First trip to Italy, basic itinerary.

First, relax, take a few deep breaths...it's all going to be OK. Ask all the questions you need to, it's natural to be a bit skittish and unsure. No worries.

Next, the top-level, 30,000 foot stuff...

You can not count your arrival day, nor your departure day. Begin by being, and continue to be, honest with yourself about how much USABLE time you really have. Worth noting: Your trip really begins on the day after you arrive (on your arrival day you'll be exhausted and "jetlagged", many people can not sleep on the flight, you arrive really exhausted, your arrival day will be in a fog). Your NEXT day is when your trip really starts, but you may still want to plan an easy next day, since you may still be recovering somewhat. Especially on your first trip, it's easy to feel a bit overwhelmed and disoriented at first -- everything is "foreign."

Do the math. Be brutally honest. You only have 7 full usable days. And each time you pick up and move to a new location, you burn pretty much the whole day. In your trip, you start with 7 days, subtract one for the move from Rome to Florence, and you have 6 full days.

Is there any way you can extend your trip by a few days (actually, by as many more days as you can)? You will get more out of it if you can. Look at it this way: You are spending some real money on your flights. You will squeeze more out of that flight money if you can stay longer. It's a long way to go (and an expensive flight) to just have 6 days there. Maybe add in a third location (Venice, anyone?). Try hard, get creative, see if there's any way to stretch out your trip and allow yourself enough days to savor your time there. You've been dreaming of the trip for a long time...see if you can make it longer.

More help will be offered any second now....

Have a great trip....you will!

Hi Dylan. Everyone has a different travel style. You may not know yours yet since you have not traveled. But, I see nothing wrong with your itinerary. I personally might add a third city, but you need not do that.

What I would suggest though is: plan some day trips. You don't actually have to take them - you can wing it and take them (especially from Florence) if you find you've seen enough there and want to see more. Florence is an excellent base for day trips to places like Siena, Pisa, Lucca, and you can decide even that morning to get on a regional train or an express bus and take the trip. But if you are loving Florence and want to see more...just stay there and enjoy it.

Three days (looks like four nights) is really not much time in Florence, though, once you factor in travel days. Your entire trip is not that long. Unless it is an imposition for you, I would try to extend it out to two weeks if you can, so you can stretch things out a little. Even then, you wouldn't HAVE to add a third city. There is still plenty of stuff to see e.g. with day trips even if you stick to just those two cities. There is no wrong answer here!

Our advice will be scattered depending on our own experiences. You are packing too much into your first trip but that is common. Go ahead and do it -- you will learn. Your first day is shot anyway so I would go direct to Florence. Probably fly since you are at the airport. I would look at an open-jaw/multi city ticket. Into Florence and home from Rome. And probably cheaper. Coming home from Rome is easier and you have more options for flights. How you divide your time is up to you. If you have a full nine nights on the ground, I would do four in Florence and five in Rome. You can always do a day trip from either for little break. For first time travels Rome can be pretty intense. I think we had been to Europe five times before hitting Rome and it was still intense. In all of our travels our fourth or fifth day is blank -- may be sleep in, do a little laundry, or catch something that we had to miss earlier. On our first visit in 72 my wife's constant comment was, "We will see that next time." That takes off some of the pressure to see everything the first time. Do a lot of research with travel DVDs and guidebooks from your local library. Regardless of what you do or plan it will work.

PS Do try to pack light. Again learned behavior. Our first trip was burdened with too much luggage but we learned.

The PPs have made some excellent observations and suggestions. You don't have 9 days on the ground if you are leaving on the 9th day. And the first day can be a foggy blur from fatigue and jet lag. Really give consideration to adding a few more days if at all possible. Logistically it makes sense to start in Florence and end in Rome, since as Frank mentioned, you'll have more fight options that way. Plus, being a smaller more compact city, it will just be easier for a new visitor. You can walk just about anywhere. Rome would be a real culture shock if it's the first place you set foot in in Europe.

Doing the big 3 (Venice, Florence, Rome) is easily and frequently done. But I would say that trying to do them in only 9 days as a first time visitor and on your own would be far too rushed and you risk missing sights you'd like to see and end up exhausted. If you can't extend your trip to closer to 2 weeks, then stick wit just Florence and Rome. With your current time constraints, you definitely won't run out of things to do.

