Hello We are excited to take our first trip to Italy this October, and would very much appreciate some advice from the many veterans on this board! We will fly to Venice and out from Rome. Here is an itinerary that is largely fashioned after Rick's recommendation, but there are some holes and we have a couple of specific questions. By the way, we do not plan to rent a car, but instead will rely on trains & buses. Day 1. Arriving Venice early afternoon. Day 2, 3: In Venice Day 4: Venice > Cinque Terre. Day 5: In CT. Day 6: CT > Florence Day 7, 8: in Florence, go to Siena at the end of day 8. Day 9: In Siena Day 10-12: some flexibility, Siena, Orvieto, Civita? Day 13-15 Rome Day 16: Fly out of Rome in the afternoon. Specific questions:
A) the train ride from Venice to CT is 6-7 hours, which almost kills a day. Is there a better way than spending a day on the train for example, does it make sense to stop in a town in the middle, relax, spend the night? B) Various hill towns are mentioned between Siena and Rome. Seeing at least one town may be a welcoming change of scene in an art and history-filled itinerary. However, we won't have a car, and would prefer not to make 1-night hotel reservations for every night. Is there one town that is worth staying for a couple of days, or a town that serves as a convenient base for day trip on the train / buses (to where?)? We are in pretty good shape: definitely enjoy leisure strolls but do not frequently take long hikes (we reserve our hiking energy for Murren in Switzerland :-)). We look forward to soak up on art, history and architectures, but also hope to enjoy a nice sit at a cafe, some authentic Italian food and seeing how locals live! So please share your tips!
Posted by
Green Bay
20103 posts
Instead of Ven>CT>Flor>Siena try Ven>Flor>CT>Siena. Ven>Flor is 2+ hr, Flor>CT is 2 1/2+ hr, CT>Siena 3+ hr. There are still cheap (18 to 20 eu) tickets available in Oct for each leg.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Lauren, I definitely agree with the previous reply. It would be a far more efficient route if you travelled Venice > Florence > Cinque Terre > Siena > Rome, as each leg of the trip would be very reasonable (2-3 hours each). One possibility for another hill town would be to visit Orvieto between Siena and Rome. It's a beautiful hill town in Umbria with an interesting history and only about an hour from Rome by train. If you have the time, you could take a day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio (featured on Rick's travel shows). Be sure to visit the Duomo in Orvieto to have a look at the incredible Signorelli Frescoes on the ceiling, and possibly St. Patrick's Well. Happy travels!
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Lauren, I agree with switching out the travel plan. San Gimignano might be a good day trip destination. Orvieto can be reached easily from Rome. I usually rely on trains/buses with no problems. If you are interested in art, a brief trip to Padova (about an hour from Venice) to see the Giotto frescoes (early Renaissance) would be worthwhile - you can only stay in the chapel for 15 minutes but there is a mandatory appointment time, so you must get tickets in advance. You also will need to spend about an hour in the orientation/pre-entry area.
Posted by
OP
Palo Alto
51 posts
Thanks, Sam, Ken and Zoe! That's really helpful! Going to Florence first is a nifty idea, and definitely better than spending long hours from Venice to CT. Now here is a twist: if we do that, we will be leaving Venice on a Saturday, having Sunday and part of Monday in Florence. However, since Uffizi and Academia are both closed on Monday, which leaves Sunday as the best bet. Are these two places much more crowded on a Sunday (given some of the other sights are closed?) Is it worth leaving Venice early on Saturday and try to squeeze in these two biggies on Saturday afternoon?
Posted by
Oakhurst, CA, USA
101 posts
Hi Lauren, As long as you make reservations to get into Uffizi and Accademia you will be fine. You will definitely be able to pass up hoardes of people that did not make reservations. As you're going in October, it won't be too crowded to enjoy the gallery. I think you will be just fine switching up your schedule and hitting the museums on Sundays. Just be glad your one free day isn't Monday ;-). Also, you MUST visit Cipolla Rossa Osteria in Florence, the home made pasta- especially the salami gnocchi is to die for!. Sorry, couldn't help but throwing that in for good measure. Have a great time! Jessica
Posted by
OP
Palo Alto
51 posts
Jessica -- thanks for the great advice: Cipolla Rossa Osteria -- here we come! Any one has a favorite coffee shop / bakery to share?