Italy itinerary (first international trip)
 

I am planning a trip to Italy for my husband and I. The dates of our trip are not solid yet, but we have 21 days to play with and are looking at May 2015. This will be our first international trip. I have been studying several guidebooks and forums like this one for a couple years in preparation. Until now I've been a forum spectator. I've decided to share what I have so far of my itinerary and hopefully get your thoughts and advice.

Let me give you a bit more info about what we want from this trip... Italy has always been my dream trip, so I naturally have a pretty hefty wish list. The trip below is the minimum, the must haves. I don't want such a crammed, fast paced trip that we can't stop and really enjoy it. My goal is to plan a trip with a good balance of city (museums, churches, and art) history, country, and beach. A few more fast facts. My husband are both around 30. We are active people and we aren't afraid of walking. We plan to get around Italy by train mainly, and would like to avoid (but haven't completely closed the door on the option of) renting a car if possible. I am aware that I will have to watch out for closures when it comes to museums etc and will adjust accordingly when finalizing dates.

So here goes:


1. Depart Sea-Tac
2. Sleep in Venice....... Arrive in Venice. Rest/Settle in
3,4,5. Sleep in Venice....... Explore Venice. St. Marks square, Murano/Burano etc.
6. Sleep in Cinque Terre........ Train to Cinque Terre*
7,8,9. Sleep inCinque Terre........ Hike, explore, beach time etc.
10. Sleep inFlorence........ Train to Florence**. Stopping in Pisa
11. Sleep in Florence...... Florence: Uffizi, Accadamia, Ponte Vecchio
12. Sleep in Florence....... Day trip to Siena
13. Sleep in Florence...... Day trip to hill towns
14. Sleep in Florence..... Florence or Tuscany
15. Sleep in Rome........ Train to Rome
16,17,18. Sleep in Rome........ Explore Rome: the colosseum, forum, Vatican etc
19. Leave Rome
20,21. Arrive home. Extra day to recoup.

* I have read comments on similar itineraries that say to put the Cinque Terre after Florence. It doesn't seem right to travel so far south (into the Florence, Siena, Tuscany leg of the trip) to just go back up to Le Cinque Terre before a long shot to Rome...?
**I am not sure about where to stay on this section of the trip. Florence, Siena, or maybe an agriturismo. I am open to staying a couple places during this few days. Maybe a couple days in Florence then move on to stay in one of the hill towns or an agriturismo for a night or two. I would like some more info on my transportation options in Tuscany if we don't rent a car. Are there any?

I am very excited to be sharing this with you all. Thanks for checking it out!
Ciao!

You sure have done your homework!

Suggested tweaks: You plan to stay in Florence 5 nights but plan not to actually be there most of the time. You may want to rearrange that segment to use a rental car and base in the countryside, drop the car in Florence and tour there a day or two, then train to Rome.

You may also want less time in Cinque Terre and add to Rome.

You're giving the same amount of time to Cinque Terre and Rome. Remove one day from CT and add it to Rome.

If you stop en route to Florence what will you do with your luggage. There is a web site to check if particular train stations have left luggage areas but it's not worked in over a week so I couldn't check for you.

Good itinerary over all.

Really great trip. Not too fast, not too slow. I, too, would drop a day from Cinque Terre and add to Rome. CT is quite scenic and good for hiking (unless the trails are closed by weather) but the beaches are not that great.

I would split my time in Florence, staying at least two full days to see its many treasures, and then rent a car to explore the Tuscan countryside and Siena for three days.

If you leave Rome on the 19th, you will possibly arrive home on the 19th. Perhaps you can leave Rome on the 20th, reserving the 21st to recoup.

All good advice, and a generally good itinerary.

You can do the day trip to Siena via bus. Touring the hill towns would require car rental or hiring a driver. Many people here, including me, have used and recommend Luca at hillsandroads.com.

As other have said, luggage! CT too much time. etc

I'd drop the beach thing (May is not when the Italians do beach) but I would try for an agritorismo in Tuscany for a few days, with a pool (if it is warm) and a car rental to visit local towns. The obvious towns of Siena, San Gim etc are much nicer in the evening so drive around during the day and stop by in the evening for supper.

