mayilove

If you can turn back time to your first visit to Italy and if you had 3 weeks to spare...let say in June. Knowing everything you now know. Where would you go? How many days would you stay there? Think of places you don't want to missed your first time.

Example:

Florence 2 nights
Venice 7 nights
Tuscany (Certaldo) 7 nights
Rome 5 nights

To learn what the experience travelers might want to see can help first timers like me and others.

Thank you.

Mayilove

Jean

If it's MY perfect itinerary, I wouldn't go in June. I wouldn't spend 7 nights in Venice v. 2 nights in Florence, but I probably wouldn't do the usual Florence/Venice/Tuscany/Rome itinerary anyway, especially in June.

hdm

We were in Italy for the first time in May 2005, for three weeks, and here's what we did:

- Rome 1 week
- picked up our rented car as we left Rome and drove to Montepulciano in Tuscany for about 6 days. Used that as a base for day trips to other Tuscan towns
- drove to Florence, dropped off car and stayed there for about 4 days
- took train to Venice, stayed for about 3 days
- took train back to Rome, stayed overnight and left the next day

We did Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Venice because it was our first time in Italy and it was a perfect trip! I'd explore other areas and towns on my next trip.

Mary_Fran

This is what we did, and I wouldn't change a thing. It was a fall-in-love trip:

venice, 3
Florence, 3
Sienna, 3, with day trips to San Gimignano, Voltera, Montepulciana, and Montereggione
Assisi, 2
Paestum, 2 (Fabulous Greek Temples, wonderful small museum)
Sorrento, 3 (day trip to Pompeii)
Rome, 5

We picked up our rental car on the way out of Florence and dropped it off in Sorrento. Great, great trip.

mayilove

To Jean,

For sure you misunderstood this post. This post is for you to provide your own itinerary, not to comment on my made up example. Thank you anyway.

To Everyone else,

Thank you so much for all your help. You are making me think of new places. That is exactly what I was looking for. Please keep the itineraries coming!

Mayilove

TRSW

mayilove - Here is my breakdown (and how I envy you with 3 weeks in bella Italia) from my 2 trips to Italy. Remember, even on my two trips that total nearly 4 weeks, I have just scratched the surface.

Fly into Milan and take the train to the Lakes District.

3 nights - Lakes District
4 nights - Venice
3 nights - Bologna
6 nights - Florence
5 nights - Rome

Fly out of Rome.

This will cut down on your time of traveling between cities. Plus with the extended time in both Florence and Rome, it leaves you time for daytrips out of both cities.

But I must say, I still yearn to see southern Italy.

I hope this helps.

Tom

mayilove

It sures help Tom, Thank you!!!

TRSW

Prego

mayilove

Would Lake Como be important enough to be on your first trip?

ira

Hi M,

See my trip report of our 3 weeks in Italy:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

What I would do differently is to fly into Venice and out of Rome.

bobthenavigator

Here are ideas--mix and match, but try to spend half of your time outside of big cities:
BOB the NAVIGATOR’S FAVORITE ITALY ITINERARIES

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3827

1. BELLA ITALIA: Five destinations in 15 days—car & train travel
* Arrive in Milan[MXP] & depart from Venice[VCE]or vice versa.
* Itinerary to include the Italian Lakes, Ligurian coast, rural
Tuscany, Florence, & Venice. Suggested timing is 3-2-4-2-4.
* Option: Drop the coast & rent a villa in Tuscany[ 3-7-2-3].
* Best time to go: May & June or Sept. & Oct.

2. LA DOLCE VITA: Three destinations in 12 to 14 days-car & train
* Arrival & departure from Rome[ FCO] or arrival in Naples
* Itinerary to include Rome, the Amalfi coast, and Tuscany
* Best time to go: Easter to end of October
* Option: Fly into Naples & stay at 2 locations on the coast

3. CLASSIC ITALIA: Three destinations in 12 to 14 days-car & train
* Arrival & departure from Rome—may start trip in Florence
* Destinations to include Florence, Rome & Tuscany/Umbria
* Best time to go: Anytime, but May & Oct. are my favorites
* Option: Consider a weekly rental in Tuscany/Umbria

4. SICILIAN CHARMS: Five destinations in 15 days—car travel
* Connections to Catania & Palermo via Rome or gateway city.
* Itinerary to include Taormina, Siracusa, Palermo & more.
* Best time to go: March to November—May is best for flowers
* See: http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=634

5. THE VILLAGE SAMPLER: My favorite venues for those who enjoy natural beauty and quaint, small villages. Arranged north to south.
* Arrive Milan & depart Rome—car travel-- 3 nites per location
* Itinerary to include Lago Orta, Castelrotto/ Ortisei[Dolomites],
Portovenere[Liguria], Montalcino[Tuscany], & Spello[Umbria].
* Best time to go: May to October for the lakes and Dolomites
* Option: Pick 3 out of 5 and stay longer in Tuscany/Umbria.

Weadles

My perfect itinerary would be:

4 nights in Venice

4 nights in Florence with sidetrips to: San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena

Eurostar from Florence to Naples

Ferry from Naples to Capri

3 nights in Capri

hydrofoil to Sorrento

2 nights in Sorrento with day trip to Pompeii ( 30 min. by local train)

4 nights in Positano with day trips to: Amalfi, and Ravello ( reknown for its beautiful gardens and summer music festival) - dinner at least one night at one of the amazing restaurants in Montepertuso, a moutain village 15 min by car from Positano

4 nights in Rome with possible side trip to Orvieto

Home- start planning next trip to Italy!

mayilove

I see that very few of you would spend 7 days in only one location (maybe Tuscany). I would like to include, Venice, Lake Commo, Florence, Tuscany, Rome and maybe Capry or Ravello. This will probably be to much for 3 weeks and for a family traveling with 2 children 11 and 7. I will review my itinerary and probably change it to include some of the places in your itinerary. Thank you so, so much for helping us to make this the best trip ever!!!

Mayilove