Ideas for 3 weeks in Italy
May 7th, 2015, 08:16 PM
#1
Ideas for 3 weeks in Italy
We know almost nothing about Italy but are just beginning to explore in preparation for a trip next year (spring 2016), so we'll start with asking you.
Our travelling style / interests:
On 4 past trips to EU (UK, Germany, Switzerland, Alsace-Loraine) we tended to go to lots of places, staying 3 or more nights in each, driving between them, split between magnet cities and small country towns. Interests: art, architecture, history, meeting people, and observing the culture of every-day life. The 3 of us are in our early 70's ... 2 of us are very active (ski, hike, walk a lot), one a bit less so.
This trip:
3 weeks. We're beginning to consider plopping down in 3 places and staying about a week in each and doing day trips from them -- perhaps we'd spend one or two nights at another location between the 3 bases.
Questions (yup, they're intentionally open-ended):
1. What 3 places would you recommend as 1-week bases?
2. I'm used to driving a lot (including in EU) ... we're debating on this trip whether to drive or use the train. In the places you recommend, would it be possible to easily do side trips by train, or would driving be more useful?
3. What months would you recommend?
Our travelling style / interests:
On 4 past trips to EU (UK, Germany, Switzerland, Alsace-Loraine) we tended to go to lots of places, staying 3 or more nights in each, driving between them, split between magnet cities and small country towns. Interests: art, architecture, history, meeting people, and observing the culture of every-day life. The 3 of us are in our early 70's ... 2 of us are very active (ski, hike, walk a lot), one a bit less so.
This trip:
3 weeks. We're beginning to consider plopping down in 3 places and staying about a week in each and doing day trips from them -- perhaps we'd spend one or two nights at another location between the 3 bases.
Questions (yup, they're intentionally open-ended):
1. What 3 places would you recommend as 1-week bases?
2. I'm used to driving a lot (including in EU) ... we're debating on this trip whether to drive or use the train. In the places you recommend, would it be possible to easily do side trips by train, or would driving be more useful?
3. What months would you recommend?
May 7th, 2015, 08:41 PM
#2
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THREE PLACES (note - this comes with bias as I spend a lot of time in Naples)
- Umbria - the unspoilt and untrampled next door neighbour to Tuscany. All its beauty without its crowds. I also love Abruzzo for this reason.
- Lazio - with Rome as the capital you can't go wrong - and lots of places to day trip
- Campania - Naples as it's 3000 year old centerpiece, this region has ancient ruins, natural beauty and incredible food.
DRIVING - Umbria/Abruzzo definitely. Campania - no.
MONTHS - May/June or September/October - summer is too hot and winter (although I love it) has the cold weather/snow in some areas.
- Umbria - the unspoilt and untrampled next door neighbour to Tuscany. All its beauty without its crowds. I also love Abruzzo for this reason.
- Lazio - with Rome as the capital you can't go wrong - and lots of places to day trip
- Campania - Naples as it's 3000 year old centerpiece, this region has ancient ruins, natural beauty and incredible food.
DRIVING - Umbria/Abruzzo definitely. Campania - no.
MONTHS - May/June or September/October - summer is too hot and winter (although I love it) has the cold weather/snow in some areas.
May 7th, 2015, 08:46 PM
#3
1. Fly into Venice, stay Venice with a couple of day trips to Burano and Padua; train or fly to Naples and stay in Sorrento or Amalfi Coast area w day trips to Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi/Positano; train or bus to Rome with day trips to Florence and Orvieto, fly home from Rome
2. I prefer having the freedom of driving and do so on all of my trips. But, the above can easily be done by public transportation
3. September is my favorite. Fewer tourists since kids are bak in school and more pleasant weather
2. I prefer having the freedom of driving and do so on all of my trips. But, the above can easily be done by public transportation
3. September is my favorite. Fewer tourists since kids are bak in school and more pleasant weather
May 8th, 2015, 08:09 AM
#6
Thanks ... u guys have already helped.
Our first impressions were to concentrate on the areas in or around/near Rome, Florence, and Venice. We hadn't given Naples much thought. But after reading your suggestions we've read a little about the Naples area and that's beginning to seem an attractive possibility.
