goddesstogo

Hi fellow fodorites.
It's been a long time between Italy trips but I'm happy to be starting to plan again. We've only been to Italy once before (2005) and that was a week in Rome, a week in Montepulciano, and a split week between Florence and Venice.

This time we're heading north for three weeks (last week of September and first two of October). With Jamikins' excellent advice, here are the bare bones so far:

- Flying into Turin, spend a week there with day trips
- Rent a car and drive to Bologna, spend a week there with day trips
- Drive to Le Marche area and stay in small town (Jamikins suggests Urbino or Urbania) for three or four days with day trips
- Possibly fly over to Dubrovnik for a few days.
- Not sure where we'd be flying home from.

Absolutely nothing is specific at this point or carved in stone.

I'd love some suggestions since I'm at zero knowledge. Right now, it's more or less general just to help me get started. I'm sure I'll be asking for details later. But just for now, can you help with the following:

- I'm thinking we'll stay in hotels in the cities (and I know nothing so far about Turin or Bologna). Can you suggest good three or four star hotels in good walking areas? I'd also consider apartments in the cities if you know of any good, trustworthy rental places or specific apartments.
- can you suggest the good areas of these cities to stay in?
- in the small town (possibily Urbano or Urbania), do you know of any apartments in town? Everything I've seen on vrbo looks lovely but is in the countryside and we definitely want to be in town, as we were in Montepulciano.
- I'd also love to hear about other towns to stay in, in the Marche area
- day trips could include Mondena, Ravenna, Ascoli Pecina, Parma. Yes? No? Others?
- rental cars or train?
- and what about Dubrovnik? I know there's a ferry but it takes a whole day each way. Is there a flight from somewhere in Italy?
- can you suggest hotels in Dubrovnik?

So that's it for now. Mostly it's just where to visit and where to stay for right now (and transportation). Restaurants and sights can come later.

Many thanks for you help.
gtg

Andrew

Can you do it backwards and start in Croatia? The weather turns colder and rainier on the Dalmatian coast at some point in October, generally. It could still be warm, even hot by mid-October but it could be chilly and rainy. I was there mid-October in 2009 and it was hot in Dubrovnik for the few days I was there, but the day I left it turned much colder and rainier.

You are always playing the odds with weather. It might be awesome in Dubrovnik still in mid-October (and it will be less crowded probably). Just sayin'...

I would stay close to or in the old town in Dubrovnik if possible (no need to rent a car - a pain to park it near the old town). It's small and another place that gets mobbed with cruise ship tour groups during the day but is great at night when less crowded. There aren't many proper hotels in or near the old town - mostly apartments and sobe (private rooms). If budget is big enough, the Hilton Imperial near the Pile Gate is supposedly really nice - I stayed across the street from it and found the location pretty nice to walk into the old town whenever I wanted to. Inside the old town you'll find lots of apartment rentals (easier by mid-October) but note that some of them have a lot of steps up. Dubrovnik is built on the side of a hill, and some of the pedestrian streets in the old town consist of fairly steep climbs up hill, up steps. May not be fun to go back and forth to your room that way all the time - so just find out what the situation is. (No steps to deal with staying near the Pile Gate.)

Check Google Flights for flights between Dubrovnik and Italy, then maybe between Dubrovnik and somewhere else in say Western Europe to fly home from (or to start in if you could start in Dubrovnik). There are direct flights between Venice and Dubrovnik and between Rome and Dubrovnik, but some of them are seasonal.

I will say that it's a shame you would be going only to Dubrovnik when there is soooo much more to see in Croatia + nearby Montenegro and Bosnia! I'm almost not sure I would bother to detour just to Dubrovnik and nowhere else, unless you could find super convenient flights or something.

Dukey1

Check www.skyscanner.com for budget flights to and from DBV (Dubrovnik). I believe the only non-stop is to and from Rome.

You are flying into Turin from? Would it be better to fly into Milan and take the train from there or rent the car there?

Turin for an entire week?

In terms of the car rental do you really need a car in Turin or in Bologna? Just a THOUGHT. You say you are going to do day trips but some might easily be done by rail

yorkshire

Agree with Andrew's excellent advice on both timing and reconsidering Dubrovnik. After three weeks of blissed out Italy, flying into a deluge with 1000 cruise ship passengers in Dubrovnik might be a bit of a letdown. I'm being hyperbolic of course, but adding that extra flight might be a pain not worth the trouble, when you could easily find one more place to wrap up in Italy. I am a huge promoter of Croatia, but I think it shines when you give it more time and get out into nature.
I still have not made it to le Marche, but my research thread may be helpful--we like staying in town too.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...earch-help.cfm

Suki

Since you are still in the early stages of planning, I would urge you to stay at least part of your Turin week in the Piedmont region. It has many beautiful towns and villages and was part of one of my favorite trips to Italy. We flew into Milan, spent 3 nights in Parma (with a day trip to Modena,) then 3 nights in La Morra in Piemonte, and finished with 3 nights in Turin.

