Dear Fodorites/ Europe experts, Need valuable advice for a 15 days Italy Road trip.
We are a family of 4- We Husband- Wife Architects-my daughters- 25 Doctor and 22 Architect from Mumbai, India.

Me and wife have traveled to Italy 3 times earlier. Have been to the the main touristy places like Rome (Twice), Venice (Thrice), Milan, Florence, Pisa.

A little less touristy places like South of Rome- Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi coast, Riviera- Cinque Terre, Portofino, Lake Como.

Last time was 10 years ago on our 20th Wedding anniversary.
This time it is 30th. This is also a reward to my daughters for working hard and successfully completing their professional degree courses with flying colours.
It's the 1st time to Italy for my daughters.

Don’t know if I would like to repeat Rome and Venice; as my daughters haven’t seen it. (They don’t mind skipping it for something that we haven’t seen,as they feel they will surely come to Europe again)
Would like to repeat Portofino and may be Bellagio.
Cinque Terre I feel is over-rated by my travel idol Rick Steves.

Milan is definitely a No No.

Not sure and not keen about Genoa and places around.

We would like to see some off beat places we haven't seen and some nice places that we have already been to.

Tuscany and Umbria is surely on the list. Would like to repeat Florence.

We love small scenic villages, beautiful scenery, Vineyards more than big cities.

Have booked my Air tickets to Milan- reaching 14th May 19 at 7 am and leaving Milan Airport on 29th May 19 at 11 am.

We have full 15 days in hand. Will book a car for all 15 days.
We usually follow a pattern of 3-4 nights at 1 place, punctuated in between by 1 night halts at some interesting places on the way.

We have had some fabulous trips due to great help from Fodorites. We have totally changed the way we travel since last 14 years,( Instead of 8 countries in 20 days ) thanks to Fodors Forum. We get something here that Lonely planet or Google cannot give. Hands on experience.

I am sure we will get great help this time too.

Thanks in advance.

What a wonderful time you will have, Paragkash.

My trips are getting dated, but below are a couple of TR's for suggestions:

Turin, Spoleto, Bologna and Bellagio TR [We loved Spoleto and took side trips from there]

Perugia and Rome by train and bus [Again, more day trips--loved Gubbio]

Perugia and Rome by train and bus [From Menton France, we visited Ventimiglia and Genoa Italy]

Also, do a search on Italy here--you will find scads of inspiration. As always, fly into one city and leave from another. You could fly into Venice and fly out of Rome to give your daughters a glimpse before going off to other sites. Have a fabulous time.

Oops, the last one should be: Trip Report from Menton and Lyon

Yes, whatever you do, it will be fabulous. Since you plan to drive, do check the race routes for the Giro d'Italia cycling race, which runs throughout the whole country from May 11-June 2. Routes and roads are bound to be affected.

We loved these Umbrian towns: Bevagna, Montefalco and Assisi

Thanks TDudette. Have saved all your threads for a leisurely reading and study. That will be a great help. Thanks for the wishes.

Thanks Rocket79 for the wishes.
Shall note down these places in umbria and shall visit for sure.

Any suggestions about Dolomites, Bolzano. These picturesque photos always keep inviting. Did some study on the most photographed church with the background of white dolomites. That's 45 minutes from Bolzano on the border of a national park.
I feel it's too far and will make our trip a bit hectic. Rick Steves has it in his whirlwind itinerary of Italy.

If this were just the two of you, I would recommend some of our favorite places like Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia.

You didn’t mention Tuscany or Umbria, so you might include those. The first time my Dad and Mom got all of us "kids" to travel to Italy, they rented a villa in Umbria, outside Spoleto. They took us on a day trip from there by rail to Rome to introduce us there, and that was sufficient for us at the time and didn’t require them to spend a few days there.

In 2015, when we took a trip like you describe (in our case 16 countries in 30 days), we took my wife’s sister to a small town on the border of Tuscany and Umbria (day trips from there to Montepulciano, Perugia,etc.), and we saw San Marino, Civita and then ended up in Rome.

Another year, our adult daughter joined us for a few days on Ischia island before we spent the remainder of her week based in Sorrento see Amalfi coast/Capri. This spring, we will share our daughter’s week with a very quick peek at Venice, the Dolomites and Lake Garda, all places we have been to before.