Oh, and April would be a lovely time to visit, but DO NOT do it over the Easter Holy days.

Your itinerary is reasonable. You have 3 full days in each city. I wouldn’t add any more stops.

My advice: don’t feel like you have to “make sure everything is perfect.” Look at this as a fabulous adventure. Take some of the pressure off of yourself, and be ready to roll with whatever comes your way.

Don’t over-fill your days. We plan a must-see for the morning. The earlier the better to beat the crowds. Then lunch someplace with a great view: a cute piazza, or a hilltop overlooking the city. I hardly ever remember the food (it’s usually all pretty good in Italy!), but I’ll always remember the view. Then gelato. Then maybe take a little break back at the hotel. Then head back out for the evenings. Dinner is late in Italy - lots of places don’t even open until 7.

You might check out some of the walking tours available. Especially for places like the Forum. You can pack in a lot into just a couple hours.

Most importantly, take some time to just BE there. Soak it all in. It will be fabulous!

Thank you all for your words and advice. I appreciate it a lot. I'll look into adding some days to the trip. Rome and Florence are the two cities I want to see most. I'm not against other cities but if it takes away from something I want to do in Rome or Florence then I'd choose the main city. That's what reason I want to pick just those two cities (maybe a day trip), just so I don't overfill my days and have time to relax.

And thank you Cjean regarding avoiding Easter holidays. It's actually the first thing I had thought of when I chose April!

Dylan, welcome to the forum. Keep asking questions. There’s a lot to learn and very helpful people here to help you.

I hope you realize that not everything can be “perfect”. Relax and be flexible if something doesn’t go as planned.

Here’s my planning hint so you don’t overbook your days. I put everything into my iPhone’s calendar. It’s an easy way to see how tightly I’m planning things. As I was planning my upcoming trip, I discovered I made my itinerary so tight that I didn’t allow for meals, breaks, walking/transport between sights. I then had to decide what is most important (to me) to see and do and then plan around those.

Enjoy your trip!

The first thing that occurs to me is your flight plan. Rome is a very big international airport. Florence is a small airport. If you fly to Rome from Phoenix, you will have one plane change, either in the US or in Europe. If you fly from Florence, you will have to change planes in Europe, probably limiting your airline choices and likely adding one more plane change. I'd check out possible flights and prices first. Changing planes on international flights can have issues. If the change is in the US, you may have to change terminals from domestic to international, but your checked luggage will be transferred by the airline. On the way back, you'll have to go through passport control and customs after picking up checked bags before boarding the plane to Phoenix. Some airports are easier to go through than others. In any case it's best to fly with only cabin baggage. There are lots of tips on the Forum and from RS about how to pack light. You may find that flying round-trip Rome is better than flying open-jaw.

Secondly, as first-time travelers to Europe, and indeed, abroad, you should get a copy of Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door and you and your wife should read it thoroughly, at least once. The RS Italy Guide is very helpful, especially for first-timers to Italy, both because of the very detailed how-to instructions and the self-guided tours of sights and city walks. There are good descriptions of the sights to help you choose what most appeals to you.

You should start your trip in Florence and end in Rome. If you land in Rome, you can take the train to Florence. There are some trains directly from the airport, though it's likely you'll have to change in Rome, which is not at all difficult. Rome is a very big, bustling, noisy city and its major sights are spread out. To be efficient, you'll need to use some public transportation. In Rome there are buses, trams, and the metro as well as taxis. It's easy to get lost - street names are hard to find and large intersections are confusing with streets veering in different directions. Florence is relatively easy. The train station is a few minutes' walk from most hotels. Most of the sights are walking distance from each other, the train, and your hotel. Starting in Florence allows you to adjust to all that's new and different - the signage, the money, getting oriented, etc. - and get over jetlag without the added stresses of Rome. I think you are wise to limit your trip to 2 cities and you've chosen them well.

There are frequent fast trains between Florence and Rome. It will take less than a half day to get from one hotel to the other. You can walk or taxi to the Florence train station (Firenze SMN, or Santa Maria Novella) and from the Rome station (Roma Termini) to your new hotel. If you go early in the day, your hotel will store your luggage until you return after your room is ready. If you go late in the day, your Florence hotel will store bags for you till you pick them up to go to the train.

