flieder

My husband and I will be in Italy for the first two weeks of September and want to see everything like most of us in a very short amount of time. I know it might seems too cramped but we are ready for that just so we can see as much as possible. I like to share my itinerary with you seasoned travelers and will appreciate your suggestions very much. A quick note about us: we are 30 yrs old, healthy and fit (I'm saying this just to clarify we can run-run-run without so much of a relaxing time) two food lovers We both love nature, unique sights, not much into museums (although I like to see a few) and churches, love hillside towns, country side, vineyards, picturesque anything, local people and food... Also note we don't know any Italian. (will try to learn some basic stuff before leaving)

So here it goes:
8/30 - Leaving LAX to VCE
8/31 - Arrive at VCE A.M. and stay 2 nights
9/2 - Leave Venice in A.M. for Bologna (we can take train there or rent). Stay there 4 nights and see Padua, Ferrera and Florence. Maybe some other places
9/6 - Leave Bologna in A.M. for Siena or another small town. Stay there for 6 nights and do day trips.
9/12 - Leave Siena in A.M for Rome.
9/15 - Leave/arrive FCO for LAX

Is this plan doable? This is basically a rough plan, nothing set yet. But as I mentioned earlier, we would like to see as much as possible as we most likely won't return to Italy for vacation again. Any suggestions for places that we should consider? Appreciate your comments.

Thanks.

ellenem

Yes, you plan is doable. Considering your interests, I am wondering why you chose some of the places. I toin you would only really need a car once you reached siena.

Padua is MUCH closer to Venice than to Bologna. You might even stop in Padua on your way to Bologna.

Similarly, to reach Siena from Bologna, you will probably pass through Florence, so you might stop for the day in Florence on your way to Siena.

ellenem

I THINK you would only really need a car once you reached Siena.

Jean

Padova is closer to Venice. Train service between Venice and Padova is more frequent and cheaper than between Bologna and Padova.

You'll hardly get your bearings in Venice in 1+ days.

If you plan many day trips by car in Tuscany, I wouldn't stay in Siena. Pick a smaller town with easier egress/ingress that is as geographically central as possible to the places you want to explore. Or stay in two different towns in different parts of the region over your 6 days. Tuscany is 9000 square miles, so you'll have to be selective in your sightseeing plans.

"We most likely won't return to Italy for vacation again." If that's true, you'll be missing about 90% of all that this wonderful country has to offer.

flieder

Jean, where else would you suggest to stay instead of Siena? We would love to come back to Italy but considering we only have two weeks vacation each year and so many great countries/places to visit all over the world, it would be hard to go to same place twice... maybe when we retire

flieder

Would you also suggest to stay in Venice and do day trips to Padua, Ferrera and maybe Verona?

Ellenem - As I said, our plan is not final yet. This is my initial research trying to figure out what would be more interesting for us. But, I will update the signseeing or day trips after I read the Fr...ers Italy guide.

ellenem

I think Ferrara is easier to reach from Bologna. But I'm wondering why, with so little time, you want to visit Ferrara. Why did you choose the particular places you have listed?

flieder

Ellenem - To tell the truth I just looked at the map and picked places between Venice and Florence

Jean

Where else to stay instead of Siena? That depends on where in Tuscany you want to explore. There's no point in staying in charming Montepulciano if you want to see Lucca and Pisa which are more than 2 hours away. It might make sense to stay in two towns in different parts of Tuscany.

September is a very popular month. I would figure out your itinerary ASAP and book your lodging.

You can check train timetables here:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD
[use Italian spellings for all towns]

And you can check driving routes and journey times here:

https://maps.google.com/
[add more time to all estimates as Google is almost always too optimistic]

bobthenavigator

You can do better than this:
1. Spend at least 3 nites in Venice
2. Train to Florence for those 4 nites and see Bologna from there.
3. Get your car as you depart Florence and stay in rural Tuscany for 5 nites---south of Siena
4. Drop the car in Orvieto and train into Rome.

Come back here for more detail after you assimilate the above suggestions. You have real potential here but you need help.

BTW, at age 30 we had zero trips to Italy---now we have 17.
You will return.

Jean

"To tell the truth I just looked at the map and picked places between Venice and Florence."

