Benchmarked strictly across TripTiming's 5 empirical pillars: Crowds, Weather, Vibes, Prices, and Safety.
Florence emerges as the optimal February destination with an overall TripTiming Index of 68/100 vs 42/100 for Venice (+26 point advantage). Florence experiences substantially lower visitor footfall and shorter landmark queues (moderate footfall vs peak seasonal crowding in Venice). This is reinforced by lower lodging rates (~$140/night vs ~$403/night, saving ~$1841 over 7 nights). While Venice retains an edge in City Vitality (80/100 vs 43/100), Florence's commanding performance in Space & Crowds secures the overall February recommendation.