We plan on flying into Venice Thursday morning. Stay two nights in Venice then take the train to Florence on Saturday and spend one night there. Then on to Rome for six nights. While in Rome we will also take a day trip to Pompei. I'm wondering if we are not allotting enough time in Venice. Should we plan on three nights there? Any suggestions to maximize our time?
If it were me I'd stay the extra night in Venice and skip Florence all together this trip. Not enough time in Florence and to much location shifting for just the one night.
Also take into account that you may well be very tired and jetlagged after a long-haul flight. Your first day, and quite possibly your second as well, may not be all you hope. I would definitely add a third and maybe even fourth night to Venice, dropping Florence.
One possibility is to take an early train from Venice, check your luggage at the Florence train station, spend the day, then continue on to Rome in the evening. This saves the time spent on packing/unpacking, checking in/out, etc., while giving you an opportunity to see a bit of the city - you could visit the Academia and Uffizi (need reservations for both) and have a bit of time for something else, depending on how many hours of daylight you have.
Or you could consider 3 nights in Venice, 3 in Florence and 3 in Rome. Florence has so much to offer, I wouldn't want to short-change it!
I agree with Darcy. 3-3-3 seems reasonable. Or maybe 3-2-4 if you really want to make the day trip to Pompei (which is a truly amazing site). I know many people just love Rome, but for me three or four nights there is enough, and you don't want to be rushed in Venice or Florence.
We always try to minimize one night stays as you waste alot of time checking in and out. I also would probaby skip Florence and add another day onto Venice or as another poster suggested do 3 nights in each place and maybe skip Pompeii on this trip. Have been to Rome 2x now and personally for me 6 nights would probably be too many. Spent 6 nights in VEnice this past July and 5 nights in Florence before heading to the C.Terre and it was wonderful! Did daytrips and minimized moving around. Had apartments in each place.
Ron, I just got back from Italy last week....basically the same itinerary that you are planning. We flew into Venice and stayed 3 nights, train to Florence for 2 nights, then train to Rome for 3 nights and flew home from Rome. I thought it was a perfect trip. I saw all my "must-sees" in each city and felt like I had experienced each city very well without rushing through stuff. It was my first visit to Italy and I knew I wouldn't/couldn't see everything on this trip....but, the 3-2-3 combination worked very well for me.
I have a different opinion, which makes the world go round. I agree with your plans. Two nights in Venice is plenty of time. Florence one day and the majority in Rome. Purchase a few guide books. Each will give u a different perspective on the same sights. You can then determine what you really want to see and then plan how long you want to stay at each location.
Thanks for the replies. We are changing our plans to 3 nights in Venice, 2 nights in Florence and 5 in Rome with a side trip to Pompei. Appreciate your suggestions.
If you've never been to Italy I would HIGHLY recommend taking the Venice, Florence & Rome in 10 Day tour....we did in 2007 and it was worth every penny....you miss so much by NOT knowing what you're missing...I mean, you could be one block away from a fantastic church and never know!!! The local guides know all the tricks...when we were in Florence we were the first ones in the museum to see David...there were 20 of us to share in his glory...no crowds, just us....This happened often...we walked right in to most of the best sites and learned of many off the beaten patch from our guides to explore on our own....Why risk missing someting fantastic simply because you didn't know it was there.
We were in Italy in September and I regretted not spending more time in Florence. If I were you, I'd do 2-3-4. You will need four nights in Rome especially if you want to go to Pompeii. There's so much to see in Rome.
We, too, are going to Italy in April 2010. I am planning the itinerary for me, my husband, and in-laws, which is basically the same as yours except we are flying into Rome. I, too, am wondering if two nights in Venice is enough. When searching for a place to stay, I notice a lot of the apartments for rent have a minimum 3 night. All the advice has been helpful.
ron,
My suggestion would be 2 days in Venice, 2 in Florence and 4 in Rome. I agree with a previous post that 2 nights in Venice is adequate, however you may be a bit slow in getting up to speed due to jet lag. Have you allowed for the day you'll lose in flight times and time zone changes?
Florence is an amazing city with lots of Renaissance history, and if you're planning to visit the Uffizi or Accademia (as well as see something of the city), at least two days will be required. Even in April, I'd probably get reservations for either or both of the Museums.
There's LOTS to see and do in Rome, so plan your touring carefully. I usually pack along a copy of the Italy Guidebook, as it's good for daily reference during the trip.
A day trip to Pompeii from Rome will be a LONG day! Were you planning to make the trip on your own, or with a tour company?
Cheers!