Revised Itinerary

Diana,
This is oh so much better.

Suggestions... check the weather for a trip to CT. For trips into Tuscany, try this provider.

https://www.getyourguide.com/-l32/-tc104/?cmp=ga&campaign_id=111694542&adgroup_id=10549947822&target_id=kwd-310176472440&loc_physical_ms=1016367&match_type=e&ad_id=192226028760&keyword=florence%20italy%20wine%20tours&ad_position=1t4&feed_item_id=&placement=&partner_id=CD951&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItJzsqIew2AIVEsRkCh2ZrQ5OEAAYBCAAEgIEl_D_BwE

The 6.5 hour tour of chianti is very good big bus tour.

This one is a mini bus of the same.

https://www.getyourguide.com/florence-l32/tuscany-wine-trail-full-day-guided-tour-t19003/?referrer_view_id=a3342bdb1242225bd12ffd13f293d2e1&referrer_view_position=11

If you plan on Naples/Pompeii take a night or two from Rome and stay in Naples.

Have a great time

Good job, much better! You might consider fewer nights in Florence which, although in Tuscany, doesn’t give you the total picture as it’s urban. Three and three nights or two and four nights, Florence and another hotel in Tuscany, Radda or Panzano in Chianti or Pienza or Siena farther south in Tuscany.

Even though I didn't comment on your original post, I agree that this is a much better itinerary. Less rushing around.

In Venice we stayed at this family hotel: Ca'Angeli http://www.caangeli.it/

For Rome, you may want an apartment. We stayed here, in Trastevere, a few years ago: https://www.vrbo.com/293253
I also recently bookmarked this apartment in Trastevere, although I have not stayed here: https://www.vrbo.com/158065

You are only in your mid-50s (as am I) -- you'll be back to visit the other places you want to see -- Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, etc. Just like the rest of us, you'll be hooked.

Enjoy your trip!

DD

Good job, much better! You might consider fewer nights in Florence which, although located in Tuscany, doesn’t give you the total picture as it’s urban. Three and three nights or two and four nights, Florence and another hotel in Tuscany, Radda or Panzano in Chianti or Pienza or Siena farther south in Tuscany. Rent a car as you’re leaving Florence, and each day visit a couple of different towns. Being on a tour for only one day to “see” Tuscany would be so frustrating! Rent the car through www.autoeurope.com, a broker located in the US.
A night in Naples with a visit to Pompeii would be great too. All of this can be done on trains. A day trip would be a lot to do but possible. You could tour Naples one day and Pompeii the. Ext, not all on the same day which would be overwhelming for me.
If you decide to stay overnight, I recommend Palazzo Alabardieri near the waterfront in Naples, nice neighborhood, great walks along the Bay of Naples on the Lungomare.
A beautiful day trip from Rome, not far away, is Tivoli Gardens and Hadrian’s Villa.

Diana,

This itinerary looks much more manageable to enjoy your time there vs. moving between so many locations.
If you don't end up going to Pompeii, be sure to see Ostia Antica in Rome. We enjoyed spending several hours walking through it, and it's very easy to reach by metro/train.

I'd probably take a night from Florence and add it to Venice (given that your arrival night is your first night there anyway, so that first day is mostly shot). There are lots of day trips you can do from Venice if you are bored, easy to do by train (e.g. Verona, Padua, Trieste). You should be able to book regional trains last minute (same cost as booking early) so you can be spontaneous. If you have enough to keep you busy in Venice, just stay there.

You might also consider stopping in Bologna for a few hours for a meal and a quick walk around. Your train from Venice to Florence will pass through anyway. Get off the train, leave your bags at the station...and take a taxi (or walk) into the center, find a restaurant, then return and catch the next train to Florence. But this will be a reserved train, not a regional most likely, so you'll need to book in advance to save money or pay (presumably expensive) last-minute fares.

Much, much better, Diana! Well done! You're going to have a MUCH less hectic trip + more flexibility to work around weather and other fastballs which may be thrown at you. I wouldn't change a thing.

Thanks for the updated plan; I was worried about you! :O)

I suggest taking the last two nights from Florence and spending them in Monterosso or another town in the CT. From Monterosso or La Spezia it is a 4 hour train trip to Rome. Day trips from Florence to CT are not practical as travel will eat up hours. In April the CT is not yet in full resort mode, but still nice (and maybe less crowded.)

From Monterosso or La Spezia it is a 4 hour train trip to Rome....Day
trips from Florence to CT are not practical as travel will eat up
hours.

While it does take some time to get to the CT from Florence, with a longer stay there they'd have the flexibility to at least choose a dry, sunny day for a day trip. The CT is not a lot of fun in the rain, and especially not for hiking...which is what she'd previously expressed an interest in for a single full day/2 night stay there.

We've a friend who only had one day there and it poured buckets. Not a big deal, maybe, if hiking isn't in the plan but can otherwise throw a wrench in an outdoor plan. We planned 3 nights in the CT to give us at least a 50-50 chance of one dry hiking day, and it's good that we did as a train strike ate up most of arrival day!

There is a daily 7:36 AM train from Firenze Campo di Marte station direct to La Spezia that takes only 1 hour, 35 minutes: no longer than a fast train from Florence to Rome, or the time it takes from Rome to Pompeii. And it's inexpensive. From La Spezia it's mere minutes by train to the nearest of the CT villages (Riomaggiore), and very few minutes by train to cover the 7 miles between Riomaggiore and Monterosso (the most northernly village) and the 3 villages in between.

Going back to Florence, there a daily train that leaves La Spezia at 20:03 and arrives at Firenze Campo Di Marte 1 hour and 37 minutes later.

While I'd absolutely agree that it's a long day to do either the CT from Florence or Pompeii from Rome, choosing the day based on favorable weather may be preferable to relocating 4 people for one day and having Mother Nature decide to be uncooperative. :O)

I agree with Suki, do split your time in Tuscany. Three in Florence, with the wine tour I mentioned previously.
Then rent a car for your remaining days.

Here are a few places we have stayed and continue to return to.

In Castellina.
http://www.collelungo.com/en/

In Greve.
http://www.verrazzano.com/en/agriturismo/

In Rapale/Arezzo.
http://www.borgorapale.it

All are wonderful and afford great day trips.

You could keep the car and stop at Villa d'este in Trivoli on your way
to Rome, dropping the car at the Tiburtina station and taking the train into Rome.

Edit: wonderful winery. Well worth a stop for their tasting lunch.
http://www.vignamaggio.com/en/attivita/degustazioni-visite-guidate/

Your revised plan is much more manageable. The only suggestion is to remove one night from Florence and add it Venice. Nothing wrong with Florence or that area of Italy, it's just that having only three full days in Venice is shortchanging it a bit. If you day trip from Rome to Naples / Pompeii, get an early start and plan on a late return. It will be a loooong day.

If you really want to see Pompeii, why not consider an overnight? Getting from Rome to Naples and then to Pompeii and back would be too much for me in a single day. That wouldn’t really leave any time for the Archaeological Museum in Naples. In April, I think you could safely decide on the spot and secure a hotel room.

In April, I think you could safely decide on the spot and secure a
hotel room.

"On the spot" means they would need to give up their hotel rooms in Rome prior to making that decision - possibly in the middle of their stay - bringing their luggage with them and finding a new hotel. Then re-booking a hotel on their return to Rome. Or keeping the Rome hotel, bringing just a change of clothing and paying double for one night (Rome + Pompeii).

In most cases, you can't cancel your hotel reservation at the last minute and expect a refund.