bnakol

I need advice for an itinerary that would have us discovering a more slower paced quiet side of Italy.

my first thought (and still a possibility) was to do rome, Florence and on to venice for the "traditional" Italian vacation since we've never been and want to see what it's famous for.

this will also be our first vacation since our honeymoon so we want to just slow down and relax and enjoy the countryside. Our honeymoon consisted of going to a popular Mexican travel location which we left after only 2 days and we spent the rest of our time traveling and exploring the local life. This is what we want for our Italy trip possibly...

any cities that you can recommend that may be lower key?

jent103

What time of year will you be going? I was in Bellagio (Lake Como area) three years ago in May and it was very quiet and peaceful. I don't think it is in the late summer, from what I've heard. So time of year will make a big difference.

bnakol

we will be going in april (2015)

cathies

Keep in mind that's lots of Italian towns are very busy during the day but change massively as soon as the tour groups leave. Florence is a good example, it can be frantic during the day but in the evenings it is sublime.

oedipamaas

I had a different experience with Florence but quite possibly I was staying in the wrong part of town.

"any cities that you can recommend that may be lower key?"

I would say any number of cities fit the bill. Urbino would be worth looking into, but there are so many other possibilities.

I would maybe start with a region and start reading up on the towns and cities in it. Lots of people are turning over every stone in Tuscany, but it hardly has a monopoly on landscape, food, and architecture.

bvlenci

Will you have a car? That's really the best way to stay in a city, but enjoy the countryside. If not, you have to stay in a place that is a good hub for public transportation. Perugia, in Umbria, is a fairly quiet small city, and it's well connected by train and bus to even smaller towns. You could visit Assisi and the lovely little town of Spello by train or bus. It would even be possible to take a day trip to Florence from Perugia. Other Umbrian towns that you may not have heard of, but that are very attractive and easily reached by train or bus are Todi and Spoleto.

Or you could stay in a town in the vicinity of Rome. You could stay in Bracciano, for example, a town overlooking the lake of the same name. There are lots of other choices. First tell us if you'll be driving or using public transportation.

Dukey1

Is there something that <B>requires</B>you to be on the go every second in a city such as Florence or Venice? Yes, we know about all the people who have decided you simply <B>have</B> to do this or <B>have</B> to do that.

STOP buying into that (what I think is absurd) way of thinking. Florence and Venice can be as dead as you want them to be.

But perhaps I am wrong and I should have asked you to define the term "lower key." Could that possibly be "having not as many well-known things to see?" or something else?

Andrew

Consider Venice anyway. It's crowded and touristy - but amazing. If you want quiet, stay on one of the nearby islands like Burano - with pretty, colorful houses. You can get out to Burano via public transit - a "water bus."

For Florence, consider staying in the nearby town of Fiesole - a direct city bus connects it to Florence when you want to go there but at the end of the day it should be pretty quiet.

misskdonkey

Consider Padua, half an Hour by train from Venice and an beautiful, interesting small city, other options in different parts of Italy, Ravenna, Lucca, and Siena. We spent a week in Bologna in November, interesting city without the big ticket tourist attractions but close to lots of interesting towns within easy reach.

Jean

You'll want to avoid the first week of April. Easter is April 5th.

Also, Saturday, April 25th, is Liberation Day and Friday, May 1st, is Labor Day. Both are big national holidays, and lots of Italians will be taking vacations in the week between the two dates.

tuscanlifeedit

April would be a great time to go south. Puglia and Matera and very popular these days. How about Sicily in April?

We were in Venice for a couple of days in early September this year, and it was impossible. Every vaporetto we got on was too crowded for reason.

I'm heading to Rome and Florence at the end of next month. Florence is small and the major sights do get busy, but April is one of my favorite months in Rome.

How about Rome and Perugia and a day trip to Florence? You could do all that by train, with lots of possibilities for day visits from Perugia by bus.

If you are an art lover, the National Museum of Umbria is Perugia is one of Italy's true gems.

An art or food or Etruscan based trip can take you to a lot of less crowded places. Wine, too. Or history. Or I've gone on the trail of St Francis (La Verna is one the outstanding visits of my life), or the Piero Della Francesca Trail.

You can find Roman ruins all over Italy. Or chase some antique markets, or spring festivals, or great churches.

If you tell us about the car/no car option, and what your particular interests in Italy are, you will get some fantastic suggestions here.

A couple of Fodorites have gone to cooking schools in Italy.

adrienne

There are quiet places in Rome, Florence, and Venice. Even in Rome, which I consider to be a busy noisy city, I've found lots of areas and sights were there were few people and few cars. Away from St. Mark's Square, Venice is mostly quiet.

You can adjust your travel pace to suit you. Just because you're in a large city doesn't mean that you have to run around seeing ten sights per day. I travel leisurely, no matter where I am. So go where you want and find the quiet areas.

Your post is a bit confusing since you first say you want to visit the countryside and then ask for recommendations for cities.

sandralist

Stick to your guns and go to untouristed places in Italy. They are beautiful, they are fascinating, they will exceed all your expectations. Local Italian culture is like no place else on earth and it is worth experiencing for itself (and it is pushed to the margins in the major art cities where the tourist flow washes so much away).

It is good to avoid the Easter time and the weather in April only gets better as the month goes on. But I will still pick a more southerly location to get optimal weather. My very first choice would be Sicily -- a fabulous storied place of antiquity with a very memorable culture and lovely food and its own unique 21st century style. I highly recommend having a car and I would suggest a mix of antiquity and baroque (greek sights like Siracusa and Taormina and baroque towns like Ragusa and Modica, with a sheep and olive oil and grapes along the way).

If you don't want a car my suggestion would be either a bit of Naples, Paestum and the southernmost part of the Amalfi coast (and maybe a few nights on Ischia) or else those parts of Umbria where you can get around without a car. In April, you'll be reaching for your jacket at night and will need to pack an umbrella, but spring is beautiful and the towns are world class. You can pop into Assisi and Perugia to see some of Europe's greatest art treasures but generally just enjoy a very beautiful, fertile place and the "heart" of Italy. Wonderful food markets and delicious red wine.

tom18

FYI - Easter is April 20, not April 5.

travelnut265

tom18
FYI she is going next year- 2015.