need advice: 10 days in Italy, March 8 - 17

First of all, fly into Venice and out of Rome. This will eliminate backtracking. For hotels use venere.com. You can sort by date, budget and stars. Don't consider any other cities as you don't really have enough time for the three you mention. Take the train between cities. All of these cities are easily walkable so you won't need to worry about transport within the city. Grab a guide book to determine what it is you most want to see in each city. You lose at least half a day when you switch cities so you really don't have a lot of time in any of them.. This is why it's so important to make a list of what YOU consider important and not what other might consider the "must see's". My list might not be the same as yours so do the research. donna

I like Donna's suggestion. Fly into Venice and out of Rome. Lay out schedule adn prioritize what you want to see. If you have extra time in each city there are lots of day trips you can take. But I don't think you are going to have too much extra time so I would probably stay within the major cities you list. If you go to Italy just one time those are the ones you don't want to miss. Of course pick up the RS books and videos to help pick out the sites you want to see in each city

Thanks for responses. I already bought the round trip tickets San Antonio, TX to Rome. Will this change the dynamics of our travel?

The fast train from Venice to Rome is about 4 hours, much better than the all-day or overnight trains several years ago. I've used booking.com quite a bit for hotels, you might compare it with venere.com.

You really have only 8 non-air-travel days, so your suggested itinerary is ambitious. With jet lag, your arrival day in Rome will be a fuzzy blur while you get adjusted. So, say 2 additional days in Rome; train to Florence, another day in Florence, train to Venice, 2 additional days in Venice; train to Rome. And then fly home the next day. Phew! With some careful planning (i.e. making reservations in advance for the museums, tours, etc that are important to you), you can make this work.

Any suggestions re hotels? Rome / Florence / Venice, 4 people, $65-$125/day range, proximity to target places preferable..

Richard, First of all, is there any way you can change your flights and use open-jaw, inbound Venice and outbound Rome? In assessing the cost, be sure to factor in the time and money it will take you to get to Venice and then back to Rome for your return flight. If you can't change the flights, flying directly to Venice after arrival in Rome might be an option to consider (since you'll be at the airport anyway). You may find it very helpful to have a look at a copy of the Italy 2012 Guidebook (2013 edition will be released shortly). The book provides a lot of information that will not only help you plan sightseeing efficiently, but also details on Hotels, restaurants and transportation. Especially with transportation, there are some potentially expensive "caveats" you'll need to be aware of. You might also find it helpful to have a look at the Itinerary for the RS Venice / Florence / Rome 10-day tour (click the tab above). That may give you some ideas on ways to arrange your time. On the topic of Hotels in Rome, you'll get lots of suggestions. I prefer to stay in the Termini station area, since it's so convenient for transportation. With all of the cities you'll be visiting, I'd suggest pre-booking Hotels well in advance (although March shouldn't be too busy as Easter doesn't occur until March 31st). Good luck with your planning!

Since you arrive and depart Rome, it would be advisable to avoid splitting up your time in Rome. Either the aforementioned quick flight to Venice upon arrival in Rome, or the high speed train. Last December we arrived FCO, took the Leonardo Express to Termini, then the Frecciabianco to Venice. We were there by 2:30pm, having landed at FCO at 8:30am. If you go right to Venice you can do 3 nights there (March 9-10-11), then go to Florence (March 12-13) and finally Rome (March 14-15-16). It's awhirlwind, though. Personally, I'd drop Florence and extend my time in Venice and Rome if I only had that amount of time. Get a R.S. Guidebook and set your expectations to more expensive. If you can get an apartment you will save money on lodging, maybe on food. Try VRBO.com. Expect to pay €110-200 per night. You might get lucky with rates in March since Easter isn't until the 31st.

Renting apartments for 3 nights will be very, very time consuming. Not as quick as check in/check out of hotels. You need a copy of RS' Italy book, but keep in mind his budget picks can be a little rough around the edges.
I've had good luck with booking.com for better deals, but on that website, you need to "jump on" a good deal as it comes up, but hotels in Rome/Venice/Florence are not cheap!

I would suggest the same thing Ken mentioned..plan your trip around the RS Venice, Florence, Rome Tour. You will have to book your own hotels but
the itinerary should be helpful. Maybe you could look atstaying at some Monestaries to save money. You need to book soon.

I'm now more inclined to go straight to Venice once we arrive to Rome... I have research airfare pricing, one-way Rome to Venice around $170. Is the speed train a viable option or I just stick with flying to Venice?

The high speed train is definitely a viable option and more relaxing, IMO. A little nap on the train and you will be ready to go in Venice. It's also nice taht you will not need an airport transfer in Venice. The train staiton is central: walk out of the station and you are on the Grand Canal. Base fare 2nd class is €80 per person, plus you'll spend €14 pp on the Leonardo Express. When you arrive at FCO, you can buy your LE tickets and also your Venice segment. Grab some sandwiches and water at Termini and enjoy the countryside on your way to Venice.

Train is easier and cheaper for the trip to Venice. By the time you have taken half an hour of so to get to the airport, 2 hours before check in, 1:07 flight, time to get off and time to get to P. Roma in Venice it will take you nearly 5 hours. You can do the train in 4, you don't have to be there early, you will have a reserved seat, and you can get tickets as low as €9 if you plan well ahead and go for a non-changeable, non-refundable ticket like on the plane. I don't see how the plane even compares on that route.

What I am getting now is that if I (we) decide to travel via train (fast train or regular train, i will research if there's a difference or somebody can explain better :), should I purchase the train tickets well in advance? We will be arriving in FCO the morning in March.

Since it won't cost anything to ask, find out how much it would cost to change your tickets from ROME/Rome to arrive Venice and then depart Rome. As for trains, fast trains are fast, high speed bullet trains that don't have very many stops along the route. the other trains are slower trains that stop more frequently.