Two weeks is never enough! help with itinerary please
 

My husband and I will be in Italy for the first two weeks of September and want to see everything like most of us in a very short amount of time. I know it might seems too cramped but we are ready for that just so we can see as much as possible. I like to share my itinerary with you seasoned travelers and will appreciate your suggestions very much. A quick note about us: we are 30 yrs old, healthy and fit (I'm saying this just to clarify we can run-run-run without so much of a relaxing time) two food lovers :) We both love nature, unique sights, not much into museums (although I like to see a few) and churches, love hillside towns, country side, vineyards, picturesque anything, local people and food... Also note we don't know any Italian. (will try to learn some basic stuff before leaving)

So here it goes:
8/30 - Leaving LAX to VCE
8/31 - Arrive at VCE A.M. and stay 2 nights
9/2 - Leave Venice in A.M. for Bologna (we can take train there or rent). Stay there 4 nights and see Padua, Ferrera and Florence. Maybe some other places
9/6 - Leave Bologna in A.M. for Siena or another small town. Stay there for 6 nights and do day trips.
9/12 - Leave Siena in A.M for Rome.
9/15 - Leave/arrive FCO for LAX

Is this plan doable? This is basically a rough plan, nothing set yet. But as I mentioned earlier, we would like to see as much as possible as we most likely won't return to Italy for vacation again. Any suggestions for places that we should consider? Appreciate your comments.

Thanks.

Yes, you plan is doable. Considering your interests, I am wondering why you chose some of the places. I toin you would only really need a car once you reached siena.

Padua is MUCH closer to Venice than to Bologna. You might even stop in Padua on your way to Bologna.

Similarly, to reach Siena from Bologna, you will probably pass through Florence, so you might stop for the day in Florence on your way to Siena.

I THINK you would only really need a car once you reached Siena.

Padova is closer to Venice. Train service between Venice and Padova is more frequent and cheaper than between Bologna and Padova.

You'll hardly get your bearings in Venice in 1+ days.

If you plan many day trips by car in Tuscany, I wouldn't stay in Siena. Pick a smaller town with easier egress/ingress that is as geographically central as possible to the places you want to explore. Or stay in two different towns in different parts of the region over your 6 days. Tuscany is 9000 square miles, so you'll have to be selective in your sightseeing plans.

"We most likely won't return to Italy for vacation again." If that's true, you'll be missing about 90% of all that this wonderful country has to offer.

Jean, where else would you suggest to stay instead of Siena? We would love to come back to Italy but considering we only have two weeks vacation each year and so many great countries/places to visit all over the world, it would be hard to go to same place twice... maybe when we retire :)

Would you also suggest to stay in Venice and do day trips to Padua, Ferrera and maybe Verona?

Ellenem - As I said, our plan is not final yet. This is my initial research trying to figure out what would be more interesting for us. But, I will update the signseeing or day trips after I read the Fr...ers Italy guide.

I think Ferrara is easier to reach from Bologna. But I'm wondering why, with so little time, you want to visit Ferrara. Why did you choose the particular places you have listed?

Ellenem - To tell the truth I just looked at the map and picked places between Venice and Florence :)

Where else to stay instead of Siena? That depends on where in Tuscany you want to explore. There's no point in staying in charming Montepulciano if you want to see Lucca and Pisa which are more than 2 hours away. It might make sense to stay in two towns in different parts of Tuscany.

September is a very popular month. I would figure out your itinerary ASAP and book your lodging.

You can check train timetables here:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD
[use Italian spellings for all towns]

And you can check driving routes and journey times here:

https://maps.google.com/
[add more time to all estimates as Google is almost always too optimistic]

You can do better than this:
1. Spend at least 3 nites in Venice
2. Train to Florence for those 4 nites and see Bologna from there.
3. Get your car as you depart Florence and stay in rural Tuscany for 5 nites---south of Siena
4. Drop the car in Orvieto and train into Rome.

Come back here for more detail after you assimilate the above suggestions. You have real potential here but you need help.

BTW, at age 30 we had zero trips to Italy---now we have 17.
You will return.

