Venice or Rome first ?

Wife and I visited Rome first last May, then Venice toward the end of our trip in June. This worked out well for us. Since Rome is so much bigger, and on average busier, than Venice, I am not sure we would have appreciated it as much at or near the end of the trip, when we were a feeling a little worn down from traveling.

I would do Venice first (and three nights is not enough), as it's easier to fly out of Rome as there are more (and cheaper) options to get to the airport.

Have a look at the times for your departing flight. Some of the return flights from Venice are very early morning, making getting to the airport problematic or expensive. If that's the case for you, fly into Venice and out of Rome. I'd also add an extra day to Venice to account for jet lag.

I prefer to do Venice first because:
1-the airport is far in the mainland. Since flights to North America generally depart in the morning, returning from VCE often means very early wake up calls.
2-there is no car traffic to deal with in Venice. It's less hectic to deal with while sleepy because of jet lag.

Your night allocation is good, however I would probably borrow a night from Rome to add it to either Florence or Venice, depending on which day trips I want to take. If I wanted a day trip to Padua or Verona, Id add it to Venice. If I wanted another day trip in Tuscany, I'd add it to Florence. With the current allocation you probably have time for one day trip from Florence and none from Venice (aside from a quick visit to Murano and Burano).

100% agree with Roberto for the exact reasons he gives. Rome can be overwhelming to many upon arrival.

Think about it this way, we did about 20,000 steps a day in Rome. On the day we went to the Vatican Fitbit measured that we did 50 flights of stairs. Venice much less walking about half that every day. We didn't find the airport difficult to get to, we hopped on the vaparetto then bus. Venice is so amazing and beautiful it was such a great way to cap off our vacation, we're doing it again this year!!

Thanks for all those answers, it gives me a lot to think about !

about the departure and arrival time...there's nothing clear . All options seems ok to me.

From Montreal there's 2 company who do direct flights Air Canada and Transat

Air canada : Venice arrival : 10:45 ....departure 13:45
Rome arrival : 8:50...departure 11:50

Transat: Venice arrival: 9:55-11:30 (depending of the day) departure: 13:00-13:20
Rome arrival: 10:15-11:10 departure: 11:50-13:40

I have always preferred to leave Venice for last. I desire my serenissima at the end of my trip, not the beginning.

If I land in Rome, I want to hit the ground running. My adrenaline is pumped. It's very easy to stay busy in Rome on the first day and get over jetlag with a good night's sleep. If you plan well, you can get sleep. Florence is another hectic city. Run, run, run, with the endless sound of Vespa armies on the streets. The air pollution in both cities can make my eyes and throat burn.

By the time I get to Venice, I'm ready for the gentle sound of water lapping and breathing the car-fume free Adriatic air. When in Venice I don't want to sleep. Walking the streets late at night is pure magic.

Early morning departures are a no-no for me. I've never had a problem planning around those.

If you have the rare luxury of having a departure from Venice , noon or later, then the order of the trip is just personal preference.

The site here is littered with queries of "how do I get to VCE for 6AM flight?". Thus the general reaction to enter in Venice and depart from Rome.

I find Venice easier to handle when jet-lagged. It's just a little more peaceful (once you get away from the crowds at St. Mark's...). Rome makes me want to get going and see all the historical sights - which can be a little tough to totally appreciate when seriously jet lagged. Venice has important historical sights, too but to me it more seems to call out for more wandering back canals and being a little less rushed.

"The site here is littered with queries of "how do I get to VCE for 6AM flight?"."

I've done it once long ago, when someone else booked my flight. Never again. And I can afford a private water taxi.

I've always said New York City is the best city to get in and out of. Several non-stop offerings after 10:30 AM from VCE. A lot depends on where you live and what you're willing to pay for a ticket. I've noticed many of the lowest fare sales are offered on the earlier flights of departure. Of course the airlines want to fill those seats. As long as that is the case, the forum is going to have to endure the common question quoted above.

I've done both and now prefer to arrive in Venice as it's much less hectic. Rome is loud, busy and hard. Venice is softer & quieter, especially if you stay in Dorsoduro or Canareggio. While I relish finishing a trip with a drink on Piazza San Marco as the sun goes down, if I were planning a trip with both cities as my bookends I'd fly into Venice and home from Rome. I agree with many of the reasons posted by the others regarding travel logistics and recovering from jet lag and long flights too. Buon viaggio!

I prefer fly into Venice and out of Rome. At least for Vancouver, the flights work out to be more convenient. Also if you rent a car, i found it is cheaper to drop off in Rome. Finally, i find Rome to be cheaper (with more selection for food and shopping) than Venice which is always a nice way to end the trip.