massimop

One more tip:

If you pick up a car after Florence to see some part of the Tuscan countryside, it will be tough to find parking for it in le Cinque Terre. Either reserve early with guaranteed parking within the le Cinque Terre villages or substitute staying in Lerici or Tellaro, or Bonassola or Sestri Levante (the latter if you want to swim) and using boats to visit le Cinque Terre. There are trade offs to either choice, which will get evident if you keep le Cinque Terre in your itinerary and do more research on it.

massimop

Adding this:

https://www.visittuscany.com/en/itin...rs-in-tuscany/

Anticipating that some people will scoff at the idea that using google to search for "secret" anything in Tuscany will lead you to the typical tourist hype anyway, but I think most people can sort out quickly that some places being gushed about as "secret" on blogs are simply "not Florence" and finding some places that really do open the door to an interesting Italian itinerary that takes you to parts unknown to most tourists. The Visit Tuscany website has lots of interesting possibilities for taking a chance on something different but totally Tuscan.

Dukey1

My husband feels that Florence is a must see, although he always likes to be off the beaten path.

My question to that would be "why?" I assume because of the wealth of art and there is that. If you go there you will definitely not be anywhere near any UNbeaten paths (and when you see it you'll know why). IMO Bologna is not going to offer <B>as many well-known</B> art works as does Florence but it has plenty of other things to see.

Same question for CT...and would be staying there for several days?

Thanks, BTW, for answering my earlier "authentic" rant/question. I did not mean to be off-putting but when someone tells me I am not staying "in the real Rome" (their exact words) I get annoyed.

ANYWAY...you asked about lodging and my question there is are you limited to a budget level or style of accommodation? Is being nearer something like public transport a preference?

I am attempting to help narrow some things down.

Someone above mentioned Verona. I've spent too many summer months there seeing opera performances to be totally objective. I agree it is wonderful but not so much art-wise.

pariswat

Have a great holiday StCirq

OP if you want to leave from Nice I did the road Nice Cuneo several times and some spots there are beautiful. Cuneo itself is great and devoid of tourists. Been there a dozen times and hardly ever saw a tourist. Myself INC since I go there for work;-)

Went to dole more remote areas and the more remote the lovelier. Like often.

StCirq

As I have been planning my own trip to northern Italy starting next week, I have been researching a number of places besides Torino and Padua. From Milano, not that any of these are "off the beaten path," which we haven't beaten yet, so that's irrelevant to us, are Brescia, Bergamo, Monza, and Lugano, the last of which we will probably avoid because we are not fans of Switzerland. Bologna is also a possibilty, though it's a longer train ride.

Thanks, pariswat. Good to see you here again. Will be heading to Paris at some point and will be in touch

massimop

Lodi is a wonderful and short train ride from Milano, as is Pavia, which is a lovely town even if you don't see the Certosa. If you go to Pavia near November 1st, it's an opportunity to eat "ossi di morto" cookies, which are an All Souls' Day treat Italy, but particularly nice in Pavia. Vignni pastry shop in historic, and even if you dont eat the the bones of the dead there, it has many lovely pastries.

Other possibilities in near Milano if you like rice or goose are Novara and Vercelli (and Vigevano is often said to have one the most beautiful piazze in all of Italy, plus it is a shoe making center, but I've never been).

massimop

kacollier

Another road trip itinerary you might consider is:

Venice > Florence > Tuscan coountryside > Parma > Piemonte wine country (with a day trip to le Cinque Terre > Torino

That too is a fairly popular way to loop through Northern Italy, and while you miss Bologna, you get many of the same food treats (in particular parmiggiano reggiano cheese, Parma hams & fresh egg pasta dishes) plus some very beautiful cultural treasures in the churches and theaters. Furthermore, seeing le Cinque Terre as a day trip from the Piemonte wine country gives you flexibility about weather (or the option to substitute a lees touristed Riviera seaside destination with fewer tourists and less driving, like a combo of Camogli & Zoagli).

PalenQ

What about Cremona? I thought it was nice even if not into violins. Rather off the path.

Pavia was surprisingly nicer than we thought - going there only to catch bus to the Certosa, which we really liked.

Gwendolynn

St Cirq... I envy your time in Stresa... We liked Bergamo. Never thought of visiting ourselves but neighbors had relatives there and persuaded us to go.

I agree with PalenQ that Cremona is nice.... Parma too. Too many places to choose from!

massimop

don't want to clog up kacoller's thread with too many details about off-the-beaten track beauties around Milano, one easy way to get to Lodi is to take Milan's urban metro to the Rogoredo station & then the short commuter train ride from there. Best to go before noon if you want to see the church art.

For Pavia, which is just a straight train ride from Milano Centrale, if one wants to include the Certosa be mindful of its opening hours.

kacollier,

if you opt for an itinerary that includes Parma it can be nice (and cheaper) to stay in one of the many locanda or alberghi ristoranti that are in the farm lands or nearby small towns where you get an outstanding meal. For Parma itself, the excellent restaurant Cocchi is in a hotel whose name I now can't remember which also has parking. For stays right at the doorstep of Parma with good food, check the Chowhound website (as you might want to do for Piemonte if the point is wine and food).

Dukey1

Geez, all this talk about Stresa and Bologna and the food and the rest of it is making me disappointed that our trip over next year does not include MORE of these places we have been before. I wish we could MOVE there.

MFNYC

My feeling towards Italy is, see what you realistically can in each trip, because odds are you'll be coming back. I don't think I'd ever run out of possible Italy itineraries.

StCirq

Well, Dukey, it seems you're already contemplating a move, so why not make this the BIG one? JK