MyBaggage

I am going to northern Italy for two weeks in June. I begin the trip with 3 nights in Monterosso in Cinque Terre - then I have a gap of 4 nights - finish up with renting an apartment in Venice for one week. I would love suggestions for where to spend the 4 days/nights between CT and Venice. I am a retired woman, traveling alone, and I will be taking trains. If possible, I would prefer to stay in one place and take day trips, as appropriate, from there. I am thinking of either Verona or Bologna. My reading about Bologna so far doesn't make it seem to be a place I would enjoy for 4 days, but there are numerous appealing day trips from there, so it may be a good base. I want to see Verona - but are there enough other sites to see near Verona to fill 4 days. By "fill", I mean see something every day, but still have time to wander, wonder, and eat! I prefer to take my time and absorb rather than keep to a tight schedule to "see everything.

PalenQ

Have you been to Florence and if not I'd suggest that - an easy train ride from Monterosso via Pisa to Florence and then you have the fast trains Florence to Venice.

Florence is great for 4 days - can do easy day trips to some proverbial Tuscan hill towns like Siena but there is so much right in Florence to keep anyone occupied for several days.

For lots of great info on Italian trains I always spotlight these IMO superb sites - www.seat61.com (great info on online discounted tickets that however must be booked weeks in advance to get as they are sold in limited numbers and can sell out early - also hard to change or refund i think so if your itinerary is set in stone that is the way to go - www.trenitalia.com is the Italian Railways site to book those on; other great sites - www.ricksteves.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id12.html.

If not going the discount online ticket route there is rarely any problem buying train tickets as you go along.

If not going to Florence then consider two days each in Bologna and Verona - two towns I love and feel are vastly underrated - both are really swell towns with lots of things to see and do and in Bologna's part at least eat as this is a culinary capital and not just known for Bologna!

goldenautumn

Verona has loads of interesting day trips by train, to small towns and large, and the southern shores of Lago di Garda are 30 minutes away by train. You can visit Palladio-rich Vicenza, fresco rich Mantova for smaller towns, or Padova , which has a legendary pretty open air food market, its science history plus the legendary Giotto chapel (make a reservation). You can visit Bologna from Verona, and Milan from Verona.

I was recently reading this article about Vicenza:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/201...hitecture-food

But even if you never left Verona, it is a pink granite town filled with charm and variety, a lovely place to walk, although it will be warm by then. This year is an important anniversary for the Verona summer opera festival, so book early (in June, you may be too early for performances, but if you aren't I hear it is a tremendous experience to attend).

Verona has delicious wine and lovely food all its own, and I do not suggest splitting your time there with Bologna. Presumably you know what Florence is and how crowded it will be. Le Cinque Terre will have tourists aplenty, and so will Venice, and while Verona is hardly an obscure hideaway, you will feel the difference in the vibrant town that still owes the vast majority of its economic life to something other than tourism, even though it is a beauty filled with art and history.

MyBaggage

Grazie, PalenQ and Goldenautumn. Enormous help! I neglected to mention in my first post that I have been to Rome and Florence on my first Italy trip many years ago - loved them both and hope to go back someday-but this trip I want stay north. I know CT will be busy and I'll find lots of crowds in the last half of June. But I'm going to just have to deal because I want to be in Italy on my birthday! I will be doing all travel on trains so I do appreciate the tip about seat61. Based on other advice, I'm considering adding a day or two in Lucca, which cuts down these 4 "open days" to 2. Maybe I split my 4 days with Verona and Lucca. I hope to do a future trip with food as the focus - and think I may combine Bologna and the Piedmont Region for that itinerary! I was reading about Verona last night and you both mention it today. Decision made. What area do you recommend for a hotel in Verona? Thanks so much for your ideas.

MyBaggage

Having made a few quick checks on books, sites, etc., I'm thinking this is my itineray:
Day 1:Arrive in Pisa late morning, take bus to Lucca - short ride after an overnight plane trip. Spend remainder of day and one night in Lucca.
Days 2-3-4: Early train to Monterosso, stay there 3 nights.
Days 5-6-7: Early train to Verona, stay there 3 nights to see Verona and a day trip or two.
Day 8-14: Early train to Venice, where I have rented an apartment for a week. My daughter will meet me there.
Day 15: Fly home.

