I've been reading through several posts on the topic to get ideas, but thought it best to post my own question. My husband and I are considering a trip to Italy some time during the next 18 months. We've never been to Europe, but Italy seems like a good place to start (also considered Spain)! We're in our early 30's, active enough to enjoy outdoor activities (and can do a good amount of walking), want to be immersed in the culture/food/history of the places we stay, and want to plan for 2.5 weeks (including travel time). We're open to visiting museums and historical sites, but also want time to relax and enjoy some romance along the coastline and other beautiful scenery. We want to see as much as possible while also not rushing around too much. I would love your suggestions on cities, best time of year to visit, and itineraries if you would be so kind. Thank you in advance!
Posted by
Seattle, Wa, USA
663 posts
Best time to go is Spring or Fall. With 2.5 weeks you should see the "big 3", Venice, Florence/Tuscany, and Rome, then add in 1 or 2 other destinations based on your interests. If you like quaint seaside villages then I suggest either Cinque Terre OR Amalfi Coast (Amalfi if you have interest in visiting Pompeii and LOVE lemons), if you cant get enough mountains and hiking go to the dolomites, or if you cant resist being lazy by a lake then Italy has 3 beautiful ones to choose from. In Spring start in the south and work your way north. In fall do the opposite.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Great advice from Angela. If you give four nights each to Venice, Florence, and Rome, you can use the other nights for the Amalfi Coast, the Dolomites, or one of the Lakes. Some of the four-day stays could include a daytrip or two.
You could fly into Venice, then go to the Dolomites or the Lakes; then Florence with a daytrip or two in Tuscany; then I would go to the Amalfi Coast and end your trip in Rome so you can fly out from there.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15158 posts
First count the nights you will be on the ground, then allocate them to the locations you wish. Keep in mind that 3 nights in one place is only two full days there. Two nights is one full day. Try to spend at least two nights in each place to avoid the time waste that goes into changing locations and hotel. Often it's faster to take day trips to different towns close by from a central base than going to different hotels in each town.
2.5 weeks including travel is probably about 15 nights on the ground. Allocate as you wish, but my absolute minimum recommended number of nights in each of the following famous locations is:
Venice with Murano and Burano day trip (3)
Dolomites mountains (3)
Lake Garda or Como (2)
Lake Maggiore and Orta (3)
Florence with one Tuscany day trip (3). Add more nights for each additional day trip you wish.
Cinque Terre (2)
Rome (3), if adding Orvieto day trip add one night.
Amalfi Coast/Sorrento with Capri or Pompeii (3)
Sicily (6)
Choose what you wish. I mentioned only the very top destinations.
These are absolute minimums. So you may want to select fewer locations and add a night or two to each.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32201 posts
I agree, Italy would be a fantastic place to start your travels in Europe! With only 2.5 weeks, I'd suggest limiting your trip this time to Rome and the north of Italy, in order to minimize transportation times. You could (for example) visit Venice, Florence, the Cinque Terrre OR one of the lakes and Rome. The usual thinking here is to start in Venice and work south. The "best time" (IMO) are the shoulder seasons (May/June or Sept./Oct.) as the weather is usually still reasonably good and it's a bit less crowded.
As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door sometime soon, as that has a lot of great information on "how" to travel in Europe. After that have a look at the Italy 2015 guidebook which has all the information you'll need on hotels, restaurants, transportation and sightseeing.