After receiving such great advice from people on this helpline, I thought some quick tips could serve as "payback" and might be helpful as you're planning your trip:
RESTAURANTS:
- we used the NY Times restaurant reviews to find some "off the beaten path" places
- if you do some research in advance, you can avoid the typical tourist sports and find some authentic places, especially in Venice
- our favourite spots: Trattoria Monti and Da Enzo in Rome
ATTRACTIONS:
- book museum tickets in advance to avoid any lines - we didn't encounter any lineups having done this
- download the Rick Steves podcasts and use them - they help you to save a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on expensive tour guides
To be continued