Help/Advice with 20th Anniversary Itinerary

You can cut something in your itinerary, others here to follow may say the same

Verona is pretty crowded touristy with the fake Romeo and Juliet balcony there. You can skip it or do it as a daytrip that is enough. It is not far from Venice. Vicenza is on the same train line is nicer if you want quiet and not as many tourists.

FYI; and you may know already If you go to Pisa from Florence on your way to Vernazza there are lockers there to store your luggage but that depends on the size and number. You have to research that.

Other then that I like your plan,

Wow. I hadn’t thought of Vicenza, but a quick search looks amazing! Thanks for that tip!

This looks like a good trip to me; I think you've done a good job of processing lots of information.

I spent three enjoyable days in Verona last summer. Yes, there were plenty of other tourists, but nothing compared to the crowds you'll see everywhere else you're going. I spent half a day in Vicenza and it was fine, but I preferred Verona (and ate some delicious beef cheek there!).

Another small city between Milan and Venice is Padova (Padua). It's got some remarkable sights, including the Scrovegni Chapel (requires advance reservations) and the anatomical theater at the University.

Regarding luggage storage in Pisa, it depends on which station you use. Pisa Centrale has luggage storage; Pisa San Rossore does not. San Rossore is much closer to the Field of Miracles; however, I'm sure your onward train to the Cinque Terre will leave from Pisa Centrale, so it will probably make more sense to use that station anyway.

I really enjoyed Verona too, and didn't go near the fake balcony. I did go to the Giardino Guisti, and a couple of very beautiful churches (San Zeno and Sant' Anastasia). The city is lovely just for walking around - the Adige River winding through, hilly, Roman ruins here and there.

I guess I’ll have to do some more research on Verona vs. Vicenza. At first blush, I’d lean towards whichever is less crowded with tourists. Since we’ll be there for our first two days, it’d be nice to start somewhere that’s a little bit quieter before we head to the insanity that will be Venice.

On Venice… I was thinking of looking for an airbnb rental or b&b in Dorsoduro or Cannaregio, some place a bit away from the cruise ship crowd. I know we’ll be shoulder to shoulder with tourists at all the sights, but we love to stay in an area more where the locals live (and eat), if we can. Any thoughts?

Go to Verona. Vicenza is nice too but if you’re worried about tourist crowds, be prepared for the Cinque Terre and Venice. But you will still enjoy them. Have fun.

Actually you might do a day trip to Pisa from Vernazza instead of Florence. That is what is did 2 summers ago
The reason being little Vernazza Cinque Terre will be swamped with day trips. It is the best the whole Cinque Terre after 8pm when the sun is going down and all the day trips are gone

I think what we’d do is train it from Florence to Pisa, check our luggage at Pisa Centrale, then see a few things in town before catching the train to La Spezia and then onto Vernazza. Would 3-4 hours in Pisa give us enough time to catch a few highlights?

I think 2 hours in Pisa would be plenty. The vicinity of the leaning tower is a tourist trap atmosphere.

We've stayed in Verona for 3 nights, overnight at Vicenza and 5 nights at Padova. I would recommend Verona for a first-time visitor. Personal opinion: Vicenza isn't special enough for a first trip. Padova would be my second choice of these three.

You might want to purchase the Verona Card to explore the Roman arena, churches, etc. in the historical center of town. I will be in Verona again this year and am planning to join a 3-hour bike tour in town for a fun way to see the sites this time. There's two options thru either Veronality or Simonetta.