FabulousFrance

This comming June we will be in Tuscany for 7 days near Pienza, then head to Nice for 7 days. We have 3 days inbetween the reservations-Sat, Sun and Monday.

This is part of a 31 day trip where we will be in Rome before Tuscany and Provence after Nice.

We're thinking Cinque Terre for 2 nights then from there take the train to Nice one day early.

some other ideas-
Florence for one night or more-or just do as a day trip from Pienza base?
CT for 3 nights as a vacation from our vacation?


We like nature walks-but not huge hikers and like museums but not more than a few hours at a time-like good food, but it is not our focus.
This will be our first time in Italy. Have been to South of France numerous times.

Any better ideas? What would you do with the 3 extra days?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Michael

I would take the CT option.

HappyTrvlr

Last year we rented an apartment in Nice and a villa in Tuscany. We went to the Piemonte , Alba, after Nice and enjoyed it a lot. We also visited the Dolomites, Lake Garda and Bologna( we had more time to play with and enjoyed every one of these destinations)For just a one night stop on the way to Nice after you visit the CT,Cinque Terre( we did CT a few years ago) I recommend an over night in water front Noli, west of Genoa, east of Nice. Palazzo Vescovile with it's Michelin starred restaurant, Il Vescovane, was a real treat, easy to access off of the autostrada.

dugi_otok

Florence-2 nights, Pisa-1 night

nytraveler

I would do either Florence or Venice - not the CT. But, I want to see every museum, caste and church that there is - and have no interest in hiking.

But after a whole week in the Tuscan countryside I would need a city.

goldenautumn

If you are not big hikers, I wouldn't plop yourselves in the middle of tourist-overwhelmed le Cinque Terre. There are far more pleasant places to enjoy the Riviera.

I suggest since you are driving that you try Lerici, a nice sized Riviera town with lovely vistas, a chance to see le Cinque Terre by boat if you care (and the seas are not choppy), and if it is raining, with your car, you can dip into some very unusual places like Pietrasanta or Sarzana di -- or even Pisa if you haven't seen it.

For me, it would make a nice contrast to Tuscany, to be on the colorful Riviera in June. It is very different from the French Riviera, yet at the same time, it's interesting to see how the Italians do their Riviera and the French do theirs. I think Nice is a plenty busy city, and you won't be bored by the colorful Ligurian coast.

goldenautumn

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/tr...anted=all&_r=0

FabulousFrance

Thank you for your suggestions.

Just what I was hoping I would get- places that I did not know about and will need to check out.

NY travler I had not even considered Venice. I will check out how to get from there to Nice.

Happy Trvlr- thank you I will check out Noli-completly new to me.

goldenautumn-thank you for your link to the article on Leirci.
sounds perfect except not sure about the car. I was hoping to get rid of the car in Tuscany and take the train to the coast.
You sum up my fear of going to CT-"If you are not big hikers, I wouldn't plop yourselves in the middle of tourist-overwhelmed le Cinque Terre."

goldenautumn

If you would prefer not to have a car but go to the Italian Riviera and escape the tourists, then stay in Sestri Levante or Santa Margherita Ligure. The last is closest to Portofino, and once again you will find you've got a lot of tourist company and restaurants are negatively affected, but it is a pleasant town, with an upscale vibe like Lerici (both are kind of "home port" for beach lovers from Milan).

Sestri Levante is much more the summer delight of Italian families, because it has two sandy beaches, so parents with smaller children flock there (although in June, you'll only see lots of kids on Sundays.) That makes the whole town cheaper, livelier, much more untouristy, native Riviera fun, and the food there is excellent, as it is in neighboring Chiavari, an exceptionally pretty town that curiously isn't centered on the beachfront. If you get a touch of June rain, Chiavari is covered with porticoes, and full of cafes and shops, so it's an atmospheric and quirky place to be if you can't be out strolling along the palm-tree promenades or taking boat rides.

PalenQ

I found Genoa to be a very fascinating city - spending a day there would be sweet IMO and break up the long train ride from 5 Terre to Nice (always now requiring a cumbersome change of trains at the French border at Ventimiglia because the Italian Railways has halted most cross-border trains like the direct Milan-Genoa-Nice trains that ran for years.

bobthenavigator

I would stay in the charming fishing village of Camogli and spend one day in Genoa, which is quite close.

FabulousFrance

Thank you for your suggestions.
After more discussions we have decided to go from Tuscany to Venice for 3 nights. We will save CT for another trip.

We will take the train from Tuscany to Venice and fly Easy Jet from Venice to Nice.

any thoughts on this from all you Italy experts?

bobthenavigator

Have fun---hard to beat Venice.

PalenQ

Well I recently took the train between all 5 Terre Lands and loved my day exploring in those villages - you do not have to hike to enjoy a place like Vernazza! And in June it is still not the hectic high season - you can day trip in too by train or car - hiking is nice but it is not nearly the highlight of the Cinque Terre - it's the five ancient towns themselves.

amer_can

Agree PalenQ..No need to hike in CT..Villages have such different charm..Walk from Manerola to Riomaggio..Have some vino in Vernaza..Hop on hop off train/boat if weather is good.Stay in Levanto..Eat well Enjoy!!! Santa Margherita Ligure is lovely. Portofina, another very lovely place..The drive along the coast is good, curvy, picturesque but slow..the autostrada if fast but you can't see much (tunnels and speed) I would keep the car because I like to wander and stop when the spirit moves me..To each his/her own..what ever you decide you are in for a treat!!!

CyberNigel

thanks for all the good advice - just a question if you we're leaving Nice traveling to Rome and had ten days where would you stop off on the way? and still debating car or train ?

CyberNigel

sorry forgot to mention travelling early to mid September

PalenQ

Walk from Manerola to Riomaggio>

Ah yeh the Vialle d'Amour sp?) the Walk of Love or some such meaning - a totally flat boardwalk between these two towns - baby carriages, etc do it - but I think you still have to buy the several euro Cinque Terre hiking pass even if just doing this short stroll - not sure but that's what I surmised when I wanted to do it last time - I took the train instead as I had done it before - right along the sea.