We are planning a trip to Italy and need some help. This is our first stab at it. We have already done Venice and Florence so will skip these.
Day 1 fly from US to Milan
Day 2 Milan
Day 3 Italian Lake District
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6 Milan to Pisa, Lucca, and on to Sienna
Day 7-9 Sienna with day trips
Day 10-11 Rome
Day 12 Rome to Amalfi Coast based in Sorrento for 3 nights with day trips
Day 13 back to Rome
Day 14 fly home

We would like to visit Parma. Where would this fit in? We are not restricted to 14 days and are flexible.

Thank you.

How would you travel on Day 6? Are you starting from Milan or the lake? Going by train would take 6+ hours (starting from Milan, longer if starting from the lake). You'd have to check and retrieve luggage at each stop (not sure that's even possible at the Lucca station). Driving (if you already had a car) would take almost 7 hours.

I think you'd have to choose between Parma and Pisa/Lucca.

You might consider ending Day 6 at Lucca and continuing to Siena the next day. If you went by train from Lake Como, there is a car rental office at Lucca (closed Sunday). As you drive to Siena, you could stop at Volterra, San Gimignano, etc.

The general concensus is if you're flying out of Rome you should put all of your time there at the end. That would mean Day 10 would be Siena to Sorrento, about a 5-6 hour drive or train ride.

You've lost track of the day numbers at the end of your list. I assume you're flying home on Day 17.

The so called "Lake District" encompasses at least 4 different lakes, and unless you have a car visiting more than one of them means a lot of backtracking through the Milan Central train station several times to switch to a different train line that goes to a different lake.

Using trans, the most efficient way for you to visit Parma coming from one of the lakes is to take the train from Milan to Bologna and switch to a train for Parma. Spend the night and the next day go from Parma to La Spezia to Pisa

If you don't like switching hotels often, your entire trip would be much simpler if you went to Florence and used it as a "base" from which to visit Pisa, Lucca & Siena. You can even visit Parma as a day trip from Florence, although it will be 90 minutes on the train each way.

Something else you can do is go from Milan to Bologna>Parma, then from Parma to Pisa (it will involve at least 1 train change).

If you don't like switching hotels often, your entire trip would be much simpler if you went to Florence and used it as a "base" from which to visit Pisa, Lucca & Siena. You can even visit Parma as a day trip from Florence, although it will be 90 minutes on the train each way. Or you can spend the night in Parma after you visit the lakes, then go back through Bologna to Florence. Spend a couple of nights there to see Pisa, Lucca & Siena, and then leave from Florence on a fast tran to Rome (or Naples if you want to put the Amalfi Coast ahead of Rome).

Sorry for my confusing post! I rewrote it to clarify it -- and then forgot to delete the paragraphs that were unclear!!!

So ignore that one, and just read this one (again, apologies):

The so called "Lake District" encompasses at least 4 different lakes, and unless you have a car, visiting more than one of them means a lot of backtracking through the Milan Central train station several times to switch to a different train line that goes to a different lake.

Using trans, the most efficient way for you to visit Parma after visitng any one of the lakes is to take the train from Milan to Bologna and switch to a train for Parma. Spend the night and the next day go from Parma to Pisa (it will involve at least 1 train change).

If you don't like switching hotels often and don't have a car, your entire trip would be much simpler if you went to Florence and used it as a "base" from which to visit Pisa, Lucca & Siena via public transportation. You can even visit Parma as a day trip from Florence by train, although it will be 90 minutes on the train each way. Or you can spend the night in Parma after you visit the lakes, then go back through Bologna to Florence to use it as a base for day trips. and then leave from Florence on a fast tran to Rome (or Naples if you want to put the Amalfi Coast ahead of Rome).

How are yous traveling- car or train? When are your going?

car would be nice for several places but not Amalfi where road jams are routine in but for Siena, etc though trains and buses take you anywhere you want to go cars are nicer if doing more than Siena.

You need no car for the lakes as boats go everywhere.

If taking trains check www.trenitalia.com for schedules and fares - also www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. If trains most of the time you can go by regional train or have to and there is NO reason to book these early but reasons not to - dirt-cheap just buy at station - ditto with buses. Regional trains do not even take seat reservations - long-distance non-regional trains can have tasty discounts if you book earlier enough to get them - like Rome to Naples and back.

IMO Day 6 is too full; i agree that it would make more sense to go to Florence and use it as a base for day trips, including to Siena.

That would also help sort out the end of your trip where you are splitting up your stay in Rome - never a good idea. Fortunately there is a direct train from Florence to Naples which means that you can get to Sorrento without having to go through Rome.

However, looking at your itinerary, I don't see where you've got time for 3 nights in Sorrento:

Day 10-11 Rome
Day 12 Rome to Amalfi Coast based in Sorrento for 3 nights with day trips
Day 13 back to Rome
Day 14 fly home

At the moment you are going from Rome to the Amalfi on Day 12, and coming back on Day 13 - so where are the 3 nights in Sorrento?

Thanks to all for your replies. We will spend 3 nights in Sorrento so there should be more nights listed. Train from Florence to Naples sounds good and Rome at the end and then fly home. Are there tour agencies who do day trips around the Lake District? We would like to visit several of the lakes. We plan to go in October so I know the boat schedules will be limited.

We plan to go in October so I know the boat schedules will be limited.>

I was there then and boats were running enough to get around but October can be dismal weatherwise - or it could be nice but...

You probably need to do your own google search for tour companies that might offer to take you from lake to lake by bus if you don't want to rent a car and drive yourselves. The lakes are not connected by waterways, so you need to get to each lake separately by land.

There is a big difference in temperature and chances for rain on the lakes between the first 2 weeks in October and the last two weeks. Quite early in October the days may be cool but dry, but as days proceed after Oct 10 or 15, the temperatures, particularly at night, can really start to drop very rapidly and the risks of a truly rainy weather begin to increase. If you are not starting your trip until after the middle of October you might consider basing yourself in Milan and only doing a day trip to a lake if you know for certain it will be sunny on the lake that day. You can easily get to the best parts of Lago Maggiore and Lago di Como by train from Milan. If you see it is going to rain, from Milan you can easily visit Bologna or Verona or even Parma or Turin instead for a day, and small but beautiful historic towns like Pavia or Lodi.

I suggest avoiding the lakes in October - or doing a day trip to one of them from Milan or staying a day on one lake -I liked Stresa - about an hour or less from Milan by train - a nice resort town that will still be a bit active and taking a boat to the famous three Borromean Islands just off shore.

Staying in Milan and day trippingas frencharmoire says makes sense -foul weather yes day trip to one of those neat old cities.

We've visited Lakes Como and Maggiore 5 or 6 times in the second half of October over 20+ years. We've had a few misty mornings and evenings and two full days of rain. That's it. Of course, no one can promise good weather, but if I wanted to visit one of the lakes in October I'd go. I'd stay the 3 days on one lake and possibly visit another as a day trip. Lugano is fairly easy from Lake Como. So is the lovely town of Bergamo.

The ferry service does revert to reduced, off-season schedules in October. This year, Oct. 8 on Maggiore and Oct. 1 on Como.

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/eng/index.asp

Lugano is fairly easy from Lake Como. So is the lovely town of Bergamo.>

On Lake Maggiore you can take a boat to Locarno, Switzerland, another lovely town.

Como itself on Lake Como I found rather nice.