Is this a good travel plan for Italy? 21 days are we missing key areas?

I think you're missing one key area, which is Venice. And you have a lot of short 2-day stays, which actually turn into 1 1/2 days when you factor in travel time. I know you must have good reasons for picking the places on your list, but you asked for suggestions, so here's mine: Fly into Milan and train directly to Lake Como. Stay 3 nights. Then go to Venice for 3 nights, Florence for 3 nights, CT for 3 nights, Sorrento for 4 nights and Rome for 5 nights. It's still a busy trip, but you'd see a wide range of Italian scenery and cities, with time to enjoy them.

I would be tempted to drop Naples and add those days to Florence and Rome especially if day tripping from Rome. I could and have spent all five days in Rome.

I agree this is too much changing hotel rooms! You will be exhausted, and not really have enough time see enough of some of the places you are going. Venice is essential -- like no other city in the world, charming, romantic, beautiful. Take a vaporetto to Murano and Burano while you are there. When in Florence allow at least a day in Siena! It is a wonderful medievel town. Really, I would agree with the previous posters about scaling down the itinerary for more quality time in fewer places, then as soon as you get home, start saving for the next trip!

I like Charlene's plan you definitely need to give Florence more time and Venice is really a must see
you can't do it all in 21 days but you can see a lot

Skip Milan and just go straight to Lake Como, then Venice (must see), then CT, then Florence/Naples/Rome. Milan's an hour train ride to Como, it's a big city and not much on charm.

Hello All I cannot believe all of your helpful comments thank you. It has made us reconsider spending some time in Venice....So Keep suggestions coming. Just to clarify, the 1st leg of our trip we would use Milan as a home base and each of the "1 day" excursions are max of 1.5 hrs by train so we are just going for the day. Same would apply to all "1 day" Again you have all been great! Thanks!
Dena

I'd recommend spending a couple of nights in Como area rather than doing it as a day trip. I like Bellagio but there are many good choices along the lake. I'd spend a night or two in Milan to see the major sights and then move on. Verona is also better to spend a night or two. You really can't miss Venice, it's one of the world's most unique locations. Rome-Florence and Venice are the big three for a reason, they are amazing cities with so much to see and experience, make sure you give them priority.
did you tell us when you are travelling?

Milan is just a big business city, but has a great Duomo and opera house. Shopping is strictly high fashion. I'm not into opera or high fashion or modern cities. I'd say fly into Milan and head for Lake Como to rest for a couple of days and take in the incredible mountain scenery. Italy is a culture shock unless you're a very seasoned international traveler, and many people would think you're trying to take on too much. Musts to see are Venice (3 nights), Florence (3 nights), Tuscan hill country or Chianti (3 nights doing day trips to Siena, San Gim and Volterra), C/T (3 hrs. from Florence by train) (2 nights), Rome (rest of the time.) Taking on Torino, Naples and the Almafi Coast might push you over the top. You didn't say when you were going, but try not to do it in July or August. It's so hot that the whole country goes on vacation for the whole month of August.

I don't know whether this will help or not, but my husband and I went on a 21-day trip to Italy in September. It was our first time to Italy and we had an amazing trip. Here is the itinerary that we had: Rome: (flew into Rome) stayed 4 days Siena: (took bus from Rome) stayed 3 days (took sightseeing and wine tasting/tour around the countryside) Florence: (took bus from Siena) stayed 4 days Cinque Terre (Monterosso): (took train from Florence) stayed 2 days Venice: (took train from Monterosso) stayed 3 days Lake Como (Bellagio): (took train from Venice) stayed 3 days Milan: (took train from Lake Como) stayed 2 days
We had a GREAT trip. Although we did not have enough time to go south of Rome on this trip, we plan on returning to Italy and visit that region (Naples, Almalfi, etc.) Have fun!

Janet's itinerary is a very good one, you can do the order in reverse if you like

Thank you all again for your wonderful insight. We are adjusting our schedule a bit and looking at flying into Rome since it is a direct flight from Philly airport. Everyone is so helpful!
Dena

I did a three week stay with my husband and two teenage boys at the time. We rented houses. Flew into Milan and went directly to Venice for 3 days. Then we drove to a rental home on the Umbrian/Tuscan border. From there we were able to do many day trips, including Florence. After one week at that home, we moved south to another home just a 55 min. train ride to Rome. We would go early in the morning to Roma and return home in the evening. This sitation also allowed us to do day trips to Pompeii and another trip over to Abruzzo to visit my husband's family.
Have a wonderful trip!

You can see Verona for a day en route from Milan or Como to Venice. There is a luggage room in the train station. Instead of 2 nights in Naples and 2 in Amalfi, I'd stay 4 nights in Sorrento. The train to Naples (Circumvesuviana) is 1-1.25 hours - or the hydrofoil. If you are planning to visit Herculaneum and/or Pompeii, they are both on the train between Sorrento and Naples. Sorrento is a good base to visit the other Amalfi Coast towns - Ravello, Positano and Amalfi, by bus.

May I suggest a wonderful place to stay in Manarola in Cinque Terre -- we stayed at www.arpaiu.com and had a wonderful room cliffside. There is a beautiful common area upstairs with outside lounge chairs overlooking the water and activity. Be prepared to walk, walk, walk up and down stairs. It's worth it.

Cross your fingers ! The absolutely worse flight we ever had to Europe was on US Air out of Philly to Rome. Both US Air and Philly are on our no fly ever again list.