Italy honeymoon itinerary-seeking advise
 

What do you think of my 24 days romantic Italy trip plan?

I realize it's intense but we want to see as much as we can. Do you think it's too much? I would appreciate any feedback.

1. Rome - 5 days
2. Ravello - 2 days
3. Naples - 2 days
4. Orvieto - 1 day
5. Assisi - 2 days
6. Siena - 2 days
7. Florence - 3 days
8. Venice - 3 days
9. Verona - 2 days
10. Milan - 2 days

My full trip plan can be accessed here: http://www.routeperfect.com/trip-pla...hp?id=4e1285ec

Thanks,
Ashley

Yes, I think it's too much. Does "2 days" mean two full days, which usually equals three nights? Or two nights, which generally means only one full day.

Drop about half of your destinations, so you're not moving around so much.

I think it helps to examine your itinerary day by day, night by night really. then you can really see how often you are on the move. Why? Because every time you move, it is not just the actual travel time you see on the train schedule. You need to consider the extra 1-2 hours (or more) you will use to check out of hotels, travel to stations, wait at stations, ride the train, find your way out of the next station, travel to the next hotel, and check in. if traveling by car, add in even more time.

Here's your proposed trip:

Day 1: arrive Rome
Day 2: Rome
Day 3: Rome
Day 4: Rome
Day 5: Rome
Day 6: travel to Ravello
Day 7: Ravello
Day 8: travel to Naples
Day 9: Naples
Day 10: travel to Orvieto
Day 11: travel to Assisi
Day 12: Assisi
Day 13: travel to Siena
Day 14: Siena
Day 15: travel to Florence
Day 16: Florence
Day 17: Florence
Day 18: travel to Venice
Day 19: Venice
Day 20: Venice
Day 21: travel to Verona
Day 22: Verona
Day 23: Travel to Milan
Day 24: Milan

"Do you think it's too much?"
As you can see, Days 6-15 you will be traveling every other day. Does this amount of travel appeal to you? That's your decision.

congratulations! and Italy would be beautiful to start your married life together!

5 days rome would be great but why naples? I have not heard anything nice about that place. I have not been but I can't se how it could be romantic.

I have been to orvieto and assisi and I would just go to assisi and add the extra day in there.

I am yet to go to Siena but i love florence and yes venice would be nice . . have you thought instead of verona to take the train to verenna so you can check out the lake como area and then train to milan.

24days . .if it were me . .5 days rome, 4 days Assisi, 5 days Florence (day trip to siena?), 3days Venice, 3 Days Varenna, 4days Milan. - but that's just me and the limited travel I have done of italy. . .

Good luck and I look forward to hearing about what you decide!

Thank you so much for your replies.

We plan to rent a car for the whole trip and make stopovers in interesting locations as we move around. So traveling between destinations is not just dead time.

I'm starting to feel that maybe we're overdoing it with this plan. So I'm considering cutting out Amalfi coast and going to Cinque Terre instead. I read somewhere that they are somewhat similar. Do you think it's a good idea?

So how's this? Better? Would you change anything? My fiance and I like good food and beaches and not so much into night life.

1. Rome - 5 nights
2. Siena - 3 nights
3. Florence - 4 nights
4. Pisa - 2 nights
5. Cinque Terre - 3 nights
6. Verona - 2 nights
7. Venice - 3 nights
8. Milan - 2 nights

My full trip plan can be accessed here: http://www.routeperfect.com/trip-pla...hp?id=3d876fe3

Thanks again, Ashley

This itinerary looks better to me--fewer 1- and 2-night stays. and Cinque Terre fits better with the other areas you plan to visit.

It's difficult for us to judge the number of nights you've scheduled since we have no idea of your interests in each place, but based on my own interests, the schedule seems reasonable.

What will you do with your car when you reach these cities? Parking is difficult and expensive. Plus many cities have ZTL--limited traffic zones that you will receive very expensive tickets months after you trip when you are caught on camera driving through the zone. Have you driven in Italy before? Just trying to understand your choices.

My tendency would be to discern in what part of your itinerary a car would be most necessary, and do part of the trip by car and part by train. For example, with your schedule as shown, you might pick up the car after Rome and turn it in when you arrive in Verona. To take best advantage of this idea, you might reorder your cities to take best advantage of having a car.

Quite different. I would rethink the idea of renting a car for the trip. You can't use a car in most of the places you will visit and don't need one for transport between destinations. Your trip is ideally suited for train travel. And you don't have much time for stopping along the way. I would consider dropping the 2 nights in Pisa and visiting it on the way from Florence to Cinque Terre - it doesn't require a long stop and is on the direct train route. You may want to rent a car while in Siena to take day trips to Tuscan villages.

The car is likely to be a huge and expensive liability with all those city destinations unless you plan to park outside and take public transportation in. You're bound to find yourself in ZLTs, and months later you'll be getting huge fines (and you'll need to pay them if you intend to rent a car again in Italy). Rent a car for roaming around Tuscany if you like, but otherwise, I'd take trains.

Thank you for your help!

I will reconsider the car.

cheers, Ashley