My 10 day Itinerary

I think it is nice. More time in Venice would be nice, but you don't have it, and certainly you need all the nights you have in Rome. My only caveat would be that the driver needs to be rested after the flight and someone needs to be aware enough to help navigate to your Tuscan retreat. A GPS unit is helpful, to say the least, in Tuscany, but a passenger paying attention is essential in my experience.

We are doing the same with my parents in April. They are also in their 70s and in moderate health. It is unlikely for them to return to Italy again. We are flying into Venice and out of Rome and will rely on train and bus, with a one day tour in Tuscany.

Venice 3 nights - we will play it by ear whether to go to Burano or not
Siena 3 nights - with one day for val d'orcia
Rome 3 nights - with so little time we are skipping the Vatican Museum, but will visit St. Peter's basilica.

It would be nice ot have more time, but dh cant take more time off.

That sounds like a great trip Shirley. Ideally I would of liked to been able to fly home from Venice but we were able to get round trip airline tickets into and out of Rome for $420 round trip so you can pass that up! :). Have a great trip!

Why not head to Venice on the day you land. Your first day is mostly a waste, so head from ( Edit. Put in the wrong end point.) FCO-Venezia SL. There's an easy regional connection from the airport to Tiburtina station then the fast train to Venice. Time is 4:38 with a 15m connection time. This would allow some down time on the train to take a nap or just relax. You'd have an additional evening in Venice wake up ready to visit this wonderful city. It then gives you 2 full days in Venice.

Rent your car in Venice as you leave to drive to Tuscany. Then end in Rome.

I, too, don't like the idea of driving from Rome to Tuscany right after a transatlantic flight. The driving time alone will probably be over 3 hours, and that's after you've cleared the airport and dealt with the rental-car agency. I think the idea of biting the bullet and going on to Venice by train is a good one. (I'd suggest Florence if you didn't plan to stay in rural Tuscany.) But there is the always-tricky issue of figuring out what train you can safely catch. There are Frecce running approximately hourly [should have specified that this is from Termini Station downtown], though most require one change. With four tickets hanging on the line, you'd need to be conservative in guessing how soon you could be on a train heading north.

Another option would be to stay in Rome on your first night.

Bob, that too would work, but as acraven said by "biting the bullet" it would give the OP an additional full day in Venice.

Thanks for everyones input. Luckily another flight deal came along this afternoon within my 24 hours of booking and I was able to change my flight.

We now are Flying into Venice on October 1st and Flying out of Rome on October 10th. Either way I feel like I gain almost a full day plus save on one train trip.

PS. now is a great time to be traveling. 4 round trip tickets for $1700 flying out of two different airports is awesome in my book

David, It's terrific an into Venice/out of Rome itinerary worked out for you! Watch out for the ZTLs and speed cameras in Tuscany. Many recent posts about those.

That's an incredible price, and it's wonderful to "find" an extra day like that.

I am so happy for you! It's so much nicer to fly into Venice directly after a long flight. I know my mom wouldnt be able to handle more than that.

Have a wonderful trip with your parents!