Should I book ahead?

Evie, only you can decide what are your must see's. I would suggest getting a good guide book to help you determine what is of interest to you. There must be some reason you picked these areas. That is the place to start. Donna

You must see Italy. After that it is your choice. The ONLY advantage or reason to book online is the potential discounts but that then locks you into a specific schedule. If you miss a train the ticket is worthless. Trains in Italy rarely if ever sell out. Seldom are lines more than one or two at the tickets machines and lines are mostly short at ticket windows. We normally we buy our tickets a day or two before IF we know our schedule at that point.

True. Only you can determine your "must see"s. I suggest you buy the RS books for Rome, Venice and Florence/Tuscany. They're worth their weight in gold. And yes, there are lots of things you should book in advance, either online or by calling ahead. What they are depends on what you decide to do. Happy travels.

If you're going to the "big 3," Rome, Florence, and Venice, I'd suggest booking ahead for the most popular museums. I'm headed to Tuscany (Siena, Florence), Venice, Rome, and then the Dolomites in a couple of weeks. The only museum I have booked in advance is the Uffizi. I've already experienced the long waits in mid-summer and this was the one must-see that I just didn't wait in line for last time. I learned my lesson. Since you're going in the fall, you may be okay without advanced bookings.

Rome-Coliseum, Pantheon (church), Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Vatican museum if you like museums, consider a tour...walk around...oh, and gelato at least twice a day! Venice-St Mark's Basilica, listen to the dueling orchestras at the cafe's in the square, Rialto area, walk walk walk. Doges Palace is nice if you like museums, next to Basilica. Did I say walk? And at night too, Venice at night is something special and I felt safe doing it alone. Tuscany-see Rick's book about his opinion on the hill towns, but sometimes you need a car. I liked Volterra, Sienna, Lucca and if you want to hit the Leaning Tower-Pisa. Eat eat eat What are you days?

I'd book the Vatican Museum, Borghese Gallery and the Coliseum Underground first thing in the morning when it's cool. You can get your hotel to help book reservations. In Venice, use the RS tip to check your backpack and SKIP the lines at St. Mark's.

You should definitely book ahead for Florence museums if you want to see them -- it'll save you hours of waiting (no exaggeration). I'd say the Uffizi is a "must see" in Florence if you are at all moved by art. Get a good guide book vs. signing up for a guided tour. Mathew