Venice in October - need side trip suggestions

DH has a work thing in Venice in October and I'm tagging along. We are planning on being in Venice for 4-5 days and would like to see someplace else after that. What would you recommend? (It doesn't have to be in Italy.) We have about another 4-5 days in Europe before returning home.

Also, for those who have been to Venice, do you have any recommendations for places to visit, eat, things to do, etc?


TIA!

Re: Venice in October - need side trip suggestions

Have you been anywhere else in Italy before?

From Venice, the Eurostar AV train gets you into Florence in 2 hours and 40 minutes. Very fast and a very pleasant ride (we took First Class one way and 2nd class the other, and to be honest, 2nd class would have been fine both ways).

Florence gives you a totally different feel than Venice, but still very "Italian". And you could do 2 full days in Florence (must do: Accademia to see David, Duomo, Bargello sculpture museum) and then take the 1.5 hour bus ride to Siena to see a very old Italian town that has a lot of charm, and/or a quick 1/2 day trip to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower (we did both of these).

Or you could go to Rome from Venice - the Eurostar AV train gets you there in about 4 hours. There's ancient Rome (Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill) and then must see I'd say is the Vatican, climibing to the top of the Dome, and seeing other sites like Castel SantAngelo, etc.

Have a great time!!!

Re: Venice in October - need side trip suggestions

Thanks MrsQ!

We've never been to Italy. I've never been to Europe, but DH has been to Scotland and Ireland.

The trip to Rome doesn't seem that bad.. I thought it was longer. That's a really good idea.

Re: Venice in October - need side trip suggestions