jmct714

I've gotten so many great tips from Fodorites over the years, and am hoping you can help again with some ideas. I'm planning a trip to Italy in November with my 69 year old (very active and agile) mother. It's her first visit abroad and she's excited yet a bit nervous about foreign travel, so I'm trying to make it as stress-free as possible. We have 10 days, and will definitely spend 3-4 days in Rome (she's very Catholic and puts the Vatican at the top of the "must" list)

We won't have a car, so a location easily accessible by public transport is important. My thought was to pick a second small-medium sized city to use as a base, such as Lucca or Bologna, so we can spend time exploring that city, but also be able to take side trips if we wanted.

Any other ideas for a second base? I've previously been to Rome, Florence and Montepulciano (loved all), but would like to go someplace different this time. We are pretty low-key... like to walk a lot, see the sites, but also soak in the atmosphere (as much as possible as short vacation-time allows, anyway) and have some nice meals and wine.
Thanks much!

Dayle

jmct,

My first thought was to take her somewhere completely different from Rome, like the countryside. But, seeing that neither of you have been to Venice - Venice! November will be uncrowded. Everyone should see Venice! It's completely unique and different from Rome. Art, architecture, so much to see and do.

Maybe stop along the way - Orvieto - Assisi - for a little taste of a hilltown....

Buon viaggio!

Dayle

Hmmm, Start in Venice..

3 nts Venice
train to Assisi or Orvieto
2 nts
5 nts Roma!

Jean

Where would you day-trip if you stayed in Lucca? or Bologna?

I'd probably stay in Florence which has a long list of indoor things to see if the weather doesn't cooperate, many options for day trips by train and bus and loads of restaurants to choose from. You could stay in Siena for 2-3 nights on the way from Rome if you want some evening time in a smaller town. Fly home from Pisa or Florence.

jmct714

Great suggestions... I would like to see Venice...

Day-trip ideas are Orvieto from Rome one day; from Lucca I thought we could spend a day in the CT (weather-permitting), or if we did Bolgona a day trip to Ravenna and maybe one to Florence. BTW, I like to "over-plan" knowing that if when there, something doesn't fit in or we change our mind, no worries.

joannyc

>

Then I'd recommend adding Assisi (St. Francis and St. Clare, founder of the Poor Clares) and Siena (St. Catherine) to your itinerary. Loved both towns!

allib123

I second Sienna! It is very special and small enough that you can "see" it all.
I also love Florence. First trip to Venice, June 12th.

zeppole

Bologna would also make a great base, all flat, non-touristy and a great transportation and art hub -- and in November you have the advantage of porticoes to keep you dry if it rains. Venice is 90 minutes away, and a day trip to Ravenna would be great.

I would recommend, however, that you add more time to Rome so that you can get over the jet lag and take it at a more leisurely pace.

By the way, I recently flew out of the Bologna airport and made a connecting flight in Rome to the US, and it was all very easy. The taxi ride from the center of Bologna to the airport is 15 minutes. So when you start looking for tickets, you might consider flying into Rome and flying out of Bologna.

dutyfree

Be careful with Venice in November as it is rainy and it starts flooding?Rome has so many daytrips that you could do that it would be possible to use that as a base to tour-Orvieto,Pompeii,Ostia Antica,Tivoli,Sorrento,etc.

zeppole

I think Pompeii is too exhausting as a day trip from Rome, and Sorrento kind of pointless in November. I would not pick Venice as a base, but would only go in nice weather as a day trip from Bologna -- but if you are really keen to see many sights in Venice, you might want to spend a couple of days there to avoid a too-full-day.

It rains all over Italy in November, not just Venice. Rome has been known to get floods in November. It can also be dry some years, so don't worry about it. Pick two comfortable bases with a variety of indoor and outdoor sightseeing, and mix and match according to that day's weather.

jmct714

Thanks so much for your suggestions. We've actually decided on Rome for 4 days (with a possible excursion to Orvieto) and Bologna for 5 days (with excursions to Ravenna and possibly Florence and Parma -- going to be prepared for all but see how we feel once we get there). I won't worry too much about the weather, though the shelter of the porticoes was one of the factors in choosing Bologna. I was in Rome and Tuscany a few years ago -- snowing in Tuscany when we landed and high 60s when we got to Rome. I've learned to be a bit more prepared!

Zeppole, thanks for the flight info; I'll definitely look into flights from BLQ.

zeppole

You might find this interesting to read as well:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/200...nvents-holiday

And if you have any interest at all, the opera house in Bologna is one of Italy's most beautiful and important

http://www.tcbo.it/home.html

jmct714

That's a great article about Ferrara. I'm actually wary about adding Florence to our agenda, b/c I feel like it ultimately could turn into a rushed and exhausting day at the end of our trip. A trip to Ferrara looks like it may be a better choice, and it's a bonus that I've not been there before.

I'm absolutely going to try to get to the opera house. There's actually an English opera there when we will be there (though I couldn't understand most of the only other English opera I've ever seen -- thank goodness for surtitles)

Question - have you been to Parma? if so, do you think it's time well spent to visit for a half day-- perhaps to visit the duomo and have lunch?

Thanks again for the info. I've really enjoyed reading about and researching Bologna and the area. Can't wait to go!