pacman57

As an off-on reader of the forums, I have noticed that many itinerary responses warn that the traveler is trying to squeeze too much into a short period of time. I want to avoid the same problem.

My wife and I (60 years old) are experienced travelers and are planning a 12 week trip next year to Europe. Within that trip, we have set aside 3 weeks in Italy (starting the last week of September). In the past, we have spent a week in Rome, but that's it. And because of the routing on the rest of the trip, we have eliminated anything south of Rome from consideration.

Originally, we had planned the following itinerary:

Week #1 - Milan (2 days), Lake Como (2 days), and Cinqueterre (3 days)
Week #2 - Florence/Tuscany
Week #3 - Bologna, Parma, Ravenna, leaving four days for Venice.

Since then, we have opted for a week-long cooking class in Verona for Week #3, and now face the question of whether the three weeks listed above are doable (and more importantly advisable) in two weeks, or if we should just drop one of the weeks?

We haven't set the transportation yet. We're okay with driving, but would be willing to take trains or busses if it makes sense.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

bobthenavigator

How do you plan to get around the 90 Schengen limit?

You would need to cut to fit all of that in 2 weeks.
I see Parma fitting with the CT. I would probaly drop the Milan/Como segment---you can juggle the rest into 2 weeks, but given the week in Verona, I would drop Bologna as well.
I would not cut Tuscany nor Venice.

Jean

I would probably do even less than Bob's suggests or find another week to give to the Italy portion of your itinerary. You have the luxury of 12 weeks, and yet the Italy portion seems like a lot of moving around.

I would spend 10 days split between Florence and at least one other base in Tuscany. Then the week in Verona and 4 days in Venice. Leave Lake Como for another trip when you can explore the towns for a few days.

Do you fly into Milan? Does it have to be Milan, or could it be Pisa? Where do you go after Italy?

pizzocchieri

There is no "Schengen problem". The limit is 90 days in the Schengen Zone, and even if the travelers are spending all 12 weeks in the Schengen Zone, that is 84 days.

But to answer the question you asked pacman57 -- No. Your cooking class in Verona eliminates the possibility of visiting within 2 weeks Milan, Lago di Como, le Cinque Terre, Florence, rural Tuscany, Bologna, Parma, Ravenna and Venice.

If you posted where else you are going in Europe (in particular where you are coming from and where you are going to after Italy) and why you initially picked these locations in Italy to visit, it would be easier to advise what to leave in and what to take out.

Just so you know how differently people view these things, i would drop Milan, Lago di Como, le Cinque Terre and Venice, and keep Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. But what's that got to do with you? If you talk more about yourselves and what draws you to Italy, then maybe people can give you responses that are less about the trips they like to take and more about the trip that you would enjoy taking.

pacman57

I appreciate the speed of your replies. This was exactly what I thought. It's time to cut it down.

Thanks to Bobthenavigator for making me aware that there even WAS a Schengen Zone, and thanks to pizzocchieri for letting me know that we wouldn't be in violation.

To answer your questions - we will be spending 4 weeks in France prior to coming to Italy. The last week will either be on the Cote D'Azur, or in the Lyon area, which is why I fixated on starting in Milan.

Given that the first three answers were unanimous in droping Milan and Lago di Como, I think I'll start the cutting there.

After the Verona portion, we are taking a cruise out of Venice along the Dalmation Coast, ending in Athens. The hard part is that the particular class we're looking at in Verona is only offered twice a year, so the Italy portion of our trip will be built around those dates and the dates of the cruise.

If we fly into Pisa or Florence, is the rest of the trip doable with a rental car (including Venice)?

Thanks again!

mamcalice

You definitely do not need a rental car for most of your trip, especially Venice where you can't take a car. The trains in Italy are excellent. You may want to rent a car for the Tuscany portion of your trip to provide flexibility but do not rent until you leave Florence.

leslieq

See the trip report I just posted for the Tuscany part of your trip. We loved Frances Lodge near Siena and the four days we spent driving to various locations. It is really advisable to have a car in Tuscany, but not in the other locations we travelled to (Florence, Cinque Terre).

sailingchick

I'm glad you're dropping Milan. That would have been my suggestion as well. Our favorite part of Italy was Cinque Terre. The hikes along the coast between the Villages are not to be missed. Bring sneakers or some type of shoe with support so you can comfortably walk i.e. not sandals. Enjoy!