Three Weeks in Italy - So Excited!
 

Hi All!

I have the good fortune to be going to Italy for three weeks this August, and have been putting together my Itinerary for the trip, and would love for you all to take a look and tell me what you think.

8/16 (Rome) - Arrive in Rome 11am
8/17 (Rome) - Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain
8/18 (Rome) - Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's.
8/19 (Rome) - Explore Rome
8/20 (Travel) - Travel from Rome to Florence
8/21 (Florence) - Explore Florence
8/22 (Florence) - Explore Florence
8/23 (Florence) - Chianti wine tour
8/24 (Florence) - Day trip to Siena
8/25 (Florence) - Day trip to Lucca
8/26 (Florence) - Day trip to San Gimignano
8/27 (Travel) - Travel from Florence to Cinque Terre
8/28 (Cinque Terre) - Slow down and relax
8/29 (Cinque Terre) - Slow down and relax
8/30 (Cinque Terre) - Slow down and relax
8/31 (Travel) - Travel from Cinque Terre to Venice
9/1 (Venice) - Explore Venice
9/2 (Venice) - Day Trip to Verona
9/3 (Venice) - Explore Venice & Regata Storica rowing race
9/4 (Venice) - Fly to Albania at 6 pm

My travel style is slow and electric. This is actually the first overseas trip that I have pre-planned, mainly because of accommodation concerns. This is why I only want to have three main base of operations.

I am wondering if you all feel that I have struck a good balance between the different cities, and the times in each. I am spending the most time in Florence, and have a lot of day trips in there, which is why I put Cinque Terre after so I can relax, as that is pretty much the halfway point of my trip (I am also spending a week in Albania before I fly home). Are the day trip cities good choices, or would you recommend switching one out with something else?

Also, I am thinking of switching one of my Florence day trips to Monday, the 21st, since most museums are closed on Mondays. Would you recommend this, and if so, where would you go on Monday?

Thank you all for your help!

would considering this! thanks for the info! :)

Consider going to Lucca on Monday, unless there is some museum in Lucca you've identified that you want to see. Also, don't go to Siena on a Sunday, because the main cathedral is off limits for wandering around taking pictures due to services.

Hope you are up to speed on making reservations for sights that require reservations. Also, if you've never been in Italy in August, it makes a lot of sense to follow the local habit of being busy in the morning, resting during the hottest part of the day, and then rejoining the world around 5pm. Many museums & churches are open until 7.30, and places like the Trevi fountain or the Spanish Steps and many of the piazze are more fun at night. Since you are arriving at around 11am your first day, consider a quick nap and then making your first exploration of Rome in the evening.

Le Cinque Terre is a great place to relax and do nothing, but if weary of the midday crowds or get curious about what's around the bend, Sestri Levante is fun at the cocktail/gelato hour, and a taste of what the Italian Riviera is all about with Italians, not foreigners.

Thank you massimop, those are some great suggestions. This is my first time in Italy, and I'm a bit worried about the heat, seeing as my plans a very city heavy. The afternoon rest is a good idea, and would help with the worst of the heat.
What clothing would be appropriate for the hot weather. I know that Italy has a higher standard for fashion than some other places I've been, e.g. SE Asia. Shorts and a tee won't fly

shorts and tee will and does fly for many tourists - when Italians go on holiday they too may wear shorts. I have worn shorts in Italy for years - either that or swelter even more - CT is no place to relax in August - elbow-elbow in all towns and beaches.

I wouldn't want to do so many "day trips" myself. But I think your basic outline looks fine.

<What clothing would be appropriate for the hot weather. >

Male or female?

St Peter's won't let folks in shorts in - so for there you'll need pants.

I love wearing casual summer dresses when the weather is warm. Just not too bare and take a light sweater when going into churches. I'm assuming you're female though.

If you want a Trevi moment without being cheek to cheek try early morning.
Also wanted to suggest a tour for the Colosseum and Forum. We liked Walks of Italy. Very informative.

