Advice needed for Italy trip
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:28 AM
#1
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Advice needed for Italy trip
I need some suggestions, please. I've been planning our May 2004 Italy trip for several months now, and I'm having trouble fitting everything that we want to do into three weeks. I think I need to do more cutting. Sadly, I've already eliminated an excursion to Croatia, the island of Sicily, and the Alba wine region from the itinerary. Next I think it might be cutting the Cinque Terre or Milan. My husband and I have traveled to Europe a few times and spent two weeks in Italy 10 years ago, dividing time in the cities of Florence,Venice, and Rome (with day trip to Pompeii) No doubt we'll be visiting other European countries in the next few years, so we'd like to explore as much of Italy as we can on this trip.
Some background that may help. We prefer to travel by train, and actually like to move along to a new place after a few days. I know, I know, many of you like to remain longer in each place, and many prefer cars. We've rented a car on two previous European trips and didn't appreciate the stress, although we liked the flexibility. Therefore, we will probably rent one again for one week. We travel light, one carry-on each. Our Italy travel priorities are: to attend a few operas, sample several regional wines, view art and architecture everywhere, and roam around and explore several smaller towns.
So far we've decided to stay one week in the Umbria and Tuscany regions, staying in Siena 4 nights with day trips to San Gio. and to the Chianti wine area. In Umbria staying in Perugia 3 nights with day trips to Assisi and Orvieto. One week split between Rome and Campania region. In Rome 3 nights, revisit some art and day trip to Hadrian's villa. In the Campania region, stay 4 nights in Naples or Sorrento, with day trips to Herculaneum and Capri. And last, the toughest one to organize; one week in northern Italy, 4 nights in Verona with day trips to Ravenna, Padua, and a wine day trip to the north (if possible) and 3 nights? where else? Cinque Terre or Milan? Would the northern area be the best place for the car rental? We could fly into and out of Rome, Venice, or Milan, since we haven't brought tickets yet. Cinque Terre seems to be special. So many people on this board love it, the villages sound intriguing, and the hiking sounds like a good way to unwind. In Milan, there's the opera and the "Last Supper" among other art treasures.
Suggestions for improvement?
Some background that may help. We prefer to travel by train, and actually like to move along to a new place after a few days. I know, I know, many of you like to remain longer in each place, and many prefer cars. We've rented a car on two previous European trips and didn't appreciate the stress, although we liked the flexibility. Therefore, we will probably rent one again for one week. We travel light, one carry-on each. Our Italy travel priorities are: to attend a few operas, sample several regional wines, view art and architecture everywhere, and roam around and explore several smaller towns.
So far we've decided to stay one week in the Umbria and Tuscany regions, staying in Siena 4 nights with day trips to San Gio. and to the Chianti wine area. In Umbria staying in Perugia 3 nights with day trips to Assisi and Orvieto. One week split between Rome and Campania region. In Rome 3 nights, revisit some art and day trip to Hadrian's villa. In the Campania region, stay 4 nights in Naples or Sorrento, with day trips to Herculaneum and Capri. And last, the toughest one to organize; one week in northern Italy, 4 nights in Verona with day trips to Ravenna, Padua, and a wine day trip to the north (if possible) and 3 nights? where else? Cinque Terre or Milan? Would the northern area be the best place for the car rental? We could fly into and out of Rome, Venice, or Milan, since we haven't brought tickets yet. Cinque Terre seems to be special. So many people on this board love it, the villages sound intriguing, and the hiking sounds like a good way to unwind. In Milan, there's the opera and the "Last Supper" among other art treasures.
Suggestions for improvement?
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:59 AM
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Hi kathleen,
A couple of suggestions:
Have you ridden the Amalfi Coast? Have you taken a boat along the Coast? Have you been to Paestum?
I suggest that these would fit in with your itinerary better than the CT.
If I were visiting Verona, I would go back to Venice for at least a day.
A couple of suggestions:
Have you ridden the Amalfi Coast? Have you taken a boat along the Coast? Have you been to Paestum?
I suggest that these would fit in with your itinerary better than the CT.
If I were visiting Verona, I would go back to Venice for at least a day.
Dec 4th, 2003, 07:35 AM
#3
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ira, I am thinking about Paestum, actually. But I'd like to stay overnight there to get the best light on the ruins. (Maybe cut one night from Naples or Sorrento) So would a boat trip be an interesting way to get there? Or should we drive, then leave from there to go to Umbria, avoiding Rome traffic? Anything interesting on the back roadways to Umbria from that point?
