My husband and I are hoping to take a trip to Italy in October 08. I would love your feedback on our plans.

Arrive Rome Oct 19th
Oct 20, 21, 22 - touring Rome
Oct 23 - travel to Cinque Terre by train
Oct 24, 25 - Cinque Terre hiking
Oct 26 - travel to Venice by Train
Oct 27, 28, 29 - touring Venice
Oct 30 - fly from Venice home

I know this doesn't give us loads of time in each place, but these are three places that we really want to go.

Any suggestions for these places at this time of year?

Thanks
Vickie

You're going to have an energetic and memorable trip! Don't forget the possibility of jet lag when you arrive, so you don't want to exhaust yourselves on day 1. For that reason I would plan an open-top jump-on jump-off bus tour in Rome, perhaps on your first day. Make sure you purchase it at the bus stop, since hotels tend to add in their commission if you enquire there. All of the open-top bus companies pass most of the major sites (a few, such as the Trevi fountain), are not visible and you need to see those by foot). The bus is a relaxing way of getting a flavour of the major sites in Rome. I would get a bus that is ready to leave - some of the buses only leave every hour or so.

Regarding a list of essential attractions, everybody's is probably different! Mine includes:
St. Peter's
Sistine Chapel/Vatican Museum (October is good - queues not too long)
Colluseum
Pantheon (worth seeing alone for its remarkable concrete roof)

The train is an excellent mode to get to CT and Venice, not least since it will give you a relaxing and enjoyable few hours between action! Have a great time planning.

PJD

The weather in the CT at the end of October can be absolutely gorgeous (might even be a few die-hards swimming in the Med!!). It could also rain and be chilly. I would have a back up plan in mind, just in case. Something like a city tour, maybe of Lucca (reachable by train)...or even to take the train up to Genoa for the day if the weather is not that great -- Genoa has some arcaded shopping streets and a great historic center.....just so that you have a plan B if the weather decides not to co-operate

Your trip sounds great! Although you won't have a lot of time in either city, you've got enough to get a feel for them and I love autumn in the countryside! A Plan B for bad weather would be wise - hopefully you won't need it.

Enjoy!

As Diana says you could have a backup plan for bad weather or if were me I would go anyway. I have hiked in pouring rain, it was wonderful (raingear), most memorably in the Pigmy forest outside of Mendocino, CA. I would almost guarantee you would be nearly alone, quite a story.

I was hiking in the Pigmy forest in the driving rain outside of Mendocino when suddenly....

To slow a trip like this pick 1 big or 2 small things to do daily, do not try to see everything! time will take care of itself. RR

My two cents....

You are spending almost two full days to get to and from the Cinque Terre. Even though it is one of my favorite places, I would serious consider whether it is too great an expenditure of time for the potential payoff--especially considering the possibility of less than ideal weather in late October on the Ligurian coast.

As an alternative, I might consider time in the Tuscan or Umbrian countryside, which doesn't take you as far out of your way as the Cinque Terre detour does....