Italy for 3 weeks. HELP
 

My husband and I suddenly have an opportunity to travel to Italy from September 5, landing in Rome leaving from Milan September 24.

Have never been. We like a mix of city and country and inexpensive but well located hotels.

Rome - 4 nights
Amalfi - 3 nights
Florence - 4 nights
Tuscany - 4 nights
Venice - 3 nights
Milan - 2 nights

I am also not sure where to go in Tuscany and if possibly we should switch Florence and Tuscany since we will have the car in Amalfi and keep it until we get to Florence, or can we enjoy Tuscany on day trips from Florence, eliminating so many hotel changes.

Thanks.

Your itinerary looks fine and doable - except:

Florence and Tuscany is the same. Florence is the capital of Tuscany.

You may either choose Florence as a base for trips into Tuscany or another place in Tuscany from where you do a daytrip into Florence.

8 nights for Tuscany is far too much.

4 or 5 nights for Florence/Tuscany would be o.k.

You may use the gained time to see Lake Garde and Verona on your way from Venice to Milan, and Lake Como and Lago Maggiore from Milan (requires at least 3 nights in Milan).

I would make it longer than 3 days in Rome ( jet lag, a great city with a lot to see, etc ...).
Agree with less time in Tuscany!

I would take some time from the Florence/Tuscany part of the trip and add to Rome (maybe divide 6 nights and 6 nights especially since you are going to be tired at the beginning of the Rome stay)

This is what I would recommend:

You are going at a very, very busy time for the Amalfi, when having a car will be a nuisance to drive through traffic jams and to park (expensive too). So I recommend that you add a night to Roma, then take a train and bus to your Amalfi destination.

When you leave Amalfi, go by train to Orvieto. Pick up a car there to spend the next 4 nights in the Tuscan hills.

If you are extremely keen on Renaissance art, you will want to spend at least 3 nights right inside Firenze. However, you could instead base your selves in a rental for 7 nights in the Tuscan hills after Amalfi, and provided you stay close to Siena, you can day trip into Firenze several times. That will cut down on costs and hotel changes. The Slow Travel website has lots of good recommendations for rentals near Siena. Il Giardano is very convenient and fairly priced if you prefer a hotel.

If you spend nights inside Firenze, give up you car before you do. And if you can give it up in Siena and take a bus to Firenze, that's probably easier. If you stay the entire time in Tuscany in the hills, drive the car to Venezia and drop it off there.

I am suggesting you add one night to Rome and take one away from Firenze, since you will lose your first day to jet lag, and Rome is rich in attractions.

I think you are wise not to add other destinations. You've got a relaxed trip planned.

September 5 is still very much high season for all the places you want to go, and you need to be especially concerned about hotel availability in Milan.

Hope that helps.

I agree with more time in Rome, especially since it's your first stop. I would do 5 nights Rome, 4 nights Amalfi, 5 nights either Florence or a Tuscan town (as noted above, stay in Florence if you're a big art fan with a couple daytrips to Tuscan towns, otherwise do a daytrip to Florence from your Tuscan town), 4 nights Venice, 2 nights Milan. That would be a great trip!

Sorry -- I misspelled Hotel Il Giardino.

I have to disagree - Florence and Tuscany are not the same! I'd stay at an agritourismo around Montalcino as you'll be there just before harvest season...enjoy the countryside, see San antimo, Siena, tour the vineyards and then head to Florence where you can easily spend 4 nights. Personally, I'd take out Amalfi as it looks like you're moving south to north somewhat inland...I'd add a night in Verona - you'll be there at the end of their outdoor opera season and might be able to get tickets or at least sit in the piazza outside the theater and listen...we aren't big opera fans but that was special. Plan ahead for tickets to see Last Supper in Milan. There is a website for them and if they show soldout, leverage your hotel to get some. As for hotels, La Crociona in Montalcino was great, Hotel Accademia in Florence and Hotel Accademia in Verona were also great. They are well located and reasonable. Will you be driving between Rome and Venice or taking trains when possible? We did a 2 week trip through northern italy last september and had a fantastic time!

thanks for all your help. I will definitely add a night in Rome and consider day trips to Florence from somewhere else in Tuscany. I am big on art though so I may just reconsider an overnight or two in Florence.

I have gotten a lot of discouraging comments about traveling to Italy in September. Is November any better. I didn't think the weather would be good enough. Is it actually that much cheaper?

I'll start working on this now.

I would keep the car, drive from Amalfi to Tuscany, pick one of the larger towns and stay there for several nights - doing day trips by car much more easily then by train. Then drop the car and head into Florence and do train from then on.

Unless you have no interest in Florence I would definitely spend a couple of days there rather than day trips. It's charming at night, has some great restaurants - and trekking in and out for several days is a pain.

It's not going to be noticeably cheaper but it will be noticeably less crowded. You take a risk with the weather, but Novembers can often be lovely and dry at that time. If you go in November to Venice, just book outside the San Marco area, where sometimes it can flood in the mornings.