Dec 4th, 2003, 07:51 AM
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Kathleen - Ravenna is not really a comfortable day-trip from Verona. Minimum journey time by train is 3 hours, but some trains take much longer.
Much more viable would be Vicenza, Padova, Trento, Lake Garda, Bologna, Venice, Bolzano. You can do without a car for all these trips.
If you're interested in wine you could do the Wine Route between Trento and Bolzano.
An open jaw ticket might work best for your itinerary - you could fly into Rome and out of Milan or Venice. Or vice versa.
If you've never visited Lake Como, I'd personally choose to stay there rather than Milan - but it depend on your interests.
If it's an either/or between the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast, the AC wins every time IMO.
Hope this helps ...
Steve
Much more viable would be Vicenza, Padova, Trento, Lake Garda, Bologna, Venice, Bolzano. You can do without a car for all these trips.
If you're interested in wine you could do the Wine Route between Trento and Bolzano.
An open jaw ticket might work best for your itinerary - you could fly into Rome and out of Milan or Venice. Or vice versa.
If you've never visited Lake Como, I'd personally choose to stay there rather than Milan - but it depend on your interests.
If it's an either/or between the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast, the AC wins every time IMO.
Hope this helps ...
Steve
Dec 4th, 2003, 08:28 AM
#5
Original Poster
Steve_James, We do plan on the Wine Route, and I'm not sure whether a car is needed or desirable. I thought I'd check into a day tour. All those little towns you cited sound great, and I had considered a couple of them, especially Vicenza, but they would add to my list. So would your suggestion be to cut the CT and Milan and stay over in the Veneto region for the week?
I just have to get to Ravenna to see the mosaics, somehow. Maybe we should consider a different city as our base, and not stay in Verona? Although I dislike staying just one night anywhere, maybe Ravenna should be one night? What other city would be more central and still desirable for this region?
I just have to get to Ravenna to see the mosaics, somehow. Maybe we should consider a different city as our base, and not stay in Verona? Although I dislike staying just one night anywhere, maybe Ravenna should be one night? What other city would be more central and still desirable for this region?
Dec 5th, 2003, 02:59 AM
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Kathleen - Verona's a great choice for a few days, so I'd stick with that.
If you especially want to see Ravenna, you might want to consider a stopover in Bologna and day-tripping from there. Bologna-Ravenna is a little over an hour. (Parma and Ferrara are other places within easy reach of Bologna if you want to stay longer).
Whether to drop Milan or the Cinque Terre is a personal choice and depends on your interests. Milan isn't in my top 50 places to stay in Italy (- I'm not a big city person) - I'd always stay on Lake Como in preference. Milan's an easy day-trip from there (- and also from Verona).
If you do drop the Cinque Terre you could do some wonderful hiking on the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Lake Garda to make up
http://www.capri-exclusive.com/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi
Hope this helps ...
Steve
If you especially want to see Ravenna, you might want to consider a stopover in Bologna and day-tripping from there. Bologna-Ravenna is a little over an hour. (Parma and Ferrara are other places within easy reach of Bologna if you want to stay longer).
Whether to drop Milan or the Cinque Terre is a personal choice and depends on your interests. Milan isn't in my top 50 places to stay in Italy (- I'm not a big city person) - I'd always stay on Lake Como in preference. Milan's an easy day-trip from there (- and also from Verona).
If you do drop the Cinque Terre you could do some wonderful hiking on the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Lake Garda to make up
http://www.capri-exclusive.com/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi
Hope this helps ...
Steve
Dec 5th, 2003, 03:58 AM
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Hi Kathleen
So you will travel by train, but at a certain moment, you will rent a car for 1 week, right?
Your priorities are: operas, regional wines, art/architecture everywhere, explore smaller towns...
This explains Milan for the opera. Cinque Terre doesn't fit in that scheme, but it is indeed excellent to unwind, and very beautiful indeed.
- Siena and Perugia planning seems OK, you could add Gubbio from Perugia. While leaving Rome by train, you could get out in Orvieto to pick up the car, visit town and go to Perugia for 3 nights, then Siena for 4 and then to Florence to leave the car at the train station and to continue up north.
