Suggestions on 7 days in Italy

That's really tight, but if you guys are young (or young at heart), energetic, and willing to move fast and prioritize, I think it's do-able.

You say you want to really see Venice, Florence/Siena, and Rome. In that case, I would drop the Pisa idea. Fiesole may be doable as the other poster suggested, but I would probably go from Florence - Siena - Rome (by bus) and not add Lucca or another city. Do you have an early morning flight into Venice? Otherwise, you may want a later train to Florence on Monday, in case something goes wrong and you get to Italy later than anticipated.

Also, most museums in Florence (including, I believe, the Accademia with David) are closed on Mondays, which makes this a bit of a bust if that's your only interest. Given this, and the hassle of finding your hotel, checking in and out, etc., and I would suggest you consider NOT staying in Florence. Train from Venice to Florence early on Tuesday, store your luggage at the train station, go see David, collect your luggage and go to Siena. Get on the bus to Rome on Weds, and do Rome Weds, Thurs, Fri, and fly home from Rome.

Another thought...Is it possible to take a day trip from to Florence?

Thanks

If you really don't want to see much of Florence except for David, you could take a daytrip to Lucca or Pisa or Fiesole which is right outside of Florence.

You might want more time in Siena but it looks pretty good.

As Liz says, if David is your only reason to go to Florence, then do as she suggests. The Academia is about a 20 walk from the train station in Florence. From the train station, you come out the front, look for the Hotel Baglioni. It is across the plaza about 150 yards. You would walk right past the Hotel Baglioni with it on your left side. Then about 5 more blocks and turn left. The way is well marked.

The total time in the Academia, even on a guided tour, is about 2 hours, once inside.

Just be sure, by checking the web, that the Academia is open on the day and at the time you are visiting.

I kind of agree that Pisa is a bit out of the way. On the other hand, Florene to Siena and onto Rome is a straight shot.

John

Thanks everyone! I've added some more detail (with help from Rick's itenerarys. How does it look? Thanks

Day 2 – Arrive in Venice 2 nights

2 ish Check in at Hotel

3 ish Lunch

4 ish Nap

8:00 Dinner.

10:00 Enjoy the dueling orchestras with a drink on St. Mark's Square

Day 3 - Venice – Busy Day

9:00 Walk from St. Mark's Square to Frari Church, taking time to enjoy the Rialto market action.

11:00 Tour Frari Church.

12:00 Lunch near the Frari, then catch the vaporetto (boat) back to St. Mark's to wander and shop.

2:30 Correr Museum.

3:30 St. Mark's Basilica.

4:30 Doge's Palace.

6:00 Go up the Campanile bell tower for city view.

6:30 Commence pub crawl, eating dinner along the way.

8:00 Gondola ride. Note: what time is the latest for gondola ride?

Day 4 – To Florence 2 nights

10:00 to 12:30 Train Venice to Florence

2 ish Check into Hotel

3 ish Lunch

4:30 Uffizi Gallery

7:30 Dinner on or near Piazza della Signoria

Day 5 - Florence

8:30 Accademia

10:00 Renaissance Walk through town center, climb Giotto's Tower.

12:00 Bargello Museum lunch afterwards at Cantinetta dei Verrazzano

2:00 Shopping around San Lorenzo.

4:00 Train to Pisa

5:30 Tour Pisa

7:30 Train to Florence

9:00 Dinner

Day 6 – Rome 3 nights

Day 7 - Rome

Day 8 - Rome

Day 9 - Fly home

You've prioritized what you want to see, which is great. Haven't been to Venice, so I can't help much there other than to say your 3pm lunch plan is may involve panini or pizza in a cafe, as full-serve restaurants tend to close from about 3pm-7pm.

Florence: The Uffizi IS closed Mondays, so watch out for that in your timing. I'd still drop Pisa unless you just have your hearts set on it. Fiesole and even Lucca are closer, and you haven't left much space if things go wrong (trains are frequently late, your feet hurt, you have to drop off your shopping bags, etc.)

You didn't detail out Rome, but we had 3 nights (Tues, Weds, Thurs nights--left Fri) and what we did was the following:

Day 1: arrived, visited Santa Maria Vittoria, did Rick's Night Walk in reverse from Spanish Steps to Campo de Fiori, dinner.

Day 2: Colosseum, Palentine Hill, Forum. This took about til 2 or 3pm, grabbed a quick bite, then went to the Borghese Gallery for a 5pm reservation.

