trafaelwyr

Hello fellow Fodorites! It's been a loooong time since I have posted here, but I am taking it upon myself to help out a coworker here who will be going over to Italy and visiting the following areas: Rome, Florence and the Cinque Terre area. Despite my limited experience in Italy (one week in 1978 when my family vacationed in Rimini, but I was only 9 then), I'm very excited that they're going over there and would like to help them out with the essential sights to see in those area of Italy - maybe a top 10 list of sorts. So, here are the basics: it will be 4 people (two couples) and will be spending two weeks in September 2016 over in Italy in Rome, Florence and Cinque Terre. Mind you, they are losing a couple of days near the end of the two weeks as they're going to go up to Munich for Oktoberfest. I honestly wouldn't know where to begin with this, so as always, your invaluable input would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help!

mjs

How much time do they actually have in Italy?

trafaelwyr

@mjs - about two weeks, but less a couple of days at the end as they're going to Munich.

RonZ

Cinque Terre is closest by train to Pisa and Genoa. I suggest the last night in one of those, low cost flight to Munich the next day on Air Dolmiti. Then it's just a question on how to distribute the time based on what they wish to see in the 3 locations. The Hotel Bologna in Pisa has a free shuttle to the airport.

Jean

I think your coworker should post with his/her questions.

Top 10 lists and other "invaluable" input are useless without knowing the interests, priorities and, to some extent, the budget of the travelers.

Blueeyedcod

They're going in a few weeks and have no idea what to do and have planned nothing?

It may be too late to join tours or get tickets for the 'top ten' such as timeslots for the Leaning Tower of Pisa; for the Uffizi; or the Academia (Florence). Ditto the Colosseum Underground - this is already sold out for September.

They should have done this sort of planning months ago.

nytraveler

Are these people aware that the CT are 5 tiny towns cut into the cliff on the coast and the main activity is hiking the paths between the towns? Is hiking one of their interests?

Do they want to spend all of their time in Tuscany in Florence versus seeing some of the charming smaller hill towns?

What are their must see sights in Rome?

If they have done no reading about any of this I think they will have a very expensive and frustrating vacation. They have already left it very late to reserve hotels and some major sights.

I would suggest to them reading a couple of guidebooks and then coming here with a draft itinerary - otherwise we are just working blind since we don't know their interests (history, architecture, art, hiking, biking, wining and dining, clog dancing, archery?????) or have a clue to their budget.

kja

Best place to start: Several good guidebooks.

RonZ

Googlr wikitravel for the places indicated.

mjs

Everyone is right that we cannot give much in the way of suggestions as we know little of the interests of those traveling. Time is also a major issue as you say they have about two weeks but this could mean something like leaving on Saturday to Rome, arrive Sunday mid day, than they would have 9 full days in Italy, leave for Munich for 2 nights than back to Rome for a night before a flight home on Saturday. An open jaw back to home from Munich saves a day. Starting on a Friday gives you an extra day and returning on a Sunday gives you an extra day. They are going to lose a half a day for traveling to Munich ( and another half day if not open jawing it)and a another two half days traveling to and from the C.T. They therefore probably do not have as much time to tour Italy as they think and they are going in high season with crowds and no reservations for the most "popular" sights. I hope they have a hotel reserved in Munich as free rooms will be sparse during the Octoberfest and generally quite pricey. I agree that they need to read a few guidebooks to see what interests them most.

trafaelwyr

Thanks to all who replied with helpful information as this will give me something to get them pointed in the right direction. And yes, they should have been planning a lot of this out sooner than later, but I can't really answer for them on this! When I take a vacation, I'm planning months and months in advance, so it was a bit to my chagrin when I learned from my coworker that they hadn't done any real planning yet.

Jean

Que sera sera.