Thoughts on a 3 week Itenerary

You are taking on a lot of locations. Do yourself a favor and rent the car as you leave Venice and turn it in down the line. (You won't need it in Monterosso.) The mountains are best seen from an automobile.

I think the beginning of this route would be hard by train. Venice to Bolzano at about 3.5 hours on the train...not bad. Bolzano to Varenna at 5 hours with 2 train changes. Varenna to Monterosso at 4.5 hours and 1 change. Monterosso to Florence at 2.5 hours and 1 change.

I guess it's workable, just a little rushed. Your kids aren't too young so they should be up to the transit days. If you're sold on all these cities, you can probably do it. Keep in mind that you don't see much of a town for a 2 night stay, but your 2 night stays are smallish places.

One other thing: I have picked carefully amongst the train connections between cities to get the shortest ones. There are trains that work out to be much longer so make sure you choose the quickest routes.

You've picked some nice locations. For input - I would pick a different location in the Dolomites. There's some lovely, quaint villages in the Dolomites vs. Bolzano. We loved our time in Moena, and I know several posters like the Ortesei & Val de Gardena area, too.

We travel solely by trains & the occasional bus. Italy's easy to travel by train, and we enjoy being able to relax between locations & ready to go when we arrive. Enjoy your trip!

Your itin will certainly keep u on the go .
While i love varenna, not sure if your children can enjoy peace and tranquility of lake
They may find it too quiet and low key.
The places u are visiting are a blockbuster of sights.
But if u are happy with long distances and quick sight seeing in dolomites, ct, lake como then
You are set.

I haven't been to Sardinia, but all the other areas you plan to visit are great. And they're varied, so I see why you're having trouble trimming them.

I enjoyed Bolzano a lot last July, but I think getting up into the Dolomites is the major reason to go to the Sud Tirol, and you've only got one day to do that. I think that area could be a highlight for your teenagers, assuming the weather is suitable for some walking. It's painful because I really like the Italian Lakes, but I'd be inclined to cut Varenna and shift that time to Bolzano.

Aside from its attractive architecture, Bolzano is a convenient bus-transportation hub for trips up into the mountains, so I chose to stay there rather than in one of the higher-altitude places. I think it's a practical choice, because it allows for alternative destinations (like Verona) if you hit weather so bad that mountain walks aren't practical.

I agree with David on travel through the Dolomites. Rent a car as you leave Venice. The drive through Cortina d Ampezzo and across the Great Dolomite Road is spectacular. And as Jane said, stay in the Val Gardena area. Its beautiful. We were in this area in late May and though there was still snow on the ground in places, the weather was good enough to do some hiking (see Compatch/Seiser Alm). We stayed at the Zum Wolf Hotel in Castlerotto and thought it was a good value in a good location for exploring the area. After your stay, you could then drop your car off in Bolzano and train to Varenna.

Venice stay is a great start, Florence and Sardegna are set. Wish you had more time in Rome, though.

I think you have too many two night stays, and the Dolomites can be a highlight for the family, although May is a bit early. I agree with the response above that Varenna is unlikely to thrill your young people.

I recommend dropping Varenna, adding a night each to the Dolomites and Cinque Terre. Go to Ortisei, not Bolzano. A car is not necessary. We go there every year by train and bus. Once there you can ride lifts to all sorts of magnificent scenery and hiking, and your lodging will give you a pass for the bus between the little towns while you are there, including your return to Bolzano for the ongoing train. By having three nights and two full days, you will increase your chances of good weather. Let me know if you need help with the buses, but it is easy to take one from Bozano to Ortisei and sssooooo worth the trip!

Thank you all for your insights. Varenna was the place I was thinking of dropping.