- Milan and east-of-milan part: how to organize...
There are various important cities on the Milan-Venice railway line: Verona, Vicenza and Padova, each distant of each other of about 60-70 km, approx. 30 minutes by train, 2 trains per hour from 6 am to 10 pm. No problem to visit these towns by train. Personally I would choose Vicenza or Padova. As architecture is one of your interests, you should certainly visit Vicenza, for all its Palladian architecture.
If you are really interested in Palladio and his countryside villa's, you should rent a car to visit them. (Just google on Palladio, you'll find everything you need.)
Another opportunity is to take the boat trip on the Brenta canal, at around 8 am in Padova, taking you through the canal and visiting 3 Villa's and arriving at about 6pm on the Piazza San Marco in Venice. The entry by boat into the Laguna is something wonderful.
Regional wines: Verona and the Valpolicella region just north of it and Vicenza and Padova with the Berici hills will offer more than you can cope with!
The car problem: you'll need the car more in Umbria/Tuscany, tahn in the Veneto region. Try maybe to find a guided tour for the Palladian Villa's if you are interested so as to avoid renting a car for the 2nd time.
So you will travel by train, but at a certain moment, you will rent a car for 1 week, right?
Your priorities are: operas, regional wines, art/architecture everywhere, explore smaller towns...
This explains Milan for the opera. Cinque Terre doesn't fit in that scheme, but it is indeed excellent to unwind, and very beautiful indeed.
- Siena and Perugia planning seems OK, you could add Gubbio from Perugia. While leaving Rome by train, you could get out in Orvieto to pick up the car, visit town and go to Perugia for 3 nights, then Siena for 4 and then to Florence to leave the car at the train station and to continue up north.
- Milan and east-of-milan part: how to organize...
There are various important cities on the Milan-Venice railway line: Verona, Vicenza and Padova, each distant of each other of about 60-70 km, approx. 30 minutes by train, 2 trains per hour from 6 am to 10 pm. No problem to visit these towns by train. Personally I would choose Vicenza or Padova. As architecture is one of your interests, you should certainly visit Vicenza, for all its Palladian architecture.
If you are really interested in Palladio and his countryside villa's, you should rent a car to visit them. (Just google on Palladio, you'll find everything you need.)
Another opportunity is to take the boat trip on the Brenta canal, at around 8 am in Padova, taking you through the canal and visiting 3 Villa's and arriving at about 6pm on the Piazza San Marco in Venice. The entry by boat into the Laguna is something wonderful.
Regional wines: Verona and the Valpolicella region just north of it and Vicenza and Padova with the Berici hills will offer more than you can cope with!
The car problem: you'll need the car more in Umbria/Tuscany, tahn in the Veneto region. Try maybe to find a guided tour for the Palladian Villa's if you are interested so as to avoid renting a car for the 2nd time.
Dec 5th, 2003, 05:39 AM
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Hi Kathleen,
You can take the traghetto from Sorrento or Positano to Salerno (IIRC there is a 1-hr layover in Amalfi). We then took the train (about 4 blocks to the station) to Paestum (It's the train that goes to Cosenza.)
If you overnight in Paestum, you can return by ferry from Salerno. Otherwise you take the bus from Salerno to Amalfi to Sorrento.
You can take the traghetto from Sorrento or Positano to Salerno (IIRC there is a 1-hr layover in Amalfi). We then took the train (about 4 blocks to the station) to Paestum (It's the train that goes to Cosenza.)
If you overnight in Paestum, you can return by ferry from Salerno. Otherwise you take the bus from Salerno to Amalfi to Sorrento.
Dec 5th, 2003, 09:58 AM
#10
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This board is great. Thanks to you all for your suggestions. Some specifics.
Steve, I like the idea of hiking Capri on the Amalfi coast. (That vs CT) We'll keep the stay in Verona (and add Vicenza day trip), but extend time in the region by staying 2 or 3 more in either Ferrara or Bologna and day trip into Ravenna. Been reading another thread which is discussing and comparing these two cities. We'll day trip back to Milan from Verona (very long day trip and not even sure that an opera will still fit)
Baldrick, What a fantastic way to combine visiting 3 villas and arriving in Venice for dinner, then back to Verona by train. I'm definitely going to look into the details on that. I'm a big fan of Palladian architecture, so Vicenza will be added. And the wines--glad to know that there'll be more than enough wines. Not sure about the car in Tuscany. Won't it just get parked outside each city center for most of the time?
