a month in Italy-yipee
 

first timers in Italy and we need some help. We are in our mid-50's, love good food and wine along with beautiful scenery. Not big on hiking, especially up big hills. Fortunately we are using miles and hotel points for most of our trip. Our plan so far:
9/30-10/5 Venice
10/5-10/12 Tuscany
10/12-10/17 Florence
10/17-10/23 ???Amalfi Coast
10/23-10/28-Rome
Flying home from Rome

Would love to go to the Amalfi Coast and Capri (separate stays or staying in one place) Also, what about CT or another suggestion? Does it make sense to go to Tuscany and then separately to Florence. We are using Starwood points in Florence so we are not paying for a hotel there. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Lucky, lucky!

Seems like a lot of time in Venice from what I've read. I was in Cinque Terre in August and I'd definitely go there if I were you especially since it won't be so oppressively hot. Happy planning!

Sounds like a great trip. I'm not sure I agree with nysmon on Venice. You could easily enjoy a week there based on my experience over many trips. Same with Roma. On the other hand I've left Florence early due to the crowds.

Yes, Tuscany and Florence are seperate destinations, but in your itinerary you should see Florence first---an easy train ride from Venice. I would then get a car for Tuscany and keep it all the way to Sorrento to drop it. Yes, I do think the AC makes good sense that time of year and I would give it at least 6 days--maybe 2 nites on Capri. We all envy your month time frame, but perhaps not me as much as others. We will be spending 3 weeks in north Italy about the same time celebrating our 50th anniversary. It will be our 15th trip to Italy.

Hello msellie, I agree with Bob, taking the train from Venice to Florence and after staying in Florence picking up your rental car for the rest of the trip until you go to Rome is an excellent idea.
And personally I do not think you are spending to much time in Venice. You are flying from the US I imagine? If so you will have a bit of jet lag when you arrive. Venice is a beautiful city to get over jetlag while you walk around in the fresh air. A month is wonderful, you will have time to savor Italy, to sit at a cafe and enjoy a drink and people watch, to wander off the well known paths so to speak. I also agree if you go to Capri do stay two nights so you have one day without arriving or departing. Have fun doing research for the areas/cities you will be in and you will also have time to learn a tad bit of Italian (even just simple words and expressions) which will help you enjoy your trip! Loving good food and wine along with beautiful scenery..I can so relate! You will be so happy in Italy.

I would probably do a couple fewer days in Florence and do that first. Then rent a car and tour from one of two bases in Tuscany.

With the time you have I would stay in both Sorrento (great for touring Pompeii and Naples archeo museum and on Capri - which is much different after tourists have left at 6 pm. From both you can easily take ferry trips to many of the small towns along the coast.

You could also afford in fit in 2/3 days in Cinque Terre if you like - but I would suggest doing those days in the Lakes instead - a very different atmosphere - and truly charming. We did Maggiore from Stresa but you could also do Como or Lago di Garda - and I think would make a more interesting contrast.

Nice trip. Plenty of time in each spot. I agree that taking the train from Venice to Florence and then staying in Florence first. You will really need a car to enjoy rural Tuscany. And you will need to research towns and areas in Tuscany; it's really fairly big.

I'd pick one of the Amalfi Coast or the Cinque Terre. For you I'd pick the Amalfi coast because there's more of interest there. The CT is pretty, but it's just small towns and a trail (or a train or boat) in between. More to do around the Amalfi Coast: Pompeii and Herculaneum, Mt. Vesuvius, Paestum, even a trip into Naples. So there are more options if the weather isn't so good.

You can get to Capri by boat from the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento or Naples. As you're looking at later in the fall, there might be some days the boat doesn't run because of rough water. You can do a daytrip to Capri but at least one overnight there is greatly to be preferred.

You must prepare yourself to do some walking, even some uphill walking. You can't avoid that in Europe in general and especially on the coast (either the AC or the CT), in Capri, and in hilltowns. But all the better to burn off the pasta and gelato!

Great plan. Last year we spent a month in Italy during October and November.

