Itinerary Help Please!!

I don't think the first itinerary is realistic. You will be lucky to make it to your hotel by 2-3pm, and between travel fatigue and jetlag, you won't be seeing much of Rome at all.

Secondly, what are you thinking for Tuscany? Tuscany is a huge region with many cities that you could spend all 8 of your nights in. Not being museum people, Florence is probably not high on your list.

The hill towns are cute, but so are the CT towns. So, if you really wish to hike the CT, I would say drop Tuscany all-together and head straight for CT.

If you are set on the CT, then 3 nights Rome, 2 nights CT and 3 nights Venice.

How about 3 nights Rome, 3 nights CT, 2 nights Venice?

I agree, the first option does not have enough time in Rome to address jet lag and the huge city. I personally LOVE the CT but for your first option you'll eat up a good chunk of a day getting there and really won't have but a day (not enough time). Your second option is better, save CT for another trip.

Carey- We just returned from Italy yesterday. Based on your self-description and our trip experiences...3 nights in CT, 3 in Rome, and 2 in Venice.

You will have a great time!

Rick

We also just returned from a 3 week trip from Venice-Florence-CT-Siena-Orvieto-Sorrento & Rome. We are a family of 4, but enjoyed the CT most--the hiking in the park is beautiful, plus the towns are fun to wander in and explore.But if the weather will be wet, hiking will not be fun as some trail have very slippery rocks & steep terrain. We had rain & we were there mid-july!!! We always spent at least 2 nights in each place- Venice is nice-but if you have several hours here, it is good. Wander the streets during the day, and take the #1 Vaporetto in the later afternoon or early evening when you can actually sit on the boat and just take in the view--we went in summer-so we had lots of warm weather and crowds. The train ride from Rome to the CT will take about 4 hours with changes. Train from CT to Venice will take 3-4 hours--always consider the transport time. Look at the Trenitalia website for the timetable, then you will know what time factor you have. Siena/San G area is a good, mid point from Rome & Venice and both are smaller cities but give a good taste of Tuscany. Remember, you will be jet lagged on your first day in Rome--if you squeeze in too much, you will be too tired to enjoy.

Based on what your preferences are I would agree with Leslie H's itinerary ~ perhaps with a slight variation one way or the other on the number of nights in each location. That itinerary really only gives you one full day in Venice. Venice and CT are really quite a distance from each other - as is Rome to CT. Will you drive or take a train? That can make a difference in scheduling your time.

I generally drive in Italy/Europe so I do not know the train schedules as well as the others. The distances are too short for an overnight train and they are long enough to consume large chunks of daylight hours travelling. But limiting your time to just three locations is a better way to go.

Carey - Based on your posted preferences and the fact that you want to do CT, you would be better off to skip Rome than CT. The first itenerary is too much travel. Venice, Tuscany, and CT are more relaxing than Rome - which even though wonderful and amazing is a very large busy city (think NYC for comparison)and exhausting. The Vatican museum alone if four miles and takes a half day. If you truly want wander, lunch, and people watch - I would skip Rome unless your flight is already set. If you decide to do Rome and Venice - I can make lodging suggestions. Have fun!

Don't cut out Rome! Even if you are not into museums, the Colosseum is amazing, and just walking around Rome is a great experience - there are fountains everywhere, and Piazza Navona is wonderful. It used to be a racetrack during Ancient Rome, and you can still see the original entrance outside the square. Definitely spend one evening at the Trevi Fountain, it is beautiful when it is all lit up, and it is a people-watching experience. The Colosseum at night was great too.
I agree with the Rome-CT-Venice plan. Rome will be busy, but then the rest of your trip will be relaxing. The CT is beautiful, the best early in the morning and late in the evening, when there are very few tourist groups around. Venice is amazing too, a great place just to walk and shop, plus St. Mark's Square at night is a must-see!

Just came back yesterday, and at all costs I would fit the CT into your itinerary. I've been to Italy several times before but never to CT. In the past, I would have said that Venice was my most favourite destination of all - - - but Vernazza has now taken the 1st prize. It is an absolute paradise. Don't miss it.

Would you consider skipping Venice? Ooops - can't - you're departing from Venice. BUT if there's a possibility of changing that, I think the best combination for your trip, and based upon your preference for hiking, would be Rome (3 nights), Tuscany village(s) (2 nights - one night each), CT (2 or 3 nights) - then departing from Milan (and this might require one night). I suggest this because Rome, Tuscany, CT, Milan are all along the east/central region of Italy and can be easily traveled to by train or by car. Venice is in the northwest corner and doesn't align easily with the other destinations. A trip to Italy should be savored. In order to have an enriched experience the pace should be moderate. A crazed pace that tries to cram too many destinations into one trip just ends up being exhausting rather than inspiring.

rome can get to you after two days or so (i think i am in the minority of people on this site who don't like rome that much, i love the main sites, but the city wears on me). the first option gives you a great taste of italy. Make sure to plan ur travel time though.

I would do 2 nights Rome (first day for wondering and 2nd day for Vatican), then 1 night in either Florence or Siena, then 3 nights CT and 2 nights Venice.

3 nights in Rome would be ideal, but I'd squeeze in one of the Tuscan cities. If you chose Florence, it's 2.5 hours from Rome-Florence and 2.5 hours from Florence to CT...so not too much travel. I've done 3 nights in CT, then train to Venice for 2 nights and it worked out just fine. I did not like Venice warranted more than 2 nights, even with the longish train ride from the CT.

One note - you will transfer in Bologna on the way to Venice. They have 2 seemingly identical platforms (one for local trains and one for regional trains). We waited on platform 3 for about 30 minutes before realizing we needed to be on the other platform 3. Just something to be aware of.

Carey,
I would vote for 3 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Cinque Terre, 2 nights in Venice.
We didn't see Venice on our trip in June but we LOVED Rome & CT-we spent 3 nights in each location and it was adequate for CT but the bare minimum in Rome. Have a great trip. We loved Italy.

Each of the places you want to see deserve a week. With this schedule you will be spending most of your time checking into and out of hotels, traveling to and from train stations and riding on trains. With only 7 days you should only visit 2 places. Each destination will basically require an entire day of travel. You won't have much time for leisurly lunches. Relax and enjoy. Take the time to get to know a place. Whatever you decide, you will have a great time, but the less cities the less hectic.