Italy - Help with Itinerary (specifically trains and hotels)
 

My husband and I are heading to Italy next month for a wedding. We are staying in Rome on the 20th through the 22nd (we have been here before) then we are driving to Bevagna until Sunday where the wedding will be held.

After that our schedule is still up in the air.

We know we would like to go to Siena, Pisa, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice.

On that Sunday afternoon we are hoping to take a train out from there. It looks like the closest train station is Foligno - is this correct? Do we need to purchase tickets in advance of the trip?

Do you suggest we stop in Siena on the way to Florence? What train station is that?

We have heard that some people just get off the train in Pisa for 3 hours, leave their bags at the train station and look around Pisa before they head out to Florence. Or would you take day trips from Florence and maybe add it San Gimignano?

Any suggestions on where to stay in Florence? Things we must see and do?

When we leave Florence we were hoping to go to Cinque Terre. What is the best train for this? any suggestions on where to stay?

Lastly we will end up in Venice. Again, suggestions on where to stay?

We would like to spend under $150 per night if that is at all possible.

Please help us figure out how to get around, what trains, how long we should spend in each spot.

Thank you so much.

When and where do you fly home?

We would fly home on that Tuesday - August 2nd.

We can either fly out of Venice or Pisa. We could probably fly out of Milan as well.

For Florence we like the Nuovo Italia a short walk from the SMN train station. It's a small hotel, no elevator but clean and neat rooms and a pleasant staff. Within your budget.
The last time we stayed in a hotel in Venice it was La Calcina, a favorite on this board. But the last few trips we've rented an apartment. The hotel is hard to get and above your price range these days. Unless the Euro drops a lot more.

How can you book anywhere when you do not have your flights yet?
Om Sunday, train to Florence from Foligno or Perugia---you now have 9 days to spend in 3 locations---Florence, The CT, and Venice. I would see Siena as a day trip from Florence. I would see Pisa as you transition to the CT, and I would stay in Monterosso since it has more hotels and you are very late to book. The trains are all local regionale trains on that route. Then train ot Venice for your last 3 nites and fly home from there, if you can get a flight this late.

In addition to booking flights (to know where you have to be when), I'd look around at lodging availability. Every place on your list is extremely popular, and you're very late in your planning.

As long as you have a car for Bevagna, keep it until you get to Siena.

If it were my trip, I'd skip Venice this time, look for a flight home from Pisa or Florence and split the 9 days in places where you can find lodging. There's more than enough to see/do in the Siena-Florence-Pisa-Cinque Terre area in the time you have.

Thank you for your feedback. My mother works for an airline so I am not worried about the flights that much since I have flexibility.

Are the trains frequent and easy to navigate? Would you recommend 3 days in each spot - Florence (day trip to Siena), Cinque Terre (day trip perhaps to Poisitano), and finally Venice stopping in Pisa on the way?

Now I see---you will have a car. Forget the train link from Umbria. I think you mean Portofino, not Positano. But, too far by public transport.
Your mother cannot control load factors---book now and try to get the PM flight from VCE.

Here is some information on trains:

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/

www.trenitalia.com is the official rail website. You can choose English. To get an idea of frequency and cost, choose close in dates for the routes you think you will want to take.

miktravels, I'm not sure you understand how difficult it may be to find lodging in the places you mention. A generous budget loosens things up, but if you are looking for less than, say, $200 a night you may not have the luxury of choosing your destinations. Lodging availability may choose them for you.

In addition to bobthenavigator's comment/correction about Positano/Portofino, I'll point out that putting Pisa between Florence and the Cinque Terre is better than between Cinque Terre and Venice. And regarding Venice, the train journey from the CT to Venice is 5-6 hours minimum, so one day would be essentially lost in transit. That's why I suggested keeping the geography of the post-Bevagna time small.