what to do arriving rome at 9:oo am

What's it take to clear the airport - - an hour? What's it take to get to Tiburtina - - an hour? What's it take to ride the train - - four hours? All guesses, but probably generous. Nine plus six gets you into Venice by three. You decide.

You should prebook a fast train from Termini in Rome. You need some time to get your bags?...are you clearing customs in Rome, or did you do that in Germany or other country? http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD We planned ahead and arrived about 10AM in Rome, took the Leonardo Express to Termini, checked the board and found the track for the fast train we needed to Bari, (leaving around 2PM ) Waiting until time to board, and then enjoyed another 4 hours of travel. Venice will be a bit further. IF you want to spend time in Rome...and you aren't coming back, take the day. Get a hotel for the night and enjoy walking around Rome..then find an early train to Venice. You get to choose, based on the rest of your trip plans. We've been to Rome 2-3 times, seen all the major sites and aren't that interested in large cities any more...so we don't spend time there if we can avoid it!

I'm guessing you didn't have the option to fly into Venice instead of Rome, right? Since you'll be at the Rome airport, you might look into one of the cheaper airlines to fly you from Rome to Venice.