One more go at our 2 week itinerary
 

OK my fellow travellers, I've made a few tweaks to my itinerary and am interested in your thoughts now...

Apr 2 - Fly into Genoa
Apr 3 - Travel to CT and stay there a few days
Apr 6 - Travel to FLorence
Apr 9 - Ferrara / Bologna??
Apr 11 - To Venice
Apr 15 - Fly home

Our main goal is to see CT so we won't spend much time in Genoa. My main issue is with the middle of the trip. Between Florence and Bologna / Ferrara. We aren't locked into staying in Florence for 3 nights and after that we're pretty flexible until we have to be in Venice on the 11th.

I guess my question is: We'd like to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the artistic highlights of FLorence. After that, we just want to enjoy good food, wine and Italy as it is. Do you have any location suggestions? Also, since we're traveling to Italy in early April (but the week before Easter), do you think we'd be ok not making hotel reservations so we can be more flexible in our travels between CT and Venice?

Thank you so much for your help!!

Easter is April 12, when you will be in Venice

I was in Florence the weekend before Easter this past year and it was PACKED--as uncomfortably full of tourists as ever I've seen it in a dozen visits. I would reserve ahead. If you'd rather not reserve before you leave, I suspect you'll know a few days ahead of when you plan to relocate and could call ahead then--and be prepared to find fewer possibilities. I would not arrive in any of these popular places hoping to find a room during the week before Easter

You will travel a good part of April 6 to reach Florence. I suspect you will pass through Pisa along the way, so you might consider stopping there to see the Field of Miracles then. You'll probably want one full day to visit Florence and perhaps another to do a half-day trip to Pisa if you don't stop along the way, finishing your Florence sights that afternoon. This brings you right up to your intended departure on April 9.

Bologna is a great choice to enjoy good food and an interesting city with access to Ferrara or Ravenna.

Another choice along the way but closer to Venice is Verona, with its wealth of wine bars and even less of a city feel than Bologna (though still not a small town.)

The day you go from C.T. to Florence, make that a great day, by taking an early train first to Lucca, after a few generous hours take it to very nearby Pisa, walk to the leaning tower etc., then take the train to Florence. They are all regional trains, no reservations, so you're not locked into a timetables - play it by ear and enjoy.

As Ellenem suggested, by all means try to incorporate Ravenna (rather than Ferrara, much more unique) - superb byzantine mosaics, outstanding, and refreshingly different from all the Renaissance styles that you'll be entrenched in after Florence. Look it up!

The trains go via Bologna, so with a very early start and a late return you can maybe make the highlights of both (only just the highlights, but better than not!).

Or see Ravenna on the way to Venice (a worthwhile detour!) - maybe stay the night after seeing the mosaics in the several locations, it's a nice town.

www.ferroviedellostato.it

Wow, always! I was in Florence the week before Easter many years ago and it was a screaming zoo! Every school kid in Europe (and America) was there on a field trip. Plus all the other tourists, like me.

This may very well be the reason Florence is the only place I've visited in Italy that I didn't care for. I would go back (but I haven't yet), but I would NOT stay in the city. I would stay outside and do a day trip in.

Agree you can easily visit Pisa on a stop over from CT to Florence. We had to change trains there anyway and stopped for 3 hours to see the duomo and tower. Very worthwhile.

Buon viaggio!

I spent a week in Florence in April 2 years ago. I thought the city was at its best in the evenings and early mornings, before and after the crowds arrived.

3 nights/2 days in Florence will allow you hit a few highlights. Any less and your visit might feel too rushed and stressful.