Can you clarify: you say 2 weeks, but your itinerary says Venice 2 days, Rome 3 days, Athens 3 days = 8 days?

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I do mean 2 weeks with stops in those cities and any place else that makes sense.Thank you.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm assuming you're first time visitors to Italy. Popular destinations in Italy, in addition to Venice and Rome, include Florence (in between Venice and Rome), and the Amalfi Coast.

of days: First timers seem to spend 3 to 4 full days in Rome, thus if your 3 days in Rome is not 3 full days, you might want to add a day there. First timers seem to allocate an average of 2 full days to Florence. The # of days in the Amalfi Coast varies depending on interests and # of destinations seen (it's a large area).

You can get more ideas at this link

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/italy_menu.htm

Thanks Kent. Yes we are first time visitors to Italy. We wet our whistle by going to France and Spain the past May. So we want to plan and save for our next trip! What do you think of Capri? Would that be a viable inclusion for this kind of trip? Athens is just an option, not a necessity so we can do more in Italy.

Capri is commonly and easily done as a day trip by travelers sleeping in Sorrento. Sorrento is probably the single most popular "home base" for first-time Italy visitors who are on this forum and who choose to spend time in the area that's generally referred to as the "Amalfi coast."

About Athens: I have no recommendation on that, one way or the other.

Athens is a world class and worthwhile destination; however, including it in this trip will obviously use up time that could otherwise be spent in Italy, including the significant travel time and transportation cost to get to Athens.

But on the other side of the issue, when you're already in Rome, you're obviously a lot closer to Athens than you are in California (I mean, if you made Greece a separate trip in the future). Many who go to Athens also do other locations in Greece. If there's a reason why you're primarily interested in Athens but not other areas in Greece, that might tip the balance in favor of including it in this trip.

In the end, I guess you could say that decision is a matter of personal preference and cost.

Thanks Kent, I apprciate your input!

Hi Gonzy,

Since this is your first trip to Italy I'd just stick with one country and save Greece for another trip. Here's my suggestion but there are lots of ways to do this trip!

• Venice (2-3 nights)
  
• Siena (3 nights)--take a day trip from there to Florence.
• Orvieto (2 nights)
• Rome (3 nights)--Fly home from Rome.

If you can add more days from Rome, stay in Sorrento and daytrip to Capri (we found Capri to be beautiful but very touristy.) A bus trip to Positano would be exciting too!

Enjoy the planning and have fun in your travels!