LaurenP

My husband and I are trying to finalize our Paris & Italy itinerary for this coming May/June. This is what we are currently thinking:

Paris- 4 nights
Venice- 2 nights (early flight from Paris)
Bellagio- 3 nights
Florence- 2 nights
Tuscany/Siena- 4 nights
Rome- 1 night (flight home from Rome)

We have been to Venice, Bellagio and Florence once before. We are going to Rome simply for our flight home the next day. Just curious to see if anyone has any commetns or suggestions. Thanks!

zoecat

It seems like you are moving around quite a bit, but maybe that is your style.

Some thoughts-

May/June is a wonderful time to explore and experience the countryside. I suggest skipping crowded Florence and adding those days to time in the countryside. Try staying in an agriturismo south or north of Siena and explore with a car.

You might also consider skipping Venice and adding those days to Paris. Have you been to Paris before?

Michel_Paris

Agree with above...every time you change cities you 'lose' that time.plus first day lost to jetlag,etc..

if you've never been to Paris, why not add couple of days.

mgerush

About 15 years ago, I spent 2 weeks in Italy: 1 night Milan, 2 nights Bergamo, 2 nights Venice, 3 nights Florence, 3 nights Rome, and 2 nights Amalfi (or something close to that). The moving around was really tough, although we weren't the best at packing light or understanding the train schedules. If you haven't been to Rome and you love great architecture and food, I would bypass Venice or Florence (since you've already been there). I'd also love to explore central Italy by car... perhaps one day... Have a great trip!

mamcalice

I think you are moving around a great deal, too. You are likely to hear that on this board from many posters as most are veteran travelers and have learned to enjoy longer stays.

SInce you have been to Venice, Bellagio and Florence, consider Paris, Tuscany and Rome. A week in Tuscany with a car at the time you are going would be wonderful. Then split the remaining 9 days between Paris and Rome. Since you will be in Rome anyway and did not mention that you have been there before, it is a spectacular destination.

LaurenP

Thanks for the responses! I should have mentioned I have been to Rome as well so we do not plan to spend extra time there. I wish we could have spent more time in Paris but my husband has already booked the flights so we are locked in for that part of the trip. Perhaps skipping Florence is a good idea...

cornelius01

I would skip Venice and busy Florence especially if you have seen it. The smaller Tuscan villages are much nicer in a nice Agriturismo and of course more time in Paris is always the best!

qwovadis

My wife and I go a a lot annually

Venice-tourism.com our fav

sirmione.com Garda hotel Eden

bellagio.info Residence D'ulivo hotelscombined.com 120 euro

Stresa isola Bella Grand hotel Dino is awesome

Portofino metropolle.it

cinqueterre.com torrettas.com

Lucca.info Orvieto.info on your way down to Rome.

Any or all of the above are great based on time

seat61.com/italy trains are easy cheap for us we just hop on.

We will do something like this in May...

happy planning!

Michael

Eliminate Bellagio and Florence and use Siena and Perugia as the two bases between Venice and Rome. Or Bologna and Siena, using Bologna as a base to see Ravenna, Parma, Faenza, etc. Pick up the car as you leave Venice.

This is where we stayed in Bologna:

http://www.miramonte-bologna.it/photo-gallery.php

annhig

as your flights are already booked, I would stick with the Venice bit, then pick up a car and see where it takes you! you have 9 nights which you could spend very nicely between Venice and Rome, and with 2 of you that time of year you could easily busk it if you fancy that.

alternatively, think about booking an agriturismo or two in tuscany or Umbria.

bobthenavigator

I like it!
I wish you had one more day since your travel time to Florence will take much of the day, but I would never skip Bellagio if I was close.
Do you plan a car for Tuscany?

Mimar

annhig, I thought busking was playing music on a city street while passersby threw a coin or two your way. It must mean something else to you. Unless you're suggesting the OP pick up a few bucks to help finance their trip.

annhig

annhig, I thought busking was playing music on a city street while passersby threw a coin or two your way. It must mean something else to you. >>

mimar - aren't you aware of words that can have two different meanings?

i'd have thought that the way i was using the word was pretty obvious.

Mimar

annhig, I didn't mean to offend you. I'd guess, in this context, that to busk is to travel without hotel reservations. But I'd like to be sure. And Google didn't help.

English English and American English are so similar these days; it's nice to run across a bit of unfamiliar slang.

annhig

thanks, mimar - no offence taken. i was being a little oversensitive!

I'm sure I'm not the only person to use it this way, and you have guessed the sense that I was using it in correctly.

it's something we used to do a lot in our youth, or "BK". now the kids have flown the nest, i suspect that we'll be doing more of it again.

LaurenP

I guess I should also explain that our parents will be joining us for a week and so I am trying to plan around them as well. They will be starting with us in Venice (getting there one day earlier) and spending 7 nights with us and leaving from Pisa. Assuming we did the 2 days and in Venice 3 days in Bellagio what would be a good city for 2 nights instead of Florence? Or how else would you spend the 5 nights after Venice (keeping in mind that they will fly out of Pisa)? We are open to renting a car at any point.

Mimar

Have your parents been to Florence? If not, I'd stick to the 2 days there. Especially since their flight is out of Pisa. Or you could actually stay in Pisa. Then your parents would be right there for their flight. Or, if you prefer a smaller town, Lucca is nice for a couple nights.

Otherwise you could spend some time in Bologna, an interesting city, especially for foodies.

But you do need to be near their departure airport the night before they leave. In Italy you can't rely on public transportation to get you any distance the day of your flight. Strikes and breakdowns happen.

Too bad you're not flying out of Milan. It would make a better itinerary.

LaurenP

They haven't bought flights yet and could probably fly out of Milan (they want direct and I believe there are direct flight out of Milan as well).

nspotz

If you've never been to Rome before, one night will not be enough! There are so many amazing things to see there... the colloseum, roman forum, vatican etc. And it is differemnt from the other places you are visiting. I would plan for two nights at least!

annhig

noooo - a week with your parents and you're going to be doing all this travelling?

I would do 4 nights in Venice, [= 3 days and you may be recovering from jetlag], 3 in florence, and then your parents can fly home from Pisa.

a lovely relaxed trip.

less is more.