In Florence, I suggest you check out Grave, Pisa, and Lucca. I stayed in a town called Reggello when I was in Tuscany and it was close to the city and beautiful.

Cinque Terra. Definitely my favorite place in all of Italy. Hiking between a chain of 5 cities on the coast with vineyards and mountains. A little far from your destinations but so worth it. Also, Verona. If you have a chance, you need to see an opera in the outdoor arena. About 45 minutes from Florence is Siena. It has the most beautiful piazza. Check the dates for Il Palio (famous horse race) that occurs twice every summer. An amazing event.

there’s this island near Venice called Burano…it’s beautiful….if you like photography, you should totally visit…

Whether you are driving or taking the train, just look out the window and stop in any town that looks interesting.

Last time I was driving home from Torino, through the mountains on the A6 highway, and we saw some lights that resembled a town. Given it was about dinner time, we stopped to eat. Some of the best food I’ve eaten in… almost ever.

I also have friends in the towns dotted along the railway line from Bologna to Ravenna/Rimini.

If you are starting in Rome, by train you’ll probably have to go via Milano on your way to Venice – many of the towns in the north are fantastic.

Honestly, almost any small town in Italy is a wonderful place to be in. Not all are, of course – if it looks a bit run-down, err on the side of caution. Especially if you’re an American. (Hint: learn Italian).

THOSE places are Italy. Rome, Florence and Venice (by comparison) are not. The tourist spots are OK for a day or 2, but if I were you, I would spend 2/3 of my time exploring and looking in all the nooks and crannies for places where tourists are not.

Hi There

If you are going the Florence.. you will pass Pisa on the way.. not to be missed really. Venice.. get a day pass for the vaporetto.

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-vaporetto-fares.htm

Visit murano

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/murano_the_glass_island.htm

see the decorative glass made on the premises.. all over the island.

Padova.. is worth a visit.. some interesting sights.. including a coffee bar.. Pedrocchi..they do tours to this place and the university where many famous people studied

Padova.. is worth a visit.. some interesting sights.. including a coffee bar.. Pedrocchi..they do tours to this place and the university where many famous people studiedhttp://wikitravel.org/en/Padova

Padova.. is worth a visit.. some interesting sights.. including a coffee bar.. Pedrocchi..they do tours to this place and the university where many famous people studiedhttp://wikitravel.org/en/PadovaOh and the church of the Saint of lost people St Anthony.. where we lost someone :)

Padova.. is worth a visit.. some interesting sights.. including a coffee bar.. Pedrocchi..they do tours to this place and the university where many famous people studiedhttp://wikitravel.org/en/PadovaOh and the church of the Saint of lost people St Anthony.. where we lost someone :)Pop in to the tourist office in the railway stations.. they will give good and unbiased advice in English.. if you need it

Padova.. is worth a visit.. some interesting sights.. including a coffee bar.. Pedrocchi..they do tours to this place and the university where many famous people studiedhttp://wikitravel.org/en/PadovaOh and the church of the Saint of lost people St Anthony.. where we lost someone :)Pop in to the tourist office in the railway stations.. they will give good and unbiased advice in English.. if you need itbon viaggio

Padova.. is worth a visit.. some interesting sights.. including a coffee bar.. Pedrocchi..they do tours to this place and the university where many famous people studiedhttp://wikitravel.org/en/PadovaOh and the church of the Saint of lost people St Anthony.. where we lost someone :)Pop in to the tourist office in the railway stations.. they will give good and unbiased advice in English.. if you need itbon viaggiohave a great trip

There are some nice suggestions above, but I’d like to amend them a bit.

Venice: check out the other islands of the Venice lagoon, namely Burano, for nice photographs. An hour away is the overlooked city of Vicenza. In Vicenza PROVINCE there are lots of beautiful little towns (Marostica, Asiago, Bassano del Grappa, Asolo, Euganei Hills with Arqua Petrarca, Monteslice, Costozza, and of COURSE- Verona). My suggestion is NOT to STAY in Venice. It’s much more expensive. There are many many trains daily that travel 45 mins from Vicenza into Venice. You could spend one night in Venice for the hell of it, but if you stay longer, book accommodations outside of the city of Venice.

Florence: This is the area where I would forgo the hotel and book an agriturismo in the countryside. Then, depending on the agriturismo, you might need to hire a car to get into the city proper for Florence for a day. In the Tuscany region (which is like the “state” where Florence is) you should visit Lucca, Siena, Monterggioni, san gimignano. Skip seeing the authentic statue of David, and settle for the replica outside instead. And buy your Ufizzi gallery tickets ahead of time online to skip a long queue.

You might consider investing some extra days to check out Cinque Terre, but during the summer months it will be very hot and crowded but still beautiful. Bring hiking shoes and get some exercise.

Rome: This would be the CITY destination where I would stay downtown, in the heart of it all. You need AT LEAST a few days to really see all of Rome. One entire day for the Vatican and it’s museum where the sistine chapel is. Go on a day when there is mass in the square, and see the Pope arrive on his pope mobile and start the mass, but leave as soon as you’ve heard a few minutes of his speech to head over to the long line to get inside the museum.

The Vatican city would be the only place where I might get a tour guide because they can skip lines and there is some interesting infromation about the place. But don’t forget to get a good walking guidebook of the rest of ROme.

and I forgot to mention Padova as another town near Vicenza/Venice. The basilica (the domed church) houses the tongue of St Anthony and neat relicas. Even a part of the cross jesus was mounted on.

I work for this company… you can check out their website. Under “recreation & Lesiure” and then under “Outdoor Recreation” you can find some good travel info.

www.vicenzamwr.com

Another vote for Lucca, different from all the other old towns in the area. In Toscana spend lots of time in smaller cities and rural areas like San Gimignano, Volterra and the Chianti area.

Still in the region you could also plan a detour to laid back Elba, you’ll feel time moving slower as soon as you reach the island.

Other definite place to go is Cinque Terre, on the way to Genoa, probably one of the most beautiful coastal areas I’ve been.

I really thought Siena (near Florence) was absolutely beautiful. The cathedral is daunting, to say the least.

Cinque Terre is also beautiful with dramatic views and breathtaking scenes.

YES! Rome is amazing, but one of my favorite places in the world is Tivoli, Italy, just east of Rome a short drive. There is a large estate there called Villa D’Este, and it’s a very old house with gorgeous murals all through it, and extensive gardens. The gardens are why you go- they’re full of unique fountains and the view is beautiful- it overlooks the little city. (I’ve you’ve seen that Hillary Duff movie where she goes to Italy, this is the location where she goes through all the fountains). Enjoy!