First TIme Traveler- Opinions Wanted!

I think it looks great, Laura! You've done some homework. Congratulations both on the anniversary and the trip planning!

Thanks Laurel! This is a trip I've wanted to take for a long time, and I've finally convinced my husband :) (he is not a big traveler). I am waiting to hear from the other couple who are debating on joining us before I start looking at itineraries throughout the day.
I'm also looking at luggage, which seems to be a longstanding debate on the forums. I'm hoping to find a pack with a daypack (and maybe wheels) for travel. I'll be in the Detroit area in a few weeks, and I'm hoping to hit up REI.

You have done a great job on your itinerary. You have a nice amount of time at each city and you've taken into consideration the travel time. Good job! I have not stayed at the locations you have listed so I can't comment on them. On your way from Florence to Rome, you could make a stop in Orvieto. You could treat it as a stop for the day, or an overnight stop. You will still have four days in Rome. Orvieto is a quaint, beautiful hilltown. Look it up in your Italy book. It's just a thought. Have a wonderful 1st Anniversary trip!

REI has a great selection of backpacks. We have one by Eagle Creek that has a detachable day pack and is on wheels. For us, the wheeled backpacks are great when you're walking along the streets, in the August heat, looking for your hotel.

Thanks for the reply Denise. I'll look into Orvieto!
I'm deifnitely excited to head into REI to check out their selection. We don't have one locally, so I will have to wait a few weeks until I travel.

A very reasonable, doable, and slightly relaxing schedule. From the heading I had expected the usual ten cities in 14 days and wanting to add a couple. And an open jaw ticket on the first trip. Well done !!

Thanks Frank. I'm more of the mindset to take the time to enjoy where we are, then do too much. My husband is a leary traveller, so I like to ensure we have plenty of time for relaxing and exploring. While we hope to see many of the fantistic museums and churches, it will certinaly not be our only focus.
It's just nice to hear that I am on the right track!!

My suggestion would be to put the Florence section of your trip after Venice and before the CT. Mainly because the train trip from Venice to the CT takes about 6 hours and you'll probably change trains in Florence. Breaking the long day in Florence means about 2 hour from Venice to Florence on the fast Eurostar. Your days ion Florence and then about three hours to the CT from Florence. I think it makes for a more efficient and enjoyable trip.

I have done this itinerary and agree it's very manageable. My only advice is to consider keeping Pisa to a few hours. See the lovely lovely Campo dei Miracoli, then move onto Florence post-haste. Better yet, spend those few hours in Lucca, walking the wall.

Yeah, looks great! I DO agree with Margie: spend an hour or two at Pisa, and then see Lucca on the way to Florence. I stayed 2 nights in Lucca and daytripped to Pisa and the CT (tho wish now I'd've stayed at the CT and daytripped to Pisa and Lucca). Lucca is an unusual town well worth seeing, in my opinion. Walking on top of the wall around the entire city is about a 2.5 mile walk (or bike ride, if you rent bikes inside the town), and a memorable thing to do!
Whatever you decide to do, I'm confident you'll love it! Have fun!!

I think you have done a great job planning. I also suggest minimum time in Pisa (there is a place at the train station to store your luggage) and make a stop in Lucca. I don't know about luggage storage there. Rent bikes and ride around the wall. It is so much fun and Lucca is a nice town.

hello: If the second couple joins you, I suggest you search on VBRO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) for apts. I have friends who have stayed in places they obtained from this site and they had very positive experiences. I am going to Italy in the fall and will be staying in apts in Rome and Venice from this web-site. Apts are huge with many amenities and about the same price as a hotel.

Ron- Thanks for the advice. From my research, the train to CT goes through Milan, but I will definitely look into it! Margie- I was definitely only planning a brief stop in Pisa, a couple of hours at the most. We were going to check our bags, then walk to the tower and the town, then re-board the train and move onto Florence. Robyn- Thanks for the info! I had originally planned on staying in Florence and daytripping to Pisa, CT, and Lucca... but after reading reviews and talking to a coworker who went last year, they seem to highly recommend staying in CT. We may have to try and fit in a seperate day trip to Lucca from Florence. Andrea- Thanks for the tip on Lucca. My husband and I both love bike riding, so it is definitely good to know! We are only planning on stopping briefly in Pisa, on our way to Florence. Perhaps we will day trip back out to Lucca! Rayma- Thanks for the tip. We have tentatively booked a B&B, but I'm hopeful they join, and I will definitely take a look.

As a time traveler (and the first one at that), you should have no problem with dates. Oh, sorry. I thought you meant . . .

Laura I'll go along with the others on times. I'll also chip in that I would take a bus from the station (and return) in Pisa - Pisa isn't tremendous. Instead of dropping luggage Can you pinch a day from Rome for Florence day trips, one day to include Pisa and Lucca which are very close, both to Florence and each other? I'd take a walk around and through Lucca over a walk through Pisa in a heartbeat. BTW - I have been to all these places.... You'll have a great time...

Thanks for the responses- they made me look a bit more into Lucca, and I think it would be a great stop for us (we love the outdoors). So as an update, we are now thinking: 3 Nights in Venice 3 Nights in Cinque Terre Stop in Pisa 1 Night in Lucca 3 Nights in Florence
4 Nights in Rome Does this still sound do-able?? Lucca seems to nice just to breeze through. Thanks!

I like your itinerary! You have done your homework.. From Venice to Cinque Terre, it would be easy for you to have a stop over in Milan and see the Milan Duomo. It is not to be missed, especially the roof top.

Looks awesome! And I agree with Nigel; DO take the bus from the train station to the tower in Pisa. It is about a 40 minute walk, according to Rick's Italy guidebook, if I recall. It's about a 10 minute bus ride. Check Rick's book for what bus to take there and back (or wait for someone here to chime in!). =-)

While the duomo in Milan is magnificent, it is a long trip from Venice to the CT as it is (5 or 6 hours), and if you take time to stop and see the duomo, you will get to the CT quite late. A lot of the establishments I know if stress arrival by 1700. Also, Trenitalia will route through Florence or Bologna; Milan would be unusual routing.... Not sure Milan is on your list, but since it was mentioned, "I'm just sayin'."

We have decided to stick to our original itinerary... maybe a day trip to Lucca, but not a night there. Not planning on stopping in Milan, or anywhere on our train travels, except for Pisa. So, for accommodations, we are sticking with the 4 places... perhaps a day trip to Lucca or Siena. :)

Great job Laura! A day-trip to Lucca from Florence is easy and it will be nice to get out of the city for the day for good food and biking!
Just a thought on the luggage - I would definitely get a small suitcase with wheels, as I would not want to be lugging around a backpack in the August heat!