I need some help - I will be going to Italy for the first time the first week of October and have been checking out so many travel sites on-line that I am saturated to the gills!! The only thing that is sort of planned for now is the weekend in Venice. <BR> <BR>I live in Hong Kong currently and will be flying out from here to London, getting a cheap flight to Venice (Treviso) which only arrives at 2115 on Friday the 28th of Sept. A friend of mine from London is coming along for the weekend and bascially has to leave Sunday evening. Emailed quite a few hotels and everything seems to be booked - can we just arrive there and hope to get a room for the 2 nights? It will basically just be a place to rest our heads at the end of the day... From then on I have no clue what to do or see in Italy - I will be there till Friday the 5th of Oct when I am planning to fly back to London (From Treviso, Venice), and fly back to HK on Sunday the 7th). <BR> <BR>I am a single female, 27yrs old and traveling alone. I am desparate for a holiday and I know less than a full week in Italy isn't much time but I would like to see some of it. I have lived in big cities all my life - Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York so I really want to be able to relax - Rome isn't on my mind. I love the water immensely - just sitting and staring at it can make me happy. <BR> <BR>I was thinking of going from Venice to Cinque Terre to be by the coast but Florence and Tuscany are alos on my mind. I honestly don't have a clue what to do and time is catching up on me fast!! I don't want to spend a bomb on this holiday but don't want to *backpack* it either - was thinking of a budget of US$100-US$150 a day inclusive of transport, meals and lodging (not inc airfare). Is this realistic? What can I do with my 5 days? Starting and stopping in Venice (since flights are much cheaper traveling in and out of the same airport). Is 2 days enough in Cinque Terre? Can I manage some of Florence or Tuscany? <BR> <BR>Or would people recommend going from Venice straight to Naples and checking out the areas down there instead like Amalfi Coast etc for a couple of nights and taking the train back up to Treviso? <BR> <BR>OK enough of me rambling - as you can tell, I am very confused at the moment and don't even know where to begin, where to go and where to stay. Most tours don't fit my schedule at all - am just looking for some help in suggested itineraries, places to stay etc. ANY HELP would be GREATLY appreciated. <BR> <BR>Feel free to email me and for those that actually enjoy travel planning - I would LOVE the help - am open to anything and everything. Trains will be my mode of transport (I don't drive). <BR> <BR>If anyone else is going during this time and wants to meet up.....let me know ! <BR> <BR>Ciao! <BR>Dee

Hi, Dee <BR> <BR>From the bottom, forget Naples and the Amalfi Coast; you don't have the time. You said you liked water? Sea or lake or does it matter? I would recommend considering one of the lakes. They're closer than Cinque Terre, although you could certainly get down to CT and back in time. <BR> <BR>Given your time, I think Florence and Tuscany is too much, although you could go to Florence for a couple of days. You might consider CT Monday and Tuesday, Florence Wednesday and Thurdsay, leaving for Venice Thursday afternoon to arrive in time for your train. <BR> <BR>For a hotel, consider going to www.venere.it or www.itwg.com. Both are hotel sites for Italy, and if you look on the page, it will give you information about last-minute availability for hotels. Also, the train station at Venice has a service that provides hotel information. <BR> <BR>Good luck. Hope you have a great time.

Dee, <BR> <BR>I second the Garda lake suggestion. It's water and very close to Venice. There are lovely towns around the lake. You could also spend three days in Florence and make day trips to Sienna and San Gemignano. This is the cliche itinerary, but still very interesting. I'd rather do this than traveling to Cinque Terre, if you haven't yet seen Florence. <BR> <BR>Surlok

Hey guys Thanks for replying so fast! Santa Chiara - any detailed suggestions on the itinerary you proposed? I could travel overnight from Venice to CT, spend 2 days there (where though? in one of the towns or Santa Magherita, Portofino?) By train CT-Florence is a few hours right? Would I stay in Florence itself or go to Siena instead and take a day trip to Florence? Any suggestions on where to stay? Has anyone just been on a quick trip to Italy and have an itinerary they have used?? Would take so much of the guesswork out of it - just knowing the places to stay and the towns etc then being free just to wander around... <BR> <BR>Surlok - you don't like CT? Is it over-rated? What about Florence - too many ppl around at that time (First week of Oct)- I need a break from life - a total body, mind and soul trip. Life has been rough the past 2 months and I just want to disappear somewhere <BR> <BR>*oops* Again I go off on tangents !! Yeesh - more suggested itineraries TRULY appreciated - its not that I can't surf the net etc its just that without being to a place before - am so overloaded with information that I feel like I haven't made any progress... <BR> <BR>Haven't really read up on the lakes at all - somehow the Meditterean just sounds more exotic....but hey - 4 days in Tuscany or Umbria or somewhere on the East Coast would even work... <BR> <BR>Gotta go for now - will check back - once again - THANKS MUCHO!! <BR> <BR>Ciao banana ! <BR>Dee

By the time you arrive in Venezia, the hotel booking service will be closed. The bus from Treviso takes 45 min to an hour. I second the recommendation to visit www.itwg.it. <BR> <BR>If you like water, and want to avoid a bit of the crowds, do visit the islands in the Venezian lagoon. Murano is lovely, and the glass blowing island, Burano is a quaint fishing village with colorfully painted houses and also the origin of lace. Very beautiful and relaxing, and the people on the islands are much more approachable and friendly than those on the mainland. <BR> <BR>If you want to see Firenze, you can take a train also to Lucca, which is a lovely medeival village surrounded by perfectly preserved walls on which you can have a stroll. There are loads of little (and large) architectural wonders around, and there are even tours to help you discover the unique little additions to buildings. Lucca is 20 minutes from Via Reggio, one of the famous Tuscan beaches. <BR> <BR>If you're interested in cultural adventures while in Italy that take you behind the scenes into the lifestyles of the locals, send me an email. TruEurope (www.tru-europe.com) offers the chance to learn to cook and make and taste wine, study glass making, dive a sunken ancient Roman city, etc. If you have any other questions feel free to email me. <BR> <BR>--jessica

If you decide to head to CT I recommend you stay in Vernazza (SP). It's wonderful, you won't regret it. There is a restaurant there on the top of the cliff with breath taking views, the food is top notch too. I can spend a whole week in CT without ever getting board; just gorgeous.

*sigh* Dontcha just love the fact that people are around to help? It gives me such a nice feeling - thanks to all of you that post on boards and help others out in everything you do. *HUG* <BR> <BR>Ideas and more ideas - yikes!! HOw much time do I lose traveling from Venice to Cinque Terre? Can I do it overnight on Sunday and then have Monday and Tuesday to spend there? From there what would be logical to go to for another 2 days -Wednesday and Thursday? I am assuming I will take an overnight train from wherever back to Treviso in order to reach back by Friday for my flight. <BR> <BR>If traveling to Cinque Terre is going to be difficult then is there anywhere else I can go thats on the coast - any suggestions for the East Coast perhaps closer to Venice? <BR> <BR>Wow I didn't realise how stressful planning a short holiday could be at short notice *pout* From what I have been reading - its not that easy just turning up and going with the flow of things to find places to stay etc... <BR> <BR>Oh well - good luck to me and all of you as well ! Thanks, thanks, thanks for all the help - it does come backa thousand fold. <BR> <BR>Love, <BR>Dee