We are planning 2 weeks in Italy next fall. This will be first trip to Italy. Any suggestions on itinerary / region to focus on for first timers

Amalfi Coast

Jeanne <BR>What interests you? Museums and art? <BR>Countryside? Cities? Ruins and historic sites? <BR>Will you be driving, or taking the train? <BR>My first trip to Italy (10 days)combined Venice and Florence with a couple of daytrips from those locations. I know it's heresy to not include Rome at first, but I was thrilled with that trip. <BR>It is generally better to confine yourself to either the north or the south. For just one example, in the north you could do a circuit including some of these: the lake district, Venice, Florence and/or Rome, plus, depending on time, daytrips to Pompeii, Siena, Tuscany. Or work in the Cinque Terre coastal area. <BR>Perhaps narrow down your interests a bit, do a little reading, and ask again.

Friends: My suggestion (I have studied for three summers in Italy) is to start in large cities and work north. My favorite region is Lombardy (The Lakes Region). Stay in Rome close to the Forum or Colissium so you can walk to many of the sites (don't forget the walk that includes the Bernini fountains). In Florence there are several good hotels very close to the Duomo and from there you can walk everywhere. It is also close to the train station but I always have luggage and take a cab there if I am leaving on a train. Then the end of your trip should be on Lago Maggiore, Stresa or other towns on the lake. You must go to the Villa Taranto (a garden you can walk through -- actually three villas put together. Villa Taranto even has its own stop on the commuter boat. Very close to Stresa. In Stresa you can catch a funicular railcar up to the top of the mountain and have a spectacular view of the Alps. I will continue to return to northern Italy--my favorite region and close to Venice and Milan and then South to Pisa and Florence and Rome or vice versa. Happy travel!

We just returned from an extended tour of Italy, entering the country from the North from Germany/Austria. <BR> <BR>Although we didn't stay in the area, the Dolomiti were spectacular. I imagine the lakes region is equally beautiful. <BR> <BR>Venice is certainly a must. I only wish we'd had time to linger, as that is the effect it has. We stayed at the very pleasant and well-located Pensione Accademia and had no trouble navigating the city and walking to San Marco. <BR> <BR>I have mixed feelings about Florence and Siena. Although I agree that their architecture and art treasures are a must see, I don't think I would care to spend to much time staying there. Instead, we chose Lucca as a base near Tuscany and found it perfectly charming and much less overrun with tourists and traffic. (By the way, we drove the entire trip.) <BR> <BR>Rome is another must, and does invite lingering. Of the sights that sometimes go unmentioned here, do try to visit the Villa Borghese gallery. Even after the Vatican Museum, it was a treat, and the setting is gorgeous. Our hotel in Rome was a VERY nice surprise for the money. We stayed at Hotel Celio, very near the Colosseum. The hosts were excellent and the decor and furnishings felt more like a top class hotel. We were able to give our car keys to the owner, and he parked it right in the little driveway by the hotel. <BR> <BR>From Rome, we moved on to Positano. All of the Sorrento Peninsula/Amalfi Coast is stunning, but Ravello was definitely my favorite for absolute splendor. We had a wonderful hotel in Positano (Villa Rosa) but I might consider a stay in Ravello next time...it's that enchanting. Driving the coast roads was definitely an adventure, but since there are several spots to stop the car, I found others' advice that the driver would miss the scenery to be a bit overstated. <BR> <BR>After Positano, we stopped back in Lucca on our way to the Cinque Terre and Riviera. We did make the obligatory stop at Pisa to see the tower, but I am glad we didn't plan for more time there. <BR> <BR>The Cinque Terre was as spectacular as you've heard, but a bit more touristy than I had anticipated. I think my favorite part of our visit was driving the twisting roads over the coast leading down to the the villages. The views were gorgeous and every curve revealed a new vista. Because there was a storm the day before that caused very rough seas, we had to scratch our plans to ferry from Monterosso to other villages and instead took the train. Vernazza was nice, but not as sleepy as I had expected. For it's size, it just couldn't handle the two or three trainloads of tourists that had descended there. <BR> <BR>We then headed to the Portofino area. I was very impressed with Santa Margherita and regretted having moved our base on the Italian Riviera closer to France. Portofino was charming, but much more compact than I expected. A drive along the peninsula to Camogli was lovely. <BR> <BR>Finally, we ended our Italian tour in Bordighera, an old Belle Epoque resort. From that base, we had easy access to San Remo (no big recommendation) and Menton, just over the border. Menton was lovely and worth a visit. <BR> <BR>Since you only inquired about Italy, I'll stop there, but if you decide to venture further to the French Riviera, let me know.

Daniel <BR> <BR>Must say I enjoyed reading your travelogue. Nicely done. Makes me feel I should grab my thermos and head for Italy right 'now'. (*smile*) <BR>When you say 'extended trip', how long were you actually in Italy? <BR>thanks <BR>Lenore <BR>Ps. It's so much fun reading peoples' travels. I get to visit so many places that way. <BR> <BR>

Jeanne, We just got back in May from a two week trip to Italy. Our 1st tiem as well. Here was our itinerary. <BR> <BR>Fly into Rome <BR>4 days there in B&B <BR>2 days for Amalfi coast and Pompeii <BR>up to Orvieto and Civiia for 2 nights for some small town life <BR>2 nights in Sienna <BR>3 nights in Venice <BR> <BR>I was very happy with our selections. We can take only so much of the big cities and found this itinerary to be a nice mix of smaller towns as well as "must see's". <BR> <BR>If I can be of any assistance please feel free to ask.

To "the turnip" - Please tell me which B&B you stayed at while in Rome. Did you like it? I am looking for a B&B which will accommodate 4 people. Thank you!

Definitely one week in Tuscany: plenty of art, sites, countryside and entertainment! Then spend another week on the amalfi coast, complete change of scene yet the same country! <BR>To truly live the Italian experience "from within", rent a villa/apartment rather than book a hotel: it will be much cheaper and you'll enjoy the comfort of your home away from home. Check Rentvillas.com's website: they're Italy specialists and have a selection of properties for rent for all tastes and budgets, plus a great service. Check also anticosoleitaly.com: they're a special breed of travel agents who will recommend a personalized itinerary based on your interests.

Jeanne, first off two weeks in not enough, we lived in Italy for three years and never saw all that we wanted. Like Elaine said you need to pick an interest or better yet a region and see all you can see in those two weeks. For me Rome and South is my favorite: 1) I lived in Naples, and 2) the southern Italian food is outstanding. I would suggest Rome, Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravello, Pompei, and the island of Ischia (which is off the coast of Naples. The web has information on all these sites. In Rome we stay at a hotel called Hotel Sant'Anna on Porgo Pio (near the Vatican). Great location and wonderful tratoria's in the area (there is even a good Chinese Restuarant near-by). If countryside, rolling hills, open spaces, and wine is your interet I would do the Tucany Valley (Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Pisa). I could talk for hours about all there is to see and do in Italy. Hope this helped, if you need more let me know.

Jeanne: We spent two weeks in Italy this past summer. Our itinerary was: <BR> <BR>1. One week in Tuscany, with day trips including Florence.(We rented a house for the week.) <BR>2. One day to visit Pisa (my son insisted) and overnight stay in Lucca. <BR>3. One week in the Dolomites. (We rented a vacation apartment for the week.) <BR> <BR>Tuscany and the Dolomites couldn't have been more different, but both spectacular. We had a blast! <BR>