"To tell the truth I just looked at the map and picked places between Venice and Florence."

Does that mean Bologna was somewhat of a random choice?

Yup all the places from Venice to Florence are random choices. I guess I wanted to see just to see. Maybe we can stay in two towns in Tuscany as 'Jean' suggested as we would be more happy to see and explore charming hillsides and small country side. And skip those towns I mentioned earlier. There are so many places to see and not much time... I'll try to make a better itinerary tonight. As always any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

I agree with Bob's itinerary.

But I'd change # 3 to: Pick up car when leaving Florence, head to San Gimignano for a few hours before proceeding to Siena for 3 nights. Then head over to Assisi (loved this town and San Gim and Siena!) or Perugia for a night or two. Drive to Orvieto, return the car and store your luggage and spend the day there. Take a late afternoon/evening train to Rome.

Have a wonderful trip!

Coincidence that a segment on Perugia is being shown on Under the Sun (episode is on Italy) as I write this!

I agree with Bob too, but I don't get the impression the OP is very interested in Florence. If that's the case, she should just head to a smaller Tuscan town and perhaps visit Florence (if at all) on a day trip.

There is no place that I'm aware of in Orvieto for storing luggage, but you could drive there in the morning, keep the car (to hold the luggage) while you explore the town, return the car in the afternoon and then train to Rome.

There's an old thread on Fodors where kwren emailed the Hotel Picchio and they responded that they do provide luggage storage at 4 euros/bag. Worth emailing them again to see if anything has changed.

If the car rental office is open late enough, that's an option also!

Ok based on my quick read and view of some pictures of towns, I think I rather spent most of our time in Tuscany than Venice or Rome...We would still stay in Venice 2-3 nights to see as much as possible though.

I bought a popular guidebook and they have a suggestion for one week in Tuscany. So, we would stay in somewhere west/southwest of Florence(any suggestions?)for a few days and have day trips to Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre. From there we would go and stay maybe in Montepulciano for another 3-5 nights and do side trips to Siena, Montelcino, Pienza, San Gimignano, Perugia, Orvieto, Assisi and beautiful Val D'orcia. Wow I just included almost everywhere in Tuscany... But they are all beautiful..
And from where ever we stay we take a train to go to Rome and spend 2-3 nights...??????

I am glad you are open minded on this, but you are shotgunning now. It is hard for us to make chocies for you, but I do think that a week in Tuscany/Umbria basing in two locations is a good plan. GIven that, and staying 3 nites each in Venice and Rome, makes a great trip. Now, focus on which locations in Tuscany/Umbria. Read more of your book and come back with YOUR ideas of what you most want to see.

If you want to see Pisa, Lucca and the Cinque Terre from one base, I'd stay in Pisa. Train from Venice (3.5 hours), train to/from Lucca (30 mins. each way), and train to/from the Cinque Terre (about 2 hours each way). If you want to climb the Leaning Tower, you need to make a timed reservation.

After Pisa, pick up the rental car and drive to your other base in southern Tuscany, perhaps stopping in Volterra or San Gimignano along the way.

If you have only 3-4 days in this second location, you'll have to be very selective about where you explore. First, decide how much time you want to spend in the car (how far from your base you're willing to travel) and whether you'd feel comfortable driving back to your base in the dark (sunset will be at about 7:30p). For me, Assisi would be a nearly all-day excursion because of the driving time, search for parking, walking into and out of the town, seeing the sights, lunch, and desire to get back to the hotel before dark. And I would need a full day each in Siena and Perugia just for the sights.

Also, think about sights other than towns. There are a couple of abbeys you can visit in Tuscany and a few roads you can drive just for iconic Tuscan scenery. If you want to visit a vineyard, you'll need to make a reservation. There are tasting rooms in a few towns, like Montepulciano and Montalcino.

I forgot to add that, if you were willing to skip Pisa, Lucca and the Cinque Terre, you could make your second base in Umbria and be in a better position to see some of that region.

Somebody has already made the point, but Padua can be easily seen on the train trip from Venice to Florence or Bologna.

I think most people visit Padua to see the Scrovegni Chapel. It is worth the effort. You need a pre-booked reservation from the Internet.