You can click on our name and see our trip reports for Sardinia, Puglia, northern lakes, and last fall’s time in the Italian Riviera which we thoroughly enjoyed, even Genoa, although we agree with your apparent assessment of Milan.

whitehall, very interesting trips. You are lucky to visit Italy so many times. Would love to do that.

Which is the "small town" on the border of Tuscany and Umbria (day trips from there to Montepulciano, Perugia,etc.), and we saw San Marino, Civita"
Dolomites are pretty too, but are remote for the time we have. We have seen them from Slovenia and similar stuff in French alps near Annecy. So would skip them.

Puglia region is beautiful but remote. Am thinking that this will be my last trip to Italy. I am 53 now. Have seen around 40 countries, but will want to explore the rest of the world too.

Am thinking on these lines at the moment.

Milan to Venice via Verona- Venice 2 N

Venice to Bologna- Florence- 2 N

Florence to Perugia- 2 N ( See Umbria)

Perugia to Rome 2 N

Rome to Siena/ oe Sam Gimignano/ Chianti region- 4 N

??? - 2 N ( May be La Spazia/ Portofino) or extend Tuscany?

Milan - 1N ( before departure)

Is it too Hectic? Should I cut down on some places.
Should I add some places?

The little town was Cetona, not much there, just situated near two great regions. For us, it was more about getting a beautiful Italian apartment for a small amount in a small, but friendly community. The town bordered a large park-like estate where the designer Valentino lived. We stayed in the fall, and there was an olive oil mill there that sold us the first pressing of the season. Our son spent Thanksgiving in the same place. He likes to cook, and there were some nice little shops to provide niceties like homemade pasta and pesto. You might be better served to stay in a busier community like Montepulciano (where we once had a wonderful week). Or even Orvieto.

We went to Perugia for the chocolate festival; that was a disappointment and frankly, for us, Perugia didn’t do much for us.

Your itinerary will be too many places for most posters here, not a problem for us. We will spend 10 days in Umbria, based out of Spoleto, in September. Italy, has an organization that promotes smaller villages and provide 200 or so places a designation of beautiful village. Umbria has a couple dozen, so we will be busy. You simply have too many choices.

I get 6 to 8 nights in Tuscany (Including Florence), which is my main attraction, plus 2 in Umbria.
I can skip Venice and Rome if I have some good suggestions.

For the sake of your daughters, I would also include Venice and Rome, but they don't need to be long stays and maybe even a day trip to each. This spring, we will fly into Venice with our daughter for Dolomites and Lake Garda. She doesn't like touristy places and previously said she had no interest in Venice. We told her we needed to stay near Venice open arrival, and she reluctantly will get a brief look. As a seasoned traveler, she will not regret it. Maybe you could do it as a day trip from Verona. Rome is a good day trip from some place like Orvieto.

Geetika, Whitehall, I agree with you.
Venice is unique and is the only one on earth.
So even if I go their the 4th rime for my daughters, it's worth it.

I remember when I was a teenager, so much was the attraction of Venice, that I used to dream that I will go to Venice at least once before I die.
God has been really kind.

I somehow don't get the feel of the place, unless i sit on a street side cafe at sunset and watch life pass by. I still have clear memories of the dinner we had near Pantheon and evening time spent near Spagna, the Spanish Steps. Rome is beautiful. Both places are photographers' dream.
I also make it a point to watch Roman Holiday, my most favourite of all the movies. It's shear nostalgia.

Skipped all to quickly write why not end up in Rome and fly out from there. Check out the distances between the Umbria/Tuscany towns.

Hi Paragkash,
You may find some useful details in our 'Bella Puglia' trip report here. It covers Puglia, Matera and Rome.
As for Umbria, I am forever trotting our Bevagna as a lesser-known base. It would allow for any number of great daytrips. BUT, my best-kept secret tip for that area is a splurge 'hotel': the Abbazia S. Pietro en valle. World-class views, VG hiking, an outstanding breakfast, all in a genuine historic abbey which attracts non-guests all the time.
Personally, I would make sure that your daughters saw Venice and Rome. Maybe consider apartment rentals in both?
Finally, one worthy daytrip outside of Rome would be Ninfa Gardens. Easily reached by a one hour train to Latina.
Acha!
I am done. The end.

TDudette Open jaw air ticket and One way pick up charge of car rentals is working too high. Hence its Milan to Milan

zebec, will check

Stop off in Bologna - enjoy the university vibe at To Steki - its a Greek taverna but the best eats in the city and cheap too!