Get used to walking a lot. You will go up and down a lot of stairs. Rome is hilly, so much more up and down walking and many more stairs.

My final advice is Less Is More. Slow down and enjoy everything you see and do. You will never be able to see and do it all. It's fine to have a detailed plan but assume things will go wrong, be flexible, and don't regret what you miss. It will be there next time you visit. Assume you'll be like most visitors to Italy - they never go only once.

One more thing. March vs. April. Don't go around Easter (April 9, 2023). You can use this site to see daily weather for each city for March and April for the last 10 years. Hotel rates are lower in March, maybe airfares too. There are fewer tourists. Days are longer in April, but in cities it doesn't much matter. That's why I prefer March.

Edited to add link. Apologies for the omission.

How exciting, first trip overseas and to Italy. First thing to do is to acquire passports! You will not get anywhere without them! Then get guidebooks, I like the Eyewitness guides because they have excellent city maps in them which are really helpful in getting the lay of the land and seeing where you might like to stay in relation to the sights you want to see. They also have stunning photos and very good schematics of sites, churches etc. RS guides are great for information about the sites but his maps leave a lot to be desired.

Also get familiar with the Italian language. There are all sorts of language programmes on line, or take some classes. English is spoken and understood by many Italians especially in the service industries, but it is always nice to meet and greet in Italian. RS phrase books are fun and cover many eventualities.

I like the idea of using a calendar to work out your itinerary day by day. Just bear in mind that most museums, churches, sites and shops close from around 1 pm until 4 pm.

Be aware that occasionally strikes occur in Italy that can affect transportation; at least you receive about a weeks notice of any impending strikes.

For a change of pace outside Rome maybe take a train to Orvieto for a fell of an Italian hill town or to Ostia Antica a complete Roman City. RS has other suggestions.

Planning is part of the fun of travel, just give yourselves time to relax and enjoy being in Rome and Florence.

....Just bear in mind that most museums, churches, sites and shops close from around 1 pm until 4 pm..... Careful with that advice. I have found that to be very true in Spain but not in Italy, especially Rome. Cafes, restaurants may close mid-day to earlier evening -- not opening until 7 or later. We have been in and out of Rome a lot over the years but never noticed a general afternoon closing.

20 years in the making!! i completely empathize with your excitement. plenty of excellent suggestions are listed already. from my pov i would add the following:
-i find google maps, especially the 'directions' feature indispensable. i don't carry paper maps or books with me.
-i start my days as early as possible, sometimes at dawn! the reason is to arrive at a site before anyone else has, both locals and tourists. this has to do with my photography hobby and my desire to take pictures without people, cars etc; also because of the quality of the morning light. the other advantage of being an early bird is that you are most likely to be the 1st one in, when a church or museum opens. on your travel days, leaving as early as possible may give you several hours to head out into the city just to 'get a lay of the land', if nothing else.
-goes without saying but travel light! not only avoid check-in luggage but reduce the actual weight and bulk you will be hauling around. your arms, back, and fellow travelers will thank you!
-a pair of comfortable, broken-in shoes. nothing is worse than your feet hurting when you still have a couple of miles of walking to do in your day.
good luck!

Dylan, I love it that you're planning on concentrating just on Rome and Florence! There are oodles and oodles to see in both of them, and they're very different cities in many ways, with different sightseeing experiences on offer.

For all the reasons previously put forth, I'd add more time, even if it's just one more day, to your trip if at ALL possible. It's a long way to go, and your time will fly by quickly once you're there so you don't want to feel like it's time to go home just when you feel you've gotten your head around how things work! We've spent 5 nights in Florence without feeling the need for day trips elsewhere at all (that will come next time) and 10 nights in Rome (as a couple; I'd been there just before college) over two trips without running out of things to do. We're all different but like you, we prefer to move at our own leisurely pace, and poke interesting corners as we stumble into them.