Ira, A grand idea for getting to Paestum. Traghetto to Salerno, then train to Paestum. I'm assuming either Naples or Sorrento for the start of this? We'll probably stay the night in Paestum, then leave the region by train. Tahnk you all so very much!
Steve, I like the idea of hiking Capri on the Amalfi coast. (That vs CT) We'll keep the stay in Verona (and add Vicenza day trip), but extend time in the region by staying 2 or 3 more in either Ferrara or Bologna and day trip into Ravenna. Been reading another thread which is discussing and comparing these two cities. We'll day trip back to Milan from Verona (very long day trip and not even sure that an opera will still fit)
Baldrick, What a fantastic way to combine visiting 3 villas and arriving in Venice for dinner, then back to Verona by train. I'm definitely going to look into the details on that. I'm a big fan of Palladian architecture, so Vicenza will be added. And the wines--glad to know that there'll be more than enough wines. Not sure about the car in Tuscany. Won't it just get parked outside each city center for most of the time?
Ira, A grand idea for getting to Paestum. Traghetto to Salerno, then train to Paestum. I'm assuming either Naples or Sorrento for the start of this? We'll probably stay the night in Paestum, then leave the region by train. Tahnk you all so very much!
Dec 6th, 2003, 05:01 AM
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Kathleen,
"Not sure about the car in Tuscany."
The problem in Tuscany and Umbria is to get to the place you want to visit. San Gimigniano, Montalcino, Gubbio and the like are not that easy to reach by public transport and it doesn't give you the 'odd discovery' factor.
For the Palladian boat trip, check
http://www.antoniana.it/uk/mainuk.html
We had our tickest reserved through the hotel.
"Not sure about the car in Tuscany."
The problem in Tuscany and Umbria is to get to the place you want to visit. San Gimigniano, Montalcino, Gubbio and the like are not that easy to reach by public transport and it doesn't give you the 'odd discovery' factor.
For the Palladian boat trip, check
http://www.antoniana.it/uk/mainuk.html
We had our tickest reserved through the hotel.
Dec 6th, 2003, 02:21 PM
#14
Original Poster
Good replies, Thank you all.
Ira, I agree, if I do a search for ferry schedules in Naples, I'm sure I'll find the times I need. Thanks again for the boat travel suggestion.
Baldrick, Thank you! That web site has all the information I need and more. I can email them, make an advance reservation, and ask any late question that occurs. Yes, getting lost is an adventure in itself, but aren't those towns accessible by bus?
Seahatch, Yes indeed, Herculaneum is on the trip schedule. We visited Pompeii 10 years ago, and even then I wanted to visit H., but ran out of time. Most architecture, in any period is of great interest to me. Do you have any more 2 cents ideas that I might be overlooking?
Ira, I agree, if I do a search for ferry schedules in Naples, I'm sure I'll find the times I need. Thanks again for the boat travel suggestion.
Baldrick, Thank you! That web site has all the information I need and more. I can email them, make an advance reservation, and ask any late question that occurs. Yes, getting lost is an adventure in itself, but aren't those towns accessible by bus?
Seahatch, Yes indeed, Herculaneum is on the trip schedule. We visited Pompeii 10 years ago, and even then I wanted to visit H., but ran out of time. Most architecture, in any period is of great interest to me. Do you have any more 2 cents ideas that I might be overlooking?
Dec 9th, 2003, 12:39 AM
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Hi,
There are so many you'll never see them all!! Try and do a few completely you can always go back again. If you are near Naples visit the National Museum ,amazing! Here are some sites to look at which may give you ideas . I am planning my trip for next summer and can?t decide which area to go next!
italiantourism.com lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/italy/ roughguides.com
There are so many you'll never see them all!! Try and do a few completely you can always go back again. If you are near Naples visit the National Museum ,amazing! Here are some sites to look at which may give you ideas . I am planning my trip for next summer and can?t decide which area to go next!
italiantourism.com lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/italy/ roughguides.com
Dec 9th, 2003, 01:48 AM
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Kathleen, These towns are probably accessible by bus, but I have no information on that topic, as I have always been in the region with a car, either because of the kids, either because of my distance from home to Umbria/Tuscany.