Does that mean Bologna was somewhat of a random choice?

flieder

Yup all the places from Venice to Florence are random choices. I guess I wanted to see just to see. Maybe we can stay in two towns in Tuscany as 'Jean' suggested as we would be more happy to see and explore charming hillsides and small country side. And skip those towns I mentioned earlier. There are so many places to see and not much time... I'll try to make a better itinerary tonight. As always any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

joannyc

I agree with Bob's itinerary.

But I'd change # 3 to: Pick up car when leaving Florence, head to San Gimignano for a few hours before proceeding to Siena for 3 nights. Then head over to Assisi (loved this town and San Gim and Siena!) or Perugia for a night or two. Drive to Orvieto, return the car and store your luggage and spend the day there. Take a late afternoon/evening train to Rome.

Have a wonderful trip!

Coincidence that a segment on Perugia is being shown on Under the Sun (episode is on Italy) as I write this!

Jean

I agree with Bob too, but I don't get the impression the OP is very interested in Florence. If that's the case, she should just head to a smaller Tuscan town and perhaps visit Florence (if at all) on a day trip.

There is no place that I'm aware of in Orvieto for storing luggage, but you could drive there in the morning, keep the car (to hold the luggage) while you explore the town, return the car in the afternoon and then train to Rome.

joannyc

There's an old thread on Fodors where kwren emailed the Hotel Picchio and they responded that they do provide luggage storage at 4 euros/bag. Worth emailing them again to see if anything has changed.

If the car rental office is open late enough, that's an option also!

flieder

Ok based on my quick read and view of some pictures of towns, I think I rather spent most of our time in Tuscany than Venice or Rome...We would still stay in Venice 2-3 nights to see as much as possible though.

I bought a popular guidebook and they have a suggestion for one week in Tuscany. So, we would stay in somewhere west/southwest of Florence(any suggestions?)for a few days and have day trips to Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre. From there we would go and stay maybe in Montepulciano for another 3-5 nights and do side trips to Siena, Montelcino, Pienza, San Gimignano, Perugia, Orvieto, Assisi and beautiful Val D'orcia. Wow I just included almost everywhere in Tuscany... But they are all beautiful..
And from where ever we stay we take a train to go to Rome and spend 2-3 nights...??????

bobthenavigator

I am glad you are open minded on this, but you are shotgunning now. It is hard for us to make chocies for you, but I do think that a week in Tuscany/Umbria basing in two locations is a good plan. GIven that, and staying 3 nites each in Venice and Rome, makes a great trip. Now, focus on which locations in Tuscany/Umbria. Read more of your book and come back with YOUR ideas of what you most want to see.

Jean

If you want to see Pisa, Lucca and the Cinque Terre from one base, I'd stay in Pisa. Train from Venice (3.5 hours), train to/from Lucca (30 mins. each way), and train to/from the Cinque Terre (about 2 hours each way). If you want to climb the Leaning Tower, you need to make a timed reservation.

After Pisa, pick up the rental car and drive to your other base in southern Tuscany, perhaps stopping in Volterra or San Gimignano along the way.

If you have only 3-4 days in this second location, you'll have to be very selective about where you explore. First, decide how much time you want to spend in the car (how far from your base you're willing to travel) and whether you'd feel comfortable driving back to your base in the dark (sunset will be at about 7:30p). For me, Assisi would be a nearly all-day excursion because of the driving time, search for parking, walking into and out of the town, seeing the sights, lunch, and desire to get back to the hotel before dark. And I would need a full day each in Siena and Perugia just for the sights.

Also, think about sights other than towns. There are a couple of abbeys you can visit in Tuscany and a few roads you can drive just for iconic Tuscan scenery. If you want to visit a vineyard, you'll need to make a reservation. There are tasting rooms in a few towns, like Montepulciano and Montalcino.

Jean

I forgot to add that, if you were willing to skip Pisa, Lucca and the Cinque Terre, you could make your second base in Umbria and be in a better position to see some of that region.

FHurdle

Somebody has already made the point, but Padua can be easily seen on the train trip from Venice to Florence or Bologna.

I think most people visit Padua to see the Scrovegni Chapel. It is worth the effort. You need a pre-booked reservation from the Internet.

We did this. We checked our luggage, saw the chapel, ate a put-together picnic lunch, and went on our way. I'm sure there is more to see in Padua, but we saw what we wanted to see.