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14 days in Italy -- Itinerary needed
My wife and I are going to spend 14 days in Italy in April. We want to stay in just a few places and drive around in a car. We're thinking about Rome, Florence (or Tuscany area -- perhaps a villa or apartment), Venice, and maybe one other place. <BR><BR>Can someone suggest a good itinerary and/or places to stay that are moderately priced? <BR><BR>Thanks.
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You can cover those areas in 14 days, figuring 3-4 days/area. Do the 14 days include travel days, how many nights? ALso do you have flexibility in the flight arrangements, are you tied down to flying in and out of one location? If you're not, I'd fly into Venice, and leave from Rome and maybe taking the train or renting a car between cities and towns.
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Your trip sounds more than leisurely - if looking for another spot - Verona - hour or so by train from Florence is an amazing smaller city. Lots of quaint shops, markets and private hotels. Also there is a great winery 25 minutes out from the city Sergio Allegheri - secured some great Barolo/Valpolicella
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You'll get a number of replies here, and many are likely to say that you need to bring more "to the table" than this.<BR><BR>I think that you're already on one right track, and maybe one wrong track.<BR><BR>Right track: the notion of spending some portion of your two weeks OUTside the "big three" (Rome, Florence, Venice). Staying in a villa or apartment in Tuscany is a step in the right direction, but certainly not the only way.<BR><BR>Wrong track: thinking about trying to go TOO many places. FIVE places is almost too many for two weeks, although your sketch of where you want to go could be construed as just three: Rome, Tuscany (with forays into Florence) and the Veneto (likewise into Venice). Again, staying one place like a villa or apartment is a good counter-measure. They will typically have one week minimum stays.<BR><BR>I recommend that you put the most thought and research into where that one week will be. That necomes the backbone of your trip. It might be days 3 to 9, so that you have acclimated a little bit before you jump into a car, and have to set out to find the place you are renting.<BR><BR>I recommend these resources for learning about renting:<BR><BR>www.slowtrav.com<BR>www.rentvillas .com<BR>www.domani-usa.com<BR><BR>and this as the first (and sometimes only) place to "shop" for hotels:<BR><BR>www.venere.com<BR><BR>You'll also want to learn about<BR><BR>www.autoeurope.com<BR><BR>and one (or all) of these three:<BR><BR>www.viamichelin.com<BR>www.mappy.com <BR>www.shellgeostar.com<BR><BR>You next phase needs to be a whole lot of reading (and especially picture books). come back here repeatedly and often, as your plans evolve.<BR><BR>"We" will be glad to help you.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex Bickers<BR>Westerville, Ohio<BR><BR>
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The 14 days are all in Italy. We'll have 2 additional days for travel. We have total flexibility about where we fly in.<BR><BR>We were thinking about Como, the Riviera, or Cinque Terra for our additional spot. Any thoughts?<BR><BR>Barb, thanks for the suggestions. Verona and a winery sound interesting.
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Rex,<BR><BR>GREAT comments. Thanks very much! Our preference would certainly be to unpack/pack as little as possible, and to have a home base from which we can make day trips in a car.
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To the Staff of "Le Agave" Hotel in Poistano, Italy.<BR>><BR>> I enjoyed my staff at your facility very much and thank you for your<BR>> professional and courteous service. I look forward to visiting again and<BR>> will be telling my friends and associates of the delightful time I had.<BR>><BR>> Grazie,<BR>><BR>> Paolo Alviggi<BR>
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Oops I goofed!!! Verona is an hour or so out of Venice not Florence...I must need a vacation...
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Hello, Here is what we did-Fly into Venice- 3 days, drive to Lake Como-2 days,Santa Margarita-1 day, Sienna-1 day,San Gemigiano-1 day, Rome 3 days, Positano-3 days, fly out of Rome. I'd try to fly out of Naples instead. We didn't want to spend more than 2-3 hours driving between places. Hope this helps.
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Nothing personal Joan but I'm exhausted just looking at your itinerary. 6 days spent in part traveling between places, checking into and out of hotels etc. <BR><BR>I would recomend 2 or 3 places. One must do to me is to take an apartment in Toscana. You can search on Slow Trav or my favorite:<BR><BR>http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk<BR><BR>We ahve rented 3 dinfferent apartments thru Holiday-rentals.com and have loved all of them.<BR><BR>From our base in Toscana you can visit Firenze as well as day trip around the area. If seeing Firenze is a big proiority, I woould stay in the Castellina in Chianti area or somewhere just outside San GIm. this was you will have great access to several main highways that will leave you with a lot of options. I wouold do 2 day trips into Firenze.<BR><BR>For the second week I personally would chose a week in Venezia. I love to close out the trip in Venezia because the lack of cars is just so relaxing.<BR><BR>Many on this board would advocate a week in Roma instead of Venezia. Roma is just too big city for me although I love it. If you want to work in ROma, try 3-4 days in Sorrento and 3-4 days in Rome. Pompeii, Herculano, the Museo Arcologio in Napoli and Paestum are all stunning stops. 3-4 days in roma allow for the vatican, the Borghese, the Fori Romano e Palantino, and Coloseo with more time left over for wandering, sitting and enjoying the outdoor markets (Campo di Fiori) and Piazze.
