How to spend two weeks in Italy: Itinerary tips

BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER MY HUSBAND AND I ARE TRAVELLING TO ITALY, CROATIA, LONDON AND NEW YORK. WOULD YOU HAVE SOME ADVICE FOR US AND SUGGESTIONS FOR OUR VISIT TO ITALY FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS? WE FLY INTO ROME AND WOULD LIKE TO VISIT SICILY, VENICE AND FLORENCE BUT ARE NOT SURE IN WHICH ORDER. FROM THERE WE THOUGHT TO CATCH THE FERRY TO CROATIA.

M. McCAFFERY, LENNOX HEAD

If you're starting your travels to Italy in August, be prepared for hot weather. The Italian cities bake in the heat of summer. This is also peak holiday season and Sicily, Venice and Florence are going to be packed with foreign tourists. Rome won't be quite so crowded, any Romans who possibly can leave the city for the coast or the countryside in August, but there will be plenty of visitors.

Spend your first few days in Rome then fly to Sicily. After touring around the island, fly to Venice and then take the train to Florence. From Florence the train to Ancona takes just under three hours, from where you can catch the ferry to Split. There's a fast ferry that takes about nine hours but the fast one that crosses the Adriatic in about half that time is a much better option. Try to avoid spending a night in Ancona.

For some great travel ideas for Italy take a look at the traveller.com.au/italy page.