re: 12 Days in Italy

Venice

Beautiful city. We stayed about a block from St. Mark's Basilica and the Piazza San Marco. We were there in the heat of August and there was no odor at all from the water. Yes, it was crowded but we felt completely safe and didn't wee any signs of crime. It's a fantastic city to walk and explore because around every corner is a canal that's more charming than the last one. If you're willing to venture out beyond the obvious tourist areas there are some great restaurants. My favorite bakery in the world is in Venice.

quote:

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Sell me on Venice.

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I wouldn't spend more than two days/one night in Venice. I just got back and was kind of disappointed. It was cool to see, but it looked all the same, no matter where you went. It's just one big tourist trap. I never felt unsafe or anything, just bored with it after the second day

I would do like a few people have already suggested, stay in Florence and take day trips, or over night trips to different places (Venice for one of them).

Pisa is just a small town with a leaning tower. I did what a local told me to do, get off the train, go see the tower and then get back on the train. There is not much else to do there (according to the Florence local).
I did that on my way to Cinque Terre. I would recommend spending at least one night there, it is simply beautiful. They have some GREAT restaurants, beaches, and exploring there.

If/when I go back, I plan to use two jump off points, Rome & Florence.

From Rome, you can hit Naples, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast.

From Florence, you can hit Venice, Cinque Terre, & the Tuscany hills.


Here is a photo I took at Cinque Terre's Riomaggiore, the first of five villages (Cinque Terre is Italian for Five Lands). We had planned to take a short $4 train ride to another one of the lands, but at the last minute, the train was cancelled due to a strike.