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Dean, thanks a lot.<BR><BR>Does airfare generally increase substantially when flying in to one place (e.g., Rome) and out from another place (e.g., Venice)?
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Steve, For a first trip to Italy, and with 2 weeks to spend, I would advise picking 4 destinations based on a north or south orientation--it is hard to do justice to both in that time. If north, then fly into Milan and out of Venice and include the coast and Tuscany. If south, fly into and out of Rome and include the Amalfi coast, Florence, and Tuscany. Both are great 2 week itineraires--and, you will return. The other variable is April. You will get better weather south, and do not forget to check for Easter--a major factor.
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Bob,<BR><BR>Thanks.<BR><BR>A few additional questions, if you don't mind indulging me. <BR><BR>(1) Are you saying that if we chose to go north, then we should exclude Rome? <BR><BR>(2) What is the weather generally like in the north in April (and might May be a better time)? <BR><BR>(3) Why is Easter a limiting factor? I was just counting on closings for 1 day.<BR><BR>Thanks.
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<<Does airfare generally increase substantially when flying in to one place (e.g., Rome) and out from another place (e.g., Venice)?>><BR><BR>Generally, no. It's a good idea. Ideally, it's half the price of a Rome roundtrip plus half the price of a Venice roundtrip.<BR><BR>The real question is what to put first? Rome? (so intense - - can be overwhelming those first few days) or Venice (so delectable - - shame to waste those first few tired days there).<BR><BR>A good reason to fly into Milan for a lot of people. A less rich tapestry there to spend your first day, or an easy train ride to Verona, for example, if you you don't really want to even spend one day there.<BR>
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One question...a million ideas and suggestions. The key is to find the areas that interest you most and, as was suggested in a previous email, this should be done by reading and looking at pictues.<BR>I would recommend that for part of your trip you base yourself in Tuscany for several days. Here you are centrally located to many beautiful and amazing day trips. I had the good fortune to find and stay at "Relais La Suvera" which was a former estate of Pope Julius II. It is located on a hill top overlooking a Tuscan valley and the small town of Pievescola. From here you are 30 minutes from Sienna, 30 minutes from the Chianti region, and 25 minutes to a must see town....San Gimingiano.<BR>Next I would recommend that you spend several days in Florence. It is an amazing city that you will only be able to scratch the surface of.<BR>As for Rome and Venice time allowing they are not to be missed either. You can Fly into one city and depart from the other with the above mentioned stops in between. <BR>I strongly suggest you do not drive in Rome. Rent a car on your way out of Rome. Driving from Rome to Tuscany and throughout Tuscany and Chianti is beautiful. I would return the car in Florence and train it Venice. The trains are very convenient.<BR>Most of all relax, take it all in, and ENJOY the experience!
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I'm leaving August 31 for 2 weeks for my first trip to Italy. I fly into Rome and have 3 full days there. Then I'm taking the train to Florence and staying 3 full days. I will then rent a car and am driving down to Siena which will be my base for the next full three days while I explore that area and surrounding villages. I will then drive back to Florence and catch the train to Venice for 3 days, train over to Milan where I'm renting a car and driving to Lake Como for my remaining 2 days before I fly home out of Milan.<BR><BR>I didn't plan on renting a car the second time in Milan, but it made more sense and appears to be less hassle than taking a train to Como and taxis to the hotel, return to airport, etc.<BR><BR>My only set itinery are the # of days I will be in each location. My accommodations are a mix (from a couple of 4* hotels to B&B's to a resort). I have a few main places I want to see in each area and then spend the rest of the time, wandering, shopping, people watching and just whatever.<BR><BR>You can't see or do everything and I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back to Italy, so I wanted to be sure I saw what was most important to me and balance it all out the best I could.<BR><BR>Hope this gives you some ideas... BTW, I'm traveling by myself on all of this.<BR>Kristine
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Steve, Yes, I am saying skip Rome if you start north--it is function of time.<BR>Rome demands 5 days--save it for when you have the time. And, you will have plenty to see in the north. April is iffy in the north--can be chilly and rainy. Especially if you try to do the coast and the Lakes. May will be better.<BR>Easter is a plus and a minus. It is always booked heavily and more expensive. But, it can be captivating to see a local pageant. Life is a trade-off. Go to www.slowtrav.com for my article on a budget for your trip.
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Regarding your question on airfare, I've done that twice (arr. venice/dep. rome) in '87 and '01. Didn't seem to affect price all that much if any. 14 days in Italy is plenty of time for the big 3 and maybe a night or 2 in tuscany or a smaller town. Grant it, you can easily spend a week in Rome, but if you want to get a good taste of Italy, what you suggest is definitely doable in 14 days.
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This was one of the better examples in a while of how this forum is supposed to work!<BR>
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