Hi all,

I've just started reading notes through the Forum and found it helpful. So here's my query.

I will have a little over 2 weeks in Italy (last 2 wks in April 08) after having travelled with my best mate in Spain, Morocco, Canary Islands (first 2 weeks).

I'd be happy to hear any suggestions on my 1st pass itinerary for Italy.

I'll fly into Milan from Madrid and head straight to Verona and so on from there, and will most likely travel by train most of the way, and rent a car for the Tuscan region.

The idea is: Verona(0.5 day)-Venice (3 days)-Florence (3 days)-Pisa (1 day)- Tuscany (3 days)-Rome(3 days-been here before)- Naples (1-2 days)-Sicily somewhere for Mt Etna(1 day) Have to do this...I'm a geologist

Am I being too ambitious? I could also take a ferry from Spain and start from southern Italy and head north. Anyone heard about the ferry?

I'd love to mix with the locals, cook and eat with locals, and wouldn't mind having a local (preferably English speaking) tour guide here or there. And I don't think I'm leaving without seeing a wonderful classical opera for a bit of culture.

Looking forward to your responses.
Thanks heaps

Cat

Hi C,

Pisa is an easy daytrip from Florence, no need to overnight there.

Unless you have a compelling reason to land in Milan, I'd fly from Madrid to Venice and start your itinerary there.

I would only stay a day in Naples and 1 day in Sorrento. Sorrento is beautiful or Capri.

Hi, catmat -
If you're interested in volcanos, you might want to visit Vesuvius from Naples. And if you do that, you won't have much time for Naples itself, which can be gritty and seedy - but also vibrant and fascinating. So you might consider adding at least a day there. Also, you probably need to plan for a full day to see Mt. Etna, which means that you may need to add another day or two to get to and from Sicily. Hope that helps!

You could fly from Madrid to Palermo, see Etna, then fly Palermo to Naples, and work your way north.

You don't say where you are flying home from. That would affect your itinerary.

One possibility is to train north from Rome to Venice, then rent a car upon leaving Venice, do Verona and Tuscany, then drop your car in Florence, seeing Pisa as a daytrip by train. And fly home from Florence. Or make Pisa your last stop and fly home from there. Or take it in straight south to north order, flying out of Venice.

I think you need to decide how important Etna is to you, because it's a significant detour.

This may cause consternation but in view of your likes why not cross off half the cities on your list - I have travelled Italy over 10 years and will never visit another tourist city - I haven't been to Venice and have no intention of doing so - the spirit of Italy is exactly what you describe -

nameless villages steeped in history with NO tourists - dirt cheap amazing food and locals who will give you the time of day -

I'd take that experience over the mass market, tourist swamped, rip off priced St Marks square et al

In Tuscany try to get to San Quirico and Monticello. Personally I would Pisa go to Lucca - once you have seen the tower there is little else in Pisa. Lucca has a big atmosphere and has a very different feel to any other Italian cities - cars are scarce and they actually use bicycles!

I agree that you need to cut things out of your itinerary. And if you want to mingle with the locals, avoid the big tourist areas like Venice, Florence, Rome, etc. (And I love Florence!) Go to the smaller towns and cities, as suggested in previous replies.

As for geology, don't forget Gubbio, a hill town in Umbria, and the place where they discovered the K-T boundary. You'd need a car to drive up the Bottaccione Gorge on SS 298. There may be a way to get a guide to take you there, too. You'd have to keep a sharp eye out to find the spot, and then perhaps do a little bushwhacking around to find it, but there is a yellow sign (or there was 5 years ago) that says "Sezione Stratigraphico Paleomagnetica." As a geologist, you can probably find it. If you went to Gubbio and to the Tourist Info there, you might get some references on how to get there or get a guide. (P.S. My husband it a former geeologist, which is why we drove up there.)

Plus, Gubbio is a neat little town, built almost vertically on the hillside, with a castello perched above. You can hike up or take a funicular. The views from everywhere are gorgeous, and it's not as full of tourists, so you are more likely to meet local people.

Charnee

Markrosy,

I find it intersting that you have such strong opinions about a city you have never personally experienced.

Hey all, catmat here.
Thanks for your feedback!!!

Only because I've been to Rome before, I think I'll cut it from my itinerary so it'll free up some time.

Perhaps I'll try the north-heading route: fly into Palermo, see Etna and maybe ferry it to Napoli (see Naples/Vesuvius/pompeii etc). Drive Tuscany (inc Lucca and Pisa and little towns), and ditch car for Florence. (I hear cars in Florence cause headaches!) Train north for Venice and Verona and fly out from Milan.

As I live in Australia, I might have to make it worth my while and visit some touristy places. I'm sure I'll get to mingle with locals during Tuscany.

That's great!!
Thanks, and if you've any places or food I should try, please pass it on.

Cheers

Dayle

I have strong opinions about the idea of tourist cities and world globalised cities - I spent a week being dragged round Zara, Max Mara etc in Vancouver when I could have been sailing round the San Juan Islands.

My wife didn't seem to realise that these were the same clothes we see every other week in Manchester UK!!!!

Hi, catmat -

If your primary interest in Sicily is Mt. Etna, you might check to see if there are options to fly into Catania instead of Palermo. I'm not trying to discourage you from visiting Palermo (I really enjoyed it - its just that Catania is much closer to Mt. Etna.

Also, you might consider stopping at the Gola dell'Alcantara on the way to Mt. Etna. It's an unusual (and IMHO quite beautiful) geologic formation.

BTW, I took the overnight ferry from Milazzo through the Eolians to Naples, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hope that helps!