Prater

I would like to do Italy for 13 to 14 days (on the ground). I am thinking of Venice, Florence (although I am considering Tuscany instead) and Rome. I would like to do Mila (my wife is a fashion/shopping fanatic) but I am not sure.

Can you please help with an itinerary?

We both enjoy the spontaneity of travel, so we are not tied to do any one particular thing. We enjoy museums (me more than her as she did not like to Louvre). But we also like to cook and taste different cuisines, we love to view the shops, monuments and historical places.

We are not opposed to 3 or 4 main cities with day trips in between. We would like to do a cooking class in Tuscany and maybe the Fiat 500 tour in Florence.

I am not sure which cities would be best for our first trip to Italy as we cetainly cannot see them all in 13 days.

Would Milan be preferred over Florence?

How Many days in Venice and Rome?

Would it be better to base in Tuscany and day trip to Pisa, Florence, etc?

Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions...

bobthenavigator

Assuming 13 nites to sleep in Italy, I would do this:

Arrive VCE---3 nites
Train to Florence--2 nites
Get car--to rural Tuscany--3 nites
Drop car--train to Rome--last 5 nites
Fly home

That is a good starter trip for Italy, but go ahead and plan 2 more trips in advance since you will return. We have been 17 times now.

kybourbon

>>>maybe the Fiat 500 tour in Florence<<<

Do you mean renting a Fiat 500 or the convoy? I saw the Fiat 500's in Perugia a few years ago. I think that group was Touring Club Italia (owners, not rentals). The cars break down so often, they were followed by a tow truck.

Anna_Galea

If I were you, I would not stay too long in Milan. The piazza and duomo are nice, but that is just about it, and the outskirts of the city can be quite dangerous. Although of course it is excellent for shopping, but so are many Italian cities like Rome. You could base yourself in Tuscany and then visit the famous towns and cities from there, like Pisa, San Gimignano, Florence, Siena etc, if you like the ancient cities. Tuscany has lovely country-side, but in my opinion Umbria is lovelier, more unspoilt and has the most breath-taking scenary. Rome is lovely if you have never visited, and also in my opinion the Amalfi coast, if you are interested in travelling southern Italy. There you can visit Pompei and see the lovely Sorrento and Amalfi coast and town. Italy is so lovely, we visit at least once a year. We have just spent a few days there during the Christmas holidays, in Umbria. We rent a car, so we do a lot of travelling, but especially in Tuscany you do have to have some experience in driving abroad, as many towns are hilltop and winding. If you need any help or suggestions in any particular place, I would be happy to help.

bobthenavigator

I asssume you know how FIAT got that name.
It is relly an acronym---and stands for:

Fix
It
Again
Tony

charnees

Florence has some good high-end shops, too. As does Rome. I would not go to Milan just for shopping. Not with the amount of time you have. bob has a nice itinerary above.

Prater

Thanks Bob and Charnees,

Would it be better to stay in Florence or rural Tuscany all 5 nights instead of splitting the nights?

Additionaly, I am thinking of:

Locanda Orseolo for Venice Stay but not sure of te Florence or rural Tuscany accommodations.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

lstamu

Definitely Locanda Orseolo in Venice.
I would also recommend Fonte Bertuci just outside of Pienza...good base for Tuscany.
Loggia de Serviti in Florence.
We loved Context tours in Rome for the Forum/Palatine Hill and the Vatican.

Aramis

Milan vs. Florence. That is not a fair fight at all. Florence wins in a cake walk.

Presuming you can work in one direction, bob gets pretty close to my recommendation.

Venice 3
Florence 2
Tuscany 4
Rome 4

Florence has much too much to see to try and do it as a day trip.

If you have 14 nights, I would add the extra night to Tuscany, second choice Florence. You could arrive late from Venice, or leave late to head into the Tuscan countryside with the extra night.

Ideally, though, the extra should go to Tuscany given what you indicate are important factors in your vacation. Venice, Florence and Rome are not going to give you the same chance for spontaneity that a smaller central (south central, in the Val d"Orcia, perhaps) Tuscan base will. Everyday you can choose between dozen different places to go, and cooking classes and wine tasting opportunities abound. This makes the most sense if you rent a car when leaving Florence and dropping in Rome, as mentioned.

Spontaneity = Car + Tuscany I saw it in a dictionary once

Sassafrass

No need for Milan. Great shopping everywhere. Some really nice shops in Florence.