We are planning a trip to Catanzaro, Calabria, IT, Sept. 2010. My husband's grandfather was born there. This is our first trip to Europe. My husband once said he would never travel to Europe. Now he has confidence in my travel planning and I'm scared to death to plan the trip. We plan to stay about 1 month. Not particularly interested in driving much, we need help to plan for best use of our time. We know we cannot see all of Italy, want to spend plenty of time relaxing, enjoying food and drink and areas. Looking for suggestions on how and where to start the trip and what to see. We prefer clean accommodations, but not too pricey. Are not particularly active, such as hiking. Do enjoy walks. Since we are so far south, is it more wise to visit Sicily than to think about northern Italy? I have so enjoyed all the other postings I have read and am confident you will start me on the right path. Mahalo, Judy

I envy you having a month to explore Italy! No, you can't see it all, but you can certainly see a good portion of it. Since you have never been to Italy before, why not see it's most famous cities? You could start with an open jaw ticket into Venice and continue by train to Florence. Then I might want to head down to Catanzaro. Do you plan to stay with relatives there? If so, you may not need a car if they are willing to show you around. If you are on your own, Calabria is really best seen by car as public transport is sporadic. You can train from Florence to Catanzaro and get a car there if needed. A lot depends on how much time you want to spend in Calabria. If only a few days, you may continue south to Sicily, either by car or train. Again, I think Sicily is best seen by car but public transport there is a little better. If you want to spend a week or more in Calabria, I might skip Sicily and start heading back north, basing around Naples/Amalfi Coast for a few days before heading to Rome for the end of the trip and flying home from there.

Grinisa,
Thank you so much for a quick response. Already I am breathing easier. I didn't quite know where to even begin. I expect we may spend about a week in Catanzaro so will probably rent a car. We do not know where to stay yet.....anywhere. Do you think we should spend time in Venice or Florence?

You could also consider taking one of the budget airlines to Lamezia Terme airport which is not far from Catanzaro. You could pick up a rental car at the airport. Ryan Air and Easy Jet fly from several cities in Italy to Lamezia. For budget airlines, look at whichbudget.com or skyscanner.net.

This website links you directly to the B&B's website or gives the owners contact info.
http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-ital...atanzaro_2.cfm

I think you can spend time in both Venice and Florence. If I were planning this trip for myself, it might look something like this:
Fly to Venice
Days 1-4 Venice
Day 5, Train to Florence
Days 5-10 Florence, with daytrips to Siena, Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano by train/bus.
Day 11 Train or fly to Lamezia/Catanzaro
Days 11-18 Catanzaro with rental car for daytrips.
Day 19 Drive or train to Amalfi Coast.
Days 19-24 Amalfi Coast with daytrips to Capri, Pompeii, Naples.
Day 25 train to Rome.
Days 25-29 Rome.
Day 30 Fly home.
Of course, this is a rough outline. You can tweak the days as you see fit or drop an area and visit Sicily. But it gives you an idea of how many days to spend in each area.

If you plan to spend time in Calabria, I highly recommend the book, Stolen Figs, about the author's time meanderings in that area, and his visit to family members.

http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Figs-Ot.../dp/0865476276

Good itinerary from Grinisa !

Oh, thank you all so very much. The itinerary looks intriguing. Now I will begin looking at places to stay, and visit. I'm always open to more suggestions.

Hi, cusogolf -

Another option is to leave Venice, Florence, and Rome for another trip and instead spend your time in Sicily and/or the Amalfi Coast. There is plenty to see there to keep you busy for several weeks.

The good news is that you will see wonderful things either way!