Reply #7: I went to Rome and Venice in February.

[onager]

Random stuff from my alleged head...

ROME: I started in Rome, because I'm an American working in Egypt and that's an easy flight from Cairo. Then after 4 days in Rome, I took the EuroStar train from Rome to Venice. That's a 6-hour ride but the scenery is just stunning. Yes, the trains do run on time, even without any motivation from Il Duce...

IMO, one of the best ways to see Rome, especially if you don't have a lot of time, is the "hop on/hop off" buses. They run all over the city and stop at the main tourist attractions, so you can get off and see the sights at your own pace.

You probably know this already, but be warned that lines for major attractions like the Vatican Museum are always long. I was there in the off-season and still had a very long wait.

You should also be warned about the notorious pickpockets of Rome. They are very aggressive and often work in groups. Just read some entries at Lonely Planet or Virtual Tourist for helpful information about this.

Of course, it's not so hard to just fumble around playing tourist on your own, and I did a lot of that too. My hotel was on Via Veneto, overlooking the Villa Borghese and about a 15-minute walk from the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti and the Tiber. So I had a lot of interesting stuff in walking distance.

VENICE: I used to think Paris was the most beautiful city in the world, until I saw Venice. The city rises out of the water and just looks like a dream. Sorry I can't be more original.

If you arrive by air, the Venice airport is 15-20 miles from downtown. Or as the Venetians say, "on the mainland." Buses run constantly and the fare is, IIRC, only 2.5 Euros to go anywhere.

All those buses end up at the main transportation point in Venice--the Piazza Roma, a big open area not far from the main train station.

For getting around Venice, you can buy multi-day passes on the vaporetti--water taxis. They stop at all the places you'll want to see, like the Accademia (museums) and St. Mark's Plaza. Also the Rialto Bridge, which has been the main marketplace in Venice for several centuries. Try to be on the bridge looking down the Grand Canal when the sun goes down. It's an incredible sight.

A lot of great attractions are grouped around St. Mark's Plaza/Basilica, like the Campanile (bell tower, which you can climb). Do NOT miss the Doge's Palace, but you should budget some time. I blundered thru it on my own and it still took several hours. Most of that was looking at the murals and other artwork, created by some of Italy's most famous artists.

Oh, if you're superstitious, don't walk between the columns! In the Piazetta you will see 2 tall, weird columns, one bearing the winged lion of St. Mark and the other St. Theodosius and his pet crocodile/dragon. The space between the columns is considered unlucky, and for good reason--it was formerly the site of public executions.

Have a great trip!