drchris

We will be buying tickets for our trip to Italy in May 2014 soon! We have planned a tentative itinerary, but before we decide which day to arrive, I thought I would ask those of you who have been there if there are certain days of the week we should try to be in a particular city (because it's less crowded, there are market days or other special events, etc) or avoid being there (because of larger crowds, the museums are closed, there will be a special festival/event in town that will make it uncomfortably crowded, hotel prices will be higher, etc).

Also, will any time in May be about the same in terms of crowds and hotel/apartment prices, or does it get progressively more crowded, more expensive, etc as the month goes on? We live in a very hot climate and would prefer to be there before the weather gets hot , although we know that's unpredictable.

We plan to use public transportation if that makes a difference.

Current Itinerary
Fly into Milan
Lake Como (stay in Varenna or Bellagio)
Venice
Ravenna (maybe)
Florence (with side trips to Lucca, Pisa, Siena)
Cinque Terre (maybe)
Orvieto (maybe)
Rome
Depart Rome

Would Siena be visited most easily as a day trip from Florence, or as a stop on the way to Rome?

Comments on Varenna would be appreciated. I added it to the list as a "possible" primarily because I read that the Byzantine mosaics at the church there are among the best in the world.

We would also appreciate comments on visiting Cinque Terre. We are an older couple and my knees make climbing stairs and steep hiking difficult, so we are unsure whether we would be able to really experience its charms or should plan to use those days to visit other towns in Tuscany or Umbria.

Thanks in advance for your expertise!

PalenQ

It should not be too hot anytime IME in May and you should not IME experience any over crowding anywhere - except that Venice is always crowded it seems but certain days of week IME make no difference unless there is some museum you want to see that may be closed. Perhaps weekends in the Lake District could be more crowded.

greg

For this type of question, Rick Steves Italy has a section for each major city "Daily Reminder" about what usually happens on certain days of the week. For example, museums are usually closed on Mondays, etc.

stevewith

Your chances of hitting an uncomfortable heat wave increase as May goes in, so the earlier you go, the better.

If you are traveling directly from Milan's airport to Lago di Como, it really doesn't matter what day of the week you arrive in May. If you are thinking of spending time in Milan first, with the idea of seeing special attractions or shopping or destination restaurants, then you need to make sure that things are open for you. You can usually find this information online and in guidebooks.

In May, it is still possible for Milan to be very busy with business conferences, which will kick up the prices of hotels on weekdays, and you should book them well in advance

The Lakes and Venice are pretty much open 7 days a week, but if there are particular museums, shops are restaurants that you have your heart set on visiting, double check.

There would certainly be no point in going to Ravenna -- and I hope you will!! -- if you could not get into the churches to see the mosaics.

A great many museums in Florence have closure days, so you need to know when they are if your heart is set on seeing a particular historic sight. Siena's grand duomo is closed to tourism on Sunday mornings, I believe. I think no problem for Pisa and Lucca.

The unpredictable weather of May makes locking yourself into le Cinque Terre plans unwise in my view. You should only go if you know for certain it is sunny, and you can't know that any sooner than 48 hours in advance. Regarding your knees, many people enjoy viewing the towns by boat, but again, the problem in May is that the boats may not run if the day is windy.

Also, do be aware that Venice is filled with stair-climbing because of the hundreds of small bridges over the small canals. Those stairs can really add up during a full day of sightseeing unless you know where to avoid them. Orvieto also has some steep inclines, and Bellagio might be a better choice for you than Varenna in that regard.

In general, early May is less crowded and has more Spring-like weather, and weekends tend to be more crowded in all the historic or scenic places because Italians like to visit them too. The first of May is a holiday that sometimes affects transportation (like fewer taxis or local buses may have highly reduced schedules), so you might as well come after that.




As for le CInque Terre, the combination of unpredicatable weather, the difficulty in including it with your other destinations, and the fact

stevewith

You can disregard what I forgot to delete at the end -- but also I wanted to add that a great many touristic sites close May 1, which is another reason to come later in the month.