Is it quite doable to have a base in Rome and see the major attractions in Florence in 2 day trips by rail from there?
And your responses have reminded us to think in terms of provinces as well as cities.
In the past we've sometimes stayed in cities, sometimes stayed in smaller towns and commuted into surrounding cities, and sometimes just enjoyed a small country town ... on this trip we'll probably do a bit of each, depending on our ultimate choices of destinations.
We're just beginning to research Italy ... over this year we will probably get both bewildered by the various alternatives and more focused.
We'll probably go sometime in April or May, or September or October, depending on results of our research.
Our first impressions were to concentrate on the areas in or around/near Rome, Florence, and Venice. We hadn't given Naples much thought. But after reading your suggestions we've read a little about the Naples area and that's beginning to seem an attractive possibility.
Is it quite doable to have a base in Rome and see the major attractions in Florence in 2 day trips by rail from there?
And your responses have reminded us to think in terms of provinces as well as cities.
In the past we've sometimes stayed in cities, sometimes stayed in smaller towns and commuted into surrounding cities, and sometimes just enjoyed a small country town ... on this trip we'll probably do a bit of each, depending on our ultimate choices of destinations.
We're just beginning to research Italy ... over this year we will probably get both bewildered by the various alternatives and more focused.
We'll probably go sometime in April or May, or September or October, depending on results of our research.
May 8th, 2015, 11:19 AM
#7
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Certainly you could do a week in Rome (with a day trip or two if you'd like) and then a week in the Florence/Tuscany region and another week near Venice. We will be traveling to Bologna and Venice for a few days each this summer and now I wish we had more time in that area as I learn more about the region.
Enjoy your planning!
Enjoy your planning!
May 8th, 2015, 05:41 PM
#8
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After 17 trips to Italy, my top 5 destinations are:
1. The lakes
2. The Tuscany hill towns
3. Venice
4. The Amalfi coast
5. The Ligurian coast
That is a good start for a 3 week trip, but you will return---we all do.
1. The lakes
2. The Tuscany hill towns
3. Venice
4. The Amalfi coast
5. The Ligurian coast
That is a good start for a 3 week trip, but you will return---we all do.
May 9th, 2015, 12:12 AM
#9
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Three weeks in Italy - an enviable prospect.
The first base I would give some consideration to is Verona, an interesting and compact city in it's own right but also a good hub to venture to other destinations by train or bus - Venice, Lake Garda, Padua.
Florence would be my second choice, both for the wealth of attractions in the city itself and the day trip options, again by train or bus, to places such as Siena, San Gimignano, Greve - and Pisa if you must. A car would give more flexibility to tour the area but the city seems particularly problematic for parking and car access.
For the third section of the trip, you might spread your time between the major league attractions of Rome and some time exploring the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii, based in Sorrento.
It's your first trip and you certainly will want to come back for more; you are being very sensible in curtailing the urge to cram too much into your time allocation.
The core problem. Italy - there' too much of it.
The first base I would give some consideration to is Verona, an interesting and compact city in it's own right but also a good hub to venture to other destinations by train or bus - Venice, Lake Garda, Padua.
Florence would be my second choice, both for the wealth of attractions in the city itself and the day trip options, again by train or bus, to places such as Siena, San Gimignano, Greve - and Pisa if you must. A car would give more flexibility to tour the area but the city seems particularly problematic for parking and car access.
For the third section of the trip, you might spread your time between the major league attractions of Rome and some time exploring the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii, based in Sorrento.
It's your first trip and you certainly will want to come back for more; you are being very sensible in curtailing the urge to cram too much into your time allocation.
The core problem. Italy - there' too much of it.
May 9th, 2015, 02:53 AM
#10
3 weeks seems like 4 stops for 5 days, my gut feel says
Tuscany
Veneto
Rome
Puglia or Le Marche
but you could add Sicilia or Napoli/Pompeii/Herculanium
If commuting you want areas with good train and or ferry links, so the Triangle of Rome, Bologna, Venice makes great sense, but if you step off the grid then you really need a car so St Gim. can be reached by bus but is a car visit.
