jkurtiak

We are thinking about taking a 2 week honey moon in Italy next October, knowing very little about the country, which areas should we visit (that are honeymoon like)
And where should we stay. Our budget for the total trip is about $5-8K.
Thanks
Juli

ira

Hi jk,

I suggest that you start with fodors.com and look at their advice on Italy.

Knowing nothing at all about you, it is difficult to properly respond to your very broad question.

dln

Two ideas to bring you up to speed on knowledge of Italy: go to the library and stock up on books, both text and coffee table variety, and perhaps a visit to a knowledgable and competent travel agent.

The more you inform yourself about the place you intend to visit, the more you ensure a pleasurable trip. Being informed is a wonderful thing. Good luck on your intended honeymoon!

Cicerone

The general practice on this site is that people should do some basic reserach rather than posting general questions like "where should I go". It is hard to respond until we know your interests. Consider waht your interests are as well as what you are NOT interested in: do you want to visit cities, museums and churches; countryside and small charming villages; lay by a beach or a lake; outdoor sports like biking or hiking; what cultural events interest you; are you interested in history, art, music, architecture, cooking lessons. Are you comfortable traveling on your own or do you prefer tours (tours are not the most popular choice here, the tendancy is to do it yourself.)

jamikins

I agree with the above posters. To give you a start, try looking into Amalfi Coast, Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Umbria, Cinque Terre. Take a look at these cities or areas and see if any appeal to you. Any combo or any one would make a great honeymoon (we went to Venice, Assisi and Rome and loved it!)

Jamie

e_roz

We just got back from our honeymoon:
Lake Como, Venice, Florence, S Tuscan Hill towns, Cinque Terre and Milan.
Tuscany was our favorite!
It'll be cooler in Oct so you may also consider the islands or Amalfi coast-beautiful!

Parker

Go to your nearest bookstore and buy Rick Steves Italy for 2003 and read the whole book. He covers all of the major areas and is a great book for first-time travelers to Italy. His book is very easy to read - not like reading a text book! My husband and I have been to Italy four times in the last six years and have almost memorized what Rick Steves has to say. Now we've branched out into other books and use the internet to find 'cool' hotels, apartments, and villas. After that, you may want to search this site for hotel recommendations in the areas you decide. Also, check out the resources available for Italy at www.slowtrav.com.

jkurtiak

Thank you to the last 3 posters. I appreciate the head start. I dont frequent the european board so I was really just looking for general information, for instance if you had honeymooned there where did you go. I have enough things that I am researching for the actual wedding I was just hoping to find a place to start.
Thanks

tory

We just returned from a week in Tuscany (near San Gimignano) and a week in Rome. Tuscany is comprised of lots of romantic and beautiful little towns and has lovely villas to stay in. I would recommend looking into Tuscany. We used www.toscanet.com to book our villa and were more than pleased with it. I didn't have the Rick Steves book but it sounds like a great purchase.

bobthenavigator

It takes about 6 weeks to see most of Italy, so any 2 week itinerary calls for a compromise and a geographic perspective. Go to slowtrav.com and look under the planning section for Italy--that is always a good start. Here is one of the articles there that may give you some ideas.

BOB the NAVIGATORS? FIVE FAVORITE ITINERARIES
__________________________________________________ ______________

MAGICAL FAIRYLANDS:
* Arrive and depart Munich--14 nites--May thru Sep.--car travel
* ITINERARY: Salzburg, Dolomites, Venice, Lake Garda, Bavaria
============================================
BELLA ITALIA:
* Arr Milan, dep Venice--15 nites--car & train travel--April thru Oct.
* ITINERARY: Lakes, Ligurian coast, Tuscany, Florence, Venice
============================================
CLASSIC ITALIA:
* Arrive & depart Rome--12 to 14 nites--car & train travel, all year
* ITINERARY: Florence, Tuscan & Umbrian hilltowns, Rome
============================================
LA DOLCE VITA:
* Arr & dep Rome--12 nites--car & train travel--March thru Oct.
* ITINERARY: Amalfi coast, Tuscan hilltowns, Rome
============================================
OF ALPS & LAKES:
* Arrive and depart Zurich--12 nites--train travel--June thru Sep.
* ITINERARY: Berner Oberland, Lugano, Lake Como, Luzern

THE VILLAGE SAMPLER: My personal favorites?north to south
? Arr Milan & dep Rome---car travel---plan 3 nites per location
? Lake Orta, Castelrotto, Portovenere, Montalcino, Ravello
========================================

Ciao4now

Lake Como is beautiful for a honeymoon, and romantic.
However, in fall, I would opt for the Amalfi coast for warmer weather. Stunning views of the Mediterranean, fun shops, good food, quaint towns, Pompeii nearby. Hydrofoil or charter a boat to the island of Capri which is beautiful, and there is a nice mineral spa on the island of Ischia right along the coastline which are great for all day relaxing in the various pools and sauna cut into the cliff. There are B&Bs on the Amalfi as well as little hotels for honeymooners.

Grinisa

On our honeymoom, my husband and I spent five nights in Rome at the Hassler, five nights in Fiesole (near Florence) at the Villa San Michele, and four nights in Lake Como at the Villa d'Este. It was a great honeymoon but it was in July. For October, I might look at Capri or Positano over Como, although Como will still be beautiful.