Please help. We are planning a trip for 10/03 to Italy and maybe Switz. I am not sure if I should/can include Switzerland by train. I would like to fly into Milan, go to Lk. Como (Bellagio or Verenna?) or to Lk. Garda (Sirmione?) then to Venice for a few days (we have been there and love it) or skip Venice. Then, fly from Milan to Naples to saty on Amalfi Coast. Sorrento? Ravello? Positano? We like the smaller towns and are 30, high energy and love the Italian people.<BR><BR>Do you prefer Lugano? Bellagio? Varenna?<BR><BR>1. Does this itinerary sound OK? <BR>2. If so, any thoughts on hotels? We like to use Karen Brown guides.<BR><BR>3. Should we instead, fly into Zurich and train to Wengen? <BR><BR>Can we take the train from Varenna to Venice? <BR>I am really confused as to what to do. We will have 2 weeks. <BR><BR>Thanks for your help!

Lake Como and Sorrento would be my choice...

Tess, If you go to Lago Maggiore you can do both Italy and Switzerland. I would stay in Locarno or Ascona (and see Bellinzona and take the Centovalli train), then go to one of the Italian villages on the lake. <BR><BR>For the southern part, I would go to Sorrento. I find Ravello and Positano beautiful but too quiet for a longer stay. Sorrento is a great base for Capri, Positano/Amalfi/Ravello, and Pompeii. <BR><BR>Sounds like a terrific trip!

Tess, the real question is how long do you have for the trip! If it's not the whole month...skip Switzerland and wallow around in Italy!<BR>Fly into Milano-train to the Lakes region, then onto maybe Vicenza. Stay there for a few days and visit Verona, Padua and/or Asolo on daytrips.<BR>On to Venice. then train to Orvieto(outside of Rome, about 20 minutes-small, sweet and not too packed in fall) and stay a day or two.<BR>Then train from there to Sorrento-a couple of days to use as base camp for Naples, Pompei,Ercolano. Onto Ravello or Positano for that area. Most of these towns are small (and you will need to be athletic-I used to refer to our hikes through Positano in the &quot;heat&quot; of April, as deathmarches!) but have been discovered. <BR>If you have little time (2 weeks?), go direct to Venice after the lakes, fly from there to Naples and continue by train.

Oops, my bad. You said at the end-2 weeks. Keep it simple so you can enjoy the places and the people!<BR>I'd say to do the Lakes OR Venice, fly Milan-Naples and do Amalfi coast. So about a week north and a week south. Be sure to arrange to fly into Milan and out of Rome! Otherwise you spend more money in the last two days flying back to Milan and then flying out to home.

Hmmm ! This sounds familar. I guess you decided to drop CH from your plan. Do you still have the 12 days? If it is late Oct. you may want to skip the Lakes. If you include Venice I assume you would fly from there. You need to prioritize rather than shotgunning.

Hmmm ! This sounds familar. I guess you decided to drop CH from your plan. Do you still have the 12 days? If it is late Oct. you may want to skip the Lakes. If you include Venice I assume you would fly from there. You need to prioritize rather than shotgunning. You have 3 potential constraints you need to resolve: Only 12 days--too late in the season--mixing north and south venues. Sure it can be done, but not as well. BTW--Lugano is an hour from Bellagio and doable by day trip.