Is Florence a must if only have 9 days from Venice to Rome

Two nights Venice, three each for Florence and Rome.

No where is a must see. What do you want to see in each place. Personally I am not interested in Florence but others love it so you are the only one that can choose. I wouldn't take any time off Venice though.

Be smart with your train times if you have little time but want to maximise the sights. Plus, choose accommodation in Venice/Florence close to the station. For example if you decide you have only one night for Florence. (Of course two nights would be better).

October
1. Arrive Venice (3N)
2-3. Venice
4. Early morning train (2 hours) to Florence (1N)
5. Early evening train (1.5 hours) to Rome (4N)
6-8. Rome
9. Depart Rome

You coild also spend all those nights in Florence. You can visit Venice and Rome on a day trip from Florence, which is half way in between (1.5 to 2 hours from each).

IMAABO (In My Arrogant And Biased Opinion) there is so much more to see and do in Florence than any place in Italy, once you take into account the proximity of many cities and towns visitable from Florence on day trips (in Tuscany and beyond).

You have 8 nights in total.

2 in Venice, 3 in Florence, 3 in Rome is the allocation that would be chosen by 90% of Italians (who certainly know better) and I am one of them (Italians, who know better, who would also choose the that allocation).

It all depends on what interests you and what you want to see. How many times in the next 10 years will you return to Italy.

I could happily spend all the time in Venice - I have done - or Rome - I have done several times.

I like classic Rome architecture, the atmosphere of Spring in Rome, the various museums and especially the churches, and strolling around. FYI - I have been to Rome many times and have not yet found time for the Colosseum, the Forum, or the catacombs. I love Rome.

I could live for months in Venice. I adore the bakeries, the narrow passageways which often lead nowhere, the fabulous churches, the buzz at the markets, the islands, and I could stroll for days. The crowds don't bother me because by and large I don't go where they are. In all the years I have returned to Venice I have never taken a gondola ride nor have I ever attended a glass blowing exhibition - but I do have a few favourite glass makers.

I have visited Florence a few times but it doesn't call to me like the other two mentioned above. The art is a little early for me - I prefer a hundred or two years later - and I prefer art in situ rather than in museums. There are things about Florence and rural Tuscany I love, but when push comes to shove I usually turn north to the Veneto. and Venice.

Every year I return, like the swallows to Capistrano, and every year I shed a tear when leaving the produce, the people, the art, and the history of Italy.

It is your vacation, and it all boils down to what you want, and what calls to you. Don't go somewhere because somebody else says you should, or because "everybody" does something. Do those things which interest you.

If you have a bigger interest in Renaissance art than me then you
would want to spend longer in Florence I suspect.

This is probably the key point? I loved the art in Florence - lots in the churches that's still in situ - so we had no trouble at all filling 5 nights/4.5 days, and will very likely be back. Architecture was also a plus. But if art/architecture is not your thing, then it may not be your place.

I agree with Roberto. That blend would be my choice for a first time visit. Personally, Florence is my favorite of the three...but I will give Venice another chance sometime.

I agree with the other responses about your interests being the determining factor about Florence being "a must".

About a year ago when my husband and I started thinking about our trip to Italy, we spent a few hours one evening watching a bunch of Rick Steves' Italy videos. About 15 minutes into his Florence video, I looked over to see Justin dozing off on the couch! I also had a hard time staying interested to make it through the full Florence video. (This was the exact video: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/florence-heart-of-the-renaissance)

Since the two of us didn't have much interest in a 30-minute video about Florence, we decided that we didn't need to bother making it part of our itinerary. But of course other travelers who enjoy Renaissance art will say that Florence is an absolute must.

:-)

Nothing is a must, but with that said... Florence is my favorite city in the world! I think you should stop there for a couple days. The incredible food, art, architecture - you'll fall in love.

I agree w/Roberto.......
A zillion years ago, I spent a January term in Florence. With Florence as our home base, we made day trips by train to Venice, Rome, Siena, Assisi, etc. More recently, my daughter spent a semester in Florence. Again, w/Florence as a home base, she traveled throughout Italy. (And Europe.)

I also agree w/everyone who suggested that you chose the time spent in cities based on your interests. Personally, I think I could live in Florence.......It's my favorite place in the world! The combination of art, history, culture, food, people and the proximity to the countryside just resonates with me. That said, in my former life, I visited Venice and have no desire to ever return. And if it wasn't for the fact that Vatican City is right in the middle of Rome, I don't think I would return there either. Whether you enjoy or dislike a city, really depends on which aspects of the city sing out to you.

Hope you have a wonderful trip! :)

Watch the RS videos and read up on Venice, Florence and Rome. What motivates you to visit Italy? What are your interests?

Visiting these great Italian cities would make a wonderful trip. However, you'll only see one aspect of Italy. My wife and I really enjoyed seeing the countryside and the small towns. Consider stopping for two nights in a small town in Tuscany or Umbria instead of Florence. Montepulciano would be a possibility. You could check trains and buses to find one that would be easy to get to.

Here's just one article that may help (or further confuse things): https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/umbria/umbria-and-tuscany-italy

BTW, the article is from Walks of Italy. We took three tours by them in Florence and Rome. I highly recommend them!

What Nigel said. We learned to enjoy Florence, but other parts of Italy called to us more. I would not wedge it in if you feel it rushes you, but David offered a possible way to at least see a bit of the city and then you can decide if you want to go back.

Thanks to fast train connections, using Florence as a base you can visit both Venice and Rome (less than 2 hours each way) plus a ton of famous locations: Siena, Tuscany's hill towns (e.g. San Gimignano, Cortona), Assisi, the Cinque Terre, Emilia (Bologna, Ravenna, Parma, etc).

Most major Italian tourist destinations can all be visited from Florence on a day trip. You can't possibly do the same from anywhere else in Italy. No place else. Florence is the dream base for any tourist even if you don't spend more than a day in Florence itself.

On our first trip to Italy we wanted to visit Rome and Venice and felt like we should add Florence. But to be honest we expect Florence to be our least favorite since we are limited in our art knowledge! Well, this past September we went back to Italy for a month and spent a full week in Florence since we had loved it so much from our first trip! Visiting new destinations is a little bit like trying new foods. You don't know what you will like until you try it and once tried you can always revisit a destination or not. I think Florence is too important to skip completely and who whose it may become your favorite...