Itinerary suggestions

Orvieto is close to Roma, and there are some interesting small cities near Venezia (I like Este; larger towns are Padova, Verona, Vicenza).

A stop in Ravenna might be a nice change from big cities, or perhaps Assisi? Certaldo also is small.

Thank you for your suggestions. Is CT and the others not doable?

Understand the desire to check out another location. However, it almost always takes more time relocating from one place to another than anticipated and that eats up a lot of your available time. Perhaps you should consider simply basing in Venice and Rome, and then doing day trips from each. Zoe has made some good suggestions for day trips from Venice. From Rome Ostia Antica is a 3/4 day side trip that many find interesting. Just food for thought.

I think with the time you have, the Cinque Terre are too far out of the way. Let's say you have 4 night in Rome and 3 in Venice, that leaves you with only 2 or 3 night for the third location. It takes an entire day to go between Venice and the Cinque Terre. More accessible are the locations Zoe mentions, which will give you that small-town charm and lovely landscapes. Lucca is delightful, too.

I second Zoe's nomination of Orvieto! Beautiful hillside town, ride the funicular up the hill, rich in Etruscan history (pre-roman), mysterious underground caves, great views, see the church where Michelangelo studied the ceiling of Luca Signorelli before he painted the Sistine Chapel. Take a wine or cooking tour at Decugnano dei Barbi. The more I research I do, the more I love Orvieto. My family of four is going in early June. Also, how about Florence and across the Arno River and Fiesole just outside Florence. Have a great time.

Another vote for Orvieto! One of my favorite places :)

Hi. I wouldn't rule out CT if you like hiking or incredible ocean views; you have plenty of time if you plan well. Also, fyi, it can be easier to fly into Venice and out of Rome if you have a choice, since logistics of flying home from Rome are usually better. Enjoy your trip!

Start in Venice with 3 nights.
Fly to Naples for 4 nights on the Amalfi Coast. (May is a perfect time for Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Pompeii)
Finish off with 4 nights in Rome.

Start in Venice, end in Rome. That makes it easier for airports and Venice is a far better place to get over jetlag and soak up the ambiance.

How many nights will you have in Italy? You say 10-11 days - but it's not clear if that includes the 2 days you need to get there and back. 2 nights = 1 full day of sightseeing (you use about 1/2 day moving from place to place). Also, at least some of you are likely to be zonked on your first and maybe second days, so it's a good idea to plan one night more than you think you need for your first stop.

If you have 10 nights, then at a minimum Venice for 3-4, Rome for 4. That leaves you 2-3 nights for one other place and Orvieto would definitely fit the bill. If you have 9 nights, you could still manage with 3 nights in Venice, but if you have 8, just Venice and Rome

Thanks folks for taking the time to give me all your suggestions. There was ALOT to think about! 😀 I've read, researched and sought out suggestion from friends and family who know us. We now are thinking of flying into Venice and out of Rome and adding in between Florence. I think we will have 10-11 days including travel. This will most likely be our only trip there as a family due to the age of my kids. I'd like your thoughts on an itenerary with those cities in mind. POSSIBLY a day trip to CT and or Siena from Florence. For various reasons we think two full days in Rome will be a good fit for us per many conversations with family that has been there repeatedly and knows our likes and the pace we travel. I know we will be rushed and there is so much to see so I tried to limit hotel changes to three. Suggestions, thoughts or comments please?

I agree with starting in Venice. Most departures from Venice are early morning creating problems getting to the airport in time. I would stick with Venice and Rome, maybe a short stop in Florence. CT is not possible as a day trip. Look at Rome2rio.com for a better estimation of travel times and expenses. Sienna is possible as a day trip from Florence.

9 nights, 3 Venice, 3 Florence, 3 Rome, I would daytrip to Orvieto from Rome.

Hi Folks-- so after much more research and actually extending the trip by a day we now have 10 full days without travel to and from home. We are booked to fly into Venice and out of Rome. I also have lodging reservations in place that can be canceled should we change the itinerary. After much researching we think we'd like to see Orvieto. The tuscan countryside, vineyards, landscape, farms and more of a country feel is exactly what we want to balance our time in the cities. We think we will get our fill of museums and history in Rome and Venice. We know we do not want more than three full days in Rome. Some pictures we've seen of farms and villas are breathtaking to us! Here is what I have so far:
Day 1-Venice
Day 2-Venice
Day 3 Venice to CT
Day 4- CT
Day 5 CT to Tuscany? (Olvieto perhaps)
Day 6 Tuscany area?
Day 7 Tuscany to Rome
Day 8 Rome
Day 9 Rome
Day 10 Rome

Can you give me some input please?

Orvieto is in Umbria, not Tuscany, but it's close to the Tuscan border. Just mentioning that so if you really want Tuscany, Siena or Lucca would be lovely. San Miniato is on the hill above Firenze, so if you aren't going to Firenze, it would be out of the way.

The influence of art and religion on Italian culture cannot be underestimated. There are alternatives to the big museums. Even smaller cities have museums of various types (science, musical instruments, olives), some of those may appeal to your group more than the usual "must sees".