geeper

My wife and I are looking for ideas on 3 days in Italy post a week in Spain. Been to Rome, Amalfi and Tuscany. Looking to consider something a bit off the traditional path but with an airport we could get home from in March

Wine, food, culture, sights. All the good stuff

While half Italian, I don't speak Italian

Tall order I know, so just looking for ideas Thanks.

zoecat

March is a good time to visit Venice.

zoecat

Oops, I didn't finish. Although Venice is not off the beaten path, it will not be as crowded as other months.

Turin might be a good choice. Bologna also.

massimop

In case news hasn't reached you, Venice is not off the beaten path at any time of year, and it is often quite rainy in March, with tidal flooding.

There is so much of Italy that is off the beaten path it would be good do know how much you prefer outdoor activities to indoor activities, because in March, all of Italy tends to be wetter than Spain but some places are bit drier & warmer than others.

What airport will you be using to fly to Italy? Presuming you are willing to change planes in Europe for your return, there are dozens of Italian cities with airport that make connections to "home" (where is that?)

mama_mia

Do you know which town in Italy your ancestors are from? Visiting either the town or region that they came from can be very rewarding. I visited the town my grandparents came from in Abruzzo and found it to be a very emotional experience. Just enjoying the local food, you might recognize a style of cooking that will remind you of your family's heritage.

Saraho

I was in Venice in early March, right after Carnevale and it was not crowded at all. Yes, it did rain some, but we loved how unusually quiet it was.

Lexma90

Many locations in Italy will fit your description.

Piedmont - Rates very high on food and wine, IMHO less so on culture (in terms of no well-known museums), beautiful, could fly out of Milan.

Emilia Romagna - Very high on food and wine, culture, sights, could fly out of Bologna or Venice

Le Marche - A bit more driving, but definitely off the usual American sight-seeing route. Great on all accounts. Could fly out of Bologna or Venice, depending on your beginning or ending point.

kawh

Was just part of a discussion that included Nationale Parco Paradiso, above Turin. We flew out of Turin on our last visit to that area. Vineyards in the valley, Thermal water in Pres Saint Didier, Great hiking in the park. Not a huge tourist destination for Americans in general.

kawh

Also, Bologna is an easy airport to fly out of... if you don't want to be in town, there are lots of great agriturismos not too far away. Amazing food area!

bilboburgler

Sicilia, Puglia

Southam

I prefer Bologna to Venice: More relaxed for tourism; great food; interesting buildings; nearby attractions such as Ferrari. Forty kilometres of covered sidewalks could be handy if the winter is rainy.

massimop

Mama mia has a great idea.

Also, which 3 days in March is this? There is typically a big difference in weather between the first half and the last half of the month.

EVERY single region of Italy has areas that are off the beaten track & not commercialized for tourism but which are also still exceptionally beautiful and fascinating (this including Tuscany, or the sea coast quite near the Amalfi, or even parts of Rome) and EVERY region of Italy, excepting possibly Molise, has parts that are in all the guidebooks, get lined up with tour buses, have restaurants with menus in 4 languages, push souvenirs and the life a tourist lives there really has little to do with how the locals lives their lives there.

March is low time for tourism everywhere in Italy, but some destinations have been so thoroughly commercialized for tourism, and are now so lacking in independent economic activity or a local population, that even if you go at times when you see fewer tourists, you are still not much connected to the life of Italy.

massimop

I think what the OP is looking for is not "alternative" Italy but "actual" Italy. Although it might look to tourists as if more than half of Italy is set up for tourists, who come in droves, it is actually only a very small part of Italy that is that way, and what remains is actually beautiful, intriguing & enjoyable, & filled with unique Italian traditions & modern ways of doing things.

rs899

Ravenna
Naples

Leely2

I agree that Abruzzo is wonderful. I've only roadtripped through that area, though, so not sure what's quick in terms of airport for a three day visit. Le Marche would also be good, very pretty.

The month of March, I don't know. I'd probably go south. Palermo? (Was there in late March once and lucked out with crisp, sunny weather and clear blue skies.)

bvlenci

You don't say where you have to get home <b> to </b> so it's hard to recommend a location near a convenient airport.

If you have only three days (including the arrival day?) I'm not sure I'd advise visiting Le Marche, even though it's the beautiful area where I live. Three days is not much time for a rural area, where getting around is a bit slow. Besides, the only suitable airport in Le Marche would be Falconara (Ancona) (AOI). They do (or did) have flights from Barcelona, and they do have Ryanair flights to London, and Lufthansa flights to Munich.

Bologna has somewhat more flight options, and there is definitely excellent food in the Emilia Romagna region. (As there is also in Le Marche.)

Near Rome, you might consider the Castelli Romani, an area of lakes, hills, and castles, with easy access to Rome (by bus or train, if you don't want to drive) and to the airport.

sundriedtopepo

Palermo is pretty amazing. Or you could fly to Catania and spend 3 days in the area around Ortigia, the historical part of Syracuse.

menachem

I second Palermo. Catania. What sundriedtopepo said.

geeper

Thanks everybody. We are flying back to Dallas and are looking at March 11-14

massimop

Despite the likelihood of chilly weather I think I might opt for Bologna, with the possibility of day trips to Ferrara, Parma & Modena, simply because it would be so different than Spain or Dallas in terms of vistas & cuisine. Also, the porticoed streets of Bologna make it a nice place to be even if it is pouring rain, and the ease with which you can go daytripping without a car -- should their be late ice, snow or fog -- is terrific. Within an hour of Bologna one can take the train to see not only the towns I've already mentioned but Ravenna, Milan & Florence, all of which are also great rainy day destinations.

3 days in Palermo would be fun for me, but after Barcelona, maybe bewildering if that's your first time in Sicily. I wouldn't want to fly to Catania with the idea of renting a car. In mid-March, Sicily is not out of the woods for torrential spring rains, and I wouldn't want to be marooned in Catania for 3 days if storms rolled in & and I wasn't keen on joining Sicily's reckless drivers on the roads.