Italy in March

Yikes. You'd be really cramming to fit Siena, a day in rural Tuscany, Florence and Venice into one week, especially when I'm guessing you'll need to get back to Rome to fly home. Maybe use one day in Rome to do a day trip to Orvieto. Choose one of Florence or Siena for one overnight (most would choose Siena) two nights in Florence and three in Venice. You can do wine tasting everwhere, but you'll need a rental car to get out to the wineries in Tuscany and (apart from the scenery) it's not worth it. You can't drop in on many wineries the way you can in Dundee. Tasting rooms are in the towns.

Lisa, With such a limited time frame, I'd recommend planning your touring very carefully so that you don't waste any time. It's difficult to suggest sightseeing choices in Rome or elsewhere, without having some idea of the interests of all members of your group. In order to determine your Itinerary, you might find it helpful to have a look at the Italy Guidebook. That will help to prioritize which sights you want to see. In the planning process, be sure to allow adequate travel time between locations (some trips will only be a few hours, some longer). As the previous reply mentioned, Orvieto is one possible day trip from Rome. You could also consider Ostia Antica. I also feel that it's going to be very challenging to visit all the destinations you listed into a one-week time frame. Are you planning to fly home from Venice or do you have to return to Rome? Good luck with your planning!

Wow, thanks for the great advice! I was thinking of flying into Rome and out of Venice. We have the week in Rome so will probably do 3 day trips to some of the places you both recommended or an overnight to Florence. The second week I think we'll focus around Sienna and places we can visit from there.
Most likely we'll rent a car the second week so that we have some flexibility and can get to the country side a bit. I may try to rent a small house outside Sienna. Then the last two days in Venice.

Lisa, Using "open jaw" flights (inbound Rome, outbound Venice) would be perfect, and the most efficient travel method. IMO, an overnight stop in Florence would fit better after Siena, on the way to Venice. One tip though, if you decide to do that, you might consider taking the express Bus from Siena to Florence, as it departs right from the main part of town. One important point about driving in Italy is that each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year and can be obtained easily at any AAA office for a small charge. A GPS unit along with a good Map are also recommended. DO NOT drive in Florence as you'll pass through numerous Zona Traffico Limitato areas. Each pass through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ violation notice! I'd consider accepting the full CDW for the rental car, although it will be expensive. One possibility for lodgings in the Siena area would be an Agriturismo. Check the Italy 2011 Guidebook for some listings. The book will also provide lots of information about Hotels, restaurants, sightseeing, transportation, etc. Cheers!

Thanks Ken, good advice. I had forgotten about the International Drivers License, used to have one but it's long expired. Just found my guidebook so will be working on my itinerary tomorrow.