theexplorer90

Hi,

I have a wedding in august this year in La Spezia. I am planning a 2 week holiday for this, and wanted to know if anyone could suggest any places to visit during our time in italy. I already know i want to visit florence and Cinque Terre, but want to add a few more locations to the list. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks in Advance!

Rubicund

August will be very hot and CT will be heaving on those trails that are open. I'm not sure that I'd want to be there at that time (or any time really-not a CT fan). Consider having a look at Genoa and Pisa too. Three locations and a wedding sounds plenty at that time of the year when everywhere will be very busy.

bilboburgler

From Spezia you can easily access some nice parts of Tuscany which include ancient Roman towns and one of the most famous marble quarries in the world. Going north Genoa (in all that heat might be labour of love to visit) and all the gardens and coastal towns of Liguria open up to you and then Turin and the wine towns that sit around this industrial city. Going into Tuscany proper offers not just Florence, Pisa and Lucca but also Siena and the ancient cities around it.
Taking the train from Spezia towards Genoa through the CT can be tough in August (hot, crowded etc) and will make for an "interesting" experience.

Even Spezia itself offers a little hlly relief, if you head east you will find the ridge which you have to cross to get to Tuscany is crossed at three places, however do look at the tiny towns along the ridge, often overlooked by tourists, the extra height can keep them cool and some are lovely little places with plenty cool churches and restaurants looking over the parched northern Tuscan landscape.

PalenQ

Check www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts for places to go by train in Italy - which is virtually anywhere. Book train tickets yourself online - www.seat61.com has great advice on that.

theexplorer90

Thank you for the suggestions so far! Unfortunately I'm just going to have to accept the hot temperatures and make the most of my time there. I'll definitely look into visiting ore of tuscany, I've heard great things about florence. Any further recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

panecott

If you are flying into Milan, you can - and should! - visit the lake area, definitely Lake Como/Bellagio/Vernazza. It is easily reached by train from Milan and you can do at least one day trip - e.g., to Lugano - from there. Then you can work your way south to La Spezia and then Tuscany. Actually, time permitting, you can also go north from there to the Dolomites and then head south. Or you can go from the lakes to Venice, then down to La Spezia.

I am also not a big fan of 5T, which is unfortunately overrun with tourists. That said, the villages are quite picturesque so you might want to do a day trip, or an overnight from La Spezia, just to have a look. The towns bordering 5T, i.e., Levanto and Porto Venire, are options if you want to avoid the crowds.

bvlenci

Lake Como is also pretty overrun with tourists, mostly English-speaking, in August.

StCirq

Everyone has their favorite lake, of course, but we like Maggiore, which is also a very easy train ride from Milan, and from there it's very easy to get up into the mountains, go out to the islands, even get to Switzerland cheaply and fast. I've been there is August and it was hot of course, but nice to get up into the mountains on the cablecars and at least get a cool breeze.

PalenQ

Another fan of Lake Maggiore and Stresa as a base.