SUGGESTIONS ON MY ITINERARY 46 NIGHTS IN ITALY

RENA IS THERE A REASON YOU ARE SHOUTING? DO YOU NEED ALL YOUR ANSWERS IN CAPITAL LETTERS?

ARE THE ADDITIONAL PLACES THERE FOR A REASON? WHAT ARE YOUR NEEDS AND DESIRES?

It's thankfully becoming more and more rare to come across ALL CAPS postings on travel boards. It is indeed considered shouting.

Also, there's this, from Wikipedia: Studies have been conducted on the readability and legibility of all caps text. Some 20th-century scientific testing indicates that all caps text is less legible and less readable than lower-case text. The typographer Colin Wheildon has stated that there is an "apparent consensus" that lower-case text is more legible.

Sorry - no intention to shout. My eyesight is poor - torn retina in right eye left some damage - and it is easier for me to function in larger print. That said, my original post spoke to the allocation of the time spent in Italy and whether the itinerary seemed well organized for an outstanding experience.

OK, now to your itinerary.

Why are you ending in Milan, if you fly out of Venice?
Get to Milan before Verona, if you can't fly out of Milan.
If you must fly out of Venice, end in Venice, period.

That brings up an issue with Ferrara/Ravenna:

First of all, invert your allocation of nights, with more time devoted to Ravenna - you will really want more time to see the Byzantine mosaics properly. Since you have that much time in Italy, it would be silly to skimp on time here; especially since you are interested enough to fit it in your itinerary.

Second, plan for it before Venice, ie: Verona to Ravenna (probably with a train connection in Bologna) - to Ferrara - to Venice.

In your time allocated to Tuscany, add a couple of nights to spend in Lucca. It's easy to get to by bus or train from Florence and it's a 25 minutes bus ride to Pisa for an easy day trip.

As for Milan, I was happy with a day trip. So in your case, a simple overnight should suffice, before you head for Verona.

There is a handy hop-off, hop-on bus for seeing all the major sites relatively effortlessly. Make sure that you have pre-booked an appointment to see the Last Supper - this detail is absolutely essential if it's your main reason to include Milan!

IF YOU NEED CAPS I WILL COMPLY HAPPILY. THAT'S WHY I ASKED.

MOST PEOPLE FIND IT EASIER TO FLY INTO VENICE AND OUT OF ROME. VENICE IS A VERY GOOD PLACE IN WHICH TO GET OVER JETLAG, AN EASY INTRODUCTION TO ITALY, AND FLIGHTS TO THE USA FROM VENICE (BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO CONNECT ELSEWHERE BEFORE CROSSING THE OCEAN) TEND TO BE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING. WE GET LOTS OF QUESTIONS HERE FROM PEOPLE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET FROM THEIR HOTEL IN VENICE TO THE AIRPORT AT 5 OR 6 IN THE MORNING. I DO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PLANNED ROME BUT YOU MAY FIND DOING VENICE LAST QUITE INCONVENIENT.

DO YOU INTEND TO DO YOUR DAY TRIP TO MILAN FROM VENICE? THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE WIDTH OF ITALY AT ITS WIDEST POINT. NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO START ORGANIZING YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR THE LAST SUPPER BECAUSE THEY GO ALMOST AS SOON AS THEY ARE PUT ON SALE.

I AGREE THAT I'D SWAP RAVENNA AND FERRARA, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU LIKE THE SAME THINGS I DO.

I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO A DAY TRIP TO BOTH MANTOVA AND PADOVA IN ONE DAY FROM VERONA. THEY ARE ON COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TRAIN LINES. VERONA IS WELL WORTH PLENTY OF TIME. MANTOVA IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN ITALY I REALLY DIDN'T MUCH CARE FOR, NOR THE PALACE I WENT TO SEE.

YOU HAVE LEFT OUT MY FAVOURITE CITY IN ITALY, VICENZA. BUT MAYBE YOU LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS TO ME.

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR PLANNING...

Your itinerary suggests you appreciate art, so while you are in Venice, I recommend a day trip to Padova to see the Giotto frescoes and the Church of the Eremitani (next door).

WE WOULD SPEND THE TIME IN RAVENNA RATHER THAN FERRARA. IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE AND THE MOSAICS ARE SPECTACULAR. WE WOULD NEVER HAVE GONE THERE EXCEPT FOR RICKS SUGGESTIONS IN HIS BOOK AND WE ARE SO GLAD WE DID. IF YOU CAN MAKE IT TO LAKE COMO AT THE END OF YOUR ODYSSEY, IT IS SO PEACEFUL AFTER THE HECTIC PACE OF THE CITIES. WE STAYED IN VERENNA BEFORE HEADING TO MILAN TO TAKE A FLIGHT HOME. IT WAS WONDERFUL.
HAVE A GREAT TRIP.

I'M NO EXPERT BUT, I WOULD PREFER TO SAVE ROME FOR LAST.

Rena, have you considered adjusting your monitor so that all the text is easier to read?

Hi Rena, I'd just like to add- as Nigel says, I couldn't visit both Padua and Mantua in one day either. Both are a good walk from the train station to the parts you'll want to visit. And they both have lots worth seeing.
And don't forget to take some warm clothing, it can be chilly.
Best wishes, Maggie

INSTEAD OF A DAY TRIP TO POMPEII THINK ABOUT A COUPLE DAYS IN NAPLES AND VISIT POMPEII FROM THERE. THE ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM IS NOT TO BE MISSED.

RENA, I AGREE WITH PREVIOUS WRITERS THAT PUTTING MILAN AT THE END OF THE TRIP AS AN EXCURSION FROM VENICE IS REALLY INCONVENIENT. ALSO, WITH TWO WEEKS AVAILABLE IN ROME, I WOULD SUGGEST TAKING SOME OF THOSE DAYS TO DO A TWO NIGHT TRIP TO NAPLES. BECAUSE MOST FLIGHTS FROM PHL TO ROME ARRIVE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR ROME HOTEL ROOM UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY. HOW ABOUT THIS REVISION: THE MORNING YOU ARRIVE IN ITALY, TAKE THE TRAIN TO NAPLES. BY THE TIME YOU ARRIVE, YOU CAN PROBABLY CHECK INTO YOUR HOTEL. THEN USE THE AFTERNOON TO VISIT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM AND/OR EXPLORE NAPLES. ALLOCATE THE NEXT DAY TO HERCULANEUM AND POMPEII. LEAVE THE THIRD MORNING TO BEGIN YOUR TIME IN ROME.

I just can't do the all caps thing. Sorry. I need to back up.