More versus less time allows you flexibility to work around closures, weather, and the occasional day you might need to recharge. While Italian State Museums are almost uniformly closed on Mondays, Civic and religious museums may be closed on Sundays, Tuesdays or only on holidays, We did not experience them closing for the hours lanlubber cited, nor did the same seem to apply to the larger shops. Churches are a little different; they may have an afternoon closure, and visiting for tourism is usually discouraged during services. Churches are, BTW, the one of the best bargains in Rome as they're almost always free, and many contain enough valuable art to be considered museums in and of themselves.. Some of Florence's churches may have a fee but it's not usually a large, and worth the $ even if it is a few more euros than less.

If I was to give you one planning tip, it would be NOT to use a guidebook for logistical sightseeing planning. It's not the fault of RS or any other book publisher but hours, closures (either full or partial sections of an attraction), entry fees and even visiting rules can be pretty fluid so a book can contain outdated info before it even comes off the press. For the most CURRENT info, always use the official websites of the attractions themselves. If you don't know what those are, give the folks here a holler?

You are going to have a terrific trip! :O)

My first trip to Italy was 8 days. It was divided between Rome and Florence. If you cannot add more days I would divide it up just like you did between the two great cities. There is plenty to see. Since that trip I’ve been back to Italy twice, a month each time. I could go back many more months. I know I will never see everything but that’s okay. Concentrate and savor the time you have.

Welcome Dylan! You have the makings of a wonderful trip and a nice introduction to Italy. You've gotten some good advice already and I'll add a few more suggestions.

There are two camps regarding jet lag. One camp thinks you should rest upon arrival and the other thinks you should push through. We are members of the "push through" group. You'll be tired for a couple of days, but after trying both methods, we prefer the latter.

If you fly into Rome, take the Walks of Italy Twilight Tour of Rome. It's a great introduction to the city. We've done several WOI tours in both Rome and Florence and recommend them.

Get up early and stay out late. Early mornings and evenings are great times to just wander and soak in the city. This is especially true in Rome. Rome can get super crowded by all the cruise ship day trippers. Use the time (10-4) they swarm to visit more out of the way sites and avoid the most popular tourist sites.

I'm glad you blocked out the entire day for train travel to Florence. The good news is that it only takes 1 1/2 hours to make the trip. You could leave a little later and avoid the morning commuter crowd and still have lots of time in Florence once you arrive.

When in Florence, consider taking a day trip out in Tuscany. There are two Italy's, the Rome-Florence-Siena-Milan big cities and the rural Italy of Umbria-Tuscany-Aosta Valley Sicily. The countryside is wonderful and there are many tours you can take, including the WOI Tuscany Day Trip. It would take an entire day. You'll have to decide if you want to dedicate the day to the adventure.

Pack light. Look at Rick Steves' recommendations. We've done entire trips to Europe with just a Rick Steves backpack and one other carryon.

Finally, don't over plan your days. Make a list of your "must see" items in priority order and realize you may not see them all. You can save some for your next trip, because you'll be going back! Take a couple of hours break of unstructured time every day. It will prevent tourist attraction burnout.

Hi Dylan
PASSPORTS! You mentioned you haven’t travelled outside the US. Depending on the mood of the month at the issuing agency, getting your passports in a timely manner can be a concern. ASAP if you can. AAA takes passport photos-$10 for members. Otherwise, Costco does for a very reasonable charge. You most likely won’t need the expanded page passport so can save some money there. Also, discuss and decide about a Passport Card. Very handy for travel to Canada and Mexico and for general ID. Costs extra and has some limitations but I’ve used mine frequently when I don’t want to or need to carry my passport.
I agree that having a few more days even for just Rome and Florence would be preferable. You’ll use them so fast you’ll then wonder how you ever would have made it work in 7-9 days. Enjoy planning.

AAA takes passport photos-$10 for members. Otherwise, Costco does for a very reasonable charge.

When we had to get passport photos last year, we discovered the Costco stores in our area no longer did them.

If not an AAA member, found CVS to be the best ( cheapest) option. $17 for the first 2 and 2 additional photos for $3 more.

