I am a first time traveler to Rome and I will be bringing my 9 yr old daughter with me. I am looking for a nice place to stay (reasonable of course, since I am a single parent) and the things to see. I would love to see Venice and Pisa as well. Is this possible in 2 weeks? Is April a good time to go, or not?

Any time is a good time to go to Rome. In terms of what to see I suggest you read earlier posts under this heading as the list is as long as your arm!! Ive been to Rome twice in Winter so I can hardly say that April wont be warm enough!! We stayed at The Hotel Rimini near the main train station which was a nice, clean hotel with breakfast. We got a winter rate though so I'm not sure what the April price is. As April is not their Summer the crowds and queues wont be as big at all the sites which is a big bonus and things in general (food, etc) wont cost quite as much as in Summer. Be warned though, you will get ripped off a lot if you're not on your guard. Be sure to visit the Vatican and the nearby Museum (this will take up a good part of a day). . Also make sure you go the Colloseum (guided tours in English) and the Trevi Fountain.

As for Pisa, its worth a day of your life if for nothing other than the Leaning Tower but then be sure to move on quickly from there if you want to get to Venice - which is a must do!!! Its completely spectacular!! Again, though, prices here can be quite frightening, especially hotel rates. Bacially the further away from the Piazza you go the cheaper your room should be. The same goes for eating at restaurants/cafe's. In Venice, a must-see is the Doges Palace (just off the piazza facing the water) and St Marks Basillica next to it. You should also catch the lift to the top pf the Camponile (the huge tower in the square) for a magnificent view over Venice.

You can definitely do these 3 places in 2 weeks. I would spend 4-5 days in Rome, 1 day/night in Pisa and 4 days in Venice.

How are you getting around? The trains are by far the most efficient and enjoyable way of seeing Italy and are very reliable. If you do decide to train it, the train will drop off you off at the Venice station (there are two Venice stops - Mestre and Santa Lucia - be sure to stay on till the last one as Mestre is not thee Venice!!), yoo come out the other side of the station and jump straight on to a ferry which will take you to the Piazza (where most people get off and start looking for their hotels), the train will drop you off in Pisa where you can just catch a cab to the tower or to your hotel first if youre staying over (and where you can dump your luggage before heading off to the tower) and the same for Rome - just grab a cab to your hotel from there. Just be sure to come to an agreed price before you get a cab so you know what you're up for. You should grab a guide book beofre you go and that will tell you how much it should cost you for cab rides.

Have fun
Nicky

OMIGOSH!! Thanks a bunch for all the insight!!!
Tammy