Must-Sees for 11 night trip to Rome/Venice/Florence

First, it will be faster to take the train to Venice rather than fly. Good guide books, particularly Rick Steves, will cover the must see items. That is standard for guide books. So if you don't want to purchase the books, then hit your local library. Given your time frame you will not have much time outside of the regular must sees.

I would assert that there is no such thing as a "must-see." If you spend three days in a place, have a great time, and come away with great memories, you saw the right things.

A simple way to get a list of top attractions in each city is on this web site. Just click the "Explore Europe" tab at the left, select the country and then the city. Then click "At a Glance" and you'll get Rick Steves' list of top attractions, rated with 3, 2, 1, or 0 triangles.
3 = Don't miss
2 = Try hard to see
1 = Worthwhile if you can make it
0 = Worth knowing about

But again, these are just Rick's suggestions and ratings. You need to set your own priorities based on what interests you the most and how much time you have.

Seems like a good itinerary. Have a great trip!

Oh perfect! I'll go take a look now :)

Also, any advice on the best way to get to and from the airport in Rome? I've seen that the train is a great option, so wondering if we can purchase tickets beforehand so we don't have to worry about any of that once we land.

Forget about must-sees! Pick the historical and artistic things which appeal to you.
My personal must-see in Florence is the Santa Maria Novella, with the wonderful Strozzi Chapel. The Baptistery, in front of the Duomo, is a strong contender. I prefer these by far above the art museums, if only because these are much too crowded to enjoy what's on offer. For years I have waited for the re-opening of the natural history museum »La Specola«. They've got one of the most amazing exhibitions you ever have encountered: a collection of 18th-century anatomical wax models. It sounds boring, but you'll think differently when you've seen it.
And for the best view of the city, walk up the hill on the other side of the Arno, along the Viale Macchiavelli and Viale Galileo, to the San Miniato church, and then downhill again to the Piazzale Michelangelo. Do it late afternoon when the light is mellow.
Venice is for wandering around and getting lost. Avoid Murano and Burano at all cost, but take the vaporetto to Torcello. The Santa Maria Assunta is a beauty, and the trip is wonderful.

Having just spent time in all 3 cities (ready to go back) I agree with others above that the "must see" is different for everyone. For me the things I loved most in each of the 3 cities might not be what you or others do, but for what it's worth here they are!

Rome - favorite part was climbing St Peters to the top and checking the view. Close second was wondering the Colosseum and Palatine Hill in the evening when it wasn't very crowded!

Florence - walking across the bridge and hiking up to Piazza Michelangelo for the view and the beautiful Rose gardens.

Venice - wondering the narrow streets at night and getting lost on purpose, and paying the extra $20 for a private night Gondola ride where the canals felt like only ours!

also, FOOD everywhere at every chance :)

Buy your train tickets for the trip from FCO into Rome at the airport after you arrive. It's simple enough, and there will be no doubt about what time you will be able to get on the train. Depending on where you are staying, it may turn out that the regionale train is more convenient than the Leonard Express, which stops only at Roma Termini Station.

As always, the "best" way to get in from the airport has varying answers depending on exactly what you mean (cheapest? simplest? fastest?). It also depends on where your hotel is located, and how many are in your party.

There is a fixed rate of €48 (no tipping required beyond this) for a taxi from the airport to the center. If you are more than one person and are going to have to take a taxi from the train station (so adding to the €14 per person train fare), the taxi is easier and less expensive.

Of course, if your hotel is walking distance to the station, or if you're in a hurry (the trains don't get stuck in traffic like the taxis do), then the train works well.

There are also buses to the airport, which are the cheapest way to go.

Rick's Italy book, which I agree you should get ASAP, has details of these methods.

Another option for transportation from FCO to your hotel in Rome, consider Rome Cabs. This is a private transportation company. The driver will meet you inside the airport terminal, take your bags and walk you to a nice air conditioned car. The driver will take you door to door. We paid 55 euros vs 48 for a taxi and I was glad we paid the extra. You get to see a bit of Rome on your way into town and your driver will point things of interest out to you. You can also him ask for tips on places to eat and for the best gelato!

And I'll just add the budget option: shuttle bus from airport to Termini:

We've done this. It takes a little longer but the price is right - as little as 4 euro each way - and is direct service, no stops. Buses are touring coaches with comfortable seats, air conditioning and luggage stowed underneath.

http://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-bus

SIT (which also has a dropoff in the Vatican area) and Terravision are the two I'd recommend depending on where you're staying. Tickets are easily purchased at the airport.

Sometimes you can maximize sightseeing time by taking evening trains, especially if you aren't big foodies. Pick up some food (sandwiches, salads, bread, cheese, whatever you like and a bottle of wine)on the way to the train and have a picnic dinner during the long train rides.

In Venice, the host at our B&B suggested we forgo a trip to Murano/Burano, which I had been looking forward to, as being too commercial and taking too much time. Instead he suggested several museums, (in addition to San Marcos), and the Frari church. I think this was good advice. In particular, the "Scuola Grande of San Rocco" was outstanding and we thought it rivaled anything we had seen at the Vatican as far as art. You spend a lot of time ooing and awing at the beautiful gilded ceilings!