Day 3: Vatican & St. Peters, also climbed the dome. Finished about 4 or 5pm, and walked over to Trastevere to see the church and just wander around.

We also squeezed Trajan's Forum and St. Peters in Chains into our last morning there, as they were both fairly close to our hotel. Also, this was in November when it's easier to get around with less crowds, so you may not be able to cover as much ground.

Hope this helps your planning!

I think you'll be very glad you chose to spend more time in Florence. It is one of the world's great cities.

I would drop Pisa as well. Do you realize that once the train drops you off in Pisa you then have to take a bus to the Campo where the Tower is? You could take a taxi if you want to speed it up, but I bet those rides are expensive. Save Pisa for your next trip to Italy. :-)

Misty, even your revised Florence itinerary doesn't allow time for waiting in line! Even with reservations & advance tickets, where applicable, you aren't going to just breeze in the door. Also, you're on vacation, & you'll be on your feet a lot. Allow yourself time to just sit & people-watch. In Florence, you'll see lots of musicians & mimes & other entertainers in the piazzas.

misty,

The last Itinerary that you posted is reasonably good, however I have to agree with some of the others in dropping Pisa. If you're just going to see the Tower, I'd plan that for a future visit (as Rick says "assume you will return").

Your last Itinerary has some fairly precise "timing" for visiting each of the sites (especially in Venice), but you'll probably find that things don't quite work that precisely in reality.

I'd highly recommend packing along a copy of the Italy Guidebook, as it's excellent reference on things like Museum opening & closing hours, which day's they're closed, admission prices, etc. In order to minimize queue's at the Museums in Florence, reservations would be a really good idea! Your Hotel may be willing to arrange that for you.

Given the very short time frame of this trip, I'd focus on Venice, Florence & Rome, with the most emphasis on Rome as there's so MUCH to see. You might find it very helpful to have a look a the Itinerary of Venice, Florence & Rome tours on this website. Although these are configured for a 10-day trip, you should be able to adjust the timing down to 7-days without too much trouble.

Good luck and happy travels!

You're right, it's a lot in a short period of time. In fact, way too much in my opinion. I think that you'll find that you'll spend much more time on public transportation, i.e. busses, trains, boats, etc. than you want to and less time seeing what you really came to see. Please consider the following.

1) Spend Monday-Wednesday nights in Florence. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is not packing and unpacking every day.

Take day trips to Pisa by train and Siena (all day bus tour from Florence that also includes San Gimignano), and spend at least a full day in Florence. The statue of David in incredible, as are other things at Academia, but it is far from the only attraction in Florence Once you're there you will realize it. You can simply not miss the Doumo which you will see from the train station, because it is massive and towers over the entire city, and the Baptistry in front of it is a whole different wonder in itself. Climb the 478 steps to the top of the Dome and see all of Tuscany from there. The Uffizi Gallery holds the only known easel painting of Michelangelo called the Holy Family, as well as other wonderful art. The museums will require advanced planning to avoid long lines.

2) We did 2 1/2 days in Rome and barely scratched the surface, then four nights in Florence with side trips. In retrospect would have traded one night in Florence for one in Rome and it would have been perfect. It looks as though you're trying to squeeze a little too much into a short period of time. You might also consider skipping Pisa and making another trip in a few years that includes Pisa, the Cinque Terre, Milan and Lake Como. I promise that you will start planning your next trip within a few days after you get there. Good luck.

Hi Misty: Your post makes me smile. I sense your eager anticipation (I think that is one of the great things about a trip…the anticipation) and your thorough planning. Additionally, I also respect your queries from experienced travelers.

While I surely do not hold myself out as an expert, I agree wholeheartedly with others in that, Pisa is less important than spending more time in Florence; one of the GREATEST cities in the world. Further, please do not schedule yourself as to set yourself up for a trip which is too rushed. Enjoy the culture, mingle with the locals, make new pals and savor the experience.

Lastly, may I suggest the PBS home video, THE MEDICI-Godfathers of the Renaissance. It provides EXCELLENT information on the history of Florence.

Have a fabulous time Misty.

Thank you so much!!! It seems like the majority is saying not to see Pisa. I guess I was trying to squeeze in Pisa, because it's "Pisa". But I do plan on going back to Italy one day and to the Riveria, so maybe I'll do pisa then.

I still need to more research. There will probably be more post from me :-)

Thank you all for your input.