Please help! Italy itenary
 

Dh (71) and I (56) are in the process of booking a trip to Italy in late October 2010. We have already booked flights (NY to Pisa and Venice to NY) and 2 places to stay: Bagni de Lucca (north of Lucca) and Il Fontanaro in Paciano (near Perugia). We will rent a car from Pisa and return it before Venice.

Our plan is to spend 3 nights in Bagni de Lucca, then on to Paciano, from which we will make day trips to Assisi, Perugia, and Montepulciano.

we then think we will spend two nights in Bologna and then 2 nights in Venice.

Is this doable?

I'm thinkig Siena as a day trip from either Paciano, or a stop between Lucca and Paciano, should I schedule more time in Siena?

Bologna, more than 2 nights? Less? I intend to make a day trip to Ravenna.

Drive to Venice - return rental car in Padua, train to Venice.

Is this crazy????

Please chime in, I need all the help I can get.

THANK YOUI!!!!

We stayed in Assisi three years ago for a couple of nights. Little trip report is here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

I think that returning the car in Perugia is a really good idea, because the arrival by train in Venice is lovely. It depends on how long you’ll spend in Padua, though. If you are only passing through Padua to de-hire the car, you might consider de-hiring the car in Bologna, and then train from Bologna to Venice. You might also consider losing the car as soon as you arrive in Bologna, and taking the day trip to Ravenna by train. It’s about 40 miles and avoids driving in Bologna, and probably quicker.

We visited Siena as a day trip from Florence, so had six or seven hours there. That was enough for us, but it so depends what you are interested in.

I am sure you are sprightly and healthy people, but as someone quite a bit junior to you both, your schedule would tire me out completely. Too many changes, too little time spent in each spot, too many long day trips for my liking.

At the very least save Bologna and Ravenna for next trip and spend 4 nights in Venice, which is worth 3 days of anyone's time IMHO.

Factor in at least 1 day in 3 for relaxation...reading books, impromptu wine tastings and tours, long leisurely lunches in beautiful spots. These are the memories you'll remember and cherish when you get home.

I agree with what Tuscany_Advisor has said.

Definitely, the trip is doable. If you've been to Venice before, but haven't been to Bologna, then the two nights in Bologna make sense. I love Bologna, and have visited several times. But if this is your first visit to Venice, and unless you're focusing on something particular that you want to see or do in Bologna, I'd suggest more time in Venice, and possibly skipping Bologna entirely.

Ravenna I LOVE as well, and consider their mosaics in the top 10 of man-made things I've seen in my life. So assuming the mosaics are why you want to visit Ravenna, do try to fit them in. Even if you drop Bologna, you could stop in Ravenna on your way to Venice (though it would be a bit out of the way).

Leave your Siena decision for during your trip. You can see what you feel like doing as you leave the Lucca area, whether you want to visit Siena on the way to Paciano.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I am re-thinking the car return, that is , returning it in Bologna and travel by train to Ravenna, Padua, Venice.

Any suggestions for an inexpensive hotel in Bologna?

Thanks again!

I too would drop Bologna and drop the car as you enter Venice---actually rather easy at Piazzale Roma. Why complicate the logistics?

Screen name, I can't recommend a hotel in Bologna. But be aware that it is a trade show center so the desirable hotels get booked up early. If you decide to go, get your reservation ASAP.

bob, do I understand you correctly? - when you say drop Bologna, do you mean skip Bologna? why?

So far, my itenariry is as follows:
* 10/22 we land in Pisa, rent car, drive to Bagni de Lucca
* 10/24 we head for Paciano and stay 3 nights
* 10/28 we drive to Bologna stay 2 nights
* 10/30 train to Venice, and we fly home from Venice

Day trips might include Assisi, Perugia, Siena, San Gemigniano (sp?), Ravenna, Padua.

I know it sounds tiring, non-stop packing and driving. But that is how my husband and I travel while in Europe. We do as much as possible knowing we might not have a chance to return.
If, and when we do, we stay longer in cities we MUST return to. That's why Rome has seen us more than once walking until we couldn't take another step. We have returned again and again.
Paris, same story. Florence we can skip since we already saw all we wanted to see and then some. Now is time for some "smaller" towns and a taste of Venice. Why skip Bologna?

charnees, thanks for the heads-up! I'll book before this weekend is over.

I really love Bologna and probably wouldn't skip it since you say that this is the kind of vacation you prefer. However, trying to fit in Padova AND Ravenna is a bit much--I would skip Padova unless you REALLY want to see the Giotto frescoes or have another specific reason for going. It's a beautiful town, but it's about like Bologna in size, and it just seems like it would be hard to fit all of that in.

Of course this all depends on if you are dropping off your rental car there or not.

Anyway, sounds like a fun itinerary and a chance to really explore parts of central Italy and beyond.

You have a rather full plate even without daytrips to far away places. but the advantage of daytrips with a car is that if you find where you are enjoyable, you don't have to take them. ;-)

If it were me, I would consider dropping the car in Chiusi as you leave Paciano and take the train to Bologna. No real neeed for the car in Bologna and Chiusi is an easier place to turn in than the larger Bologna.

:) full plate is what it is!
But we hope to see and do as much as possible in a very short time.
Thanks for your suggestion, which sounds very reasonable to me. In fact, train to Bologna, is something I had not thought of at all, but makes perfect sense. Thanks!

We were in Italy in April this year. We spent a wonderful 5 weeks travelling from Sicily to the lakes by train, stopping over where we wanted. In Tuscany we used Florence as a base and travelled on a Eurail pass out to Sienna and on another day to Lucca for single day visits. Both are lovely places and while near Sienna you may wish to visit San Gimignano, a lovely mountain village. Day trips to each were quite satisfactory for us.
A few years ago we stayed 2 nights at the Touring Hotel in Bologna which was located within walking distance of the town centre. The hotel was a good 3 star place with friendly staff and a good breakfast.
I agree with the suggestion to travel by train where possible; it is hassle free, there are plenty of options on the timetables and they drop you right in the centre of towns and cities.

I thank you all for your suggestions, and I'm taking some of them to heart. Train travel in particular.

As much as I hate to skip Bologna, we might end up doing just that, and going to Padua instead (Giotto's frescoes), staying a night there, then train to Venice.

i can only hope we will explore Italy once again in a couple of years, and then Bologna would be a priority.

Padua is only 30 minutes from Venice, so you might just make it a day trip or stop along the way rather than an overnight.