Mom's 70th Birthday trip
 

Want to take mom to Europe for the 1st time, She wants to visit Rome and Venice, but I wish to take her to several cities, Traveling mid July. Any suggestions on must see places and cities? We are traveling for 20 days. What is best, taking the train or flying from place to place? I appreciate your input, and thank you in advance! She is not too athletic.

London? Consider the temperatures that time of year and how she does in heat.

weatherbase.com

With 20 days (nights?) to work with I would limit the itinerary to 4 or 5 cities at most. Venice, Florence, Rome, and a hill town in Tuscany or Umbria would do nicely.

July in Italy is brutal with heat, humidity, and crows, so you absolutely must build slack days into your itinerary - days with few or no activities. On active days plan to be done with outdoor sigtseeing by 1 pm to avoid the worst of it.

Hehe...crowds, not crows.

It being July, and assuming you want to concentrate on Italy, I'd plan to visit areas in the north -- Milan, Vicenza, Bologna, the Lakes, as well as the must-do places, Rome and Venice.

I like Rome and Venice, but you're going at a time when it'll be hot and crowded at both. Continue with that plan, but have a schedule with built-in rest time for those cities.

Those cities and the places I've mentioned can be accessed by train. If your budget allows, you can splurge on a private driver for some segments.

Can you change the time of your trip? Because as the others say, it will be very hot/uncomfortably humid an most parts of Italy.

In July I personally wouldn't go most anywhere in southern Europe, and would stick to the UK, maybe Scandinavia, Benelux, etc

If it has to be Italy I'd either stick to the Lakes/Dolomites or travel at a better time of year.

If you can change the dates, do it. The heat is OK when you are younger, or used it, or not out walking and sightseeing all day. It would be disappointing to be there, but be too wiped out by the heat to be out seeing all the things you dreamed about your whole life.

Do go to some smaller cities. They have a different kind of charm than cities. However, if you do go in July, avoid some of the more popular ones, or stay overnight so you can see them in the evening after many of the tourists leave and when it is cooler.

Within Italy, take trains. If going to another major city in another country, usually easier to fly.

As you mother has said that she wants to see Venice and Rome, it seems churlish to deprive her. And she probably knows better than you why she just wants to go to those two places. perhaps she has [reasonably IMO] ideas of sitting in cafes people watching, doing some gentle sight seeing, taking the odd day trip, and generally having a relaxing time.

in between i suggest staying on Lake Garda - you could easily spend a week there visiting different places on the lake by boat. 5 days in each of Venice and Rome and 10 days on the lake would make a fine trip.

<i> It being July, and assuming you want to concentrate on Italy, I'd plan to visit areas in the north -- Milan, Vicenza, Bologna, ... </i>

These are about the hottest cities in Italy in the summer, along with Florence. Rome and Venice are usually several degrees cooler than cities on the Po plain.

I don't know why anyone assumes that a 70-year-old woman is already decrepit. I've passed that milestone and I can still outwalk my daughters, even in a heat wave.

I showed my American cousins around Rome in a heat wave in (I think) 2013, when I wasn't yet 70 years old, but approaching. We just happened to hit a transit strike, so we walked all over the city, with three hours at the Colosseum and Roman Forum and then walking from the Colosseum to the Vatican, with stops at Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. I left them panting for the hotel pool at the Vatican at 5 PM, and then I walked back to the train station to head home. The least able to walk were the three teenagers in the group.

>>These are about the hottest cities in Italy in the summer, along with Florence. <<

I don't know where your weather info, but the average temp in Rome in July is 78F.

In Vicenza it's 73F.
Bologna, 77F
Milan, 77.

"I don't know where your weather info, but the average temp in Rome in July is 78F.

In Vicenza it's 73F.
Bologna, 77F
Milan, 77."

LOL! Those are average daily temps, not average daily *high* temps which is what really matters to a person out and about all day. The real average high temp in Rome in July is about 90F - without factoring in the humidity.

Ed: You're sorta missing the point.

bv said temps in Rome, for instance, were "several degrees cooler" in July than in the cities mentioned. In fact the average high in Rome is 6 degrees hotter than in Vicenza and 4 degrees hotter than in Bologna.

Got it. Makes sense.

>>I don't know why anyone assumes that a 70-year-old woman is already decrepit. <<

I don't think anyone said a 70 yo is 'decrepit'. But the OP did think it was important to post >>She is not too athletic.<< which I assumed meant she has at least some mobility issues. Or at least isn't physically active.

Or at least isn't physically active.>>

or perhaps she just likes taking it easy on her holiday.

She wants to go to Rome and Venice, so I think you should do as she asked :)

You don't say where you are from. For me, travelling to Rome in July would not be a possibility, as I can't stand heat, not even as a 20-year-old! However, if you are from India or Florida, this would probably not be a problem for you.

I suggest basing yourself in both cities, and taking day-trips. there are plenty of options. From Rome, consider day trips to Orvieto, Florence, Tivoli. From Venice, consider Verona, Ravenna, Padua. You can vaguely plan before you go and make a decision when you get there.

It depends how 'mobile' you mother is. You might want to consider guided day trips, where all the logistics are sorted. here are some examples:

https://darkrome.com/

https://www.viator.com/

I would definitely advise you to go to Venice. It's a very beautiful city . Don't forget to order a gondola cruise through the city and definitely visit the main square of Venice - there are a thousand pigeons to feel and play with!
Also, considering other places, I would highly recomment Rothenburg. An absolutely amazing place to come to. Its historical city centre will just take you to the middle ages in their best appearance. So romantic and breathtaking. Consider this option!

Oh, and congratulations to your mom! 70 is quite a date. I wish all the best to her and very good health!

"You don't say where you are from. For me, travelling to Rome in July would not be a possibility, as I can't stand heat, not even as a 20-year-old! However, if you are from India or Florida, this would probably not be a problem for you."

A good point.
Remember visiting Rome in July ...I had a bottle of water with me at all times
- so I could pour it on my head.