re: 12 Days in Italy

12 days with 3 in Rome leaves 9 days. I will tell you what I would do. We have done it before and are scheduled to do it again this Easter. Start with a week in Tuscany. We stay at a villa about 20 miles south of Florence. Rent a car and explore Florence, Siena and a number of the Tuscan hill towns. If you are not in to wine now you will be after this. For the other 2 days I would talk you in to Venice. It is one of the most beautiful and unique places on earth. And there is a lot more to it than the San Marco tourist crowds. My second choice would be to stay in Rome an extra day or two then spend a week on the Amalfi Coast.