Flimsy, flimsy, flimsy clothing. Don't worry about modesty. Just the bare minimum to stay cool. Flimsy trousers or skirts plus camisoles, undershirts and a scarf for churches.

You can go to museums and churches midday, but not ruins. Florence streets are shadier than Rome's, but nowhere is safe from the high-noon sun, so try to be indoors between 11am & 2pm. Have a cooooool trip.

Flimsy, flimsy, flimsy clothing. Don't worry about modesty. Just the bare minimum to stay cool>

So when I wear a T-shirt and shorts I am wearing flimsy clothing?

Again many Italians I see on vacation wear such flimsy clothing. Of course in a city where people go to work you won't see them in shorts but say in Paris on holiday you sure do.

There is nothing immodest about wearing T-shirts and shorts in Italy this day. Nothing! Not sure where some get that idea.

I've been to Italy only twice, both times were Venice in August.

I wore linen capris, or knee length lightweight skirts, or not-too-short rayon shorts, along with a cotton top of some sort (tank, tshirt, sleeveless blouse). Sturdy but nice looking sandals for walking a lot. Sun hat and sun glasses came in handy.

PalenQ? I wasn't commenting on your post. I was taling to the OP. I am recommending flimsy clothing. Lightweight. Flimsy. Filmy. Flyaway. Blowsy. Breezy.

However, t-shirts and shorts are often made of heavier material. If one is somewhere where one can purchase clothes typically worn in India, they are very popular in Italy.

One advantage of flimsy clothing is can often be rinsed and hung to dry overnight.

If you are female, these are great and very stylish in Italy this year. I'd buy five of them and rotate them (rinse, dry). Buy a couple of shrugs for churches and dinners

https://www.amazon.com/Oops-Outlet-L...XWM&th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Secre...rds=lace+shrug

Really? You are recommending a "romper"???

I don't think so!

OK massimop - I mistook it for satire - so we are on the same page - flimsy is rather a perjorative word to me.

Sorry I mis-read it.

I should add I meant that I'd buy 5 jumpsuits/rompers in different colors, but would favor dark for travel, or prints if you look good in them.

>My travel style is slow and electric <

That statement makes no sense.

Where you poked in the eye with a cattle prod, by any chance, or where you struck by lightening?

(My ex-neighbor, Mable Butane, was struck by lightening and afterwards she could start her Buick without keys.)

You can't "explore" Venice in a day! And why would you skip time in a great city to visit a backwater like Verona?

Let's get with it and unplug the searchlights aimed at your eyes!

Thin aka JoAnn Gucci

Do Siena and Lucca on the same day

CT in August well you must love being with people and paying top dollar. But at least you are right at the end of August so you may be ok.

There are some nice places like Padova, Ferrara etc that you can visit while Verona is so-so.

Pepper,

Seems fairly obvious to me that autospell or momentary lapse converted "eclectic" into "electric"

One can go exploring anywhere in a day, and some people prefer 1 day in Venice to 5 or 15, and prefer Verona anyway -- a vibrant livng city which at least has a local life connected to real world Italy as opposed to swirling around the drain of mass tourism.

Bilbo,

It is nearly impossible to "do Siena and Lucca on the same day" even if you are driving, and certainly not possible with public transportation for someone staying in Florence.

Any seaside location in Italy in August will have peak prices & crowds, and that would not change anywhere on the Italian Riviera. One of the advantages of being in le Cinque Terre in August is that the crowds are overwhelmingly daytripping tourists, who depart before dinner & whereby the villages turn peaceful, rather than the mobs of inland Italians who descend on the beach towns for their annual vacations, staying in groups of 10 or 20 in rental apartments, overwhelming restaurants and partying long into the night.

Do Siena and Lucca on the same day>

Yes bilbo must have made a silly mistake -impossible to see both in same day.

sorry yes, had a very successful day on everything else and must have carried away. Impossible.

Yes, I'd avoid the beach in August completely

I'd drop CT altogether at that time of year (or in my case at any time of year) and add another day to Venice and some to some of the smaller cities in northern Italy: Bologna, Ravenna, Padua, Ferrara, as well as Verona.

