Thank you all! I really can't believe how helpful this forum is and what a great resource it has been for me, while planning.

Unfortunately the Uffizi is closed Monday.

Most museums in europe close one day per week - but not all the same day. You have to check every one.

Phew - that's busy. That said, on Day 1 I don't see any reason why you shouldn't do San Marco first [it gets very busy] and then the Medici chapels and san Lorenzo, with the Bargello if you have time.

on day 2, i would definitely leave the palazzo vecchio [which is what I think you mean by the piazza della signoria] to the late evening - I did that and there was virtually no-body there.

on Day 3, you are dodging all over the place - santa Croce and santa maria novella are at the opposite extremes of the centre of the city. I would go to santa Croce if I were you - I stayed near here last year and it's a fascinating area, with a lovely market just north of Santa Croce itself. if you then cross the Arno by the bridge nearest to Santa Croce, that will bring you quite close to the Piazzale Michelangelo. From there, I would go to the giardini Bardini rather than the Bobili; the latter is really quite neglected and not very interesting IMHO, whereas the Bardini I found to be lovely and full of interest;

http://www.bardinipeyron.it/ab/cont__11.phtml

you could also keep going up the hill to the church of san miniato, which is well worth a visit:

http://www.sanminiatoalmonte.it/

Sadly the wonderful rose gardens won't be open at that time [they open in the middle of May I believe] but it is still lovely walking back down into Florence through Altrarno, and you could cross at the Ponte vecchio if you wanted to see it.

Alternatively, do all this the other way round, and end up at Santa Croce, but by then the market will be shut.

Thank you! I have fixed and trimmed, but it's in my notebook,not on the computer yet, so I'll post it later.

Thanks again!

Day 1
San Marco Museum
Medici Chapels
San Lorenzo
Santa Maria Novella
Accademia

Day 2
Santa Croce
Duomo and all that entails

Day 3
Uffizi
Bardini Gardens
Piazzale Michaelangelo
Church of San Miniato

I lied, I just did a quick copy over

Brava, vivi! looks like a great plan.

2 extra suggestions - after the accademia on day 1, you could consider getting the bus up to Fiesole from the piazza san marco [you'll be just round the corner] and having a meal or drink up there - the views over Florence are lovely.

also, in the piazza san marco, or rather on the corner of the square and via Cavour, there is a very nice cafe with very superior food, but the best thing about it is the waitresses uniforms - they are VERY smart.

Thank you for the suggestions, approval from fellow fodorites feels SO good from this inexperienced traveler. I am seriously counting down the days to this trip.

Now I just have to work on Venice,Paris, and London. (doing quick stops in Pisa and Cinque Terre, but I not having an itinerary for those-since they will be such shorts stops). I have a feeling I need to cut down London and Paris by a lot, based on the responses I got from my Rome and Florence Itineraries

Lol, Vivi, you aren't taking on much, are you?

I hope that you are factoring some down time for R&R - all those museums, galleries and churches can get very samey if you try to do too many, leading to cultural overload, so that in the end you don't remember what you saw where or even care very much.

IMO you will appreciate the things you see a lot more if you give yourself a rest from them, occasionally.

@annhig

Yeah we are taking 2 days in Cinque Terre to do nothing after (Rome,Florence,Venice), then after a week in Paris we are taking 4 days on the Normandy Coast doing slow travel, before heading to London.

Thanks for the advice, usually when I travel I have all these great ambitions, but in the end I just make sure I get the big things done and the little ones if we are up to it.

we are taking 4 days on the Normandy Coast doing slow travel, before heading to London. >>

have you read Maitai Tom's current thread? he has just got to Normandy and has same very good ideas for things to see and do there, as well as great places to eat [or so he tells us!]

those two days in the CT sound very appealing.

I have not read his thread yet, I'll go find it and bookmark. My friend who traveled most of Europe by train in 30days spent 2 days in Cinque Terre and highly recommended it.

She hated Rome, but I think that is because she spent 30 days on a train stopping in cities for 12hrs at a time. What a waste, don't you think?

There are some places, like Pisa, where I don't care that I am going to spend 4 hours in on my way through. However, to do that to every European city does not do any of them justice, it doesn't surprise me that she enjoyed swimming and relaxing in Cinque Terre!

>>>1300: Lunch at I Fratellini?<<<

I Fratellini is just a sandwich stand. You eat standing in the street although there are racks on the wall to hold your wine glass while you eat. With all the touring, you might want a sit down meal instead.

>>>Santa Maria Novella<<<

The church or the perfume store?
http://www.smnovella.it/?lang=en

The Santa Maria Novella pharmacy was marvellous. So unexpected, too. And, 400 years old, this year. I wanted to buy everything on display.

Good to know kybourbon, I don't even know where I got that suggestion :/

I meant the church, but perfume store--sounds interesting!

Go to nearby Cantinetta di Verrazzano instead of Fratellini. They have good wine and focaccia and other light regional dishes. And you can sit down, which you will want to do by that point.

vivi - here's the link to Tom's thread - the most recent ones are Normandy, and there are some Paris ones coming up:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/tournez-gauche-tournez-droite-maitais-scenic-detour-through-france.cfm

as for your friend who decided to see Italy through a train window, it's just bats.

As an alernative restaurant, try Zio Gigi, not far from the Duomo, on Via Folco Portinari.

TTT

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/santa-maria-novella-products.cfm

Thank you for the tips and suggestions everyone, I really appreciate it! Thank you for the links @annhig & @kybourbon--reading them now!

When you're at Santa Croce, look for the line painted on the interior wall near the main door (facing the piazza) which indicates how high the 1966 flood waters rose. The crucifix by Cimabue now hanging above the main altar was plucked from the muddy waters, came to symbolize the city's recovery from the flood and only recently was re-installed after restoration that took decades. Don't miss the refectory next door to the basilica. Taddeo Gaddi's Last Supper and Tree of Life are on one interior wall. It's one of the earliest representations of the Last Supper scene after perspective was 'invented.'

Try to squeeze in a visit to the Bargello Museum.

@Jean Thank you!

annhig, which restaurant are you talking about?

"also, in the piazza san marco, or rather on the corner of the square and via Cavour, there is a very nice cafe with very superior food, but the best thing about it is the waitresses uniforms - they are VERY smart."

Did you mean the Ristorante Accademia? Just wondering; have been there and really liked the food but the uniforms did not register with me. Perhaps you had another location in mind.

eccolo, pctraveller:

http://www.grancaffesanmarco.it/home.html

sadly none of the staff are visible in any of the photos [except the old black and white ones] but their uniforms made a big impression on us!

Thanks for the link @annhig!