town. We shouldn’t lose too much time travelling into Florence, it is even walkable apparently. We will more than likely follow all your itinerary suggestions as to what to visit. We have had so much good advice in the past from travel forums such as this and Fodors. So many kind people out there!

Again, we so much appreciate the time everyone has taken. Enjoy the rest of your day🤗

Maggie, that’s great that your villa is close. I was picturing one that would be far enough that you’d be weighing whether to go into Florence for the evening for dinner, for instance. Have a wonderful time!

Thank you Jean!

hey hey Maggie
sounds like a great trip, researching and deciding can drive us all nuts!!! i usually do researching, my friend hates it and doesn't really know what to look for, she lets me do it then i run it by her. it's time consuming and pays off in the end.
happy you added one more day to venice, you won't regret it. i do have a couple things to say/think about, my 2 cents worth.
where is your hotel located at in venice and how early arrival? check in is usually 3-4pm, check out 10-11am. can you get early check in, or drop off luggage to hold (most say yes) then roam around, how loopy will you be with jet lag? many stairs/steps/bridges while pulling & pushing luggage, no fun. first time there and where am i, you zigged instead of zagged down dead end canal, backup and try another route. that's how it is, we laughed so much just getting lost
transporting from airport (VCE) to your hotel. few options to chose from. we always choose a private water taxi (like a limo $$$) and gets us as close to hotel/apt as possible. (motoscafivenezia.com or venicelink.com) we either put in piggy bank or added cost to our expenses, eat less with a budget meal one day. we've done it 4 times and best way to be welcomed to this gorgeous city.
europeforvisitors.com
click main menu, then venice with lots of info there
destination360.com/ cicchetti tour in venice. fun tour done by alessandro who does one, schezzini.it email him for info
when in florence, check out an old custom come back to "life"
educated-traveller.com/ wine windows of florence
tasteatlas.com/ bomboloni
yummy dessert donut, some plain sugar, some stuffed with custard cream. at a bakery, pasticcieria or coffee shop enjoy
aloha

We did a day trip by train to SML from Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. We did the walking tour in SM provided by the Information booth and I feel like we got a great feel for the town. It is a lovely town and was easy to take the 10 minute bus ride to Portofino. Both are on the small side, so with 3 nights you could easily take the train to the Cinque Terre for a day trip. You could even visit several of the CT towns as the train stops are just a few minutes between towns. I guess it just depends on how active you want your trip to be, or if you just want to stay in SM and soak in the Italian Riviera. SM will feel more like a luxury resort town while the CT will feel more like charming fishing villages. If you have time, I would experience both.

How exciting - more travel tips! Princess P - yes, the details and organizing can drive one crazy but worth it in the end. You are most accurate about early morning doziness (don’t even have to be jet-lagged!). We are staying at a very lovely hotel in Vienna (Al Ponte Antico) and they sound extremely accommodating so will put in the request for early check-in or to hold our luggage. Agree a private water taxi may be the way to go at that stage of the game (arriving at 9:30 am and check-in is 2 pm). Will be checking out the links you sent with a cup of coffee - wish a had a bomboloni to go with it! (Soon🙂)
Faye, how encouraging to know a day trip to CT is possible, just in case we feel that is something we can’t miss. We have heard so much about that area but know that it can get very overcrowded (sounds like that is happening all over Europe). We may even be able to juggle our schedule to add in another day in SML if we are really enjoying the area.
Thank you both for all the useful information - I feel like I am there already. Will have to do a report when we return. 🤗
Merci beaucoup!

If you are considering using trains to get around in northern Italy, you might want to check out on trip advisor Italy forum the thread I have listed below:

traveling with luggage from Venice to Florence by train
Jul 11, 2023, 9:17 AM

Hi Cynthia,

Thank you so much! I did go and check that forum and it is very informative. I went on the Trenitalia site and checked out the fares. I did notice if you want a ticket with the possibility to change or refund, it is quite a bit more expensive. It does make sense to book in advance to take advantage of the cheaper fare, but I would also like the option to make changes if necessary. Hard decision!