Tuscany
Veneto
Rome
Puglia or Le Marche
but you could add Sicilia or Napoli/Pompeii/Herculanium
If commuting you want areas with good train and or ferry links, so the Triangle of Rome, Bologna, Venice makes great sense, but if you step off the grid then you really need a car so St Gim. can be reached by bus but is a car visit.
May 9th, 2015, 05:20 AM
#12
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I am getting ready to do just under three weeks in Italy. I fly I to Venice, spend four nights. Train to Riomaggiore, spend four nights. Train to Florence for three. Bus to Siena for three and then train to Rome for five. We opted for all public transportation although renting a car was highly recommended for tuscany. Happy planning! It will be here before you know it! Maybe, if you only want three bases Venice, Florence and Rome?
May 9th, 2015, 11:14 AM
#13
All these thoughts are great help, ...
but Aarrgghh ... We're entering the bewilderment phase of our planning, faced with choices and winnowing. But we have faith that we'll eventually bring it into narrower focus.
It'd be great if one could make time stop so that one night you went to sleep, could experience every tempting part of Italy at a leisurely pace, and a day or two later wake up and resume life at its normal pace. (Maybe that's part of the attraction of these forums.)
We've having problems conceptualizing one of the many sine qua non's for us:
One of us is a life-long professional artist who is also fascinated by the tarot - she definitely wants to see the Niki St Phalle tarot garden in the countryside near Capalbio about 1 hr 30 min by train north of Rome in the hills near the coast.
One possibility is doing it as a day trip from Rome via train and cab. Or we could include it as an overnight stop on the way between Rome and Siena/Florence/Tuscany via train & cab or via rental car. But playing around with Google maps I just noticed another unexpected possibility:
The region around Orvieto seems central to many things. Per Google Maps its within roughly 1 1/2 hour drive from Capalbino (with its tarot garden), and Assisi, and a plethora of hill towns. For much of my life I've been doing 1 1/2 to 2 hour drives each way to and from the mountains to ski and hike, so that's within my tolerance zone for driving.
What do you think about spending a few days somewhere in or near Orvieto, renting a car, and doing some day trips to Capalbino, Assisi, and some of the hill towns? *If* we eventually elect to try that, do you have suggestions about a locality in which to base ourselves?
On a related note:
Obviously Florence would be high on our list for art. We're wrestling with the idea of EITHER spending time *IN* Florence and taking some day trips to the Tuscan countryside, OR spending time *NEAR* Florence, enjoying the Tuscan countryside with frequent day trips into Florence via train or bus. What are your thoughts and suggestions about that? And do you have any suggestions for where we could base ourselves?
but Aarrgghh ... We're entering the bewilderment phase of our planning, faced with choices and winnowing. But we have faith that we'll eventually bring it into narrower focus.
It'd be great if one could make time stop so that one night you went to sleep, could experience every tempting part of Italy at a leisurely pace, and a day or two later wake up and resume life at its normal pace. (Maybe that's part of the attraction of these forums.)
We've having problems conceptualizing one of the many sine qua non's for us:
One of us is a life-long professional artist who is also fascinated by the tarot - she definitely wants to see the Niki St Phalle tarot garden in the countryside near Capalbio about 1 hr 30 min by train north of Rome in the hills near the coast.
One possibility is doing it as a day trip from Rome via train and cab. Or we could include it as an overnight stop on the way between Rome and Siena/Florence/Tuscany via train & cab or via rental car. But playing around with Google maps I just noticed another unexpected possibility:
The region around Orvieto seems central to many things. Per Google Maps its within roughly 1 1/2 hour drive from Capalbino (with its tarot garden), and Assisi, and a plethora of hill towns. For much of my life I've been doing 1 1/2 to 2 hour drives each way to and from the mountains to ski and hike, so that's within my tolerance zone for driving.
What do you think about spending a few days somewhere in or near Orvieto, renting a car, and doing some day trips to Capalbino, Assisi, and some of the hill towns? *If* we eventually elect to try that, do you have suggestions about a locality in which to base ourselves?