As you’ve been thinking about this for a while and looks like you’re not going until 2023, you have time and may already have started this. Your general schedule looks fine allowing for significant time in each destination and not trying to see all of Italy on your first trip. I schedule my trips by nights as I have to book our accommodation, so it looks as if you have 4 nights (or 3 full days) in each of Rome and Florence. Not bad.
In October, we’re gong on our 4th trip to Italy and it will be our first time to Rome. My scheduling tends to allow 3 nights for each stop as this gives me 2 whole days and with fast direct trains you can get an extra half day and thus a 3rd evening in your destination. Sometimes I add a 4th night, such as when I was in Cinque Terra and Amalfi Coast on 2 separate trips. I ask the front desk or the manager with AirB&B what they would recommend for the first evening and if there is an area to be avoided in the evening. In Barcelona, the manager said: ‘When you go out the front doors in the evening turn left, as going right goes into a more risky area that is generally OK during the day.’
Along with learning a few word in Italian and their meanings: please, thank you, good day, ciao, etc, learn what the signs on the restaurant, cafes and bars indicate so that you will know what sort of food they serve. See https://thetourguy.com/travel-blog/italy/restaurants-in-italy-explained-osteria-vs-trattoria-vs/ Food and drink is an important part of our travel experience.
There are lots of YouTube language videos including one accessed through RS web page.
Also check out how to ask for the coffee that you want and when. eg I generally order a latte at home but in Italy, Latte will get you just hot milk.

Being retired, when visiting a new, big city, we spend about a week. You don't have that luxury, so limiting yourselves to one or two cities should be the max. You can easily fill a week, or more, in either city. You are wise in that your biggest concern is trying to pack too many things in a short amount of time. Your plan is reasonable, even so, approach this as an "orientation visit"; there's no way you can even cover the biggest sites in 3 days. Even RS spends a week in Rome. But, he also does it in a day or two, so thinking about your priorities is clearly called for.

I wouldn't limit yourself to this forum. At the very least, Fodors, booking.com, Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet and Tours by Locals websites and/or books books will allow you to cobble together your priorities. Don't forget country tourism websites, TV programs, YouTube and blogs. All are an easy. When you do have a plan, remember that most tourist sites like museums and the Coliseum, etc require advance ticket purchases. This can help you plan a reasonable to-do list for each day, and saves you waiting in line if same-day purchase tickets are available. You also might want to take a look at the tours offered by guides on Tours by Locals. That will help you figure out what is reasonable in a day. Because of your short time in each city, consider hiring a guide or two. They'll save you time by knowing the best routes, times, and sites in each city. You'll learn a lot more and it's fun to visit a new city with a local. You'll be able to see more in less time.

Be generous with your time for and between sites. You'll be looking up a lot while walking around, you'll get misplaced, if not completely lost, at least a couple of times, there will be crowds everywhere; museums are busy even in the off season. You said it yourself -- a lot of firsts here. You won't be the most of efficient sightseers. All that has to be factored in. Also factor in time for eating. A lunch-on-the go is best for maximizing your touring time. Expect to spend a couple of hours at dinner. Italians don't like to gulp a meal and run. For our first few trips, including one to Rome, Florence and Venice, I actually laid out a calendar/itinerary. Monday activity X in the morning, lunch, activity Y in the afternoon. This probably goes without saying, but I will anyway. Try to group your must-sees in a way that allows you to minimize transportation time. With such a short time in each city finding 'down time' will be challenging, but remember to pace yourselves. Bombing around a city in 3 days will leave you exhausted and remembering little of what you saw or did.

I'll meet with some opposition here, but I'd say this is not the time to be frugal. You don't need to spend countless hours looking for an airfare that's $50 less than another -- spend your time learning and planning instead. Once you're there, maximizing your time is important. Treat yourselves to taxis. Pay for early admission to sites if available. Hire a guide, even if it's a financial stretch. Stay at a centrally located hotel with a good reputation for customer service, and with a concierge. Hope you have a great trip!

Four in Florence, five in Rome. Your greatest expense and effort is your flights to Italy and back. It would be well worth your while to extend your trip. Many first timers do the following: Fly to Rome , next a few days in Tuscany, to Florence(it is in Tuscany) to Venice, fly home Two weeks for this plan.

Hi Dylan. You will love Italy. I also think it's great that you are focusing on just Rome and Florence. Even if you can add a few more days there's plenty to do and see in Rome and Florence without adding another city. We have been to Rome and Florence each three times and still want to return. We are from Prescott and fly in and out of Phoenix. We find going roundtrip to Rome is the easiest and usually cheapest. We like to end in Rome, so we immediately take a train from Rome to our first destination. It is very easy to take the Leonardo Express form the airport to Roma Termini and from there take a train almost anywhere in Italy. However, depending on your arrival time there is a direct train to Florence from FCO (Rome airport). If you have any other questions, feel free to message me.