Parma and Modena are both worth your time when you visit Bologna. The requisite tour of the Parmesan cheese factory was really interesting. Parma itself has lots of great restaurants and shops, and you don't feel like you are surrounded by tourists. We also took a picnic out to a castle that was about 10 miles from town and had a nice afternoon out there. In Modena, we had lunch at a place that only has 4 tables, and the chef is an older woman who comes out to greet you. It's in the back of a deli and reservations are a must (I'll have to look for the name.) We mentioned that we'd love to see a balsamic vinegar facility, and the waitress called a family friend and set it up for us that afternoon. I really liked the area for something different in Italy.

I enjoyed Turin but was happy with 3 nights there.

Andrew

I loved Parma too, Suki!

Dukey1

Dubrovnik does NOT have thousands of cruise ship passengers EVERY DAY does it? It is called planning ahead and consulting cruise ship schedules which are easily obtained on-line.

Staying away from a place because a bunch of other people might be there too could easily be a lot of places in Italy that aren't even near a cruise ship port.

yorkshire

That was not my main consideration--as I said, hyperbole--but the thought of flying over just to visit there tires me. It really just depends on how much goddess wants to see it and her potential opportunity to do a more complete trip to Croatia in the future.

Andrew

I agree with Yorkshire's general point that Dubrovnik can get very crowded with tourists during the day. Sure, so do lots of other places - say like Venice. But Dubrovnik's old town really isn't very big (tiny compared to Venice), so the people do tend to overwhelm it more easily. In places like Venice, it is possible to get away from the crowds more easily.

And as with many places, Dubrovnik is much nicer at night, even magical, after the crowds leave.

It's not always easy to plan your visit to Dubrovnik based on the cruise ships not being in town, given that some flights might not go every day.

HappyTrvlr

Centrally located hotel in Bologna-Art Hotel Novecento. It was a nice hotel experience and is in a great location. There is a garage next door if you have a rental car.
Dubrovnik limits the number of cruise ships in port by handing out a set number of permits. Still too many, though. It ks worth going there to walk along the top of the city walls.

maitaitom

For Dubrovnik...two words:

BUZA BAR

<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-eleven-dubrovnik-the-buza-bar/</B>

and three words:

WALK THE WALLS

<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-twelve-walking-dubrovniks-walls/</B>

goddesstogo

This is wonderful and exactly the kind of advice I was looking for!

Dubrovnick was just an afterthought once I started looking at the map of that coast of Italy. It may or may not stay in the plans. Maybe Croatia will wait for a trip of its own.

I'd thought about Turin for an entire week but maybe we should do a split week between it and one of the towns in suki's post (as we did with Florence/Montepulciano). Turin's been on my mind since the owner of our favourite Italian restaurant here told us it's the most beautiful city in Italy.

Do you think a week in Bologna is too much? Should we split it too? I'm not averse to that -- I just don't like moving so many times and don't want to waste whole days packing up, traveling and unpacking.

Re the car issue, I wouldn't want a car in Turin or Bologna. We're quite happy walking or using whatever public transportation exists or taking cabs when we're too tired to do anything else. I'd be happy to do day trips by rail. But don't you think we'd need a car once we're in the Marche area?

Happytrvlr, thanks for the hotel rec. I'll definitely look it up.

suki, I'd love to have that restaurant name. And if it's not too much trouble, can I also ask for the names of your hotels in Parma, La Morra and Turin. Was there a particular reason you chose to fly into Milan instead of Turin? Did you actually stay in Milan any length of time?

Should we put Milan on the list?

Thank you all once again. You're the best!

kybourbon

If you keep Dubrovnik, I would start there and end in Italy. Take an overnight ferry to Ancona and pick up your car for Le Marche.

>>>Do you think a week in Bologna is too much? Should we split it too?<<<

Bologna can be quite hectic so you may want to split it with somewhere. Ravenna is nice and fairly calm, but might not have enough to interest you.

>>.But don't you think we'd need a car once we're in the Marche area?<<<

Yes.

danon

We stayed in Bologna for six days( in an apt.)
A nice university city with good train connections to many nearby
towns.

goddesstogo

I've been thinking -- do you really think a week in Turin is too long if we're also doing day trips from there?

danon, would you be willing to share your apt. link?

Andrew

I wasn't a big fan of Milan. So it depends who you ask. As a day trip? Maybe a long one by train from Bologna...

kja

Personally, I wouldn’t try to include Dubrovnik on this trip – wait until you can give the Dalmatian Coast the time it deserves. JMO.

danon

sorry gtg.. it was not a rental . ( knew the owner)

We found enough to do in ( and around )the city to make only one day trip - to Florence.

kja

FWIW, I spent 5.5 full and very busy days in Florence itself -- no day trips -- and wished I had more time there. It's a city where personal interests in art and architecture really seem to make a difference -- some people are happy with a day trip, others (like me) would prefer an extended stay. Your call!

goddesstogo

Thanks anyway, danon. Clearly, I need a few friends with apartments in Europe.

The more I think about it, the more I think I'll drop the Dubrovnik idea.

Milan wasn't really under consideration till someone above mentioned it (I think just flying into) so unless someone talks me into it, I think we'll have enough to do without it. We like slow travel so don't like to hop from city to city too much.