On a related note:
Obviously Florence would be high on our list for art. We're wrestling with the idea of EITHER spending time *IN* Florence and taking some day trips to the Tuscan countryside, OR spending time *NEAR* Florence, enjoying the Tuscan countryside with frequent day trips into Florence via train or bus. What are your thoughts and suggestions about that? And do you have any suggestions for where we could base ourselves?
May 9th, 2015, 11:55 AM
#14
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Two places for you to check out.
Cortona is a wonderful town set on a hilltop, within easy reach of other towns like Gubbio and Assisi.
Fiesole is only a short bus ride into Florence and enjoys great views of its bigger neighbour.
Cortona is a wonderful town set on a hilltop, within easy reach of other towns like Gubbio and Assisi.
Fiesole is only a short bus ride into Florence and enjoys great views of its bigger neighbour.
May 14th, 2015, 01:13 AM
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If your daytrips into Florence are "frequent", it would be better to stay in Florence.
I was a bit underwhelmed by Cortona. Someone had given me "Under a Tuscan Sun" when I was moving to Italy. I would say it oversold the place. When I told my husband I wanted to see Cortona, he said it was nothing special, but when I brought it up again, he agree to go there, along with another couple from Milan who were visiting us. In the end, I agree with my husband's valuation, and so did our friends from Milan.
I've seen a number of other Tuscan towns that I liked a lot better than Cortona. If you're in the vicinity, it's worth a stop, but I wouldn't travel more than half an hour to see it. If you go, the two things that impressed me the most were the Church of Santa Margherita, a bit out of the center, uphill; and the Etruscan chandelier in the civic museum. There was a Lombard church on the outskirts of town that I wanted to see, but it was closed, and none of the people in the vicinity knew anything about getting someone to open it.
I was a bit underwhelmed by Cortona. Someone had given me "Under a Tuscan Sun" when I was moving to Italy. I would say it oversold the place. When I told my husband I wanted to see Cortona, he said it was nothing special, but when I brought it up again, he agree to go there, along with another couple from Milan who were visiting us. In the end, I agree with my husband's valuation, and so did our friends from Milan.
I've seen a number of other Tuscan towns that I liked a lot better than Cortona. If you're in the vicinity, it's worth a stop, but I wouldn't travel more than half an hour to see it. If you go, the two things that impressed me the most were the Church of Santa Margherita, a bit out of the center, uphill; and the Etruscan chandelier in the civic museum. There was a Lombard church on the outskirts of town that I wanted to see, but it was closed, and none of the people in the vicinity knew anything about getting someone to open it.
May 14th, 2015, 05:49 AM
#16
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Orvieto is a great town, beautiful cathedral, and would make a good base. We have been there a number of times and we are going to stay there a few days this summer. Be sure to visit Civita de Bagnoreggio and Spello as well as Assisi. Umbria is less crowded than Tuscany.
My other two areas would be Rome and Venice and I might add Lake Como.
Florence is lovely, but can be super crowded. You will have a great trip wherever you decide to go in Italy.
My other two areas would be Rome and Venice and I might add Lake Como.
Florence is lovely, but can be super crowded. You will have a great trip wherever you decide to go in Italy.
May 14th, 2015, 08:22 AM
#17
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Based on your prior travels and your interests, I'd recommend something like this:
Venice--four nites (two full days plus one to recover from jet lag)
Stop on the way from Venice in Padua to see the Scrovegni Chapel, if nothing else. Then base in one of the smaller cities in the north: maybe Bologna, but be sure to day trip to Ravenna for the Byzantine churches.
Florence--five nites (four days)
Concur with bv--if your interests are art and architecture, stay in Florence with a day trip or two to, say, Siena.
We've not been to Orvieto, although we meant to do it on our last trip to Italy, we decided to spend more time around Napoli. We did stay in Perugia and loved it. Orvieto would seem to be a good base for you for a couple of days. So two or three nites there.
Rome--five nites.
Napoli--four or five nites--I'd recommend staying in Sorrento, as it's more scenic and less hectic, and easily connected with Napoli by Circumvesuviano train. You can see Pompeii for sure, and you should consider going down the coast to Pestum for the Greek temples and museum.
