We land in Paris Sept. 12, and leave Venice Sept 22. We have 2 days reserved @ Hotel Vernet in Paris, and the last 5 days reserved at Locanda Orseolo before flying out of Venice. That leaves 2 nights.

We wonder about go south from Paris to see a little more of France before crossing over into Italy, and are considering either 1) one more day in Paris and then 1-2 in southern France, or 1 and then overnight in Siena, or 2) just the two nights in Paris (we've been before, & will be there again), 1-2 nights in Lyon, Nice, or Aix, then one night in Tuscany on the way to Venice. We prefer train travel and plan to use trains whichever way we go. We've been to Switzerland but have never been to southern France. We've spent time in Italy, but the hubby hasn't seen much of Tuscany.

I guess the choices are 1) extra days in France or Italy? and 2) travel to Italy on a slightly northern (France-Switzerland) or more southern (France-Italy) route?

Advice? Suggestions? No wrong answer here, I think!

annw,

Have you been to Paris before? If not, I would just spend the other 2 nights in Paris.Just a thought!!

Tom

Thanks Tom -- yes we spent a couple of weeks there a while back -- love it, but would love to see some more of France too.

And of course I meant three nights not two, sorry.

Hi Ann,

How about three nights in Piedmont?

Your timing is perfect for the start of the vendemmia (the wine harvest). Piemonte is the largest wine region in Italy. It is much more on your route than Tuscany is, and in my very biased opinion is more desireable than Tuscany for a variety of reasons: It is not as heavily touristed (an understatement), the food is better (Piemontese cuisine is arguably the best in Italy, according to Italians. The Piemontese city of Bra is the home of the Slow Food Movement www.slowfood.com ) You would be in the area during the most beautiful time of year, with the grapes hanging heavily from the miles and miles of vines. The Porcini mushrooms will have started to come in...restaurants will be serving them in a million different ways.

The region of Piemonte is famous for its Barolo and Barbaresco wine (both made from the Nebbiolo grape, both named after towns of the same names, both DOCG category), Barbera (the most notable being Barbera d'Asti), Dolcetto, Asti Spumante (much of which is made nowadays in the Champagne method and is of the highest quality) Gavi (famous white Cortese named after the DOCG town of Gavi).

In addition to wine, Piemonte is noted for cheese. Toma, Tomino, Robiola, Formagette of every possible type, age and consistency. Goat, Sheep, Cow. Served with honey, fruit, jams.

The countryside is surrounded to the north, west and south by the Alps and the Appenine. Soft rolling wine hills and hazelnut plantations make up most of the Langhe and the Monferrato regions, with one take-your-breath-away view after the other.

Cities / towns - well, I live in Acqui Terme, a city of 20,000 with a 2000 year old history, with day spas, shops and fabulous restaurants. You will be traveling shortly before the Palio in Asti, which is even older than the one in Siena. Both cities are lovely destinations and enable easy touring.

Asti puts you closer to the Barolo wine region and Acqui puts you closer to the Ligurian coast.

Just an idea!

Diana

In south Piemonte, we are 1 hour from the LIgurian coast and the port city of Genoa. The capital of Piemonte is Torino, a city known for its art, history, culture, museums and, of course, food.

Hi ann,

Do you already have your airline tickets?

Yes Ira, we have the tickets! And reservations so far.

Thank you Diana! I am going to plan an extended visit to Piedmont region next year -- I also would like to see Genoa; my grandfather is from this region. This info is really helpful.

So far it looks like we will spend 3 nights at Hotel Vernet in Paris, then take a train to Milan and then from there to Lucca, because DH's bookkeeper's family 's friends run a top restaurant there and we are supposed to go there! Then we will go preferably by train to Arezzo, where a friend is thinking of buying property and wants us to check it out.

So I'm working out a very long day by train (we love train travel) to Lucca for first night and then a fairly short trip the next day to Arezzo. We've spent time in Florence previously, and I've toured Chianti region a bit too. After that we have 5 nights at Locanda Orseolo before returning to the US. I'm still working out the Lucca part and if we just can't manage that day we won't do it. But then we are back to sorting out a place for that first night out of Paris.

I tried sending you an e-mail (assuming that you're who I think you are), but maybe I don't have a valid e-mail address nowadays. Would greatly appreciate the chance to catch up.

Best wishes,

Rex