ULTIMATE ITALIAN ITINERARY
 

My partner & I are travelling to Italy mid May, we will have approx 20 days there. We are in our late 20's & have never been to Italy before.
We are thinking of getting a Trentitalia train pass to get between the bigger cities.
This is our itinerary as it stands at the moment but would love any suggestions, recommendations, hotels(budget) etc...

Rome: 3 days
Sorrento: 4 days(explore Amalfi coast for here)
Florence: 1 day
San Gimignamo: 4 days(explore Tuscany)
Cinque Terra: 3 days
Lakes: 2 days(probably Lake Garda, Sirmione)
Venice: 2 days

Thanks

Sounds OK to me. Some people might say that it is a tad rushed but that all depends on how you like to travel.

If you book your train tickets in advance you can get first class ES tickets for E29 so a rail pass may not be cheaper.

With a rail pass you are possibly still going to need to book reservations for seats.

If you are avid hikers who love climbing high above the sea, spending 7 of your 20 days in both the Amalfi and Cinque Terre makes sense. But otherwise, you might want to choose one over the other -- and since the Amalfi offers you both Pompeii and the treasures of Naples, I'd suggest that.

You have not picked the most scenic area of Lago di Garda, and without a car, you'd find it hard to access those parts in such a short time frame. Lago di Como is the most scenic lake and it is accessible by train. Lago Maggiore has charm and interesting boat excursions to its islands, and offers easy access to mountain hikes (and Malpensa airport if you are flying out of Milan).

You say you are using the train to get to major cities but you've given yourself far more time in the countryside, which makes me think you'd do better, budget-wise and given your interests, to pick smaller Italian cities on the train line that see far fewer tourists but which have fantastic sites. Do some research on Verona, Treviso, Ravenna, Torino, Perugia (an outstanding town full of art and young people). All can be reached by train, and you might find them much more user-friendly and rewarding than the large, heavily touristed cities.

Hi

My wife and I went to Rome for the first time last year and it was amazing. I would like to recommend that you stay a bit longer there because there is a lot to see and do in the city. I have posted a trip report with pictures, links, restaurant "review" etc on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there ((A))

We also went to Venice a couple of years back and that was also nice. We had a bit of a heat wave when we went there and it was hot walking around all day. Here is a trip report with some pictures: http://gardkarlsen.com/italy_venice.htm

Have a great trip to Italy :d

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Hi W,

>We are thinking of getting a Trentitalia train pass ....<

It is unlikely that you will want one.Enter youritinerary at www.railsaver.com and click "only if it saves money".

I suggest that you leave the CT for another visit and add a day to the AC.

Add the other 2 days Rome. Use one to visit Orvieto.

Unless you are going to rent a car, you have too many days in Tuscany. I suggest 4 days in Florence. From there you can visit Siena and San G as day trips by bus.

Add one more day to Venice.

Considering that you will have 5 days on the AC, I think that you could add your days on Lake Garda to Venice.

Have a nice visit.

((I))

Hi Wilamena,

I agree with Ira's and nessundorma's suggestions. If it were me, I would:

4 days Rome
4 days Amalfi Coast
1 day Orvieto, then pick up car
2 days Montepulciano/Pienza area
3 days Siena (bus to Florence for a day trip)
2 days Lago Maggiore (with or without car)
4 days Venice

I doubt you will save money with a Trenitalia pass. You could turn in the car either in Siena or Venice.

Buon viaggio!

I would do a max of 6 destinations. Dayle has a good start, but I would combine the 2 Tuscany locations and sub the Cinque Terre for the lakes.

Thank you all so much! Every one of the comments were extremely helpfull!
I am going to take-in everyone's advice & rethink my itineray.