Good plan though

Thank you all for your responses!
I believe that I read somewhere that Pisa's train station has a bag check... But I will see if I can find out more about that. Anyone else know?

As for the extra day in Cinque Terre...I expected the reaction that it may be too much. I stuck that in there as an extra day to relax mid trip. I figured one day we would hike north, one day south and one day make no plans and just take the day as it comes. With the hiking and the small towns it seems exactly our speed and I was thinking a good place to slow down before powering on. I will think about this and get back to you. Thanks for the tip!

Mamcalice, that is a good point since I will be traveling 9 hours back in time, haha. I will look into that when the times comes to buy airfare

I need to do more research on renting a car I think. If anyone has any good threads on the matter please let me know.

It crossed my mind to stay in Florence for two nights or so then move to another base for my day trips. Either Siena or an agriturismo. I'll work on that.

Thanks Vincenzo32951 I will explore that option too! Good to know!

Any thoughts on the order of the trip? Should Cinque Terre be moved after Florence/Tuscany?
Does this make more sense logistically as some have suggested?
Venice
Tuscany
Florence
Cinque Terre
Rome

You can store your luggage at the Pisa Centrale station during your stop between the CT and Florence.

If a pool interests you during your time in Tuscany, make sure you pick a place that has opened/heated its pool by the time of your visit.

I agree with taking a day from the CT and adding it to Florence. But before you take time away from Florence, make up a sightseeing schedule of everything you want to do/see there and figure out how much time that will take. Lots of sights are not open every Sunday and/or Monday, so if your stay includes those days of the week you may have trouble seeing everything you hoped to in 2-3 days.

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/orari/

If you decide to rent a car for a few days, you should study up on the ZTLs (limited traffic zones) which have been instituted in almost every Italian town, and you'll need to obtain International Driving Permits. (Personally, if it were my first international trip, I'd stick to public transportation, but that's me.) Or you could hire a driver/guide for a day of exploring.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/drivin...s_speeding.htm

You will get back to Seattle on the same day you leave Rome (I fly home to PDX), so you can leave on the 20th which will give you an extra day in Rome.

I would leave CT before Florence.

I too would leave the CT before Florence.

I think if you want a chill day, the Tuscan small town portion of your trip might be a better place to take it. You hike a bit on each of two days, which will leave you plenty of time for a boat ride and a little chilling. Remember that there are no historic or religious sites to visit; it's all kind of chill.

I also like the idea of dividing your Florence time: a few days for the city, and a few days with a car in the countryside.

But in any case, it's a nice itinerary and not too fast at all. You will have a great time.

Thank you all so much! Knowing I'm on the right track is very exciting!

<< As for the extra day in Cinque Terre...I expected the reaction that it may be too much. I stuck that in there as an extra day to relax mid trip. >>

Good idea but as you're starting in Venice, a completely relaxing city, you won't need to relax so early in the trip. Better to take a day in Florence or Rome (or part of a day) for relaxing. I find travel fatigue doesn't set in until day 14.

I wouldn't find the Cinque Terre very relaxing, because during the day, the towns are sinking under the weight of the tourists, at least six months of the year. I've been there twice; once was a rainy day in October, and it was crowded beyond my comfort level. If I were to go back, which I probably won't, I'd spend two nights and hike. However, many of the trails are closed, and have been for several years, due to the risk of landslides; it has little to do with the weather. The main trails that are open are the higher trails, which require good hiking shoes and a certain level of fitness (which is seems you have).

There are some nice beaches in Tuscany, in the Maremma region. I've never been there, but family members of our have gone there fairly often. These are totally untouristy areas, so you wouldn't find the level of support services you'd find in the Cinque Terre.

You really have a choice of very scenic seaside or beaches. Most of the really scenic areas don't have great beaches, because they're places where the cliffs rise from the sea (the Amalfi Coast, the Riviera del Conero, the Cinque Terre, etc.) and the beach areas at the base of the cliffs tends to be small and rocky. For really great beaches, Sardegna would be ideal. Probably Sicily, too, but I haven't been there. But you really don't have time for an island visit on this trip. Anyway, as others have said, May is not really beach season in Italy. My daughter used to always visit me in May, and always wanted to go to the beach while she was here, but we would get maybe two or three great beach days in the whole month. I live near the Adriatic coast, where the climate is similar to the Cinque Terre. The Amalfi Coast (reachable from Rome) is warmer.

