enzian

We will be traveling in Northern Italy late June next year, a family of 4 (parents and two young adult daughters). I would love to take them to the Dolomites, but after much deliberation I've decided it is too far off our path, and 3 days there wouldn't be enough to satisfy me anyway. So I've dropped that plan, and added a night to Lucca (making 4 nights there, as our base for exploring Tuscany). That leaves us with two nights between Lucca and Varenna, our next stop. What would you suggest? We would spend both nights at one place, and are traveling by train.

We would like a small-ish town on the train route (Verona?), but could be talked into a larger city (Bologna? ), particularly if there is a charming small hotel you love. We already have quite a bit of lakeside time on this trip, and will get our "culture fix" in Florence. We do love history, old towns, gardens, good walking cities, wonderful food, and welcoming hosts at our small hotel. In fact, the "perfect" hotel---small, charming, and welcoming---could trump a lot of other considerations.

I guess one option would be the Italian Riviera, maybe a bit north of Cinque Terre, such as Levanto? But I'd like to hear some inland alternatives too.

Thanks for your help.

ellenem

Parma is about half way between the two by train on a relatively direct route. WONDERFUL food, charming city.

zeppole

I'll second the recommendation for Parma, which has good train connections to Modena and Reggio nell'Emilia if your two nights and all that good food give you the time and energy to go town hopping. The Hotel Button in Parma has gotten good reviews in the past.

Another possibility is Ferrara. Or Mantova. I doubt that you will find a charming hotel in Bologna, and maybe not even Verona, although the latter is a terrific walking town.

If you get socked in with humidity in Lucca, the Italian Riviera is going to look awfully tempting (as opposed to the humidty-prone towns I've listed above). Levanto is not so far north of le Cinque Terre that one escapes the tourist hordes, so if that's why you are pushing north, consider Santa Margherita Ligure for a little upscale, Milanese-fashion conscious feel with pretty gardens at hand. If you'd like something homier, Sestri Levante and Chiavari are both wonderful off-beat choices with some of the best food of the region (and Chiaviari is a great town to poke around, and neighboring Zoagli has lovely walks). All these locations put you within striking distance of le Cinque Terre on the train line.

Were it me, I would do my research but hold my options open as long as I can, including holding open the possibility of cancelling existing hotel reservations out of consideration of the weather. Ferrara and Verona don't suffer in the rain. The Italian Riviera certainly does -- although if you get an early heat wave in Northern Tuscany, head for the Riviera -- any town between Camogli and La Spezia -- and you won't be sorry.

enzian

Parma sounds good but maybe if there is a risk of heat and humidity we should save it for a winter visit?

We can't hold our options open too long---at least not until a week or two beforehand when we might have an idea of the coming weather. I'm afraid that is the downside of booking European vacations way in advance from the USA. We know we have to take what we get in the way of weather. But between the chance of excess heat and humidity inland, versus rain on the Ligurian coast---we'd prefer the latter. So maybe I'll take a look at some of your recommendations along there.

Is Chiaviari a stop on the local train line? I have not heard of it before.

Lexma90

I would vote for Bologna as a great destination, with great food, history, great people-watching and walking around. In our two overnights trips to Bologna, however, I haven't yet found the ideal small, charming hotel with a convenient location, so I can't advise on that side of your quest. Last time in Bologna, we stayed at Il Convento dei Fiori di Seta; it receives mixed reviews on Tripadvisor, though we found the owner pleaseant and helpful. It's a little higher than our usual price range.

Ferrera is another charming smaller city. We stayed in a 4-star hotel here (we usually stay at 3*), and I'm not sure why it qualified, and while the staff was nice and helpful, it was definitely not charming (unless you like early-70s' kitsch). But the city is worth the visit, and there are a number of very good restaurants.