Planing a trip to Italy next summer. I have been to Lake Garda,Verona,Venice,Naples,Sorrento, Positano and Capri.
Any recommendations for other locations?
Whats your favourite location?

My favorite area is the Tuscany area--just the scenery and food. I went there without knowing a thing about Italy and just fell in love with the area.

These previous destinations have been part of one trip? several?

And you skipped Milan, Florence/Tuscany, Umbria, Rome and everything else between Verona and Campania?

Almost makes one wonder how you got into and out of Italy (yes, I realize that you could have driven and out - - or flown into/out of Verona, Venice or Naples). Perhaps we are supposed to guess that you are European (English?) by your spelling of "favourite" - - and thus you did not have the need to make trans-atlantic connections into/out of Italy.

Florence/Tuscany, Umbria and Rome seem to be the obvious answer(s) to your question.

Best wishes,

Rex

You've already been to my favorite. So I'll go with Rome--there is no place in Italy (perhaps Europe) that has so many varied, high quality sights and things to do. Ancient, modern, and everything in between. Art, architecture, food, nightlife, parks, museums, music, etc, etc, etc.

Thanks for your quick response!
Rex- several trips over a few years when based in europe.
Great info. keep it up, thanks.

Just have to point out that Canadians also spell favourite with a u, not just Brits/Europeans!

In addition to the ones already mentioned, my family also the Italian Riviera. Have stayed in Lavagna (because friends have an apartment there) a couple of times and loved the people, food (the best pesto anywhere), views, water, hiking the CT, Porofino, boating, Geneoa, etc. People are very friendly and, in most places, we were the only Americans around - people actually stared as us when they heard us speak - except on the CT. Hiking in summer twice, we only passed Americans and Germans. Way too hot for others I suppose.

We also enjoyed Milan (Duomo, The Last Supper) and Lake Como (beautiful and very restful).

Ciao . . .

On our honeymoon we spent a few days in Umbria in Assisi...cant wait to go back. Not as crowded with tourists, very quant

My favourite place in all of Italy is inside Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Santa Maria Novella in Florence. I love to walk in, wave my shopping list around, and yell, "Sweetie, bring me a trolley." I also love Ferragamo just a few blocks away. When they see me coming through the door, they have already poured me a glass of Champagne. Krug goes so well with a Tuscan riding jacket, plus everyone looks so much better looking after 3 glasses. Cheers.

When traveling outside the USA, I always spell it "favourite" so them thar foreigners will think I'm Canadian.

if you want history and shopping- florence, etc..then onto the rest of tuscany for a more relaxed eating and wine tasting, seeing hill towns, etc....for a more active environment with great scenery- the cinque terre -hiking, relaxing, etc. lake como is very nice too, but pretty quiet...rome is a great city if you love history and art...you can't go wrong with any of these choices- i'd be hard pressed if i had to choose only one...have fun deciding

My favorite regions so far are Tuscany, Umbria, Sicily and Basilicata. Since you have not yet been to Florence, I'd recommend that on your next trip you go to Florence (which is in the region of Tuscany) for several days, and then, if you want to, spend part of your time based in a smaller town in Tuscany or Umbria and take day trips from there.

Hi sea,

No reason not to see Venice again. It's been cleaned up since you were there.

Then on to Florence and Tuscany.

Love it all but really enjoyed staying in a beautiful villa in Massa Lubrense on the Sorrentine Peninsula. We stayed for two weeks. It is a lovely area.

Well, it seems you have done Veneto and the Amalfi coast--they are certainly 2 of my top ten destinations.
That leaves you only 8 more to consider. I would start with the Tuscany hill towns and add on the Cinque Terre--and then depart from Milan and stay at Lago Orta before.

Hi Mariana,

Would you tell me the name and if possible a web site for your villa?

Thanks,

Tam

Thanks to all for your great ideas.
It looks as if its going to be Rome or Florence. Now I have to decide on Hotels, any ideas on 3* or 4 * would be appreciated.
Thanks again.

A short list of Rome hotels that are well thought of, here on this forum would surely include Albergo del Senato, and Hotel Cesari - - in the general 3* star range, I think, though neither has a true restaurant - - only a breakfast room. I have stayed in both and recommend them without hesitation.

Minerva would be a similarly good choice (4*?) if your wallet is fatter. I have only eaten brunch there, on their rooftop terrace restaurant.

In Florence, Beacci Tornabuoni gets consistently good remarks (more highly-rated "reviews" on Fodors Rants'n'Raves than any other hotel in Florence, I think), though I am not familiar with it personally.

TamT,

The website is http://www.villeinitalia.com/index.shtml

I wish these were our villas - they were ours only for a week each. Both have pools now - they didn't when we were there 2 years ago.

We stayed at Villa Bouganville and Il Frutteto. Both were wonderful. The Bouganville was absolutely beautifully decorated - a showplace - it won an award as an outstanding villa a while back. Owners had magazine with article on the coffee table. It was right by the sea. Il Frutetto was lovely also, but more comfortably decorated - very spacious. Since it was up in the hills, it had the most amazing view of the Bay of Naples - Capri, Vesuvius - just wonderful. I swear that at night we could see the lights twinkling in the town my mother was born in.

We were very pleased with both villas we rented. If you want to read more about the trip, search under my name before registration - Mari - or Massa Lubrense. My reports are still here somewhere.

We are going back but without the mothers and the rest of the family this time - just the two of us so we are not renting large places. If you go, please post about your trip.

Have a wonderful time!