Since you have only one full day in Florence, I suggest you drop the Uffizi Gallery, unless you have a burning interest in Renaissance art, or if there is something specific there you always wanted to see. Everybody seems to think they have to go there, but I don't hear that many people (except people who know a lot about the art of the Italian Renaissance) enjoyed it. I think most people would enjoy more visiting some of the spectacular church/museums in Florence, such as the Brancacci Chapel, the Tornabuoni Chapel, the Santa Croce church, or the St. Mark's monastery, with the monks' cells frescoed by the Beato Angelico (known as Fra Angelico in English).

I would include the Bargello Museum to bvlenci's either/or list.

It is possible - but inconvenient and time-consuming to tour Tuscany by public transit. With a car you can visit 2 smaller towns in one day (not an in-depth exploration but a view of the high spots). With public transit one a day would be max.

Also agriiturismos are - in the countryside, not a town - so without a car you would have to find someone there to take you to the nearest town to get train or bus and pick you up on return.

And I agree to take one day from CT and add to Rome - but then I really don't enjoy hiking (walking forever yes, hiking cliff trails no) and love big cities.

I would also drop a night in CT (I personally would drop 2 nights in CT).

I think I would pick up a car at the airport in Pisa after visiting the tower. The airport is just 5 minutes by train from Pisa Centrale train station (where you will store your luggage). They are currently building a new link so the train is replaced by a bus at the moment, but may be back to train by the time you are there. Visit Tuscany a few days and then drop the car at the Florence airport. Visit Florence a couple of nights before heading to Rome.

>>>There is a web site to check if particular train stations have left luggage areas but it's not worked in over a week so I couldn't check for you.<<<

Although Trenitalia is doing some upgrades to their website at the moment, you can still check it there (on the Italian version). Select the region in the drop down box on the right and click vai. On the next screen, click servizi in stazione.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD

Thanks again everyone for the great advice and resources! I'm gonna research some more on the rental car/hired driver matter.
As far as a pool or beach goes I don't really mean to swim and sun in May. Just the view alone is enough for me. I do think I will tweak my itinerary as most of you recommended and take a day from the cinque Terre.
Stay tuned, I will check in as the plan develops.

Flights are up for May 2015 on Kayak! I'm excited to finally get to start flight shopping!

We were in Sorrento in May and the hotel pool was open and it was a great place to relax in a lovely garden. Remember the Med is not nearly as cold as the north atlantic or pacific.

Alright the flight I am looking at (yes I know it's early) would be 20 days Sunday through Friday..
I have decided to take my extra day in the Cinque Terre and add it to Florence for now, we will see. We are going to fly home on day 20 instead of day 19. This will give me an extra day in Rome. This is how it ends up falling

1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: train to Cinque Terre
7.Saturday: 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
10.Tuesday: Florence
11 Wednesday: Florence
12.Thursday: Siena day trip (pick up car)
13.Friday: rural Tuscany (not sure where yet)
14.Saturday: rural Tuscany
15.Sunday: travel to Rome
16.Monday: Rome
17.Tuesday: Rome
18.Wednesday: Rome
19.Thursday: Rome
20.Friday: fly/arrive home (FCO-SEA)
21.Saturday: recovery day at home

I think We will be in the right cities on the right days if we do it this way. Please let me know if I am missing something. Pisa on a Monday?

As you can see the Tuscany stretch of the trip is still the least developed. We will get there.

The flight I am looking at is through Lufthansa and connects in Frankfurt. On our flight to Seattle from Rome we only have a 1hour and 20 minute layover in Frankfurt. I hope this isn't a silly question, but is this enough time for an international connection?

The itinerary looks pretty good, IMHO. The Monday stop in Pisa (just to see the tower, I assume) is OK. As you've probably figured out, you have to change trains there anyway to get to Florence, so taking in the tower then, if that's your goal, will work.

Can't give you a good answer about the layover in Frankfurt. I'm sure others here have done it. I will tell you that I flew Lufthansa once with a short layover in Munich (connecting to the US), and our plane arriving in Munich was late. Lufthansa held up our connecting flight for us, and took us by van and through VIP security to the plane. I was impressed. (Our luggage didn't make it till later, but that's understandable.)

