kpilling

Hello everyone,

Husband and I are trying to plan our vacation this year in October. We are novices (only been to Europe once). We are thinking of flying from LAX to London - spending 2 nights in London (went there last year) and 2 nights in Cotswolds. Then flying to Milan and seeing Venice and Tuscany. Total trip time including travel is 16 days. Is this possible or should we just spend the whole time in Italy?

Thanks

Karen

Tries2PakLite

That leaves you with 9-10 days to see Venice and parts of Tuscany. That sounds good to me. You should be able to see enough to give you a feel for the country (and probably enough to tempt you back).

I say yes, IMHO.

RJD

Sounds good to me. You should have plenty of time to spend in Italy. You may even want to consider ending your trip in Rome. Similar to a trip I took a few years ago.

nessundorma

Personally I'd spend the whole time in Italy unless you've a very special reason for wanting to go to the Cotswolds. Two days in London will get you over your jet lag, but not much else. I'd be concerned about the weather in the Costwolds in October if your main interest in going there is outdoor activities.

You could really take Italy at a relaxed pace for 16 days, and October can be an especially rewarding time to go if you like Italian food. If you are very interested in seeing the art treasures of Venice, 4 nights is a minimum stay, and I would make it five. Then I would do 5 nights in Firenze (to include a day trip to Pisa and Siena) and then 6 nights (with a car) touring the Tuscan countryside.

You'd be seeing and doing so much and yet you'd still have time for long lunches, the occasional pre-cocketail hour nap, late nights, long walks in the hills and discovering many things most tourists never slow down long enough to see.

Bailey

You were in London last year....and you plan two nights in Cotswolds.
That won't give you a full day in Cotswolds....just two travel days.

If it were my decision....I'd head straight to Italy. I'd concentrate on Italy this year. Another year I'd return to the UK & explore.

Big_Red

This is somewhat similar to our last trip. We ended up flying to Venice from Bristol. I think it was EasyJet.
This might be convenient for you as well.

Ten days for Venice and some of Tuscany seems adequate.

nessundorma

"Adequate" or another dimension? It depends on what you are looking for. If you want to see the sights, that's one kind of trip. If you would like to find yourself living a different life, that's another. 16 days in any foreign begins to lift you out of the ordinary groove of your life and absorb you into a different culture -- or else annoy the heck out of you and make you restless or homesick. Hard to advise, but rest assured Italy has inexhaustible sights and pleasures.

nancy

nessundorma has said it perfectly. Oh, to have that much time in Venice plus the time in Tuscany. The only difference for me would be 2-3 nights in Florence and the rest cruising thru Tuscany/Umbria via car. It would be great if you could fly directly to Venice and out of Florence.

Since you've seen London, 2 nights is so little and definitely, 2 nights in the Cotswalds is not enough. You really need a car to drive thru the Cotswolds and get a true picture.

You will love all the time you spend in Italy and will want to go back to explore more.