ftoglu

Hi all,
I and my 15 and 18 yrs sons shall visit Italy for 12 days in September with our backpacks. We want to use time very effectively for nature, history and of course, fun. Our entrance is Milan (Bergamo) in the afternoon and leaving is from Rome in the afternoon. Our itinerary is as follows: Does it work practically ????. Any idea for the revision ???
Thanks in advance
Faruk


1st day: Skipping Milan and go directly to Como, and than to Lecco and stay in Sondrio.
2nd day: Full day trips around San Martino, Sondrio, etc. for Prealpins. And moving to Bolzano.
Question: Is it possible to reach to Bolzano even at late night???

3rd day: Full day for Dolomits inc. Via Ferrata experience and staying somewhere there.
4th day: The Dolomits. Staying in or around Venezia.
5th day: Venezia and Bologna visit.. Staying in Bologna
6th day: Bologna and Firenze visit. Staying in Firenze
7th day: Firenze and Pisa vizit. Staying in Siena
8th day: Siena visit and overnight train for Naples.
9th day: Full day Naples-around visit and in Rome at late night
10,11,12th days: Full Rome visits
13th day: Leaving Rome in the afternoon..
.

annhig

ftoglu,

in the first 9 days you've got 9 destinations plus the places you are planning to pass through. Truly, this is not a good idea. you will spend all your time moving around and virtually no time seeing/doing. please rethink what you actually want to see - what do you think you are going to be able to see in florence in one night and less than one day? ditto Venice.

honestly, you need to lose half of the places on your list. A sensible itinerary would be milan -como - [though I'm not sure what the kids will be interested in there] the dolomites [kids should like that] Venice - Rome.

or Milan - Pisa - florence - Rome.

max 4 overnight destinations for 12 nights.

mamcalice

Except for Rome, you will do little but run for trains and then sit on them for hours. It might show you how little time you will have to enjoy Italy if you actually account for the time travlling instead of pausing to enjoying nature, history and fun.

kybourbon

One nighters are very tiring. You need to allow two to three nights places to get oriented and sightsee.

Drop Siena and just stay in Florence. You can day trip to either Siena (best by bus) or Pisa (by train) from Florence.
http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/Firenze-Siena06.pdf

You need to eliminate quite a few of your cities or you will just see the inside of public transportation.

ftoglu

Hi fellows,
all you are right. I discarded Como,Lecco, Sondrio and Bonzano part of the Dolomites and Pisa. I will visit only Pieve del Cadore part of the Dolomites for 1 or 2 days since it is close to Venezia. I think the boys like Dolomites (but not more than 2 days . I will drop Siena to stay, but visit daily. Some people also do not recommend Bologna to save time ???
Thx all

ftoglu

Hi again,
my latest plan is as follows, I think it works good . Any idea where to stay in/around 5 Terre? The hostels and hotels are quite expensive there in. Is it worthy or practical in sense of public transportation to stay around instead of coastal side? Thanks in advance
Day 1.: Arrival to Bergamo – ½ day visit Verona, stay in Verona
Day 2: Venezia visit and stay in a place in/near 5 Terre
Day 3: 5 Terre visit and stay in a place in/near 5 Terre
Day 4: 5 Terre visit and stay in Firenze
Day 5: Firenze visit and stay in Firenze
Day 6: Firenze + Siena visit, overnight in Napoli train
Day 7: Sorrento, stay in Sorrento
Day 8: Napoli + Pompei, stay in Rome
Day 9,10,11,12 : Rome
Day 13: ½ day Rome, Departure

annhig

Day 1.: Arrival to Bergamo – ½ day visit Verona, stay in Verona
Day 2: Venezia visit and stay in a place in/near 5 Terre >>


????? - Venice is on the east coast of Italy, the CT on the west. your plan is to go from Verona to venice, see Venice, AND get to the CT in one day?

you are going to have to get your kids up very early to do this!

JerryS

You really need help and I would suggest that before asking again, you look at a map of Italy, check Mapquest for mileage and driving time and/or check public transportation options, get a good guide book and seriously and realistically plan this trip.
GOOD LUCK

ftoglu

Ok. If we overnight in Mestre instead of Verona, It seems it can work. I think 6-7 hours are enough for Venezia and there are train from Mestre at 5 pm to La Spezia in 5 hours. ???

valtor

You arrive in Bergamo, but not plan to visit it. The old part of town is very nice, you can reach it by cable car. The palace and the church have very rich decorations. I thing that you have to spend there 1/2 day.

I think that your plan is still not good enough. As JerryS suggested, take in consideration the time needed for transportation, make a list of what to visit in each place and then make a new list.

annhig

ftoglu,

if you look at the trenitalia website [www.trenitalia.it] you will find that rather than going back to Mestre, you can catch the same train straight from Venice; it leaves at 16.27 and goes through Mestre, changing at Florence and Pisa, and arriving at some time past 9pm.

my kids would have rebelled if I had dragged them round on an itinerary like this; they like staying in one place and actually seeing and doing stuff, not spending loads of time just travelling from one place to another.

but yours may enjoy just 6-7 hours in venice, and then spending 6 hours on a train.

personally, I would drop Venice, and go straight from Milan to the CT. you could add the extra time to Rome, where you definitely don't have enough time.