My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy this fall. We would like to fly into one city, train and drive around and fly out of another city. We'd like to keep it to a few regions and really explore and relax.

We are thinking of the following and I'm interested to know from those of you with more experience if there are any pitfalls/challenges/etc that we aren't taking into account.

Venice
Cinque Terre
Parma
Bologne
Sienna
Florence

We have 2 weeks in early Sept.

Thoughts, advice? close places we are missing?

In my opinion, you have two destinations too many for two weeks.

I would reduce it to Venice, Florence and Cinque Terre (if you must).

You can visit Siena and Bologna as day trips from Florence: bus to Siena, train to Bologna.

I can't comment on Cinque Terre (saving that for next trip) or Parma or Bologne, I do think the other 3 are great places to see and spend some time. I would also add San Gimignano (sp?) to the list (as a day trip from Sienna or Florence, not necessarily an overnight). If you do like wine, spending some time along the Chianti road between Siena and Florence is great, not only for tasting, but the beautiful scenery, vineyards, and quaint little towns (ie. Greve). We only had 10 days and did Venice, Rome and Tuscany (including 2 nights in Florence and 3 in the "countryside&quot, and we were pooped by the end with all that sightseeing (we are not "older travelers", but in our 30's, by the way). I think you are trying to cram too much in to your 2 weeks in my opinion....but it will be a great trip either way. I loved Italy and want to go back!

Thanks, we definately will made some of the places day trips on the way to other destinations, that is good advice.

2 summers ago we did a similar style of trip in northern Spain and we had great advice from here!

Hotel recommendations in any of these places would be great too. We like to generally do semi inexpensive small hotels/b&b type places with maybe one or two splurge places thrown in.

Hi S,

6 destinations in 14 days?

I go with Eloise.

any hotel recommendations in Cinque Terre, Bologne, Florence or Venice?

We like small, clean affordable 3 stars with good central locations so we can walk a lot!

Thanks!

Cinque Terre really sticks out like a sore thumb in your itinerary.

If you really want to "explore and relax" and "keep it to a few regions," eliminate Cinque Terre. If you are going to Italy mainly to see Cinque Terre, than eliminate something else.

If you want to keep Parma, do it as a day trip from Bologna. Firenze or Siena should be done as day trips from each other. If you want to keep Bologna, I would not do it as a day trip from anywhere, since it is in between Venice and Firenze/Siena and you certainly want to be there for a fabulous dinner that lasts far into the night.

What we'd like to know from you is what you hope to get out of a trip to Italy. You are trying to do more than is reasonably possible given the distances and the state of Italian trasportation.

What's most important to you?

Why did you pick these places?

Without that information, people will advise you according to their idiosyncratic preferences. You'll end up taking their trip, not your own.

That is really 4 destinations, which is doable in 14 days.

I vote to keep the Cinque Terre...It is a lovely area and it is so nice to wind down. I would likely eliminate Parma.

Venice, CT and Florence with side trips from Florence to Sienna & Bologna. That is quite managable.

In any case, enjoy your planning and your trip.

Hi SG,

Depending on when you visit in the Fall, the CT could be rainy, cold and foggy.

2 weeks is perfect for 1st-timers visiting the Big 3.

Fly into Venice - 4 nights, train to Florence - 5 nights, train to Rome 4 nights, fly home.

You can easily visit Siena, Bologna, and even Parma, as daytrips from Florence.

From Rome, you might want to take a daytrip to Orvieto.

See my trip report for our day in Bologna.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

We will be in CT the first week in Sept so the weather should be still quite nice. Does anyone have any hotel recommendations for that area?

Our other bases will be Bologna and Florence with day trips to surrounding areas/towns and villages.

We are also looking at hotels in Venice if anyone has any ideas that are mid $$ range and central locations.

Thanks!

We stayed at Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso (CT) April 2005. We really enjoyed our stay. Ask for a room with a view.

In Venice, we stayed at La Calcina. We also really enjoyed a room with a view there.

Both hotels have great staffs and locations. Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks motor city! did you find that one of the towns in CT was defiantely better to stay in vs others? were there any that you definately would not stay in?

Sounds like a lot to see, and don't forget that travel (especially by train) could eat up quite a chunk of your resting time! We accomplished a similar trip - with a LOT of indirect help from the forum members - flying into Milan, going immediately up to Albergo Milano on Lake Como for a couple of nights (VERY relaxing), back to Milan for a night, then off to Venice for 3 nights, Florence for 3 nights, Vernazza 3 nights, and back to Milan overnight on the eve of our departure. Flying into Venice might change your itinerary somewhat.

I personally was ready for the Cinque Terre after spending several days/nights in cities and I relished the trail walking between the towns. Don't know how starting the trip in the CT would've affected my appreciation for the quiet (occasionally punctuated by dozens of tourists). We stayed at Il Bargellino in Florence - a wonderful experience! Ca'San Trovaso in Venice - a tiny shower, but a quiet canal view room. Private camera in Vernazza, though if quiet is what you want - try Corniglia - literally locals & long-term guests were all I saw in the early morning hours. Regrets? We didn't have another week to spend in the Tuscany region - and an overnight in Bologna (at least) would've been nice for the food alone!

All of the towns were very nice. Monterosso is the largest and has a little bit of night life. There is also a beach there. We were there in April, so did not sunbath or swim but walked on the beach and that was nice. I collect sea glass and found some pretty pieces.

Make sure to eat at Gambero Rosso in Vernazza. It was one of the BEST meals of our trip.

We were also gone for two weeks. Tenth anniversary trip. We did Rome, day trip to Orvieto on the way to Florence, Florence, CT and Venice. It was a little rushed but would not have changed a thing.

Our only disappointment was Venice because the weather was very wet, cold and windy. Just the luck of the draw.

Since you are going in the fall, have you thought about spending more time in Tuscany?

Now some friends are going to meet up with us in CT so there will be 6 total. Does anyone have any recommendations for apartment rentals? Has anyone done that in CT before?

We are now staying in CT, Tuscany, Bologna and Venice with lots of days open for day trips to surrounding towns!

Hi Stormygirl,

Just a word to the wise, even best friends have a way of "pooping out" at the last minute. For the Cinque Terre, don't rent an apartment for 6 unless they put up their share of the $$ and understand the cancellation policy -- and that you will be using the apartment even if they decide not to join you! Apartments usually have much less lenient cancellation policies that do hotels.

Otherwise, get a room for 2 and let them know where you are staying!

Buon viaggio!

ira
< 2 weeks is perfect for 1st-timers visiting the Big 3.>

exactly.

thanks dayle, we travel with this same group of friends quite often- most recently to russia- we are all very aware of cancellation policies and commitments.

quick question regarding venice- we can stay either at the Locanda Al Leon or the Casa Sul Molo. Any opinions on which one is better??