Making second trip to Italy in the fall and have done the big and/or major places (Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, Pompeii, Sienna). Although we would like to repeat some of those, would love to see smaller towns/villages that's not typically visited. Will have a car. Soooo, what's your favorite and why? Thanks.

I would choose two and go to Perugia and Assissi. They are close together and since you have a car can go to both. They are both wonderful historic towns.

My votes go to Castellina in Chianti and also Radda. Loved them !

Strove/Monterrigioni region. Also Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza, if you consider them small.

I would head up to the Veneto region and North (Padua, Verona, Belluno (mmmm Grappa), Dolomites, Cortina). This area is so rich with culture and so many great places to see/things to do. The culture of this part of Italy is extremely different from the parts you already mention.<BR><BR>Enjoy!<BR>Terra

Go over to the coast towards Santa Margherita and check out Porto Fino. It is a beautiful little fishing village. I'll try to email you a picture that'll be enough to convince you.

I’ve discovered one thing about Italy: so many places, never enough time! If you have a car, don’t rush from one major well-known city/town to another, slow down and check out the little gems you’ll come across along the way. In the north we loved Portofino, Santa Margherit (a good base), the Cinque Terre, Verona, Bologna, but also discovered Bergamo, Sirmione and Bellagio, Villa Carlotta, and the islands on Lago Maggiore. Near the walled town of Lucca (a good base) we came across Bagni di Lucca, Torre del Lago Puccini (Pucinni’s home), Collodi (of Pinochio fame) and villas of the area. We loved our leisurely drive up the Adriatic coast and our visit to San Marino. While driving up the Mediterranean coast we came across Sperlong, Terracina and Gaeta. In Tuscany and Umbria there are so many wonderful places like Volterra, San Gimignano, Cortona and Assisi. But along the way don’t miss visiting a winery, driving along Lago Trasimeno or the smaller but also wonderful towns of Chiusi, Motalcino, Pienza, Arezzo. And then there’s the south. Oh well. There is just so much. MOST IMPORTANTLY: get some good maps, a couple of really good travel guides AND READ BEFORE GOING and highlight the places you really want to see and you’ll make some wonder discoveries on the way to those places. P.S. If you’re flying in and out of Rome a nice place to stay near the airport is Lido di Ostia on the coast. It’s only about a 15-minute hassle-free drive away. Good hotels, great view, good restaurants. Have a great time!!

Millie---I think Devra gave you some great answers. But many of the other suggestions are anything but "lesser know" or "less visited." And if you indeed want to see some of those places that are not frequently visited, you first need to pick an area you want to focus on. You won't see much if you hurry from one end of the country to the other. <BR><BR>So, focusing only on the really lesser known but enchanting little villages, I would suggest the following:<BR>-In Tuscany: from south to north, Sovana, Montemerano, Piancastagnaio, Stia, Santa Flora, Arcidosso, Borgo a Mozzano, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Castello Garfagnana.<BR>-In the area east of Rome and toward Abruzzo: Pescasseroli in Abruzzo National Park, Monte San Giovanni Campano, Castro dei Volsci, Rocca Santo Stefano, and Subiaco.<BR><BR>These ought to be enough to whet your appetite for charming small villages. If you visit only a small handful of these, I know you will enjoy them.

Millie, That is too broad to answer without knowing your itinerary and the regions that you will visit. Each has small charming villages, but the Dolomites are much different than Tuscany or Umbria. After nine trips to Italy, I am still seeking new places to visit. Some of the truly unique villages are in Puglia- the heel--and in Sicily. Where will you be?

Bassano del Grappa and Trento<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>