My husband and I are traveling in June/July with his Godparents to Italy. We'll be spending 4 days or so in Rome, then making our way up to Florence/Tuscany, then to Milan to fly home. Total of 14 days (though let's only count 12 due to travel time...)

We are looking for specific ideas in the northern region. Does anyone have suggestions for cooking classes, wine tasting, hiking trails, perhaps a visit to an Italian sports car manufacturing plant? (hey--if he's going to cook with me, it's the least I could do...)

Although about 25 years separates our ages, we're all pretty healthy & active so we're looking for activities unique to the region that would off-set the Italian cuisine I'm sure we'll be enjoying!

Your suggestions would be very much appreciated!

cookie, look at www.foodartisans.com, I did a search for cooking classes, italy on fodors and this looked good. We are going to Tuscany and Venice next year so I hope you get some helpful suggestions. Deborah

that site looks great, thanks Deborah Ann.

cookie, here is something else I found that I want to show my husband for his consideration. I have no idea about this company but someone on fodor's posted the website www.motorstars.org They seem to have a number of tours for a car lover.

Sometimes the day and time you post a question can determine how many suggestions you will receive. Don't give up. You can click on your name and bring up your thread anytime. If things are quiet on the board over the weekend, you can always bring it to the top early next week. Hope you have fun searching for activities. Deborah

Hi Cookie - If you're looking for hiking trails, head for the Dolomites.

Lots of options there

http://www.dolomiti.org/dengl/Cortin...ate/index.html

http://www.dolomiti.org/dengl/Cortin...oni/index.html

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Check out Accidental Tourist Company out of Florence. We had a great time with a wine tasting, olive oil tasting and cooking class in the countryside. They pick you up in Florence. The price is reasonable. They also have other activities.

Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone! I'll post what I find and review whatever we end up doing.

What about visiting the coastal areas of Italy? There's the Cinque Terre, of course, but also lots of other places to enjoy the waterside, and maybe have less hot weather. We stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure and liked it for a smallish town with easy day-trips w/o a car. You can take a ferry boat from there, north and south. I wrote a detailed trip report if you're interested in SML.
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Thanks, Maureen. I'd love to read the trip report, but there are so many posts under your profile (lucky traveller!!) What's the thread name?

Here are all my trip reports, city by city, from last May. I included Nice because it might be a consideration for you.

SML/CT/Portofino-- http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34817303

Florence-- http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34813784

Rome-- http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34813272

Venice-- http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34814606

Nice-- http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34810691
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Have you considered Piedmont? It would fit in very nicely with your tour, after Tuscany you could come up via Cinque Terre or SML/Genoa and spend a few days in Piedmont before heading to Malpensa in Milan. No sports car factories but some of Italy's finest food and wines. Punch in Piedmont in the search section above and you will get lots of reviews and tips about the area.

Thanks, all! I've really been digging into this list. The cooking class offered through Accidental Tourist seems to only be an all day event where they pick you up and drop you off. Does anyone know of cooking classes that are available independent from a "tour".

I'm still looking into the class found on foodarisans.com but it looks a little bit pricey...

Further suggestions anyone?

We just return last week from a trip to Northern Italy. Steve James suggestion of hiking through the Dolomites is a good one. They are beautiful. We spent an entire day driving through them.

I noted you are flying out of Milan and suggest you stay in Stresa which is a 40 min. taxi ride to the airport in Malpensa. Stresa is located on Lake Maggiore which is absolutely beautiful.

Have a great trip!

We leave for Italy on Saturday and are doing a cooking class in Lucca. They have locations in Florence and Lucca - start in the afternoon and you prepare the dinner that you will eat later that night. Here's the link: http://www.vinaio.com/En/cooking_list.asp?Tipo=4

Good luck!

Katie: We have decided to stay in the Dolomites for a few days -- I am excited to hike and even more excited for the hotel where we'll be staying. The photos on their website look so beautiful: lasvegasonline.it

cookie--

That's great you will be staying in the Dolomites. You won't regret it.

Enjoy your trip.

Cookie - San Cassiano? Great choice! As Katie says, you won't regret it

Buon viaggio

Steve