@joe32f
Costco-yes, it was three years ago so that could be a change. Good to check individual stores, but since you’re in Edmonds and I’m in SE King and Costco is headquartered in Issaquah, best to figure they don’t anymore. Thanks!

And I should add that AAA takes them for non-members too but I don’t know what they charge.

Don't want you to over look the value of using multi-cities (open jaw) instead of round trips. Just did a quick check for airfares between Phoenix and Italy for mid April next year. Into Florence and home from Rome is $825. (Actually think that is an excellent fare). Phoenix to Rome RT is around $750 and up but you have to add the train fare to Florence from either the airport or Termini in Rome. The fare will be around $50 to $75. Add the two and it is basically the same. Flying would be easier since you would do immigration in Rome and customs in Florence. Your bags would be checked through to Florence.

Which order to do these cities...is a valid question.

You have the logistical/cost considerations (already addressed above). Then you have, what I like to refer to as, the "staging" of the trip. Yes, it's worth looking at the costs and keeping that in mind. And sometimes flipping the order of an itinerary can yield pleasant surprises or unexpected efficiencies. But I like to look also at how a trip from A to B to C would feel, and then look at how C to B to A might feel...as if it were a performance or movie or another art form (because, in the end, the experience of a trip IS an art form...).

Rick Steves himself alludes to this occasionally: On a whirlwind tour of Europe, he suggests starting in London and ending in Rome, because 1) The UK is "easier" (little language barrier, cultural differences are small and more familiar), and as you go further south, things tend to get a bit more complicated, maybe a little more challenging, occasionally more chaotic; and 2) As you go south, things also get "spicier", too -- that is, the cultural differences become relatively greater. He has also said that if you reverse to go south-to-north, by the end of the trip, London might seem like "a bit of a wet noodle" (I believe that's the term he used) compared to Rome.

In this case, you're talking Florence and Rome, so not a dramatically different set of cultures. But I think the relative "intensity" of the two cities would argue for a trip that begins in Florence (a less overwhelming, less challenging place for a first-time traveler), and ends in Rome -- where it's more intense, more challenging....and I'd argue, also more dramatic.

That's the other factor, in how you "stage" an itinerary. Start in Florence, yes you will swoon, it will be magical. But ending the trip in Rome will give you a "big finish" that will cement your memories.

So, whether you fly there or take the train there, I'd head for Florence as your first stop. Finish in Rome, for the dramatic conclusion of your trip. (Doing it that way also has some logistical advantages, too.)

I think you have a very reasonable plan for a trip to Italy. We have managed to be in Italy twice on Easter, and I wish I had planned better. On our most recent trip, we left home on Easter Sunday and arrived on Easter Monday - not so bad.

Check the flight connections. You might be better off flying round-trip out of Rome.

You don't need a lot of clothes to travel, but you do need money. Take half as many of the former and twice as much of the latter.

And if it's too overwhelming, use a travel agent. Your itinerary is simple and basic and it wouldn't be hard for someone to whip that trip together for you.

I am a single man-solo traveler. I went to Italy, for 13 nights on the ground, one night on the plane on the way there, in July 2017. Here is my approximate itinerary. I bought round trip tickets from Detroit to Rome. After getting my passport stamped, I took the train to Florence. I had 6 nights in Florence. Maybe 4 or 5 nights could have been enough. Those 6 nights included a day trip by train to Pisa. Remember to buy your tickets for the museums in advance. Pay careful attention to which tickets are to which site. I thought of skipping Bruneschelli's dome but I bought a ticket to it anyway, but the machine used to scan the ticket wrongly showed that the ticket was already used. I suspect that I entered another museum earlier by showing my ticket to Bruneschelli's dome and the ticket worked because the same organization sells tickets to multiple sites and a ticket to one site might physically get you into another site but then you can't use it to get into the site named on the ticket.

After Florence I took the train to Naples. I wanted to see Pompeii. I spent 3 nights in Naples. Maybe 2 nights could have been enough. On another day I saw the archaeology museum in Naples for 5 hours. Not everybody likes museums, people vary on how long they spend looking at stuff.

