My partner and I are planning a one month holiday in Italy. It is our first trip to Italy. I have used Fodor's and other sites such as Trip Advisor to assist with planning the trip which will be in November. However, I thought it might be helpful to get some feedback from more experienced travellers. This is how the trip looks so far:
Arrive Rome approx 7am and travel straight to Bologna by train. We are going to do Rome at the end because the accommodation we want to stay at in Rome is cheaper later in November. 4 nights in Bologna at Cosy House B & B. Doing day trips eg Ravenna, Parma.
Travel to Venice - 5 nights in Venice. Might do day trip to Padua. Staying at Hotel Ca'Formenta. Then travel to Florence and have 5 nights in Florence at the David Hotel. Travel to Siena and stay 3 nights at the Santa Caterina Hotel. Travel to Perugia and stay 3 nights at the Hotel Fortuna. We are considering doing day trips to Assisi and another Umbrian town. Travel to Orvieto and have two nights at the Hotel Duomo. Then travel to Rome and have the final 6 nights at the Best B & B.
I was wondering if travel between these places will be relatively easy. We had decided to stay in Perugia to use it as a base to see some Umbrian towns close by (we don't have a car).
Your feedback would be very welcome.

It sounds pretty good but you might want to consider a car for the Tuscany/Umbria portion. The driving is not bad at all and it gives you greater flexibility in the area. Of course it's possible (and to some, preferable) to see the area without, I think ultimately it could save you a bit of time. Anyway, Perugia is a great idea for a base in Umbria. Assisi is fantastic and so is Gubbio.

Sounds like a great trip! A month in Italy will be wonderful - I'm so jealous. I think other than the Tuscany/Umbria portion where someone has already recommended a car, the rest of your travelling will be done very easily by train.

Sounds like a very nice trip--I am jealous. However, I agree that a car for all the your time in Tuscany and Umbria will greatly enhance the experience for you. Public transport is just not convenient to those smaller hill towns. The Santa Caterina is a nice hotel but is just outside the gates and a :15 walk into the Campo. I would prefer Palazzo Ravizza for location.

Gratitude expressed by the OP here:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34735669

Best wishes,

Rex

Thank you Rex for fixing up my messy thank you. I'm just new at this.

Hotel Duomo in Orvieto is a good choice. Just be aware that they will try to charge you in USD, not Euro. This is a stealthy practice called "dynamic currency conversion" and is not to your advantage. Insist on paying in Euro. I'd let them know this when you check in.

Thanks for the advice Betsy. I've been reconsidering the Hotel Duomo and am now thinking of staying at the Hotel Corso.

Hi, flyingfox,

A few ideas:

- 5 nights in venice might be a bit much.
- I agree with bobthenavigator that Palazzo Ravizza is a better located (and well-regarded) choice, if you stay in Siena. You might consider basing yourself a bit further south (Montalcino, for example). Siena is only 45 minutes by car, and the southern Tuscany is fantastic. I would definitely recommend having a car if you stay outside of the main cities and/or or desire to visit a good number of hilltowns. I drove on a trip in September, and the orads were almost desolate in southern Tuscay -- very easy driving. The driving in Umbria is relatively easy as well. Similarly, if you had a car, you might consider shifting your lofdging from Perugia to Assisi, which is utterly charming in the evening after the tourists have left.
- The undergound tour in Orvieto was fun, well worth considering.

Sounds like a great trip.

Happy travels.

John H

Thanks jh6000 for your suggestions. We have already started to consider staying in Assisi or Spello instead of Perugia. Do you have any suggestions for hotels? I have noted some already mentioned by other Fodorites. Could you explain a little more about your preference for Montalcino over Sienna as a place to stay?