Rome, Florence, Venice +-a few small towns?

Karyn, if you love churches and art, I have to recommend the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (Padova)! Depending on the train, it's a 20-25 min trip and costs about €6-15 2nd class, each way. Please do some research on it before getting there so the experience is more interesting and meaningful (as you should with ALL of your travel locations, in my oh-so-humble opinion!). Make reservations in advance; follow the directions on how to visit. And this little visit also does the good deed of getting you out of the Cruise-Ship-Invaded-Venice for a few hours during the daytime. Don't get me wrong; Venice is WONDERFUL and needs the 3 days/nights you've alloted it. But a quick trip out during the busy daytime hours is OK, too. And do roam around the 'back streets' and canals of Venice - get away from the crowds for a bit each day. Bring mono/binoculars for the Chapel and all of the other art!

Karyn...if you get tired of Florence while you are there, you can easily make a side trip to Siena and same in Venice you can visit Verona. We took the train from Venice to Bassano del Grappa while we there just for a change of pace. Cute little town and had a nice grappa tasting. Nice ceramics available there too if you are interested.

It all depends on the type of trip you want to have. You have to huge cities in London and Rome, along with Florence and Venice. I've done almost your exact itinerary before and loved it. If you want to spend some time in the Tuscan countryside, there are many bus/van tours leaving from Florence. You would have to borrow some time from another destination, but I think it would be well worth it.

OK, I think its down to Sienna or Orvieto (with Sienna taking the lead), for a possible overnight between Rome and Florence. New Thoughts?

Orvieto is 1 hour from Rome and sooooo amazing. I think its worth it, the Duomo if fabulious!

Karyn, if you're excited about churches/art, I'd suggest you consider Assisi. It's on a train line between Rome and Florence. The Basilica of St Francis is one of the most remarkable art works I've ever seen (if you like early Renaissance art), and there are a number of other churches that are also lovely (eg, San Damiano, the Basilica of St Clare, and the Eremo). Plus the town is beautiful and small/walkable (and quiet at night). I also found the cathedral at Orvieto to be amzing (did that as an easy day trip from Rome, about an hour, as I recall), but I liked the town of Assisi better. One other point: not sure when you're going, but Orvieto was largely closed down when I visited in Feb (although it meant I had the cathedral mostly to myself, which was wonderful).

For churches and art, I can suggest Ravenna, a treasure-trove of Byzantine churches with gorgeous mosaics. It's a little out of the way between Florence and Venice but since you're going to Venice, I think it's worth a stop.

When going from Florence to Venice, make a stop over in Milan. There is a luggage check-in at the train station. From the train station the metro will take you right to the main Duomo plazza, from there; Galleria, Sforza Castle and the Duomo's roof top. Then back on the train to Venice. Takes about four hours out of your train ride.

Karyn, with only 11.5 days, I'm not sure you'll have time for too many side trips. All of the places you mentioned are fantastic, but given your Itinerary one option would be to visit Rome, then take the train to Siena for one night (try to leave Rome as early as possible to maximize your time in Siena). The train station is at the bottom of the hill, so you'll have to take a Taxi or Bus up into town. ¶ From Siena take the BUS to Florence (it's very easy!) and then train to Venice. While in Venice you could possibly take one day for a trip to Padova. The short time frame somewhat limits the choices. Happy travels!

Hi Karyn - My friends and I did almost the same trip you have planned last year. Our 2nd day in Venice we took the train to Padua, exited the train station and a bus took us right to St. Anthony's Basilica. We did alittle sightseeing and took the train back to Venice, all in about half a day. While in Florence we booked a side trip to Cinque Terre, allow at least 8-10 hours for this trip as it is not that close but very easy to do. We also did a day trip to the Veranzano Castle for a wine tasting tour and we picked up the bus right around the corner from our hotel. The hotel staff were always very helpful with making our arrangements and directions. I think the main thing to consider is travel time; although it does give time to sit back and relax you have to consider how much time you'd like to spend in each city. We did Rome, Venice, Florence and Positano in 2 weeks and managed very well. Have a wonderful and safe trip and just enjoy!