Please review my itinerary for Northern Italy in May 2025
Apr 16th, 2024, 05:47 PM
#21
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Karen,
I have enjoyed talking back and forth especially about transportation to CT. You do such a great job with your research, I am sure your trip will inspire so many itineraries!
Our situation was different because we were on a 10 day trip so time was of the essence. We were coming from Varenna, so that involved 3 trains, and 6+ hours and ending on the CT Express. By driving and parking, we saved 3 hours and could enjoy an extra half day there. After being there in October, on the Express, we mostly experienced standing room only, some pushing on scenarios and such full trains, that you could not always get on your first option, not talking about with luggage. There was no supervision and no, "please go ahead, you were first." The train station in Manorola would have been an easy one, however.
But at the end of your trip you would be heading to La Spezia, on the same train, with your luggage, to pick up your car for Tuscany. Since we were travelling with another couple, the car costs were shared, and the train costs would have been x4, so the price was the same. We did love just zipping out of there and heading for Tuscany.
And during your 3 nights in CT, maybe to escape after lunch, to some of these less visited, alternative CT suggestions, could be a nice break.
I am so happy your are considering Val d'Orcia, such an unbelievable experience.
Thanks for continuing to inspire all of us!
I have enjoyed talking back and forth especially about transportation to CT. You do such a great job with your research, I am sure your trip will inspire so many itineraries!
Our situation was different because we were on a 10 day trip so time was of the essence. We were coming from Varenna, so that involved 3 trains, and 6+ hours and ending on the CT Express. By driving and parking, we saved 3 hours and could enjoy an extra half day there. After being there in October, on the Express, we mostly experienced standing room only, some pushing on scenarios and such full trains, that you could not always get on your first option, not talking about with luggage. There was no supervision and no, "please go ahead, you were first." The train station in Manorola would have been an easy one, however.
But at the end of your trip you would be heading to La Spezia, on the same train, with your luggage, to pick up your car for Tuscany. Since we were travelling with another couple, the car costs were shared, and the train costs would have been x4, so the price was the same. We did love just zipping out of there and heading for Tuscany.
And during your 3 nights in CT, maybe to escape after lunch, to some of these less visited, alternative CT suggestions, could be a nice break.
I am so happy your are considering Val d'Orcia, such an unbelievable experience.
Thanks for continuing to inspire all of us!
Apr 17th, 2024, 05:19 AM
#22
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8,396
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
5Terre trains:
I really don't know what you are talking about.
I suppose you will go from Milan by Intercity train (seat reservation compulsory) to La Spezia and take then a regional train for the last 8 minutes.
For example: Milan dp 8.05- La Spezia ar 11.21. There you will change into Regional train 3265 which stands already there and which cannot be full as it has it's origine at La Spezia and will leave at 11.44 only.
If you would stay at Monterosso instead of Manarola, no train change would be necessary.
I suppose you know exactly which walks you want to do during your 2 1/2 days stay at Manaarola.
I really don't know what you are talking about.
I suppose you will go from Milan by Intercity train (seat reservation compulsory) to La Spezia and take then a regional train for the last 8 minutes.
For example: Milan dp 8.05- La Spezia ar 11.21. There you will change into Regional train 3265 which stands already there and which cannot be full as it has it's origine at La Spezia and will leave at 11.44 only.
If you would stay at Monterosso instead of Manarola, no train change would be necessary.
I suppose you know exactly which walks you want to do during your 2 1/2 days stay at Manaarola.
Apr 17th, 2024, 08:04 AM
#24
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, neckervd,
Karen and I had talked on another post where she inquired about our experience and why we made the decisions we did.
As, I said earlier on this post, their situation is different.
We were 2 couples coming from Varenna. So our route would have been, Varenna-Milan-(Sestre Levante or La Spezia)-Manorola, and it would have taken over 6 hours.
The cost for these train tickets would have been about $180 for 4, including the fare to then get to La Spezia to get our car. So for us that equaled the cost of the car for 2 more days, and gave us more time in Manarola. We also loved just zipping out of there and heading to Lucca.They might decide that the cost for just the 2 of them might not be worth it.
We had also been warned that you could stand on the train from Varenna to Milan Also, that even though we requested an automatic transmission car, the chances of one being there when we arrived to get it was greater in Milan than in La Spezia.
Is is true that La Spezia is an origination site for the train, But it is also where the cruisers when disembarking, get on to enjoy their day. We picked a time frame where our full day only had a few hundred cruisers arriving, but the afternoon we actually arrived, had close to 10,000 descending down from 2 mega ships.
They are coming from Milan, so the times are much shorter and your suggestion to maybe stay in Monterosso and take advantage of a nonstop train is a great one! It just depends what town calls to them.
Karen and I had talked on another post where she inquired about our experience and why we made the decisions we did.
As, I said earlier on this post, their situation is different.
We were 2 couples coming from Varenna. So our route would have been, Varenna-Milan-(Sestre Levante or La Spezia)-Manorola, and it would have taken over 6 hours.
The cost for these train tickets would have been about $180 for 4, including the fare to then get to La Spezia to get our car. So for us that equaled the cost of the car for 2 more days, and gave us more time in Manarola. We also loved just zipping out of there and heading to Lucca.They might decide that the cost for just the 2 of them might not be worth it.
We had also been warned that you could stand on the train from Varenna to Milan Also, that even though we requested an automatic transmission car, the chances of one being there when we arrived to get it was greater in Milan than in La Spezia.
Is is true that La Spezia is an origination site for the train, But it is also where the cruisers when disembarking, get on to enjoy their day. We picked a time frame where our full day only had a few hundred cruisers arriving, but the afternoon we actually arrived, had close to 10,000 descending down from 2 mega ships.
They are coming from Milan, so the times are much shorter and your suggestion to maybe stay in Monterosso and take advantage of a nonstop train is a great one! It just depends what town calls to them.
Apr 18th, 2024, 09:42 AM
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,429
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
neckervd, thank you so much for all of the train information. Looks like we can visit Parma from either Milan or Bologna. I will check out Monterosso, too.
coral22, thanks again for explaining why you drove and the benefits and disadvantages. All this information helps a lot. We have time to decide what we will finally do. I can't imagine 10,000 cruiseline people descending all at once. I will research cruise ship schedules so that we can hopefully plan around that. It worked for us in Dubrovnik and Santorini.
Today I received my Micheline Green Guide for Tuscany which will be very helpful in planning that portion of the trip.
coral22, thanks again for explaining why you drove and the benefits and disadvantages. All this information helps a lot. We have time to decide what we will finally do. I can't imagine 10,000 cruiseline people descending all at once. I will research cruise ship schedules so that we can hopefully plan around that. It worked for us in Dubrovnik and Santorini.
Today I received my Micheline Green Guide for Tuscany which will be very helpful in planning that portion of the trip.
Apr 18th, 2024, 11:50 AM
#26
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8,396
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
https://www.cruisetimetables.com/las...e-may2025.html
La Spezia cruise port gets obviously more and more important (with up to 5 cruise ships per week).
La Spezia cruise port gets obviously more and more important (with up to 5 cruise ships per week).
Apr 19th, 2024, 08:50 AM
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,429
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
https://www.cruisetimetables.com/las...e-may2025.html
La Spezia cruise port gets obviously more and more important (with up to 5 cruise ships per week).
La Spezia cruise port gets obviously more and more important (with up to 5 cruise ships per week).
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
KarenWoo
Europe
37
Mar 31st, 2024 09:04 PM
