Italy Itinerary
 

I am looking to take a 14 day trip to Italy. We are planning on flying in or out of Rome. Can anyone give me any ideas as to what the best 2 or 3 places in Italy would be to visit and a time frame or itinerary for our trip?

Thank you!

Of course, as soon as you tell us:

1) who we are, # and ages

2) what your interests are

3) why you want to go to Italy (did you just pick it out of a hat?)

4) general idea of budget (student, budget, modest, moderate???)

Oh - and generally flying in and out of the same city is not the best idea - since it usually requires backtracking. You're generally better off doing open jaws tickets - into the first city and return from the last.

Which cities are good for you depends, at least in part, on where you're flying from.

I assume this is your first trip to Italy. I'll also assume "14 day" means 14 hotel nights.

It would help a lot to know what you want to see/do: art? architecture? Historical sites? charming hill towns? Wine? With no more information, here's a start:

Arrive Venice -- 3 nights
Florence -- 3
Tuscany -- 4 (or Amalfi Coast)
Rome -- 4
Depart from Rome

I'd second JeanneB's itinerary with the caveat that depending on your interests, you might want to take the Tuscany time and divvy it up between Florence and Rome.

I like the one by Jeanne, but here are 5 more to consider:
. BELLA ITALIA: Five destinations in 15 days—car & train travel
* Arrive in Milan[MXP] & depart from Venice[VCE]or vice versa.
* Itinerary to include the Italian Lakes, Ligurian coast, rural
Tuscany, Florence, & Venice. Suggested timing is 3-2-4-2-4.
* Option: Drop the coast & rent a villa in Tuscany[ 3-7-2-3].
* Best time to go: May & June or Sept. & Oct.

2. LA DOLCE VITA: Three destinations in 12 to 14 days-car & train
* Arrival & departure from Rome[ FCO] or arrival in Naples
* Itinerary to include Rome, the Amalfi coast, and Tuscany
* Best time to go: Easter to end of October
* Option: Fly into Naples & stay at 2 locations on the coast

3. CLASSIC ITALIA: Three destinations in 12 to 14 days-car & train
* Arrival & departure from Rome—may start trip in Florence
* Destinations to include Florence, Rome & Tuscany/Umbria
* Best time to go: Anytime, but May & Oct. are my favorites
* Option: Consider a weekly rental in Tuscany/Umbria

4. SICILIAN CHARMS: Five destinations in 15 days—car travel
* Connections to Catania & Palermo via Rome or gateway city.
* Itinerary to include Taormina, Siracusa, Palermo & more.
* Best time to go: March to November—May is best for flowers
* See: http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=634

5. THE VILLAGE SAMPLER: My favorite venues for those who enjoy natural beauty and quaint, small villages. Arranged north to south.
* Arrive Milan & depart Rome—car travel-- 3 nites per location
* Itinerary to include Lago Orta, Castelrotto/ Ortisei[Dolomites],
Portovenere[Liguria], Montalcino[Tuscany], & Spello[Umbria].
* Best time to go: May to October for the lakes and Dolomites
* Option: Pick 3 out of 5 and stay longer in Tuscany/Umbria.

To be a bit more clear, I will be traveling with my young mom for my 40th birthday. I have actually visited Italy before and she has traveled the word 3 times but somehow never made it to Italy. We want to shop, go out drinking and dining and of course see some of the significant historical sites. I felt she should see Rome considering all of it's history, but I can't seem to figure out our itinerary from or to there. At first I was thinking to fly into Barcelona and then on to Nice and then into Rome but am now thinking it might be better to take more of a relaxing trip. We will have a modest to moderate budget.

Bobthenavigator's suggested itineraries are great, although I'd point out it's possible to have a lovely trip to Italy without using a car. Since you've been to Italy before, and you know your mom better than we do, I'd say you can probably make the destination decisions yourself. We can help you with hotels, restaurants, logistics and tips.

When it comes to hotel recommendations, we would need to know a euro or dollar rate.

alexanderika,

We did 2 weeks in Italy last year as part of a 3 1/2 week trip that also included Paris and Amsterdam. We split it up Venice (3 days), Florence (7 days) and Rome (4 days). It was definitely relaxing and enjoyable. Mind you, I'm somewhat predisposed to Florence so you might prefer to temper your time there. :D

Following up on Jean's point, we didn't do any driving whatsoever. The trains are great between the major cities and I'd sooner not chance a fender-bender in another country coming back to haunt me.