HappyTrvlr

If you have trouble with stairs, you can't do rhe Cinque Terre hike between the five towns. There are extensive steep stairs. You could take a boat ride to each of them perhaps or the little train. We hiked and that seemed to be what the CT is all about.Perhaps those days could be spent in a Tuscan village such as Radda in Chianti or Panzano with rental car, much easier.
You have two full day trips from Florence; Lucca and Pisa are one day and Siena another. How many days do you plan for Florence? Consider renting a car for the day especially for Siena or book a guided trip. Or stay in Tuscany, relax, and enjoy rhe beauty instead of ticking towns off off a list.
In your list you have Ravenna but in your text say Varenna(maybe) where I think you meant Ravenna for the mosaics. You say you are older with mobility problems. Do not over do; choose fewer places and enjoy your trip. We never stay less than four days anywhere, usually a week.Lake Como will be very easy, riding ferries all over the lake. Delightful!
Aren't you staying a few nights in Milan? I recommend that you stay to see daVinci's "The Last Supper" and the Duomo at least. Book The Last Supper tickets way in advance. Then hire a driver to take you to Lake Como where you don't need a car.

girlonthego

We just traveled through Switzerland and Italy May 21st through June 5th of this year. Weather was cool, sometimes drizzly, sometimes sunny. It wasn't the warmest. We all had light rain jackets and a light sweater. Jeans came in handy more than the sundresses that were packed. We loved Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiorre(town of Locarno) part of our trip the most. Florence, second place favorite as it is a great city with lots to see and very walkable. Bring good walking shoes. Being a fashionista will only give you foot trouble! Rome and Milan were our least favorite because Milan was too city and Rome was too touristy.
I think if you travel earlier in May, you will have less crowds. Weather to me was optimal for sightseeing as it was never too hot. The Vatican is unairconditioned. We were glad to have weather in the high 60s Farenheit and overcast.

We seemed to miss all the big downpours except when we got off the train in florence and had to walk two blocks to our hotel with all of our luggage in an absolute downpour. We were pretty soaked upon arrival at the hotel!

Mondays in Italy seemed to be a lot of closures for museums. I would check out areas of places you want to see certain things and book accordingly. We were in Milan on a monday and could not see the museum where the painting of the last supper is located. It was closed!
I assumed Sundays would be a closure day, but not necessarily. We booked a cooking class on a Sunday thinking it would be a day of things being closed. I was wrong, but the cooking class was wonderful and in Florence. There was also a half marathon race in Florence on a Sunday and if we had known that ahead of time, my DD would have participated!

Have fun! Can't help with the Cinque Terre area.

kybourbon

No predicting the weather, but this past May was unusually cool/rainy.

Airfares usually increase mid May as colleges start to get out, etc. and summer fares start. Do not rule out flying into Zurich (I often find cheap fares to Zurich from my area) as you can hop a train to Como from there (discounts available a couple of months in advance on sbb.ch). You might even consider starting in Rome and working your way north so it will be warmer by the time you get to the lakes.

>>>Also, will any time in May be about the same in terms of crowds and hotel/apartment prices, or does it get progressively more crowded, more expensive, etc as the month goes on? <<<

Larger cities are always crowded/busy like NYC or Chicago. Cheaper prices in the dead of winter and maybe in the bigger cities during late July/Aug when Italians have vacation and won't to escape the heat of the cities. If you state how much you want to spend per night, people can make suggestions.

>>>Would Siena be visited most easily as a day trip from Florence, or as a stop on the way to Rome?>>>

If you mean for an overnight, then you could stop on the way to Rome. Otherwise, it's not on the way to Rome so not a convenient if you are transiting. Planning to stop enroute at any city will require figuring out if there is luggage storage or not as you can't easily drag it around with you while sightseeing.

For all the places you've listed, I hope you have at least three weeks.

bobthenavigator

You may get lucky with a good price, but I never suggest buying more than 6 months prior and often 90 days prior. The airlines look at load factors then and adjust prices if necessary.

stevewith

"Don't overdo" is good advice for any age or trip to Italy, but "don't fail to do what would mean most to YOU" is also good advice that I think too few people understand is important.

The mosaics in Ravenna are spectacular, and many people have found their visit to them more wonderful than their visit to either the Sistine Chapel or the Uffizi or all of Siena. Which is not to say you should definitely go to Ravenna, and you should definitely skip these other places, but that you have will a lot of time between now and when you need to book your trip to be honest with yourself about what YOU really want to do with your time in Italy.

Everybody likes to encourage others to relive their favorite moments in Italy, and planning any trip to Italy that is limited in time finally means making some hard choices about eliminating places that look so attractive. But just because other people go to this or that famous place, and the guidebooks put it in the "top ten must-sees" doesn't mean you will enjoy it.