You could consider staying in Levanto while visiting Cinque Terre. The best hiking around to the hamlets and beach hikes to the town to the north. And the best part is it is a 5 minute beautiful train ride to Cinque Terra. This enables you to dash down any time to see them or do hikes or dinner without the crowds. Levanto has a public pool on the beach and I feel like it is a step back in time for that area. I spend a week hiking and relaxing there and I could have stayed longer and had tons to do.

Dreamgoddess, great suggestion. I will look into that.

As far as Pisa is concerned, we mainly want to see the tower... Maybe have lunch if it is that time of day..

For your Tuscany piece, we found a villa near a little town called Quersagrossa that had a pool and bikes. We rented a car in Florence, drove to the villa, took day trips around Tuscany (to Siena, etc) and then dropped the car in Orvieto (on the way to Rome) and caught the train there into Rome. It worked perfectly. It was fun to have a car in Tuscany and explore on our own for a few days. We also relaxed by the pool and did our laundry while staying at the villa. We found our villa on villasintuscany.com.

if you put Florence before the CT, you could get the train from La Spezia all the way to Rome - it takes just over 3 hours.

and if you decide to spend all your time in Florence, rather than some of it in the countryside, you can always decide on day trips whilst you are there.

the Maremma is indeed a good alternative to the CT though very different, not least because there are far fewer tourists around. You can definitely swim in the sea near Orbetello - there is a lagoon where the water is very warm, even at that time of year. the town of Orbetello itself is very interesting [many different cultures have lived there, starting with the etruscans] and there's plenty to do and see in the area. excellent food and drink too.

Thanks for the suggestions annhig and Saltysmom mom, I'll look into both of those towns!

You have planned a lovely trip! I have rented cars in Italy through Kemwel - they are based in the US and use a variety of rentals in Italy. Their prices are good and they're very helpful. They also don't charge a drop fee if your rental is over 3 or 4 days. Call them to ask. Driving in Italy is fairly easy outside of the cities and I always get a 0 deductible rental through Kemwel so that I don't have to worry so much about scrapes.

I think you'd really enjoy staying in a Tuscan hill town. My daughter and I stayed a few days in a LOVELY apartment in Montepulciano, heart of a really gorgeous area. There are good restaurants in the town and parking at this location was fairly easy. This apartment is often recommended here on Fodors: http://www.politian.com/.

I also like Annhig's recommendation of the Maremmo area as it looked nice when we took the train from Pisa to Rome and this area will be relatively untouristed.

We were just in Italy in May and it was too cold to swim (for me.) Pools weren't open yet. Agriturismos were VERY quiet and in one place, we were the only ones at dinner. That was too quiet for me and I'd prefer stay in a small town during the off-season.

I found the flight I want and am pretty much ready to book. Being ready to book makes me of course look at the places on my travel wish list that didn't make the itinerary and wonder if I will regret not seeing them. My most desirable location that is not on my list is Sicily... So here is a crazy thought.


1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: train to Cinque Terre
7.Saturday: 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
10.Tuesday: Florence*
11 Wednesday: day trip to Siena sleep in Florence*. *days interchangeable for closures on Tuesdays
12.Thursday: train to Rome
13.Friday: Rome
14.Saturday: Rome
15.Sunday: Rome
16.Monday: travel to Sicily
17.Tuesday: Sicily
18.Wednesday: Sicily
19.Thursday: Sicily
20.Friday: fly/arrive home
21.Saturday: recovery day at home

On my last posted itinerary I had not had my heart set on the middle details, so for this itinerary I've cut out the rural Tuscany stretch and have tacked that time onto the end with a visit to Sicily. This is NOT the new plan but just another option I am exploring before I commit to my previous itinerary. I am throwing this out there to hear thoughts, advice about Sicily and hopefully have a couple questions answered.
Is the best way to Sicily from Rome flying, or train down then ferry?
Is this too intense and fast paced a trip for a couple of newbies?
Thanks in advance for your help. :)

My view is Tuscany is beautiful and you are there anyway why avoid it to go to Sicily. Sicily is an aquired taste. Given how little time you have given Florence I struggle to advise you to do this new trip.

