Venice, Florence and Rome itinerary help

That seems really jam packed to me. Believe me, I love a structured trip but this feels REALLY structured with no room for error or surprises. However, with the right crew this is totally doable.

I agree its too much. If I were you I would cut out one of the three cities or even two and really do one thoroughly. If it were me I would choose Florence.

shira you can't get to Florence that quickly. It is at least 2 hours on the train, on the fastest ones.

Shira, if you and your cousin want to get from VENEZIA S. LUCIA to FIRENZE (Florence) on 13 August by 2:00 PM (14:00), you would have to catch either the 10:25 Frecciargento 9419 train, which would put you in Firenze at 12:30, or the 11:25 Frecciargento 9423 train, which would put you in Firenze at 13:30. Current listed fare at Trenitalia.com is €58 per ticket.

Your itinerary is like a marathon at a dead run. Slow down...a leisurely pace of life is part of what attracts people to Italy. You may find that you need a day to kick back and do nothing to regroup and you have no down time planned. Adagio-slowly. Less is more. As a rule of thumb, it takes 1/2 day to check out of a hotel, take the train, find a new hotel in a strange city, and then check-in. Also, the new trains are fast, but they do not fly and you must work around their schedule. Buon viaggio,

4 nights in Rome is fine. But 1 night in Florence and in Venice each is a crime. Choose Venice or Florence for a total of 2 nights for that one city and 4 nights in Rome.

Hi all Thanks for the advice. We have already bought train tickets and got places to sleep. Train from venice to florence is at 1pm arriving at 3pm And from Florence to Rome at 3 arriving at Rome at 4:30. We know taht is a short time in Venice and Florence and a lot to do but we wanted to stop there before getting to Rome. Can you guys tell me good cheap places to eat... if there anything that we can take off the schedule and change it for something else or just take it out..
Thanks again

I Fratellini, a sandwich shop near the Piazza della Signoria right across from the Orsanmichele church, in Florence, is really good and very cheap, only E2.50 for a sandwich E3.00 if you have truffles. At least those were the prices last October. Its very popular too though so expect lines.

In Florence, from Accademia you are close to the Florence Market which is full of cheap places to eat, and pretty interesting in itself.

Cheap eats in Florence (in no particular order): 1. Inside the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo (da Nerbone, also many delis that can make you sandwiches). 2. Outside the Mercato Centrale there is a truck that makes "Lampredotto" sandwiches. Lampredotto is a Florentine specialty. It's a sort of tripe made with the 4th stomach (last one) of the cow. 3. All'antico vinaio (behind Piazza Signoria, on via de' Neri), also Trattoria Anita and Icche c'e' c'e' are in the same area. 4. I'Pizzacchiere (under the porta San Miniato city gate, near the Rifrullo birreria). If you walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, it's on the way. 5. Pizzeria O'Vesuvio (via de' Cimatori, near pza Signoria. Also another lampredotto place is near, in via de cerchi at the corner with via dante. 6. La Mescita di Vini (via degli Alfani at the corner with via de' Servi, near the Accademia)
7-Sabatino (next to the San Frediano city gate, maybe a little out of the way in San Frediano). I'll stop here, I know too many.

first thing I would do is cut the gondola ride. expensive and the canals are going to be very, very crowded. instead, take the vaporetto after dark from one end to the other of the Grand Canal. get on at the bus parking lot (above the train station) so you can sit at the front of the boat for the best views. it's long, leisurely and so relaxing after long day you've had. check out Rick's tip about getting in to San Marco - that will save you a couple of hours at least! Lunch??? who has time for lunch in Venice? just grab a pannini along the way.

You have a total of six nights scheduled for Italy. I would have done: 1 night in Venice. But I would have departed for Florence with a later train (the last one is at about 7:30pm) on the second day. That way you would have a few more hours in Venice. Right now you have one half day and one morning (if that). Landing at 9:00am at Marco Polo, doesn't mean you'll have the morning available to visit anything. By the time you deplane and make it across the lagoon from the airport to your hostel, it will be lunch time. Also if you have a train at 1pm, you don't have too many hours in the morning. Ditch the gondola ride. 2 nights in Florence. Depart to Rome in the PM of the last day. Basically one evening+one full day+one half day. 3 nights in Rome. Basically one evening+2 full days+one morning (if your flight to Madrid is late). In two days you can do a lot. The historical center (Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon) can be done in the evenings before and after dinner, to save time. Vatican and the Roman ruins (Forum, Palatine, Colosseum) must be done during the day because those sights close earlier.

I am going to be in Rome that week too and I think you are going to have to reverse your Thursday and Friday schedule. August 15th is Ferragasto which is a national Holiday in Italy. The Vatican is closed Wednesday and Thursday for tours as are many businesses in Rome we had to schedule out Vatican tour for Friday the 16th.

Tuesday - Where is your hostel in Venice? You will need to leave your bags at the hostel in the morning, then go back to pick them up before going to the train station, or you will have to take them to the train station first, then go sightseeing and back to the train station. You need to be at the station a few minutes before the train leaves - more if you have to collect your bags first (you may have to wait for an attendant to fetch them - could take 5 minutes or 15). According to Google maps, it's a 15-minute walk from the Frari Church to the train station (if you don't get lost). It will probably take at least 1/2 hour if you want to use the vaporetto, which is very slow.

In addition to advice already given, I suggest eating a block or two away from major sites - lower prices and better food. Some of the places you want to see will have long lines, you should look into buying tickets or reserving a space in advance. And have a great time!

Thanks ALL for the GREAT advices Lisa - thanks, I did switch Thursday and Friday.. Chani - I was thinking of not doing Frari Church, and instead doing that morning St. Marks Basilica. Doing check out in the morning and then going to the Basilica. I read if we do a bag check in a "close church" we can skip the line. We are going with backpacks so is not too much the hassle with the bags ( I think...I hope) Thanks,