changemaven

Hi Fodorites... we'll be in Italy in September for 3 weeks. The overall plan is...
fly to Venice, 3 nights BB Venezia
train to Florence, 2 nights Giglio Bianco, Hotel Alessandra or ll Marzocco. Is staying across the river too far for walking from the train?? Our full day in FL is my husbands birthday - plan to do a cycle tour of the city. Would love other ideas to make it special...
train to Cinque Terre area 3 nights... where to stay?? Santa Marguerita, Sestri Levante, beach or atop cliffs? hike and cycle, ferry and beach.
After CT - we plan 6 nights in Tuscany. here's our main questions... should we train or bus to Lucca or Siena for 1 or 2 nights, then rent a car for 4 days, stay more southern Tuscany, such as Montepulciano. Return the car after 4 or 6 days...
Train to Rome, 3 nights. Where to stay, mid price, convenient to train.
Train or bus to Sorrento, 4 nights. Convenient hotel recs welcome... mid price with pool on or near beach, transportation.
Train or bus back to Rome for last day shopping, dinner.

I know many have recommended saving Rome for last. It makes sense... but we like to spend time near the water since we rarely see coastline and beaches. We live near mountains.

We are unsure where to pick up and return the rental car in Tuscany.
Is it best to stay in a few diff places as I mentioned above... or base in one place and drive all over the area. It looks easier on maps... coming from Cinque Terre to visit Lucca and/or Sienna, then move south. Before booking hotels and cars... would appreciate hearing from those in the know. This is our first Italy trip.
Thanks in advance...
changemaven

zeppole

>>train to Cinque Terre area 3 nights... where to stay?? Santa Marguerita, Sestri Levante, beach or atop cliffs? hike and cycle, ferry and beach.<<

Santa Margherita Ligure is a very pretty holiday town with good amenities, nice swimming and beautiful hiking but it is a bit more than an hour by train to le Cinque Terre, just so you know. The town caters to an affluent crowd holidaying from the inland Italian cities. It's a bit posh, next door to Portofino.

Sestri Levante is closer to le Cinque Terre, has great food, a lively and fun family holiday atmosphere, two very nice sand beaches, fewer hotels that are geared toward meeting foreigners expectations, and no hiking unless you get on a train and head to either Levanto, le Cinque Terre or Santa Margherita Ligure/Camogli to hike on the Portofino Promontory.

I don't know where you plan on cycling unless you are a near-pro at it. The Italian Giro passes through some of the mountainous cliffs, but coastal Liguria is not for Sunday cyclists.

If you are not a big-time hiker, stay outside le Cinque Terre, especially if you don't like crowds of tourists or steep climbs wherever you go. If you want to hike only le Cinque Terre and don't mind crowds of companions, stay in one of the five towns.

>>should we train or bus to Lucca or Siena for 1 or 2 nights, then rent a car for 4 days, stay more southern Tuscany, such as Montepulciano. Return the car after 4 or 6 days...<<

Why don't you add nights to Firenze and see Lucca and Siena as day trips from Firenze? Pick up your car when you are leaving the coast. Pick it up in Rapallo if you stay in the area of Santa Margherita Ligure. Pick it up in La Spezia if you are staying in le Cinque Terre. Go directly to wherever you are going in southern Tuscany.

sap

bmarking

kybourbon

I would pick up the car leaving CT, tour Tuscany, drive to Amalfi (drop the car in Sorrento), end in Rome. You are only 30-40 minutes by train from beaches in the Rome area. It's really too much hassle to go to Rome twice. Locating hotels, checking in and out takes time so the less you do it, the more vacation time you have.

There are quite a few cycling treks out of Siena.

changemaven

Thank you zeppole. I was hoping you'd reply! Hadn't thought of day-tripping from Florence.

And thx to kybourbon.. I know everyone has said end in Rome. Logistically makes sense. Spiritually we've talked and talked and prefer to end relaxing near the water than days in the city. One last day in Rome, or partial to shop and one last feast! We've done that in Greece and recently Thailand. Works for us. My husband has no real interest in driving in Italy, so we only want the car a few days in Tuscany... and I will drive!

Thanks for the cycling trek tips. Do you know of companies that lead trips, or are you suggesting just go off on our own. Would love some ideas as we love to cycle.

Zeppole - to answer your biking question... my husband is the uphill biker! I'm a flat lander. We live in the Rocky Mountains. He would love biking there. I thought I read there was nice cycling around SML and Portofino...??

Thanks a bunch...

kybourbon

If you don't want to drive into Rome, then drop your car in either Chiusi or Orvieto. You can train into Rome easily from either, avoiding the hectic Rome traffic.

I don't bike, but have stayed in Siena and there were lots of people going on bike treks from there. Their tourism website has suggestions.
http://bici.terresiena.it/index.php?...emid=4&lang=en

This company is on Pienza's tourism website, but operates out of Siena also.
http://www.cicloposse.com/

zeppole

About the only place I can imagine enjoying bicycling is on the road that runs between Ruta and San Rocco, and in the other direction, Ruta to Rapallo. But I don't know where you rent a bike -- or how you get to Ruta without taking the via Aurelia (you can't take bikes on the buses, I don't think) -- and on the via Aurelia, you are really talking about some competitive type hill-climbing and descending at top speeds, and sharing the road with buses and motorini and cars.

Maybe links like these can help you find a cycling route:

http://www.routeyou.com/route/view/5...ycling-tour.en

http://www.adventuresportsholidays.c...orno-25469.php

http://www.biciinliguria.it/fragen_e.htm

http://www.biciinliguria.it/rental_bike_e.htm

and here's a European cyclists message board, in English (scroll down a bit)

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/f-243.html

http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspo...ime-trial.html

cbgetaway2015

Bookmarking