Please Help! Italy Trip in March/April
Oct 10th, 2011, 05:37 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Please Help! Italy Trip in March/April
My husband and I are taking a trip to Italy for about 10 or 11 days in late March - early April. We both have decided not to go to Rome (I've been there) and both want to see these cities:
Venice
Florence (wineries)
Cinque Terre
Almafi Coast
Is this possible? Could we see cities in between? Can someone help us out with an itinerary if it IS possible? We would definitely take trains. We will probably fly into Venice and fly out of Naples. BUT, if you have any other suggestion please let me know.
Thank you so much! We appreciate it!
Venice
Florence (wineries)
Cinque Terre
Almafi Coast
Is this possible? Could we see cities in between? Can someone help us out with an itinerary if it IS possible? We would definitely take trains. We will probably fly into Venice and fly out of Naples. BUT, if you have any other suggestion please let me know.
Thank you so much! We appreciate it!
Oct 10th, 2011, 05:40 PM
#2
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Too many places even if you have 11 full days on the ground - not counting the day of arrival or departure. I would pick either CT (coastal hiking in simple towns) or Amalfi - March is still kind of early - too cool for swimming at a beach resort - but Pompeii is incredible.
Oct 11th, 2011, 12:34 AM
#4
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree, March is typically still cool/cold, and maybe 5-terre doesn't make sense during that time, unless you want to visit Genova or something. Amalfi could be nice with other places to visit around, and it seems to go more in the direction of your travels--Venice first, Florence, then Amalfi.
Oct 11th, 2011, 02:17 AM
#5
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,422
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Easter is April 8 next year, just so you know.
Florence is an excellent base for wine tasting, especially if you are willing to go with a small group to selected wineries in the vicinity, or skip seeing the wineries and go to various wine shops (enoteche) for wine tastings. But if you want to be on your own and see the vinyards in the countryside, you will need a car and you would do well to spend some time researching Tuscany's two major wine areas -- around Montalcino and around Greve in Chianti. Most wineries are not open to the public, although a few accept appointments (which is why it is sometimes easier to go around with a good, small touring company that has access to the better wineries).
It is really a crap shoot to book a Mediterranean coast scenic destination for Spring in Italy, especially if you are moving around fast. I've been to the Amalfi in your time frame, and the views can be obscured by mist and low clouds, plus rain. I live near le Cinque Terre, where spring can be quite blustery with days of heavy rain even well into May. It is all a matter of whether you are willing to risk real disappointment for all your effort to get there. Both areas require a lot of travel time from Venice using any kind of transportation, but especially public transportation, and the Amalfi is quite expensive once you get there.
The only way to do your itinerary by train requires a five-hour journey from Venice to le Cinque, three hours from there to Florence and then another five hours using trains and buses to get to the Amalfi -- and then you would need a few hours to travel back to Napoli to spend one night there before getting a plane back home. Out of your 11 days, you would be spending at least 4 consumed by travel logistics -- leaving you only 7 days of free time to enjoy 4 different places, 2 of which may be rained out.
Personally, I would eliminate le Cinque Terre and stay in Napoli. If you get nice weather, head out to the Amalfi to see the views or take a boat to an island. If you get rained on, hide inside Napoli's stunning art museums and eat lots of great pasta and pizza at bargain prices.
Travel between Venice and Florence and Florence and Napoli isn't too time consuming using fast trains. So you'd really end up with about 9 free days to explore at whim, and both Florence and Napoli are good public transportation hubs for jaunts to scenic views and walks. If you are alarmed by the thought of staying in Napoli, consider the Vomero neighborhood, which has great views and easy transportation to the docks for boats or the train station for seeing Pompeii, or plunging into the historic center.
Florence is an excellent base for wine tasting, especially if you are willing to go with a small group to selected wineries in the vicinity, or skip seeing the wineries and go to various wine shops (enoteche) for wine tastings. But if you want to be on your own and see the vinyards in the countryside, you will need a car and you would do well to spend some time researching Tuscany's two major wine areas -- around Montalcino and around Greve in Chianti. Most wineries are not open to the public, although a few accept appointments (which is why it is sometimes easier to go around with a good, small touring company that has access to the better wineries).
It is really a crap shoot to book a Mediterranean coast scenic destination for Spring in Italy, especially if you are moving around fast. I've been to the Amalfi in your time frame, and the views can be obscured by mist and low clouds, plus rain. I live near le Cinque Terre, where spring can be quite blustery with days of heavy rain even well into May. It is all a matter of whether you are willing to risk real disappointment for all your effort to get there. Both areas require a lot of travel time from Venice using any kind of transportation, but especially public transportation, and the Amalfi is quite expensive once you get there.
The only way to do your itinerary by train requires a five-hour journey from Venice to le Cinque, three hours from there to Florence and then another five hours using trains and buses to get to the Amalfi -- and then you would need a few hours to travel back to Napoli to spend one night there before getting a plane back home. Out of your 11 days, you would be spending at least 4 consumed by travel logistics -- leaving you only 7 days of free time to enjoy 4 different places, 2 of which may be rained out.
Personally, I would eliminate le Cinque Terre and stay in Napoli. If you get nice weather, head out to the Amalfi to see the views or take a boat to an island. If you get rained on, hide inside Napoli's stunning art museums and eat lots of great pasta and pizza at bargain prices.
Travel between Venice and Florence and Florence and Napoli isn't too time consuming using fast trains. So you'd really end up with about 9 free days to explore at whim, and both Florence and Napoli are good public transportation hubs for jaunts to scenic views and walks. If you are alarmed by the thought of staying in Napoli, consider the Vomero neighborhood, which has great views and easy transportation to the docks for boats or the train station for seeing Pompeii, or plunging into the historic center.
Oct 11th, 2011, 05:09 AM
#6
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would also limit the places visited. We just spent 2 weeks visiting the Sorrentine peninsula, Amalfi coast, Capri and Ischia and thought we just covered the surface!
Considering when you are going, zeppole's idea of staying in Naples is good. You can hop on a boat if it's nice and spend a day in the thermal waters of Ischia, visit Procida or Pompeii, the possibilities are endless!
Enjoy!
Considering when you are going, zeppole's idea of staying in Naples is good. You can hop on a boat if it's nice and spend a day in the thermal waters of Ischia, visit Procida or Pompeii, the possibilities are endless!
Enjoy!
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ryguy3181
Europe
9
Jul 13th, 2011 01:08 PM
