Please critique my itinerary in Italy
 

tentative plan

October 5 Lax to Pisa
Arrive October 6 at 3 pm. Pick up rental car. Drive 1 hour to Viareggio.

October 7. Drive to Santa Margarita Liguria for 3 nights

October 10. Drive to Bellagio for 2 nights

October 12. Drive to Verona Airport and drop off car
Take taxi to Verona hotel for 2 nights.

October 14. Take train to Bologna for 4 nights
We will do daytrips to Ravenna and possibly Parma

October 18. Fly home
Anything wrong with this itinerary? We have been to SML and Bellagio before. Thank you!

Looks fine except to me it just seems like a lot of driving and not much time with only 2 nights in Bellagio, really one day, and the same in Verona, really only 2 nights one and a half day by the time you do the drive.
I would feel a little rushed.

I don't think you need a car at all for this itinerary. I'd do the whole thing by train and go straight to SML from Pisa the day you arrive freeing up a night for either Lake Como or Verona. Otherwise looks great.

Most all trains involved will be regional trains that are dirt-cheap and don't even take seat reservations-just buy as you go. Even if you go all the way by train you can take only regional trains if you want. For lots on Italian trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Pisa Airport has a people mover to Pisa Centrale station with frequent trains to Viareggio and then also from Viareggio to SML and then to Milan for trains to Varenna-Esino for boats to Bellagio.

Thank you all very much! I will consider taking trains, checking the links you provided. What do you think about the time of year? I would prefer cool over hot weather.

I was in northern Italy for a few weeks one October and it rained about everyday and was cool but not cold. Not the idea time for the lakes I think.

Everyone has weather stories.... We've visited Lake Como several times in mid- to late October, almost always in instances where we were flying into or out of Milan. Out of perhaps 15+ days, we've had one day of fairly constant but not heavy rain. Otherwise, beautiful weather. But I wouldn't go out of my way to return to a place I'd been to before for just one day.

If you had more time in Verona, you could take a day trip to Lake Garda or Trento or possibly Bolzano.

I also would consider doing this entirely by train, although nearly every journey involves a connection or two.

you have a long flight and unless you are in a flight bed I first class I would not count on getting a lot of restful sleep. I would not want to drive upon arrival. Unless you have a particular reason to go to Viareggio, you can take a train from Pisa Centrale to SML, it takes around 1.5 hours.

Easy to go by people mover and train from Pisa Airport to nearby Viareggio - a city friends of mine absolutely love and go back to every year - or look into airport transfers.

I agree about dropping Bellagio. Add the two nights to Verona and, if the weather cooperates, take a day trip to Lake Garda. You can get to several towns on the lake by train, and you can take boats on the lake. From Verona, you can take the train to the town of Garda, and then a bus from the station to the castle town of Malcesine, supposedly one of the prettiest towns on the lake. All told, it would take a little under two hours. There is also fast boat service from Garda to Malcesine, but they don't run very frequently at that time of year. If you can make it work, it should be a scenic boat trip, about an hour and a half.

If the weather isn't ideal, you could instead take a day trip to Padova by train, where you could easily spend a day. Don't miss the Scrovegni Chapel, with frescoes by Giotto.

We did a one-day boat pass for Garda and loved it- went up and down the lake getting off and on- remember seeing lemons growing in the northwest part in a village named Limeone or something.

But like bvlenci says easy to go as a day trip from Verona -two rail heads each with public boat service or go to Brescia and takes buses to the west side of lake.

We did a counter clockwise tour of the lake starting in Sirmione and its wondrous Roman ruins and went to the famous house of a fascist writer and race car driver and 'libertine; Il Vittoriale- house that has a boat on its top sight on lake for me - we then took a bus to Brescia, a rather pleasant regional town and train back to Desceneno (sp?) the first railhead if coming from the west.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...e-8930831.html

What is your home airport?

LAX or even better John Wayne (SNA)

Thanks for all suggestions!!
So if we skip Bellagio (we have been 2 times) we have two nights to spend somewhere. Add to Verona making it 4 nights there.

We were renting the car ($320) to avoid connections using trains. I think my husband would rather do that but I will ask him.

If we do get the car, I would still plan on turning it in once we get to Verona as the day trips from there and also from Bologna seem direct.

Keep suggestions coming. Thank you all again!

We were renting the car ($320) to avoid connections using trains. I think my husband would rather do that but I will ask him.>

Cars are fine and I would keep the car the whole time - your first legs can be easily done by train - all legs can but a car is nice to set your own pace and easier to move luggage - just beware those zones in most Italian cities that prohibit random vehicles from entering - learn to recognize the prohibited zone sign - there have been many posts here about getting tickets for violating those zones months after they return!

with a car I would not go to Bellagio or SML - but to rural Tuscany or Umbria perhaps where cars can take you on your own pace to iconic hill towns,etc.

October 14. Take train to Bologna for 4 nights
We will do daytrips to Ravenna and possibly Parma

PalenQ,
We have been to Tuscany (2 times) and Umbria (1 in 2014) so Verona and Bologna and daytrips from there are new to us. We really love SML and Bellagio so that's why I was including them. But thanks to suggestions from everyone I think I will eliminate Bellagio. Probably add 2 more days to Verona (4 nights) and do day trip to Lake Garda ( never been).
Thank you for taking the time to help me.

I would strongly encourage you to find a way to avoid renting a car for the first day or two. There is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and <b>nothing</b> you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit.

The pisa airport is very close to the town centre. I'd avoid October, over the years I've tried Oct and Sept and think Oct is too wet and cool.

Thank you for your advice kja

You're welcome! :-)