Fabulous place to visit if you want to experience a serene and sceneic part of Italy. Also visited Rome, Milan, Lake Como, Venice, Assisi, Siena, Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii.

Chris, starting to plan a 2nd trip to Italy. Planning on visiting the Lakes, Tuscany & Umbria, Capri and Sicily. Where did you go, stay (specifically) and what did you enjoy? What to skip? Right now, I'm estimating 3 days in the Lakes, 2 weeks for Venice, Florence, Tuscany, 5 days for Capri & Sicily, and finish in Rome for 3-4 days.

Dayle, <BR> <BR>Visit Lake Como, especially Bellagio. Very quaint, good shopping. Quiet. On the Riviera, don't miss Vernazza, although all of the other four towns on the Cinque Terre are less than a few miles apart by train. I'd spend a few days there if you have the times. Book a hotel in advance. We had a VERY tough time getting a room the day of our arrival and ended up renting a room from one of the locals. Most stores in the Cinque Terre have a line on room. Expect to pay about 130,000 lire per night. <BR> <BR>Florence is wonderful. I recommend climbing to the top of the Duomo for a magnificent view of the city. Also, venture out at night. Great shopping, very safe. <BR> <BR>If going to Capri, go in the morning. Gets very busy there. Don't miss Pompeii or a drive on the Amalfi Coast, probably the most beautiful coastline in the world. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

We are planning a visit to Milan in February, with an excursion to Lake Como and Bellagio. Do the boats still run in the winter?

<BR>Chris: <BR> <BR>We're planning an early May trip to <BR>Sorrento,Capri,Amalfi area. I'm thinkng Ravello sounds nice for a nice quiet(er) place to settle in as home base. Did you get there? <BR> <BR>We'll fly into Rome and spend a couple of days there 1st. <BR> <BR>We prefer less crowded/busy areas to stay. (I know this may not be possible in this part of the world) <BR> <BR>We'd be most apprecitive of any suggestons for accomodations, things to see and whatever input you might have. <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR> <BR>clay

We're scheduled to arrive in Milan around noon on a Thursday and need to be in Florence by some time Saturday night (late Sat. is okay). We'll have a couple of days to see Milan at the end of our trip so we'd like to pick up our rental car as soon as we land in Milan and head south, driving for no more than 2.5 to 3 hours. <BR> <BR>How long is the drive from Milan to Vernazza and what's the best route? Also, how far in advance do we need to reserve accommodations in Vernazza? (We'll be in Italy late April.) <BR> <BR>Our goal is to spend Thursday and Friday nights in the same place. We welcome and appreciate any ideas or suggestions for other adventures between Milan and Florence. We'll be spending the remainder of our trip in Tuscany and Umbria so are looking to visit somewhere else. We've been told that we shouldn't try to squeeze a visit to Venice in that Thur-Sat timespan. Would love to hear differently. <BR> <BR>Thanks everyone!