Also in Venice - If a gondola ride is on your list, try to find one away from the Grande Canal. We had a lovely ride at sunset with an "off-duty" gondolier - 70e for 30 minutes! And he sang, and gave us a lot of good information about Venice. We went briefly on the Grande Canal and then the rest of the time were side canals. He said that they all own their gondolas and are free to work them outside the time they are working for a company. That's when they can charge essentially what they want. He also said that often people spend their time "stuck or gridlocked" on the grande canal and don't get much of a ride. We loved it!

Baglioni Hotel for rooftop drinks in Florence !

This is all such great information! We'll definitely wait to purchase our tickets from the airport into Rome until we arrive and I've taken notes on all of the great places you all mentioned.

Two other questions for you as we started pulling together our itinerary last night--
* Should we make reservations for dinner restaurants? I'm very hesitant to do this because I think it forces us to stick to a schedule a lot more than we'd like. Plus, who knows what great places we may find when we're just walking around the cities. If you think we do need to make them at certain places, does anyone have any recommendations on the best places to eat?
* How did you handle getting cash before the trip? I've read mixed reviews of people who bring international credit cards and people who just exchanged for euros beforehand. Any ideas what the cheapest way to exchange for Euros is (do it here vs. in Italy)?

Thanks so much for all of your help!!

Sounds like a good trip.

Addressing restaurants, we mostly eat simply when we travel. My husband says while I window shop, he window shops for food. We do better with small meals during the day as we are wandering the streets. Not for everybody but it always seems to work for us. And I remember Italy is a great place for that.

I made no restaurant reservations in Italy, but there was one evening when I got turned away by two places in Trastevere (Rome) before finding a place I could eat. It was quite early in the evening, and I was wandering around the backs streets in late May, so I was a bit surprised. I got the feeling that a reservation might be a good idea for dinner, but I like to remain flexible, like you. Others have suggested that if you see an interesting spot earlier in the day, you could just stop in right then--if the restaurant is open--and reserve for dinner. Certainly if there's a place you particularly want to try, a reservation would be important.

You will nearly always pay more to convert dollars to euros in the US than to use a bank ATM in Italy. Lots of folks are completely comfortable just planning to hit an ATM at the airport upon arrival. Since I'm mentally foggy and half-dead after a trans-Atlantic flight, I like to arrive in Europe with a bit of local currency--enough for transportation from the airport into the city and minor incidental expenses until I happen to come across an ATM.

If I didn't have euros left from a previous trip, I would buy as few euros as I dared before leaving the US to minimize the impact of the (likely) poor exchange rate. In addition to the bad exchange rate, there may also be a service charge of some sort, so only do this once! Your bank can either order euros for you or point you to a place to buy euros. If you happen to have a Capital One account, check there first.

Just returned from Florence and Rome, both of which we'd been to before. New discoveries that I will return to:

1. Florence museum - Museo della Opera del Duomo. Unreal and uncrowded. Skip the Duomo (and its lines) and go here instead. Don't miss the rooftop!
2. Florence art - Inexpensive, but quality original oils on canvas by Mercurio d'Anchise sold by the man himself out of a closet-sized gallery at Via Ghibellina 113
3. Florence food - Simply prepared, rustic transport to gastronomic heaven can be found across the river at Trattoria Casalinga. It's in the book. Make a reservation a few days ahead as the locals fill this gem of a spot.
   

Auguri!

I would suggest spending some time at a village in Tuscany (maybe wine tasting) for something romantic.... while cities can be romantic, they can also be crowded and hot and touristy, so maybe something a little different for a day or two. I have been to Italy lots of times and when I long to be there, it is not the cities that are calling me.... it is the small villages or the sea.

The train from Rome to Venice is quicker than flying. The train takes a bit less than four hours. Flying means travel to FCO, say 3/4 hour, check in and security, say 1 1/2 hours, flight say an hour, baggage claim at VCE, say 1/2 hour, travel from VCE to Venice say 3/4 hour on the bus. Total is about 4.5 hours, maybe a bit more.

The train leaves you in the centre of Venice, right on the Grand Canal, and will be cheaper as well.

To get euros, just get them from an ATM (Bancomat) using your debit card. Maybe exchange US$ 150 for euros in the USA before you leave, so that you have a bit of cash. We have arrived in Italy with barely a euro to our names without difficulty.

Optimum use of time would have been to get a train directly to Florence on arrival, then move on to Venice, before aggregating your time in Rome at the end of your trip before flying out.

Batkins - where did you find the off-duty Gondolier?

I do agree that seeing more sights in Venice is preferable to spending time on Murano and/or Burano, but it is worth taking the vaporetto to Burano and back for the ride across the lagoon.

I was underwhelmed by Torcello - too far for a short stay in Venice. Maybe it's different now, but 8 years ago, you had to change boats in Burano and there was a long wait. I was more impressed by everything I did and saw in Venice itself.

If you go to Torcello, you can climb the campanile, recently restored. Gives a great view over the lagoon. Costs 4 euro, and is not a hard climb, more like a spiral ramp.

I love Torcello, it is seldom crowded and was the original settlement. Beautiful mosaics in the church. Did not know that the campanile is now open, thanks, Peter.