We found that a week was not enough time for Venice, so I think you will be very happy with the time you have carved out for this marvelous city.

We spent 5 nights in the Cinque Terre, hiking and exploring (we are a little older than you). The trails are well marked, some harder than others.

The other two weeks were split between Umbria and the hill towns, (with Spello as our base) and Lake Como. We rented a car from Venice on the day we left that city.

It looks like you have allowed plenty of time for each destination without racing around. Now my BF wants to do this trip...sooo maybe I'll be back soon!! He should have been a teacher:)

Just had to say Happy 50th to Bob :)

Your trip sounds lovely. Definitely not too much time in Venice, don't forget to visit the islands, we loved Burano, it's very cute! You could always catch a train to nearby towns if you want to explore the area a little - Verona and Padua are very close to Venice. The rest sounds lovely, don't forget to wander around Florence in the evening which is when it is at its' most beautiful. If the queues are long at Accademia to see David, then go back later in the afternoon - at about 5pm. The tour groups will be gone and you will have the place almost entirely to yourselves!

Looks good to me, except I'd take 2 days off Florence & add them to Venice or the Amalfi Coast.

Sounds like a great trip. We did a similar itinerary (a bit shorter, and no AC) last summer. I would definitely recommend getting apartments and not just staying in hotels. We enjoy eating out, but for 4 week trip it's really nice to have the luxury of eating in 1,2, or sometimes even 3 meals a day some days.

You have time to slow down and smell the roses. In Venice I recommend talking to Denise at venicerentals.com. They are great at finding apartments - tell them what you need and they'll offer up numerous properties from which to choose. If none suit your liking, they can modify what the offer you. (price, location, size, etc).

For other locations www.slowtrav.com is a great place to start for apartment rentals in cities, or agritourism, villa, or podere (farmhouse) stays in Tuscany.

For 6d in Venice you can stay in almost any location, which really opens up your options to explore and enjoy areas outside the usual tourist hubs/throngs.

We visited, in this order: Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany. After the wonderful hustle & bustle of Rome, Venice was a marvelous respite. No cars, buses, scooters, or trucks. No diesel exhaust. No noise. We could just as well have been in a different century.

Traveling to Florence after Venice threw us right back into the mix of hot (July), modern, crowded, urban Italy and it was harder for us to enjoy all the history and culture. We were happy to leave Florence after 3 nights for a week in the Tuscan countryside, more or less hanging out in rural Italy - a vacation from our vacation if you will.

Ergo, I agree with Bob. Visit Florence right after Venice, then get your car.

I would head first to the Amalfi coast since by the end of September many places are starting to shut down.

Grazie Mom !
She is a saint with the patience of Job.

I'd take a day from Florence and add it to Rome.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I had originally planned for Florence first and then Tuscany, but hubby, a major wino, was concerned mid-October would be too late to see the grapes on the vine and the harvest would be finished. We are staying at Starwood hotels in Venice, Florence and Rome using points, but will stay in a villa in Tuscany. Not even sure though where to start figuring out where though. Looking forward to cooking in our own villa!
Will look into the Lakes region but concerned about too much moving around. The idea of Capri and Amalfi Coast sounds like a good one.
Thanks all!!!!

msellie - please continue to post as some of us can live through your planning :)

Your trip sounds wonderful.I am so envious. I also would take 1 or 2 days from Florence and add it to Rome.I really do not think you need 5 days in Florence,at least I would not.Venice is my favorite city in all of Europe and a great place to unwind.

Well with the amount of time msellie has planned in Florence, arriving on the 12th and leaving on the 17th that gives them four full days for Florence.

Having often spent a week in Florence I do not think four full days is too much. But if it is msellie you could take the bus (near the train station) for a day trip to Siena or take the train and have a day trip visiting Lucca.

Mom, can you fit into a small suitcase? If yes, you can sneak aboard with us.
thanks for all replies. Does anyone know approximately what the condition of the grapes are in that time of year? would love to be there for the Vendemmia, but I believe it's always at a different time depending on the weather.