I spent 4 nights in Rome. Maybe I could have added another night to Rome and subtracted a night from Naples or Florence.

I didn't think to look for plane tickets to or from Milan. Search for plane tickets:
arriving in Naples and leaving from Florence or the other way around,
arriving in Naples and leaving from Milan or the opposite way,
if you are skipping Pompeii, look for tickets arriving in Rome, leaving from Florence or the other way around,
arriving in Rome, leaving from Milan or the other way around

See which trips have the most appealing combination of price versus total trip length versus length of stops versus number of stops.

Or maybe it will turn out that round trip to Rome will be best for you.

This was our first itinerary in Italy as well! My memory was that Rome was overwhelming but awesome and Florence was a breeze. I kinda liked ending on that Florence casual feel. Hotel location matters. I check bus stops on google maps and plan out movements. I also list all museum opening times which helps framing the itinerary. Don’t plan on doing everything but know what the possibilities are. We have seen the Vatican Museums with and without a tour guide. I liked better without. For the Colosseum, I would get the guided tour with access to all levels. If you do opt for a guided tour, and your preferred language is not available, go ahead and book it in another language. We met a great family one time, from Norway, on a Spanish language tour! Last, be on the time where you are. Arrival day walks and eats are memorable. If I have a chance, I try to time adjust in the days before a trip.

Great trip: I am taking my granddaughter to Rome in March of 2023. I am planning a day trip to Pompei--lots of tours available. I have been to Pompei several times and it is a great tour. Just adding this tidbit, in case you have an extra day in your trip. Good luck with your planning.

PS--As of now I have booked an apartment at the Campo di Fiori, since there will be several people traveling with us. I think this is a good area in which to stay.

Dylan, two things:

1. Practice packing, repacking and walking around with your pack or luggage. A 9 day trip requires very few clothes, gear, shoes etc.

2. Consider hiring a guide along the way. You can join a group tour, private guide or even the free ones where you tip the guide at the end of the tour. In both cities it will you help see the sites that you really want to see and understand them. Plus keep you from being frazzled trying to find things in a new city.

Ed

I think your plan is reasonable. Your plan to visit two cities (Rome and Florence) on your first trip makes sense to me. No need to pack in another city just because you’re there. You can decide what things you really want to see - you’ve been thinking about it for a long time, so there are probably places that are calling to you. Start with those places, and take time to enjoy being in Italy.

Many people will recommend going for a longer time. We have taken long international trips and very short international trips. We loved them all. We all have to work with whatever vacation time we have. If you can add days, great. If you can’t add more time, go anyway! Life is short. :-)

I wanted to thank everyone again for all of the experience and advice you've all shared (my wife also says thanks!). After talking about it we may add a few days to the trip and just extend our time in each city. Both of our birthdays are in March so we are now thinking about going in the last few weeks of March and getting back home before Easter.

The biggest takeaway I had from all of your messages was from Frank, as I was searching for flights in all of the wrong ways. By the way I was searching for flights, it seemed that the overall trip would cost about $2,500 in flights for the two of us. Just reading your post Frank has saved me a lot of money. Money that will now go to us staying in Italy for a longer time.

I'm actually a B1 (lower intermediate) in Italian right now and I'm taking private classes to improve on that. My tutor who lives in Florence has warned me that it'll be much easier to understand people in Florence than in Rome and to prepare myself for that.

I really appreciate the advice to maybe start the trip in Florence, whether it be flying directly there first or taking a train immediately. Anything that can ease my wife into Italy is much appreciated. Once the summer heat of Phoenix leaves us we plan on walking a lot. We are both healthy and in our early 30's and plan on taking the dogs on walks that are miles long to better prepare ourselves for the amount of walking we'll be doing.

It's been exciting walking into the living room and seeing my wife watch Youtube videos on "Which tour to take at the Vatican" and "Top things you didn't know about Florence". She is a pretty anxious person and even the idea of traveling within the States makes her nervous, so it makes me excited and proud to see her getting excited about Italy. With that said, I could do without her watching the 1000 videos titled "What NOT to do in Italy!" and "Top 5 Scams in Florence!" as they mean well, but are only adding to her anxiety.