Western coastal areas of Italy and the Italian Riviera in particular typically have the nicest weather in all of Italy in August. On the Italian Riviera it can be as much as 10 degrees cooler than the rest of Italy -- including 10 degrees cooler than the Amalfi -- and it cools down in the evening in a way that most of the rest of Italy doesn't. For someone explicitly looking to balance their trip with some downtime, relaxing, not doing major sightseeing, the Italian Riviera is a great idea. Also enjoyable is the music, dancing & special events that characterize that holiday period on the coast.

Many of the sightseeing towns being suggested as a substitute are humid infernos in August, and local cuisine is heavy, in contrast to the delicious seafood and vegetarian pastas of the coast. Many people have concluded they would never go to the Italian coast in August and thus have no experience of how incredibly fun and refreshing it can be.

it's not august yet, but tomorrow in le Cinque Terre it will be 82 degrees.

In Ferrara it will be 96
Verona it will be 93
Florence it will be 97
Rome it will be 93
94 in Lecce,
92 in Padua,
91 in Siena.
96 in Assisi

For 3 weeks in Italy in August, spending some days in a stunnnigly beautiful, colorful & relaxing seaside location, likely to be the coolest part of Italy, makes sense to me.

Were, not Where!!!

Should I blame autocorrect or the vodka?

However, Verona is just as touristy as Venice and is nowhere near as beautiful.

There are plenty of places to escape the tourist tsunami in Venice, Sandralist. It is too bad that you don't know much about the city. You get most of your info from doing Google searches. We, the members of the Fodor Inner Circle, all know this.

My eldest sister lived in a palazzo behind Salute for many years. In fact, she died there.


I have been posting here for 17 years. You can't fool me with your Stale Donuts!

Thin aka JoAnn Gucci

However, Verona is just as touristy as Venice>

Not in my experience!

We, the members of the Fodor Inner Circle>

AKA Fodorgarchs!

Many people have concluded they would never go to the Italian coast in August and thus have no experience of how incredibly fun and refreshing it can be.>

And totally mobbed - sometimes hard to get a bit of sand to plop down on - go for the circus but not to relax.

Italians flock there for the reasons massimop says about the weather.

But easy day trip from say Rome or even Florence -I particularly like viareggio and often stay there in the off-season.

I want to thank all of you for your well thought out and helpful replies. I have been so busy with work I have been unable to review my post until today. I love the lively conversation and strong opinions you all have shared!

I have the weekend off, so I will be taking all of your suggestions and coming up with my final plans, which I will be sure to post for your further review and expert options.

One thing I find amusing and interesting, is the assumption from my post that I am female. I am not, but I must say I am jealous, as always, of the many many options you ladies always seen to have to wear something stylish, tasteful, and cooling all at the same time.

Thank you all!

Lightweight cargo shorts are useful & cool & fashionable in Italy. Wear with low socks or no socks + trainers, or with good-support sandals. Shorts fine for casual restaurants, though sandals less so. If you'd feel better packing at least one pair of long pants, jeans are too heavy and very casual lightweight will do, even sports pants or beach trousers

https://www.amazon.com/Jogger-Chinos...g+trousers+men

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Zhang-Draw...D5GFPAX6G&th=1

>>One thing I find amusing and interesting, is the assumption from my post that I am female. <<

That's because most guys don't give a rat's patoot about what to wear and don't ask the question.

Most men I know care a lot about what they can get away with wearing when it is very hot.

I did get a kick out of the Stale Donuts comment....sorry for the hijack comment. ��

Hi TheArtofZEM, I think the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain might take too much time. Double check opening times and see about timed tours for Colosseum and Forum particularly.

Have a super time!

Hmmmmmm, you go, Miss Thing! You go, big girl!

>Not in my experience <

You have no experience. You steal from other people's posts and print the information as your own.

(I LOL when you post inanities about taking tours of Eton College.)

Thin

I like Verona, historic, interesting, but would not do it as a day trip from Venice. Not nearby. Explore more of Venice itself.