One Week in One Tuscan City?

I should add that I am a teacher of history.. and that even though I wrote "Tuscan", it can be any northern Italian city! Thanks

For Tuscany, certainly Florence with day trips to the rest of Tuscany by bus and train.

For Veneto I would split between Venice (2-3 nights) and Verona (3-4 nights). Venice is worth at least a couple of nights, but it doesn't make a good base, because hotels there are very expensive and one should use them only for Venice not for visiting cheaper areas outside and also Venice is hard to get out of, unless your hotel is near the station. Verona is a good base for visiting also Lake Garda, Valpolicella wine country, Vicenza and Padua (although Padua is really close to Venice also). If you rent a car in Verona you might even venture out for a drive through the Dolomites mountains.

Since you fly in and out of Milan, Lombardy is also an option, especially if you like lakes (Lake Maggiore, Lake Como). Milan, Pavia and Bergamo are interesting towns to visit too.

Thanks for the ideas.. I actually have spent 2 days in Venice several years ago and to be honest, I don't think I need to ever return (so I guess I was north of Rome!).. Not the best experience. I am leaning toward Florence, because we will be there in the off season ( Feb.) and I hope that there will be fewer tourists.. Any advice on 2 day trips? Thanks!

Several ideas on Tuscany's getaways can we gathered here:
http://www.borghiditoscana.net/eng/index.html

Regarding your bad feelings about Venice, my policy when I travel is that I will never let one bad experience influence my opinion about anything, whether it's people or places. Sometimes we happen to meet the wrong people at the wrong time in the wrong place. But nobody and nothing will ever be so powerful to influence my opinion of a place or of people so strongly. When I have a bad experience somewhere, I give that place a second chance, and then a third chance. I always discover that my bad experience the first time was just a fluke.

"If you could do this, which would it be? "

For me it would be Florence, hands down. I've been twice, once as a daytrip from Montecatini Terme and once for 2 days. I'd love to go back for a week and settle in and day trip to other Tuscan towns by train/bus from there.

Thanks once again Roberto.. I have traveled a lot and I agree with you about second chances.. Venice was lovely and great to look at, but such a crush of tourists that I felt like I was in Disney world.. Anyway,. maybe someday I will stop by again.. but now I am looking for a new esxperience! Thanks for the website link, too.

The most important piece of information about your travel is buried in one of your responses - You'll be there in February. As in next month. I suggest you edit your title to include a mention of February as that hugely influences where people might recommend. I'm a HUGE fan of Verona, but have only visited it in May. Good luck.

Florence makes the most sense. If you have bad weather there is lots to do indoors. Daytrips are easy since it's a transportation hub.

I would choose Florence or Verona. If you are talking about doing this next month you might quickly see what you can find in whatever city you choose. At this late date, finding an apartment for a week might be a challenge. Or who knows, it might be easy and you can get it cheap!