Each of these places offers top quality art and architecture--each is radically different from the others and each offers very different art and architecture.
This is enough for at least six weeks--I think I've overalloted your nites, but you indicate you're pretty fast travelers, so you may be able to do it without feeling too rushed.
Buon viaggio!
Venice--four nites (two full days plus one to recover from jet lag)
Stop on the way from Venice in Padua to see the Scrovegni Chapel, if nothing else. Then base in one of the smaller cities in the north: maybe Bologna, but be sure to day trip to Ravenna for the Byzantine churches.
Florence--five nites (four days)
Concur with bv--if your interests are art and architecture, stay in Florence with a day trip or two to, say, Siena.
We've not been to Orvieto, although we meant to do it on our last trip to Italy, we decided to spend more time around Napoli. We did stay in Perugia and loved it. Orvieto would seem to be a good base for you for a couple of days. So two or three nites there.
Rome--five nites.
Napoli--four or five nites--I'd recommend staying in Sorrento, as it's more scenic and less hectic, and easily connected with Napoli by Circumvesuviano train. You can see Pompeii for sure, and you should consider going down the coast to Pestum for the Greek temples and museum.
Each of these places offers top quality art and architecture--each is radically different from the others and each offers very different art and architecture.
This is enough for at least six weeks--I think I've overalloted your nites, but you indicate you're pretty fast travelers, so you may be able to do it without feeling too rushed.
Buon viaggio!
May 14th, 2015, 08:32 AM
#18
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P.S.--didn't answer transportation question: a car would be a major handicap or worse in any of the larger cities, and, for the most part, you don't really need one given your interests.
You might want to get one on leaving Florence on the way to Orvieto, or pick one up in Orvieto for your time around there. Other than that, trains will be better.
Also, if you really like to drive, think about getting a car in Sorrento for a day to drive down the Amalfi Coast to Paestum. It will be a traffic jam (probably) in May, but one of my fondest memories is driving from Sorrento to Paestum, eating a picnic lunch there, then stopping for coffee in Amalfi (city) on the way back. It's one of the most beautiful drives in the world. But don't try to drive into Napoli.
You might want to get one on leaving Florence on the way to Orvieto, or pick one up in Orvieto for your time around there. Other than that, trains will be better.
Also, if you really like to drive, think about getting a car in Sorrento for a day to drive down the Amalfi Coast to Paestum. It will be a traffic jam (probably) in May, but one of my fondest memories is driving from Sorrento to Paestum, eating a picnic lunch there, then stopping for coffee in Amalfi (city) on the way back. It's one of the most beautiful drives in the world. But don't try to drive into Napoli.
May 14th, 2015, 01:48 PM
#20
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I'm used to driving a lot (including in EU) ... we're debating on this trip whether to drive or use the train. In the places you recommend, would it be possible to easily do side trips by train, or would driving be more useful?>
I have done Italy by train for years and have gotten to many small towns and naturally beautiful areas like the Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia and nearly every hill town in Tuscany and Umbria - by bus mainly in those cases.
So you do not need a car to see virtually any town in Italy - there is an impressive bus system that goes everywhere and for dirt-cheap fares.
For lots of great stuff on Italian trains check www.seat61.com - good info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. If traveling a lot on trains check out the Italy Eurailpass - the more days you buy the cheaper per day they become - rivalling discounted tickets at some point and you can chose which trains to take once there not have to book in stone weeks in advance to get the limited in number discounted tickets.
I have done Italy by train for years and have gotten to many small towns and naturally beautiful areas like the Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia and nearly every hill town in Tuscany and Umbria - by bus mainly in those cases.
So you do not need a car to see virtually any town in Italy - there is an impressive bus system that goes everywhere and for dirt-cheap fares.
For lots of great stuff on Italian trains check www.seat61.com - good info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. If traveling a lot on trains check out the Italy Eurailpass - the more days you buy the cheaper per day they become - rivalling discounted tickets at some point and you can chose which trains to take once there not have to book in stone weeks in advance to get the limited in number discounted tickets.