I will not be rushing about to see/do everything. Is this itinerary too much knowing that I want to wander and wonder on this trip?

goldenautumn

Why not go directly to le Cinque Terre?

It's a 90 minute train ride to Lucca from le Cinque Terre, and you could save it as a rainy day option, or just when you reach the point you'd like a change of scene from the fishing village. That would give you 4 nights in le Cinque Terre -- and it is always great to maximize your time there in case you do get 2 days of rain, then at least you've had 2 days of sun.

If you are taking the early train from the Riviera to Verona, you can probably be in Bologna for lunch. Stow your luggage in the train station and take a taxi to the food market area -- you'll just catch the tail end of it -- and then have a pasta lunch at Da Gianni, or Bistrot 18 if it is nice enough to sit outdoors. Have a coffee in the piazza Maggiore, then walk back to the station and retrieve your luggage in time to take a convenient train to arrive in Verona for cocktails.

Ackislander

I really, really love Verona.

Four days in Florence is better than no days in Florence, but next time I would go for a week and expect to still have many things to see.

MyBaggage

Rain? I've wiped that word out of my plans. Although I always take a rain jacket! Thank you both. You've confirmed my Verona choice. Yes, Ackislander, a return trip to Florence and the rest of Tuscany is a future trip. I was in Florence many years ago and know I'll go back, but before then, I need to explore other areas. Thus, this focus on just the more northern area. A couple of friends have strongly suggested Lucca, especially since I was able to use miles to fly into Pisa, and it's on the way to CT.
GoldenAutumn - any recommendations for a hotel in Verona? A place I would feel safe alone, with a little local charm, and middle of the road re price.

goldenautumn

Lucca is not on the way to le Cinque Terre. If you want to take the dogleg, that's up to you, but it is a dogleg. I'm not as fond of Lucca as your friends, but they know you better than I do!

As for hotels in Verona, it is better to look on booking.com and read up to date reviews. You will be safe anywhere you choose, but I think you will be happiest in the historic center. The train station is a bit outside it, not to far to walk when you are taking day trips, but too far to walk with your luggage.

isabel

I also really really love Verona. But you have a whole week in Venice. Do you know if you want the entire week IN Venice. Verona and the cities in the Veneto (Vicenza, Padua, Trevisio) make easy day trips from Venice. So you might want to consider day trips to places in the other direction while you are staying in Verona, including Bologna. It's a little farther than some but I did it as a day trip from Padua once and it was still an enjoyable day. (I've since gone back and stayed IN Bologna). Mantua is another place easy to get to from Verona and very worthwhile. And so is Sirmione on Lake Garda.

Here's my trip report from last summer when I spent four days in Verona - http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-the-lakes.cfm

I also did trip reports for the trip where I based in Padua for a week, and for the Bologna trip (both part of longer trips that included other places as well).

MyBaggage

Thanks, Isabel, nice blog and great photos. I've decided to stick with the itinerary. I like the idea of landing and having only to face a short bus ride to Lucca to spend the afternoon and evening. And then train to Monterosso early in the morning. I have found hotels and all flights are booked. So now I get back to the books and put together a wish list for each location. And get good tips as to where the great food can be found. Many writers say it's not necessary to book train tickets ahead of time (other than taking advantage of the discount tickets noted above by PalenQ)- I'll need 3 tickets - does anyone have a different opinion on that

MyBaggage

An overdue follow up. The trip was glorious. And your input helped. A full week in Venice was luxury. My daughter and I had the time to see the tourist fav spots early and late in the day - avoiding the day trippers - using mid-day to explore the outlying neighborhoods, islands, and a day trip to Padua. I had the time to fall in love with Venice. Three days on my own in Verona - also wonderful. With a day trip to Lago di Gardo. I went to the opera in Verona and walked the beautiful city. Had one of my best meals in a "found" restaurant. Solo, I started with a day in Lucca at a cooking school - so much fun! Then three days hiking the trails of Cinque Terre - the little used trails (because some were still closed from landslides) were more difficult and worth the effort. A two week trip of a lifetime. Thanks for all of your advice.