1st Trip to Italy - 10 Nights

with such a short amount of time, I would be hesitant to add another distant location, particularly if you want a "honeymoon feel". You mentioned Verona – that is easily done as a day trip from Venice. Instead of adding a third site, I would add more time in Venice. It's a unique and romantic city.

If you want to add a third place that's more nature oriented, how about Lake Garda, which is lovely and not very far from Verona. You could fly into Venice and spend a few days, then go on to Lake Garda (either stopping in Verona on the way, or doing Verona as a day trip), and then move on to Florence. Florence is an easy city to fly out of since the airport is relatively small and close to the city.

I would vote for either Cinque Terre or Lake Como. They are beautiful places with few museums, so it's just the two of you enjoying time together.

reuters,

First of all, congratulations! A few thoughts......

• I've found that September is a great month to travel. There are never any guarantees with the weather, but most of the time it's been warm and sunny.
• With such a short trip, I'd suggest skipping the Amalfi Coast and Capri this time.
• One route that you could use is Venice > Florence > Cinque Terre and then one night in Milan prior to your flight home. I don't believe you have time for more than that.
• You could also consider flight to Milan > Lake Como > Florence > Cinque Terre and than one night Milan.
• Lago di Como and the town of Varenna are perfect for Luna di Miele, but if you wanted to add that you might have to skip something else.
• Which of the five C.T. towns would you prefer to stay in?

Good luck with your planning!

Ken - Thank you so much :) From what I've been reading, it seems like maybe Monterosso and Riomaggiore has more restaurants and shops. What are your thoughts?

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!
We liked Monterosso for its larger selection of services in general but I think you'll find that we all have our favorites of the villages! We'd also wanted quick, easy, relatively level access to a train station and were able to find it there: nice when arriving/departing with more than a carryon.

Definitely put the Amalfi Coast and Rome on your anniversary list. You've got a full itinerary as it is. Verona can be a satisfying daytrip from Venice, but if you want a lovely, smaller town for a night or two, Vicenza might be a good idea.

Thank you so much to everyone that responded!

I am still torn between Lake Como/Bellagio and Cinque Terre. At first I was definitely leaning towards CT, but now I'm thinking Como. My fiance and I like to be outdoors (enjoy the beauty of nature), eat good food, and shopping. I great up at the ocean, so while I love the water, swimming is not a must do (we aren't looking for a beach). My concern: can Como be done while on a budget?

Look at the opera schedule for Verona. It ends sometime in September. If your dates work out, try to fit in an overnight there and an outdoor opera performance in the Arena (you'll need to book early for both the opera and the hotel). I haven't been to the opera yet, but the people I've talked to who have gone said it was a wonderful experience, very special even for not-so-opera-buffs. It has lots of great sights during the day too.

The city of Como itself probably has the best selection of budget-priced hotel rooms. Transportation to the other cities is very easy from Como. I think Varenna and Bellagio might have less budget-friendly accommodations, but I'm not sure about that.

Another town, Lecco, has hotel listings from 45 euro to over 100 euro per night, double. Check booking.com or some other booking service to compare possible places.

With only ten nights, I'd suggest confining your trip to Venice & Florence. In Venice you can do a day trip to Verona. You can also day trip to Murano & Burano. Florence can easily consume half your time or you could do a day trip or two. No need to rush on this trip. Just plan on going back. TC