We did this. We checked our luggage, saw the chapel, ate a put-together picnic lunch, and went on our way. I'm sure there is more to see in Padua, but we saw what we wanted to see.

Where else could you stay other than Siena? Well, we did stay a few nights in Siena (great for some places like San Gimignano), but our main base for the region was Montepulciano. Smaller, a lovely hilltop town, great for daytrips to Cortona, Assissi, Orvieto etc - plus a couple of lesser-known beauties: Bomarzo (Sacro Bosco Monster Park) and Vulci (Etruscan archeological find).
But we had a car. For what it's worth, I found Tuscany the most relaxing place to drive in - even more so than home!

My experience is that do not plan too much, otherwise you will find that you are rushing the whole trip, not really enjoy it. So take it slow and just enjoy.

We just returned from three weeks in Italy (and we could be your parents), but we have many of the same interest you do and are pretty much on the go all of the time. And, I agree with what Bob said about not assuming that this will be your only trip to Italy

First of all, you do realize that when you get into Venice you will be jet-lagged and sleep deprived and will need to change your time clock by 9 hours. This will catch up with you, and you will lose our on some precious time just sleeping. Venice is marvelous (away from the touristy parts) and you want to make sure you have enough time there.

Each change of location you make you will lose 1/2 to 1 complete day. There is no way around this....

You say you like to eat. I assume this means that you will want to have nice lunches. Lunch is Italy is usually in the early afternoon only and you can eat up a chunk of time just doing this. Also, be aware that if you have a nice lunch with a bottle of wine, you won't be able to just jump in a car and move on to the next spot because you will potentially be over the legal limit for driving.

I agree with the advice not to overplan; the best experiences are often those you never even thought about ahead of time, and they happen serendipitously.

Thanks everyone. Your suggestions are invaluable. Also, does speaking Italian necessary in not so much touristy areas, like small Tuscany towns?

It's always nice to know the pleasantries in the language of the place you're visiting, but fluency is not necessary anywhere on your (current) list of destinations. We've found there is always someone who speaks at least some English.

Hi everyone,

After a little bit more planning we came up with this itinerary. Any suggestions?

9/8 Arrive Venice afternoon (coming from Los Angeles)
9/9-10 Venice
9/11 AM train to Lucca arriving by 1:30pm. Check in to a hotel or B&B. See Lucca for the remaining of the day.
9/12 Day trip to Florence via Train
9/13 Day trip to Pisa (just to see the tower from outside) and Cinque Terre via train
9/14 Check out from hotel AM and rent a car to drive to Montepulciano. This will be our base in South Tuscany
9/15 Val D'Orcia & Montalcino and maybe Cortona
9/16 Orvieto, Umbria
9/17 relax, drive on scenic routes etc
9/18 AM check out from the hotel and drive or train or both to Amalfi Coast. Check in at a hotel in Positano
9/19 Amalfi Coast
9/20 Amalfi Coast
9/21 AM train to Rome
9/22 Rome
9/23 AM flight back home

Questions we have: We can skip Pisa and Lucca if that will make our trip more enjoyable. We'd like to see Cinque Terre but don't have to see it this time. If we do that we can stay in South Tuscany and take a train to see Florence on a day trip. If we do that we could maybe add one more day to Amalfi Coast.
Also, from looking at some pictures and map we thought Montepulciano is beautiful and central to the areas we want to see. Any other suggestions?

Disclosures/admissions: I'm not a fan of Lucca, but I'm a huge fan of Florence. So, I would be staying in Florence and making day trips from there to Pisa and Lucca (even both in a single day). Unless you were planning to see only one or maybe two towns out of the 5, I'd leave the CT for another trip when there was time to do more than a "drive-by."

I wouldn't consider seeing "Val d'Orcia & Montalcino and maybe Cortona" in one day. Too much driving (3+ hours), not enough time exploring towns. Whenever you stop to see a town, you have to find parking outside the center and walk in and out. This takes time. Plus, you need to set aside time for lunch.

Not enough time anywhere for my liking... Five hotels in 2 weeks...