The way I see is it that North Italy is enough to visit in 21 days and given that your present plan is only looking at a small part of it why whizz off to the south? Why not fly to Greece?

bookmarking - I'm doing a similar trip in Mar 2015 but only 13 days, plus two travel days. No Cinque Terre though. No Sicily. My trip is Rome, Florence, and Venice. Your trip sounds wonderful!

After 5 trips to Italy I still have yet to see Sicily, mainly because I haven't had the time I think it needs to really explore the island. Sicily is a large, complicated place and it takes time to see and absorb it.

I agree with bilbo that it makes more sense to see Tuscany, since you are already in Florence. And you need more time in Florence. I think Tuscany is easier for Italy newbies than Sicily (at least it was for me).

Concur with those above who don't think you should go to Sicily on this trip. We've been to Sicily and, while we loved it, do not believe it's a choice for a first trip to Italy.

Your first itinerary looked good except you had too much time in the CT and not enough in Rome and Florence (that is, too many day trips from Florence.)

If you do want to "see the Sea", spend a few days in Naples and the Amalfi Coast. The view of the Bay of Naples is,in my opinion, much lovelier than anything in Sicily. But I'd add the time back into Tuscany. Instead of basing in Florence, stay outside and take a day trip or two into it, or, better yet, split your time between Florence and the Tuscan countryside. Get a car for the countryside but don't try to take it to Florence.

Thanks everyone. I will stick with my previous itinerary. Oh darn I may just have to plan another future trip :)

Dwdvagamundo around the middle of this thread you will see my revised itinerary, where I took a day from the Cinque Terre and added a day to each Florence and Rome. :)

looks like a good plan, cbgetaway.

yes, there are plenty of future trips to be had, but this looks like a good one for a first visit.

Thanks. The "revised original" itinerary looks good.

Buon Viaggio!

Last one I promise

Since I last posted I have booked my flights! Next stop...where to stay, which means I am trying to finalize my itinerary while I am in Italy.

Option #1 (revised original)

1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: train to Cinque Terre
7.Saturday: 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: 5T
10.Tuesday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
11 Wednesday: Florence
12.Thursday: Florence
13.Friday: Siena day trip on way to rural Tuscany (not sure where yet) pick up car here
14.Saturday: rural Tuscany
15.Sunday: rural Tuscany
16.Monday: travel to Rome (drop off car)
17.Tuesday: Rome
18.Wednesday: Rome
19.Thursday: Rome
20.Friday: Rome
21.Saturday: fly/arrive home
22. Sunday: recovery


Option #2 cutting down Tuscany to avoid rental car and adding to venice

1. Sunday: leave Seattle
2.Monday: arrive Venice (Marco Polo)
3.Tuesday: Venice
4.Wednesday: Venice
5.Thursday: Venice
6.Friday: Venice
7.Saturday: train to 5T
8.Sunday: 5T
9.Monday: 5T
10.Tuesday: 5t
11 Wednesday: train to Florence (stop in Pisa)
12.Thursday: Florence
13.Friday: Florence
14.Saturday: Siena day trip sleep in Florence or Siena
15.Sunday: day trip to volterra or other busable day trip in Tuscany*. Sleep Florence or Siena *assuming this is possible on a Sunday at all. Please correct me if I'm wrong and I will make other plans.
16.Monday: travel to Rome
17.Tuesday: Rome
18.Wednesday: Rome
19.Thursday: Rome
20.Friday: Rome
21.Saturday: fly/arrive
22. Sunday: recovery

First seems better to me. Still too much time in CT, though.

I really like your #1 option.

One day in CT, try the ferry between the towns and to Portovenere. We loved that, for a totally different feel than CT, on a sunny day. The views from the water are amazing. But I would agree, I would spend only 3 nights there and add the extra nights to either Florence, Tuscany or Rome.

Have a great trip!

For a first timer, you have done some of the best research and planned one of the best itineraries I have seen. Also, you waited to book until you had a good plan and you booked multi-citi. You also took advice and tweaked things. Very wise to not include Sicily, which is larger than it seems and needs much more time. Bravo!