Recommendations for Post RS Italy Venice, Florence, Rome tour April 2025

How about coming in early before the tour? We did this tour precovid , and I had to admit we were exhausted afterwards. It a great tour, but with the early calls, (to wisely get into the museums before the crowds), and the leisurely late Italian dinners, we didn't have any energy left at the end.
Good Friday and Easter weekend do get very crowded, in all the Italian cities. If you can, avoid this weekend.
You will have a great time on this tour. Enjoy!

Agreeing with Pat. We flew into Milan a few days early, and took the train to Varenna on Lake Como. Then we took the train too Venice for the start of the tour. We were tired at the end of the tour and ready to get home. I guess you could do that at the end, just knowing Milan is an alternative airport.

Stan, Lake Como is a great idea, again at the beginning. I'm sure Lake Como will be fully booked Easter weekend, and that regional train will be SRO over the Easter holiday.

Thank you for the responses. I have planned to fly into Venice (not booked flights yet) and already reserved our room for 2 days prior to the beginning of the tour. Sounds like going home from Rome and not extending a couple of days will be best after the tour ends as it might be overwhelming. We are in great shape for over 65 and 70 but I understand large crowds can be exhausting. Now to decide if I want to go even earlier and fly into Milan?

Now beginning to think it would be just as good to still fly into Venice only a day or two earlier and plan a day trip from Venice.

Perhaps cost will dictate where you arrive. For some reason this year, flying into Venice has been much more expensive than flying into Milan. We just booked our May 2025 business class seats, and would prefer Venice, but decided on Milan instead, due to significant fare differences. And, going to Lake Como first is just so wonderful.

Google Flights can help you research flight prices. It's a great tool, and you can set up Alerts. Have a great trip!

We did this tour last October. It was so much fun!! We had a pre-tour night in Venice and then 2 post-tour nights in Rome. However, we were not up against Holy Week. I can't even imagine the crowds in Rome for those days. Plus, the Jubilee Year. Flying into Milan is probably a lot saner and, as pointed out above, cheaper option.

Good thoughts! Thank you. I have wanted to see Lake Cuomo. Would you recommend going there from Milan then to Venice? Is this doable?

Lake Como is easier to reach from Milan than from Venice, if you want to do it pre-tour flying into Milan is the better choice.

@SLHo7, arriving a few days before the tour starts is what we do. The tour ends in the morning. You could go stay at a hotel closer to the airport for another night.

Any recommendations for day trips from Venice? I am finding the flights are less expensive from ROC to Venice than to Milan. Better time frame options as well. If I book flights that give us 3 days before the tour we would then have time for a day trip I believe.

Padua is a perfect day trip from Venice

It’s a 30 minute train or bus ride.
If you go , be sure to reserve tickets to the Scrovegni Chapel with Giotto’s frescoes well in advance.. Basilica of Saint Anthony, University of Padua,and plenty of other sights for a full day trip.

After spending hours scouring flight schedules to Venice and Milan with multi-city searches I could not find one I felt comfortable with from our city that had sufficient layover times. I finally decided to take a nonstop roundtrip flight leaving from a neighboring city going directly into and out of Rome that arrives 4 days ahead of our tour start in Venice. And since we end in Rome we will easily fly directly out from there the day after the tour ends. This way we won't have any worries about too tight layover times and missing flights in between. Now we have the opportunity to spend 2 to 3 days going from Rome to Venice and explore in that region if we want to. Any suggestions for an in-between Rome and Venice place to visit and stay would be very welcome and highly appreciated. Thanks!!

Land in Rome and take train right to Orvieto for 2 nights
Then train to Venice for the next two
The tour doesn’t give you enough time in Venice -or Rome for that matter

Any suggestions for hotel in Orvieto?