Don't be afraid to deal your own hand and craft a trip that personally intrigues you. If you have any nagging thoughts that this or that famous place is going to be more of an obligatory stop than somewhere you can't wait to be, think about ditching it if favor of spending more time with what really draws you.

Ackislander

Identify the major holidays, ecclesiastical or political.,May 1, for example. Much will be closed, far more than in the US, on these holidays. Do not expect to be able to buy groceries or gas, for example, and many restaurants will be closed. Public transportation will be on Sunday schedules. If the holiday gives a three day weekend, it will be like Memorial Day or Fourth of July. Trains and highways will be packed.

Plan your trip to be in somewhere nice on those days rather than moving from place to place. Make sure you have food and drink if the local eateries are closed.

SkipHudgins

Como--we think Varenna has a better small town feel. Easy train ride from Milan
Ravenna-- the mosaics are worth seeing. Not a lot more there. I would do this only if transportation makes sense.
CT--based on your candid comments, I would skip.
Siena-- easy bus trip from Florence and/or spend night there on way to Rome. Very nice small city at night.
Tuscany--we much prefer visiting these small hill towns to CT. Would spend the time there.
Easier with car but doable on public transport.
Not sure i would worry too much about right day for certain things. if one thing is not open, something else will be. more things seem closed on Sunday and Monday, no scientific research on that!
Sounds like a fun trip. Enjoy.

mamcalice

The Michelin Green Guide is a great source of information on closures. By and large, Sunday and Monday are days when many restaurants are closed. Monday is often when museums are closed but not always. One thing to be sure to visit is the Rialto Market in Venice. I believe it is closed on Monday. Go early.

eastenderusvi

I am researching a similar itinerary and time frame. Ravenna seems to be difficult to get to (not directly on the train route Rome-Venice), but is on my must-see list. Ideas for both the OP and me??

Mimar

I found the stairs on the bridges in Venice negligible. They're very low. You can pull a suitcase up over them. And the bridges are not very high. But for somebody with knee problems the stairs might become tedious after a full day of walking around. You can switch to the vaporetto or a gondola or a water taxi. And, to save steps, take the traghetti (gondola ferries) between points on the Grand Canal. Here's information about traghetti: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/.../traghetto.htm.

I would agree to skip the Cinque Terre. Very hilly and the weather in May might not cooperate. You could do Orvieto as a day trip from Rome unless you're dropping a car there.

In general, traveling in Italy, there will be lots of walking and probably more stairs than you're used to. In particular, there are usually stairs (and no elevators) to access train tracks. This is not true at terminus stations: Milan Centrale, Venice Santa Lucia, Rome, Florence SM.

Jean

Florence is a little different. Many museums/sites are open/closed on alternate Sundays and Mondays, so a mid-week stay can make scheduling your sightseeing easier. Lots of things are much faster to see if you have reservations (and don't have to wait in lines); and a few sites require reservations. And, there are often closures/restrictions due to ongoing restorations, and it's not always easy to get current info.

This is the official website for museums in Florence.

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/

You'll have to search separately for hours and entry to churches, church museums and other sites (Palazzo Vecchio, for example).

How many days do you have for this trip? You've listed a lot of destinations...

Jean

Florence is a little different. Many museums/sites are open/closed on alternate Sundays and Mondays, so a mid-week stay can make scheduling your sightseeing easier. Lots of things are much faster to see if you have reservations (and don't have to wait in lines); and a few sites require reservations. And, there are often closures/restrictions due to ongoing restorations, and it's not always easy to get current info.

This is the official website for museums in Florence.

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/

You'll have to search separately for hours and entry to churches, church museums and other sites (Palazzo Vecchio, for example).

How many days do you have for this trip? You've listed a lot of destinations...

Jean

Florence is a little different. Many museums/sites are open/closed on alternate Sundays and Mondays, so a mid-week stay can make scheduling your sightseeing easier. Lots of things are much faster to see if you have reservations (and don't have to wait in lines); and a few sites require reservations. And, there are often closures/restrictions due to ongoing restorations, and it's not always easy to get current info.

This is the official website for museums in Florence.

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/

You'll have to search separately for hours and entry to churches, church museums and other sites (Palazzo Vecchio, for example).

How many days do you have for this trip? You've listed a lot of destinations...

Jean

Geez. Sorry for the multiple posts....

drchris

kybourbon - Thanks for suggesting the possibility of flying into Zurich. While I said we were buying tickets, we are actually using FF miles and know from past experience that considering alternative airports is sometimes necessary. We have flown into Zurich before and love the Swiss trains!