Once again, thank you all so much. My wife and I had a lot a of fun reading all your replies and we ended up with 30 other tabs on the computer of things to look into based on all your words.

At this point I only have two more questions (I promise, I'll have more):
1) For future questions, should I stay in this thread or just start a new thread?
2) Is there any sites you all like, or dislike, for flights? Not just in terms of actual fares, but in terms of trusting the sites and trusting that you aren't being ripped off.

Thank you all again,

Dylan

Dylan:

1) For future questions, should I stay in this thread or just start a new thread? Start a new thread, makes it a lot easier to follow.

2) Is there any sites you all like, or dislike, for flights? Not just in terms of actual fares, but in terms of trusting the sites and trusting that you aren't being ripped off. We use Google Flights and book through an airline's website. Using Expedia etc. adds an additional layer of issues if you need to change a flight or it get s cancelled. Better to deal directly with the airline than a 3rd party website.

Also, (I don't know how to do replies on this forum) Chani had mentioned a site where I could see weather over the last 10 years but I don't see a link to the site. Could you provide that, Chani?

Dylan, in case Chani doesn't come back to the thread right away, you can send her a private message. Click on her name on her post. That will take you to her User page. There will be a line that says Send a Private Message to... Click on that.

Dylan-
Here you go- you'll have to sort to your dates/location
https://www.timeanddate.com

So glad to hear you are able to extend your trip just a bit.
Watching YouTubes of where we are going is our favorite activity so I smiled when I pictured you and your wife doing that.

All excellent advice here as usual…

Definitely purchase your airlines tickets directly from the airlines. Set up Google Flight alerts to monitor prices.
Set up frequent flyer accounts at airlines that are your options so you are ready to book when you see a good price. Monitor for a bit, book it when you see a price you like and don’t look back.
Just make sure of your dates first unless you have no change fees.

The only thing I will add is that you might consider using maybe 2 nights of that extra time and slot in a stay in a smaller/quieter place between your stays in Florence and Rome.
We LOVE Rome, but it is busy and intense. We have been several times and will return several more.
We love Florence as well. Not as intense but can sure be busy- the art, the churches, the history. It’s very compact so can feel sort of claustrophinc. It’s a medieval stone jungle in a way.

Consider a stop in Orvieto - easy to get to and from. A beautiful hill town- Umbria. There is plenty to do there or not. Just chill for 2 days, catch your breath between the 2 major cities. Sit and stare at the Duomo and eat a gelato. Enjoy the quiet.

Have your wife find a youtube walking tour of Orvieto and see what you think.
It really only needs 1 night- and many do it as a day trip- but 2 nights gives you time to rest.

Looking forward to following your plans!

I just wanted to say that I think the idea of spending extra days in Orvieto or other small town a good one. It will provide a different pace and different experience than Florence and Rome.

Also, have you and your wife watched Rick Steves' PBS shows on Florence and Rome? Orvieto is also included in one of the shows. They provide a very nice introduction to the main sites and are of higher quality than most of what you find on you tube.

You are getting great advice here. I'll throw in my thoughts.

Personally, I find a minimum of three nights for any city to be a good way to get a taste of it and enjoy it. You can stay longer - or return another time! I would not add another city.

You can never see everything on your first trip (and enjoy it). So, get a taste of each city. Do the highlights and fun touristy things. If you love it - return.

Being bored and "stuck" in a place is no fun and a big waste of time and money. Being rushed and not enjoying it is even more painful. Again, your schedule looks fine.

BTW: Train travel between the cities is easy and not very expensive. I found economy seats were fine, no need for first class.

Have fun!

there was a suggestion ( above) regarding a day trip to Pompeii. It is possible to do so, but is a LONG day trip.

I think a better alternative, given the the limited time you have, would be to visit Ostia Antica. Easy 'commuter rail' ride from central Rome and a nice change of pace from "churches and museums".

Apologies for my horrible omission. If you start at timeanddate.com, choose the drop-down "Weather" menu and click on "Past Week."

Then enter the city you want, and you'll see the daily conditions for the past two weeks. Toward the upper right is a "Select month" box and you can choose any month for about 10 years back.

Here's Rome for last March.

I have also edited my original post.