Help-my head is spinning from Italy planning!
 

I have been planning this trip since October and thanks to all of you for information I have learned from this site. The original plan was arrival and departure in Pisa, stay in Lucca as a base with day trips to surrounding towns.I am looking into a 1 day cooking class in Lucca. I have been to Italy previously and done the big cities: ie; Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan in addition to Amalfi, Tirol and Sicily. I don't like "..a city a day", plan to use train and bus and really like to get the local feel and color of a place.
Since we will meet with daughter and her husband in Lucca (overlapping trips by 4 days), we had planned a day trip to Cinque Terre, by training to LaSpezia and Riomaggiore and walking the Via dell'Amore; having lunch in Manarolo, perhaps a boat trip further north and return to Lucca. The departure city has been changed to Milan and I have never been to the Lakes region so would like to include Lake Como Area. We arrive in Pisa 6/22 and depart Milan 7/1.
Current Itinerary:
6/22-Arrive Pisa (4 nights in Lucca)
QUESTIONS: l.)Is one day enough in Cinque Terre?
6/26-WHICH WOULD YOU DO? 2 nights back in Riviera (Vernazza, Santa Marquerite, Levanto?) or travel west and spend 2 nights in Bologna?
6/28-from either destination train to Milan and on to Como with 2 nights in this area. (Have not looked into transportation or lodging here) I think the train time from both areas to Como is approx. same.
6/30-depart afternoon for "somewhere in Milan" near to Malpensa for 11 AM departure.

I should add-we love it all-walking, relaxing at cafes, museums, architecture, local markets. Husband not crazy about the lakes region-likes hot weather, not a hiker, but agrees we should include the area.
Any and all suggestions welcome-is this too ambitious???

ttt

You say you'd "really like to get the local feel and color of a place." I suggest that you find just one other spot after your Lucca stay instead of jumping around during those four days.

That spot (6/26-6/30) should be The Lakes region because you say you've never been there. (I like Lugano.)

>Is one day enough in Cinque Terre?< IMO, no.

I would cut out one of your destinations The Cinqueterre plan sounds too rushy and the return to Lucca seems unnecessary if you are immediately heading off elsewhere. Three stops is definitely enough in an week long trip.

Thanks for all your suggestions. What do you think of the revised itinerary?
4 nights Lucca
2 nights Cinque Terre
2 nights Como
1 night Milan (only because of departure from Malpensa at 11 am)

Would you eliminate the l night in Milan and if so, how do we get from Como to Malpensa in time to make flight?

Which city in cinque terre has best train travel to Milan for transfer to Como?

Instead of going to Como, why not go to Lake Maggiore and stay 3 nights in Stresa. You can get from Stresa directly to Malpensa, so there's less moving around.

>Would you eliminate the l night in Milan and if so, how do we get from Como to Malpensa in time to make flight?
<
YES. lovisa's idea of Stressa is a good one. I know for a fact that Lugano is one hour from Malpensa (because I've done it) and Stressa is probably about the same.

>Which city in cinque terre has best train travel to Milan for transfer to Como?<
La Spezia.

Misscarol,

We stayed at Lago di Maggiore for 2 nights a few years ago and just loved it. Our trip was mid May. Hotel: Hotel Verbano on Isola dei Pescatori, wonderful, fabulous views, dead quiet at night.

We took the boat around to the other islands as well as up to Villa Taranto to see their gardens. Would have loved to have a 3 day to take a hydrofoil further up the lake to the Swiss end of things!

Our train from Milano Centrale to Stresa was 1 hour.

Buon viaggio!