Simplicity being my middle name... well, sometimes it is; I's say if the trip is coming up soon and it's not technically a cycling vacation (i.e. you just want to be able to tool around every so often) I'd rent a bike in Italy rather than rushing to buy one then hassling with the airport.

Then when you get back and are thoroughly hooked go shopping for that perfect bike... for which we at TE will be more than happy to provide research, reviews, etc.

spazz-symplicity-dog