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11 days, soaking in culture

Posted by (Boston) on

We are traveling to Italy for the first time June 19-30. We are looking to relax, take in the sites rather than run from "must see" to "must see". I am envisioning sitting with coffee/gelato on a square people watching, visiting gardens and meandering down streets. Local food tours are top on the list...

The first five days and nights are in Rome due to my spouse's conference. We must fly out of Rome early on the 30th, so will return on the 29th for a night.

I plan to research ideas for my exploration of Rome while he is at the conference 5 days.

The real question is where to go after Rome. We have been thinking about heading from Rome to Florence/Bologna for a quieter scene and the famous olive oil/balsamic vinegar/cheese tours. Is 5 days too long there? Would day trip or a night or two in Venice make sense?

Thanks for any advice. I have been exploring Rick Steve's First Time in Italy information and am a bit overwhelmed.

Posted by
359 posts

I would pick a small town rather than another city and since it will be hot in June I would find a place near the ocean like Sorrento, if it were another time of year I would say Orvieto. Sorrento is about a 3 hour trip south from Rome and Sorrento is about an hour and half north. You could do both with 5 nights. J

Posted by
154 posts

Don’t try to do too much. Sorrento with access to Capri and Amalfi Coast or Pompeii / Heraculeum could be nice. I like islands and 2 nights in Capri in 2019 was pleasant but get out of the main tourist square which is crowded and expensive. Then we went to Sorrento for a few nights and on to Amalfi Coast for 4 nights.
You could look at Ponza which is close to Rome. This year we’re going to Umbria and the northern lakes area and Dolomites with Sicily and it’s adjacent islands for next trip. Too many Italian places to see and experience plus other countries.

Posted by
2455 posts

CupOfTea, Parma jumped out at me as a good possibility. Small and very old city, world-famous food scene. Close to other similar small cities and smaller towns. Nearby Bologna would be another great possibility, although it is a bigger city and likely less relaxed.
Sorrento, Capri and Venice are all lovely, but heavily touristed, especially in June.

Posted by
3122 posts

I think Venice would be pushing it, unless you just go straight to Venice from Rome and back. But many people praise Bologna for its food and charm. If you feel 5 days in Bologna is too long, you could easily do day trips from there to Ferrara, Modena, and Ravenna.

As others pointed out, the weather is likely to be hot in late June. If a seaside location that's not too heavily touristed appeals to you, you might head north from Rome to Tarquinia, which has Etruscan archaeological sites worth a few hours as well as a very nice beach. North from there along the coast could be interesting to explore. A Lonely Planet guidebook or site would probably give you more info than what you can get from RS.

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