Italy April 2012 - Itinerary thoughts/suggestions

I think you've doe a good job of allocating your time and balancing major cities with a little break (Monterosso). Also, your proposed path eliminates any backtracking. If you were to fly into or out of Milan you would have some backtracking at some point. However, it may be more cost-effective than flying out of Venice. Just check both when you are ready to book your flights. As for Milan, we spent one night there and wished we'd had more time. I'm not suggesting that you add a night, jut warning you that you may like it more than you expect.

Julia:
This looks great! You have done your research and allocated your time well. Be flexible on the Pompeii trip. Rome is so full of life and things to do, you may find yourselves reluctant to do that long daytrip. Florence time may give you a chance to daytrip to Chianti region and Siena. Just a thought if you tire of museums. Open jaw is a smart move. We had half a day and one night in Milan. I think I might go back one day, but that was sufficient time to see the duomo and the Last Supper. I am so glad we made time for that. Got tickets through a broker last minute, even though I requested them 5 months in advance. I was worried we wouldn't score them, but we did!

That looks good to me. Like the other thought above I think that the day trip all the way to Pompeii might be too far. Perhaps you can save that for a future trip to that area of Italy. The trip sounds great. Have a great time. Greg

First, kudos for not waiting to the last minute to plan. You should be able to save a chunk of change on lodging by starting this far in advance. FYI, a lot of places don't start taking reservations until about six months ahead, but there's no harm in trying. We leave next month for 2 1/2 wks in Italy (our third time) and I started planning that almost a year ago. (And I've already started roughing out itineraries for our next two trips. Italy is addictive.) Based on your itinerary I'm assuming this is your first time to Italy. I agree that you've got a nice mix of locations. Since you want to go to Milan, I would shift one night away from Monterosso and put it in Milan, partly because I don't like to stay anywhere for only one night. (We stayed there for two nights our first time in Italy and enjoyed it. There's plenty to see and do.) You could leave Monterosso in the afternoon, arrive in Milan in the early evening, have the next entire day in Milan, then leave early the following morning for Venice. I would think that would be more enjoyable. Also, I agree with the Pompeii comment. Personally, I wouldn't want to spend that much time traveling there and back as a day trip. However, some people do it and are glad they did. Two alternatives to Pompeii that are much easier to do from Rome are either Ostia Antica or Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. Far fewer tourists there and you still get large scale Roman ruins. If you do Hadrian's Villa you can also do the water gardens at Villa d'Este.

I would skip Milan, but the rest looks solid and well thought out. Have a great time!

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to respond and offer suggestions. I truly appreciate it! Yes, this is our first time to Italy, and we are extremely excited. I agree with the Pompeii suggestions, that the trip might be to long. The only reason I threw it in was that my husband really wanted to see it, I will have to see if his heart is really set on going. However, I am going to research the suggestion to day trip to Ostia Antica or Hadrian's Villa and the suggestion to day trip to Siena. I also like the idea to shift one night in Monterosso to Milan. Thanks again for all the positive feedback and suggestions. As I flush this out more I will post changes.

And in case you haven't found this site already, it's absolutely one of the best for travel to Italy (not just Rome): http://www.roninrome.com/

I just got back Wednesday from 2 weeks in Italy. I would skip Milan and do whatever it took to see Siena. it was magical! We spent three days there.

If I am counting right, you have 5 cities in 14 days. It is a lot. I would definitely skip Milan. The city itself was sadly bombed thoroughly during WWII so the post war construction is bland. Yes there are 1 or 2 sites to see but not worth it IMHA|O. I would also add the day to Florence and go to Tuscany for a day trip by bus or semi private trip. Wonderful and so different than the cities! You are correct that it is a long train ride from CT to Venice. 4.5 to 5.5 hrs with a train switch and maybe no food on the train. Also good time to rest cuz you will need it! But worth it to see the countryside. You have done some great research to put this together and have it flow from south to north. I am sure you will fine tune your itinerary in the next year!

Here's another idea. Fly into Milan (if the Last Supper is imperative - otherwise I too would skip it). Stay 2 nights, but leave for Venice early in the morning, then Florence, CT and fly home from Rome. The 2 nights in Milan at the beginning of your trip gives you a day to see the best of Milan (Duomo - walk on the roof, maybe La Scala, I really liked Castello Sforzesco) and get over the jetlag. If you skip Milan, I would still consider flying into Venice and leaving from Rome. Venice is a better town to relax and soak up atmosphere while overcoming the longhaul flight and time difference.