You said you love wine (vineyards). Not stopping/staying in Montepulciano-- doing wine research, and setting up tasting appointments before you go, is almost a wine-sin...

Take some time and taste this wine (lots of them) before you get on the plane. You know what I mean. Start tasting now!

Chat with your favorite sommeliers in LA. Make this stop in Italy count for something you love. Everyone has a different palate, so asking folks here which of these Tuscan beauties they like and which wineries they would (not have) visit is cringe-worthy. This is your journey.

Clearly I am a wine-know. I will be staying in Montepulciano in October, during harvest, which is like a wine-knows dream...

Cars in the center of town are forbidden, so be mindful of this if this is your base.

For Val D'Orcia & Montalcino and maybe Cortona devise a plan.
If it is wine you are after, you have to start your day super early. That said, you need to select one or two of those destinations at the most and make the required appointments for tasting.
For the big wineries (think tour bus parked outside) you don't need an appointment. You just have to be open to having that kind of tasting experience in Italy (Really?).

CT requires much much more time and involves lots and of walking/hiking. That is my humble opinion. Cut something out if this is more of what you love doing.

Finally, I am somewhat of a recovering travel do-it-all, see-it-all, etc. I support your spirit and your can-do attitude. What you have revised is a bit better than what you started with. Unless you have nerves of steel, don't bicker with your spouse--ever, and can stand a few things not going as planned, you will be happy with your "break-neck-don't blink" trip.

Suggestion: Take one more knife to your manifest. Even if you make a small incision, you will be more than ok.

Cheers,
Oaktown Traveler

"Cars in the center of town are forbidden, so be mindful of this if this is your base." Guests of some lodging in the historical center of Montepulciano are allowed to drive in to reach the hotel/B&B.

I think skipping Lucca, Pisa and the CT is a good idea. The Amalfi Coast and southern Tuscany have a lot more of what you're looking for.

Your original itinerary was too city heavy, and left you no time for small towns and a lot of scenery.

I like both Montalcino and San Quirico d'Orcia as bases in Tuscany.

I like Assissi, too. I would say two bases, one in Southern Tuscany, and one in Umbria, would be ideal.

Florence is a great town, but it is all about museums, churches and shopping. I got the impression that those weren't your first choice activities.

I've been to Italy three times and I fully intend to go back! You can never spend too much time in Italy. That being said, I loved Venice and really did not spend enough time there. I would rather stay in Florence than Bologna (if I had to choose). I'm not necessarily sure the Amalfi Coast is worth it on this trip. I'd rather spend more time in Tuscany. But I definitely think you have to go to Rome! I love that city ... a surprise around every corner. You can also easily take the train from Florence to Rome.

As many mentioned before, cutting one or two days in order to spend more time in a single location is definately something I'd recommend. Obviously, it depends on how your personal preference but a single day in Venice (considering jet-lag and check-in) as well as two days for Rome are too short to even get the touch of either location. Depending on your real interests the same might apply to Florence.

I can imagine you want to see it all, however, despite of this being possible I'd rather see a place and get to know it without having to rush and travel all the time. That being said, really think about what you'd love to see most, pick three main things and construct a plan around those topics with a trip here and there instead of hopping from place to place every single day. Let there be space for playing something by the ear, too.

In your new itinerary, you are on the train or in a car almost every day. I wory that you will spend more time traveling to places than actually enjoying those places. For two weeks, I would suggest choosing three main locations: Venice, somewhere in Tuscany, and either Rome OR Amalfi Coast. That will give you three very different experiences in Italy, with enough time to really enjoy them.

Any suggestions for charming little B&B's or small hotels in Montepulciano or Umbria area?

Maybe Assisi?

You didn't mention a budget, but here goes... We stayed in this very small hotel in Montepulciano for a week. Loved it and would stay again in a heartbeat.

http://www.locandasanfrancesco.it/index.php

We don't have a very tight budget but not much either..So around $200-300 a night would be good... This hotel looks very nice but they don't have any availability for the days we are looking into... :( It was the case when I was looking at many other good places...I guess September is a very popular time to go...