laurengoingabroad

My husband and I are seriously considering doing Italy in the fall - likely mid October. We don't care particularly that it might be on the cool side for beaches and Lake Como. We aren't big beach bums but are hoping for relaxation, good food and a grand finale in Rome. We will rent a car and would like to spend 9-11 days abroad.

Here's what I'm thinking....I would love to know your thoughts.

Travel day - Arrival - arrive in Milan - walk around a bit (jet lag) -Hotel in Milan
Lake Como - Drive 25 miles to Lake Como- spend the day in lake Como - Hotel in Lake Como
Lake Como - Spend the day in Lake Como area Hotel in Lake Como
Travel day to Bologna Spend the day Italian countryside (suggestions?) en route to Bologna Hotel in Bologna
Food tour in Bologna http://www.italiandays.it/ Hotel in Bologna
Travel day to Cinque Terre 3 hour drive to Cinque Terra - Hotel in Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre Spend the day in Cinque Terre Hotel in Cinque Terre
Travel day to Rome 5 hour drive to Rome (lunch in Florence) Hotel in Rome
Day in Rome Historical tour? Hotel in Rome
Day in Rome Wander on our own (scout out food recommendations) Hotel in Rome
Fly home

Andrew

The rental car may hinder you in some areas. It will be nice to have up in Lake Como, I guess, but it's sometimes a challenge to drive in the villages of the Cinque Terre. And you have to be careful about driving you car in certain Italian cities - which restrict driving to cars with resident permits or you can get a huge fine.

Italy has a great train system. I suggest you try to use it as much as possible. Maybe rent a car for a few days and then use the train the rest of the time.

tuscanlifeedit

It is very unlikely to be convenient to drive from the CT, into Florence, eat lunch, and drive to Rome without getting a ZTL ticket, wishing you'd never done this, and cursing the need to park.

Arrive in Milan
Take the train to Varenna (Lake Como)
Take the train to Bologna via Milan
(I see no point in driving all the way to the CT in October; it's far and the weather is too risky)
Rent a car in Bologna, drive through Tuscany, end up in Rome.

That is still too many stops in a 9 to 11 night trip. I'm not sure visiting the lakes is that great in the middle of October, but you could risk it.

In any case, I would cut one more stop. There are already four if you do Milan, Como, Bologna and Rome. Squeezing in another is too much. Driving through Tuscany without stopping for the night is too much. I would probably train from Bologna to Rome.

Don't underestimate the time it takes to drive in and out of Italian cities.

laurengoingabroad

Very good advice. Thank you. I think we'll rethink the car rental. I love the idea of traveling by train but I just thought for our itinerary it would make things easier, but maybe not.

Tuscanlifeedit - trading more time in Tuscany and skipping CT is a good suggestion.

laurengoingabroad

Clarify - "I love the idea of traveling by train but I thought by for our itinerary, RENTING A CAR would make things easier, but maybe not.:

Andrew

The Cinque Terre is certainly a bit out of the way from everything else on this itinerary, but don't assume the weather will be awful. It may still be warm. I know it was the October when I visited a few years ago (glad I brought shorts for hiking that year!). And it may be a little less crowded. I loved the Cinque Terre.

If possible, perhaps you can be flexible, and if the weather looks bad for the days you would be in the Cinque Terre, change your plans and go elsewhere instead those days.

kja

If you can, avoid renting a car -- public transportation should serve your needs far better.

I agree that you are trying to fit too much in. I recommend that you check opening hours for the things you want to see and plot those hours, and transportation times, on a calendar and then see how things work out.

Given the precariousness of weather in October, I think the idea of skipping the Cinque Terre this trip makes sense, but it really depends on what YOU want to see and experience and whether you are willing to risk reaching the Cinque Terre, only to find the trails closed because of bad weather. (They were closed for half of my limited time in the area one October.)

Mimar

Where on Lake Como do you want to stay? Most of us prefer mid-lake, Bellagio or Varenna. Varenna is reachable by train from Milan. To get to Bellagio take the ferry from Varenna. Or a boat from Como town. You tour midlake Como taking the ferries between towns.

So a car is not appropriate for any of your planned trip. Trains are best from city center to city center and to the Cinque Terre.

You are taking a chance on the weather, particularly in the Cinque Terre. It does make sense to drop the CT and expand your time at your other stops, where the weather does not affect your enjoyment so much.

neckervd

In September, it might be a good idea to go to the lakes. Later in the year, you may have to count with rain, fog and wind.

Day 1: if it is for relax after a overnight flight, don't go into Milan, but just to Lake Maggiore (Arona, Stresa, etc.), a few miles from Malpensa airport.
Lake Como is not nicer than Lake Maggiore, the former is popular with Americans and the latter with Europeans. On both lakes the season (and boat traffic) ends mid October.

There is a direct motorway from Lake Maggiore to Genoa - 5Terre and another one from La Spezia (5Terre) to Parma - Bologna.

bilboburgler

I think I've been to Italy over 10 times (normally for 2 weeks) now, I've used a bicycle 4 times, trains every time and a car for 24 hours. Unless you are really going to some out of the way place (and your itin does fall into that) or you have physical limitations that preclude a train, I struggle to imagine why you would take a car rather than travel the civilised way.

I'd not stay in Milan the first day but get on to the next place, but only you know how you are affected by flight. If you do the car thing then stay in Milan for the first night.

Countryside near Bologna, is basically the Po valley, which in October will be full of "mists and mellow fruitfulness" as WS has it. Once off the motorway you will find a flat country with loads of drainage canals and dykes. I might drop down via Mantua and then to Ferrara and then south to Bologna. Bird watching will be good.

bilboburgler

If you decided to do the train thing and still wanted to see the Po, I suggest, take the train to Mantua or Ferrara and hire bikes, both towns are small and you quickly get out to the countryside for very little money.