Italy First-Timer

Given the limited amount of time I think skipping Rome is not a problem, unless you really feel the need to go, which it sounds like you don't. April weather could still be cool or it could be warm, but regardless CT is still beautiful. You should probably do Venice for 2 days, Florence for 3 and CT for 2 (or possibly just 1) then add the day to Florence or stay in Tuscany for 4 nites with a day trip into Florence if you prefer the countryside or smaller villages.

I view Rome as a trip in and of itself. Save it for later! Your plan sounds good--I wouldn't rush/over extend too much. Part of the joy of Italy is taking the time to let it soak in.

We were not too crazy about Venice, but I guess everyone needs to see it. We absolutely love the Lake Como area.

Your CT time is gd and florence if u are interestedin tuscany insuggest u spend remaining time in siena as a base then see villages by public bus. The only reason i say this is becuz you will spend alot of time in tranport tonand from venice. Leve rome and venice for when u have more time.

Italy has many wonderful destinations, but Venice is my favorite. Your proposed route makes a fairly compact loop, with a mix of faster and slower trains. If you take a train upon arrival, it's 2.5 hours direct from Milano Centrale station to Venezia S. Lucia (nice time for a nap, following your flight). Later, a direct train from Venice to Florence takes 2 hours. The legs to/from your Cinque Terre town take a bit longer, since they're slower trains and tend to require a connection. Generally best to sleep the last night in Milan. How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it.

Hello First Timer! We too were first timers just a month ago. We went to Rome and then the Amalfi Coast with Salerno as home base. Having spent a lot of time in Rome dodging all the tour groups and trying to avoid long lines, you are not crazy for skipping Rome if you want to avoid lines and crowds. We were there the first week of May, and it was already packed with tourists. Maybe April will be less crowded where you want to go. My only advice is that you get to the big tourist draws early--maybe when they open--to avoid lines and crowds. That has been our strategy since we travel in what is considered "high season." You will LOVE Italy! We can't wait to return!

7 nights for 3 destinations is a bit of a stretch I think, especially when your arrival and departure city is not one of those three. I would do:

3 nights Venice
3 nights Florence
1 night Milan (the night before your plane back; relying on same-day rail to get you to the city you need to depart from is a dangerous gamble IMO)

We were there in March and LOVED both Venice and Florence. Both have enough to do/see to keep you busy for a week or more.

Why did you fly in and out Milan?

In 7 days you can't see so much -- think about Milan, Venice, and Cinque Terre-- that's already pushing it.

7 days - 1 day for jet lag = 6 days

1 "day" in a town means two nights.

1 "night" in a town means only a few hours of sightseeing before dinner.

Think about all that, then recompute.

Are you locked into Milan for some reason? I am flying into Venice and out of Rome this fall. Two years ago, I flew into Bologna and out of Venice (business trip). Each time, the cost of different arrival/departure airports was negligible. That said, it doesn’t make sense to waste a day of travel to get back to an airport.

2 years ago, we spent a long weekend in Florence (before the business trip officially began) and it wasn’t nearly long enough. We’re going back this fall to see what we missed. We are also day-tripping to Chianti and Pisa/Liucca.
We spent one day in Venice two years ago and are looking forward to staying there for 5 days and using it as a base to see the Dolomites and Veneto this fall. While we were rushing back to Venice S.L to catch out train, it dawned on us that Venice totally transforms at sundown. We REALLY wished we had booked a room for the night… This trip, we’re staying in an apartment which lowers the lodging GREATLY and Venice is only an hour and a half to Verona and thirty minutes to Vicenza/Padova.

We are going to Rome for 3 days to get orientated and learn the lay of the land. We plan on a future trip to Rome (1 or 2 weeks) so this is trip is to see the highlights and learn our way around.

A note about Italy in case you haven’t picked up on it yet. Nothing in Italy can be rushed. I recommend doubling your time estimate for EVERYTHING you wish to see and do. It’s just the way it is so don’t fight it. Italy is also fatiguing. I found it a non-stop assault on all senses (in a good way). The Rome-Florence-Venice corridor, including Verona, Padova and Vicenza has the most stunning architecture, art and countryside imaginable. It takes time to properly process everything.

