A trip to Italy is a vacation in one of Europe's most diverse countries.  There are a few destinations within the country that will each give you a very different experience and make you feel as if you have been to more than one country!

Florence is the first of these.  Here you will see the beautiful architecture and artwork.  If you enjoy walking around a city that is graceful to look at, and relatively less crowded with tourists than perhaps Venice or Rome, then Florence is the ideal choice.  Make sure that you visit: the Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiofi - also known as Duomo - the dome of which is Florence's most well-known landmarks; the Uffizi with its magnificent collection of artwork including works from Titian, da Vinci, and Michelangelo.  If you want to have a flavor of art, but don't want to spend hours wandering around the Uffizi, try the Accedemia instead, where you will find a smaller selection, but just as grand - for example, this is home to Michaelangelo's David!

The next different vacation flavor for your trip to Italy is Venice.  If you're in the mood for romance, what could be better than this city of canals and gondolas?  Charming streets and old buildings line up along the canals showing Venice's history to the passing tourists enjoying the view from the water.  Top places here to visit, goldeners aside, are: the islands off the mainland - take an escorted trip or be independent and use public transportation; the wildlife at the Venetian lagoon, and the Bridge of Sighs.

Rome is another place not to miss on your trip to Italy.  Home, not only to the Vatican City, but an ancient city in its own right - don't miss a look around the Colleseum, and Pantheon.  For the shoppers, Rome may not be Milan but is a great place to find designer stores!

Finally, a trip to Italy must include a tour of the vineyards!  Where else could you get a good glass of wine more or less fresh from the vine - or at least the vineyard that created it!  Organize your trip to Italy so that you visit the vineyards between two city breaks and you'll feel the difference in the pace of life and culture immediately - or choose a farmhouse vacation in Tuscany where you can explore the vineyards, take cookery classes, cycle around the beautiful countryside - and when the peace and quiet gets a bit much, take a daytrip to Florence or Pisa!