I am planning a trip in 2016 from early March thru May. Is Milan the best city to fly into to go to Cinque Terre? A couple of nights there then 3-4 days in Cinque Terre. Then I'd work my way across Italy to the Adriatic Coast spending about a month in a hill town in Le Marche (considering Urbino) to relax but also be somewhat active walking up and down the hills, then taking the ferry to Split and spending about a month in Croatia mostly using Dubrovnik as a base. Then continuing on to Athens (maybe by air) with a few nights there and then Santorini 3-4 days and flying back to the U.S. from Athens. I won't be renting a car so I will be traveling by train, bus or ferry most of the time. I'm planning to rent small apartments using vrbo or homeaway for both short and longer term stays. I've been to Europe before on short trips (10 days to 2 weeks except back packing for two months mostly in Italy when I was in college) and seen quite a bit of Italy. Now I'm retired and would like longer stays in some places to really savor them and experience them like a local. I'd be traveling solo and must say I am relatively healthy and physically fit. I'd really appreciate ideas regarding best city to fly from the U.S. and back, as well as land transportation (or flying whenever it makes sense) while in Europe. Thanks in advance.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32345 posts
A few thoughts on your travel plans.....
- Yes, Milan is one of the best airports to use for accessing the Cinque Terre.
- Early March is not a particularly good time to visit the Cinque Terre. The tourist season doesn't "officially" start until about 1 April, so some of the tourist-related businesses may not be open. In addition, the weather may be a bit on the "chilly" side and if it's raining it won't be a pleasant experience.
- Be sure that your three month stay is limited to 90 days, according to the terms of the Schengen Treaty.
- Flying inbound to Milan and outbound from Athens sounds good.
- If you're using private accommodations (not hotels or other commercial establishments), note that some countries have a requirement for visitors to register at the local police station or whatever within three days of arrival. I believe that's the case in Italy, but I'd have to check on Croatia and Greece.
Aside from those points, it sounds like a wonderful holiday!
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Hello gltrot1k. I was at Urbino in Italy. I did not like it much. I think being at that area in Italy for one month would be very boring.
And, rather than stay in Croatia for one month, I would prefer to do Greek island hopping at the Aegean Sea. All of those islands are not the same. I would wish to go to the islands Naxos, Folegandos, Sifnos, Crete, ... Naxos and Crete have airports for airline flights from Athens airport. A fast boat goes from Sifnos to the Port of Piraeus (near Athens). (Edit) The island of Greece that I would like staying at for many days is Naxos.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Flying from Croatia to Greece is pretty much the only transport option between them. www.skyscanner.com shows a direct Dubrovnik-Athens flight on Croatian Air for $350 and that's the only flight suggested on a couple of different test dates. There is no ferry unless you return to Italy and also no reasonable bus or train option. I would also be looking for a more equitable split of time between the three countries. Greece has plenty to see, but if you feel less inspired about it, then it might not be worth the flight hassles.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
If you like steep streets, you will love Urbino. The region, Le Marche, is not widely visited by Americans and has a lot to offer. Just to the north is Emilia-Romagna, another region with beautiful towns, great food.
Have you considered going down the Adriatic coast to Puglia? Many beautiful small towns, and ferries to Croatia from Bari.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you all so much for your comments and suggestions. I want to travel in the off season and shoulder season to save money and avoid the crowds. Point well taken about the Cinque Terre's weather in March. By the same token if I reverse the order of the itinerary (which I thought of) and start in Santorini, March would not be a good time to be there either. So I have been thinking about modifying my itinerary by staying on the east side of the Adriatic and visiting the Cinque Terre and Le Marche on a future trip. I'd like your ideas about the following starting in late March:
1. Ljubljana about 2 weeks
2. Zagreb about 2 weeks
Late April - early May:
1. Split 5 - 7 days
2. Dubrovnik about 3 - 4 weeks (with some side trips to Montenegro)
Late May - early June
1. Athens 4-5 days
2. Santorini 4-5 days
Fly back to the US from Athens
Note: The Dalmatian Coast would be my main focus. Although island hopping in Greece sounds exciting it would probably be quite expensive.