I hope my two cents worth help. Good luck and happy travels.
Todd

I'm putting together a trip to Italy for this fall and I'm not sure if I should put Venice on there as much as I'd love to see it. Probably traveling solo so the romantic angle isn't there, unless I get lucky lol. And its going to be October or early November and I'm not sure the weather is suitable for it. Rome is a must, of my 10 days I'd like to end with at least 4 days in Rome so I'm not jet lagging while I'm there. Florence is another certain stop for 3 days. Where to spend the other 3 days at that time of year?

So you really only have 6 nights to play with as it is a must that you spend the last night in Milan prior to flying out. As others have suggested I would leave Rome for another time. Now choosing to spend 2 nights in each of 3 places will give you a 'taste' of Italy - Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre, Lake Como. Of these CT is perhaps the more 'time consuming' to reach.
Day 1 Arrive Milan, local train to Como
Day 2 Lake Como
Day 3 Como to Venice (change train Milan)
Day 4 Venice
Day 5 Venice to Florence
Day 6 Florence
Day 7 am Excursion to Siena
Day 7 pm Florence to Milan
Day 8 Fly home from Milan

I feel like I could have written your post to the letter! We are leaving in a week for our first time trip to Italy and are staying north. Flying into Milan, going direct to CT to adjust to time for a few days, Lucca, Venice, Dolomites, Varenna (Lake Como).

I have absolutely no advice to offer, just wanted to let you know there is someone else that would rather sit at an outdoor café with a glass of wine then spend one minute in line with the masses. :)

Mary

We went to Italy and France last September for our honeymoon: Rome -> Cinque Terre -> Nice, allowing four days/nights in each destination. Four nights would be excessive and un-doable as part of an organized bus tour, no tour operator would give that many nights in one destination, but doing it solo it is a joy to be able to take your time with the destination. We chose to stay in the town of Vernazza while in Cinque Terre. It's the poster child of Cinque Terre and is the best blend of all the other towns. If you are looking for a place to stay I would recommend reading my review on TA for Monica Lercari Room rentals. We had a great time there.

Two recommendations. Venice is the most unique city you will ever visit and should not be missed. Spend at least 2 nights. Then as a previous poster suggested fast train to Florence - visited againafter 19 years last year and loved it as well. We were fortunate on our arrival there to walk the city leisurely and around 5 PM came upon the Accademia Museum with absolutely no line up. It was amazing to view the statue of David with only 3 other people in the building. The next morning on our way to another museum around 10.30 there had to be at least a 2-3 city block line up. So as RS says go early in the morning or the last thing in late afternoon, to this museum in particular and I would suggest going on line and getting advance tickets for the Uffizi Gallery. Spend 3 nights with a side trip to the CT and I would spend a least 1 night there. Check train schedules to - I just took a quick look and it would be at least a 3-3.5 hour train ride with l-2 train changes to get to Vernazza if you left at around 7am. So would have the rest of the day to enjoy this small town and perhaps walk the trail back to Manarola or Riomaggiore stay there and take the train in mid afternoon back to Florence. Enjoy - and as those of us who have been fortunate to have been to Italy more than once the saying goes - "do not cram too much in on your first trip, count on the fact you will be back". And you will rest assured.

Mary, if you are going to CT in a week, you will experience the masses. It may be a good idea to be ready to re-adjust any expectations you might have there. :O)

secamporeale, I'd pick two locations if you don't want to go crazy. I'm guessing you're flying in and out of Milan (Malpensa) because it's often less expensive than some other of the airports in Italy? Just understand that it's some distance from central Milan.

I love Rome but I don't think you're crazy for cutting it out. Stay north, and pick no more than two locations in addition to Milan. There are any number of day trips which are easily taken from Florence (although I don't recommend the CT from there), and Venice may be a good second choice. If you don't get into Malpensa until 10:30 AM, you'll lose the lion's share of that day getting to the next location. Save Rome until you can give it a reasonable amount of time.