It's just a hard call. I can only speak personally. My primary interest in touring Italy is art, and I find it easier to live with getting rained out in the Amalfi and having marvelous experiences in the museums and churches, than having stunning views in the Amalfi but being in mobs of other tourists -- many of whom have no interest in art -- to the point it can sometimes be next to impossible to even see the art, let alone experience it.

You might take a look at Impruneta as a place to have a car in Tuscany but have easy access to Firenze by public transport.

PS: An overnight or two in Firenze for art lovers is also a good idea, however.

September might be still hot, November can be cool and rainy.

Conclusion: October would be perfect.

Hi exnmomma,

You have the start of a wonderful trip! My last trip was in Sept and the Amalfi Coast was mobbed.

I would also recommend adding a night to Rome. So much to see and do, plus a arrival day possibly a bit jet lagged.

I would also add a day to Amalfi. Taking away both nights from Florence. If you are HUGE art fans, spend a couple nights in Florence, but I'm sure I can guarantee you'll like the Tuscan countryside much more!

I even would take away a night from Milan. A 1/2 day there is enough to see the highlights. Others love Milan, and it's OK, but not my favorite. Add the other night to Tuscany or Venice.

Buon viaggio!

Hotels:
Hotel Giardino Rome
Le Sirene, Praiano
Il Giglio, Montalcino
Antica Locanda dei Mercanti, Milan

I've stayed at the above over the last two trips and have been very happy!

You're in store for a wonderful experience. We've been to that part of Italy numerous times.

However, you MUST consider visiting the region of Umbria (adjacent to Tuscany); it holds such precious treasures as Assisi, Perugia, and Todi. It is much greener than Tuscany at this time of the year, and slightly less-traveled than Tuscany. Your itinerary of Florence and Tuscany equals eight days/nights in the same region; consider shortening that by at least a couple days and visiting Umbria...you will not be sorry.

I think the number of nights you specified in each location sounds perfect. With a car rental, you would want to go to Tuscany before Florence, then drop off the car when you get to Florence.

While in Tuscany, consider Siena, San Gimignano, Montepulciano and Montalcino. Choose a place to stay that has a beautiful pool and/or garden and/or bicycles, and plan to spend a day just relaxing.

Even though Florence is in Tuscany, it's a large city with lots to see, especially art and architecture, plus it's a lot different from Rome. Don't miss the San Marcos Monastery (Abbey?) with its Fra Angelico artwork. Day trips to other parts of Tuscany from Florence would be tiring. However, if you find you've seen it all in the city, take a day trip to Pisa or Lucca - both are great.

It sounds like the perfect trip. Have fun!

What's the discouragement about Italy in September? Seems that would be a good time, after summer but still good weather.

I like a bit slower pace, so would for myself probably cut one location to avoid changing cityies & hotels 6 times in 3 weeks, but that's a very personal preference.

<i>Is November any better. I didn't think the weather would be good enough. Is it actually that much cheaper?</i>

It just depends on your preferences.

We arrived on Nov 1st last fall. Days varied from mild to chilly. We wore coats at night. But we like cold weather and winter clothes.

One thing that really surprised us was the magnificent fall colors (especially in Tuscany). Vermont doesn't hold a candle to the Chianti region in November! Tuscany was aglow with that soft yellow/pink sunshine you only get in Autumn. But days are shorter. We didn't mind because all the towns are so lovely at night.

Menus are quite different, lots of boar, artichokes, etc. Several restaurants had cozy fireplaces. And the lack of crowds! There were virtually no lines, even at the Vatican.

Lastly, yes you can save a lot on off season rates.

Downsides: I would have to let others address whether Amalfi would be worth it in November. And a few shops in Tuscany were closed for the season.

If Pompeii is high on your agenda, November means far less heat.

The former monastery with Fra Angelico's work in Firenze referred to above is today the Museo San Marco, and it is indeed one of the very richest art experiences one can have in Firenze.

JeanneB,

Where were you wear you wore winter coasts? I was in Firenze in the second week of November and sat outisde for cocktails and had lunch al fresco on a rooftop. Later in the day, my husband regretted not having brought his sweatshirt to toss on. Might have been ususually warm the days we were there.

Here you'll have a better idea about Firenze and Tuscany:

http://www.turismo.toscana.it/new/map_apt.htm
everything is easily reachable from Firenze by car.

* 1h to Siena
* 58 mins to Arezzo
* 54 mins to Lucca
* 1h and 13 mins to Pisa and so on...

I do agree with the others: 6 days will be enough to visit the main attractions there.

I would spend one more night in Rome instead of Milan and a couple of days more on the Amalfi coast, to visit: Sorrento, Positano and Ravello. The Sita buses are definitely less expensive than a car and you won't take the risk to get stuck in traffic there!

I would go to Orvieto from Amalfi by train, too and pick a car there.