3-4 wks in northern italy but need suggestions

If walking is somewhat limited, I would recommend Verona as a possible 1-week stay between your week in Venice and week in Florence. We stayed in Verona for our first 3 days in Italy, and really enjoyed purchasing the Verona Card and seeing several churches, along with the beautiful Roman Arena, etc. and piazzas. The old center is very nice, and it wouldn't be a huge amount of walking to get back to your place. We enjoyed relaxing in the small park near the Roman arena, too. There's frequent trains between Venice-to-Verona and Verona-to Florence. Both of those can be as short as 1.5 hours by train which is nice to maximize your time.

Thanks so much. I just looked at an in town apt in Verona on vrbo that has great reviews. It seems a shame to pay so much airfare and just go to italy. I could book another city or place in Europe on the way. I have been to Paris and spent a week in St. remy area. Except for either renting a car in florence for a few days or getting a guidefor the tuscany area I would like to rely on public transportation. Any other suggestions. I am coming from Michigan, USA.

2 wks in florence is vg. Daytrips could include tuscany which is easily done by bus fom florence via sirna. 1 wknwith venice, padua and verona is vg all long train route. My i suggest sorrento peninsula for another wk. to visit amalfi coast, capri and naples, pompeii if u have more than a wk.
A wonderul opportunity to see italys beauty.

Your right about choosing a central location to travel from, and Florence would be a good choice due to excellent fast trains operating out of there.
The lakes region and Lake Como (northwest of Milan) are well worth seeing, and trains can get you there.

Siena is best visited by taking a SITA bus from Florence, and it's a great day trip.
Cinque Terre is also very popular by taking a train to La Spezia (from Florence) and switching to a short local train.
There are also bus tours available going into the Tuscan countryside out of Florence. We found San Gimignano and Volterra well worth seeing.
You really should consider taking a fast train down to Rome--one of the world's great cities.

I would disagree about spending so much time in Italy being a shame (cost of airfare), you will find so much to do!

Bologna is also a good base, you can easily train to Ravenna, Parma, Modena, Ferrara - all theses cities have the things you are interested in, and all are very easily to used on foot, the historic centers are compact.

I'd say that 3-4 weeks in Italy is ideal, not too limited or too much. But trying to see everything from one home base can be limiting and repetitive. If you stay just a week at each home base, you'll greatly expand the scope of the day trips you can take in different regions.

I'm perceiving from your last response that you like variety in your trip from your comment of being worried about "just Italy". Can you give us some more details of what types of places you like, and we can recommend a more varied itinerary.

For instance: mountains? water? small villages? specific experiences? Would you be open to starting your trip, for instance, in Switzerland, and dropping into Italy but not staying as long as you first mentioned in locations?

I love this forum. I am getting so much great information. Splitting up the home bases is the best idea. I was thinking Venice, Florence and Rome. Maybe a nite or 2 stay on the way from Venice to Florence. I was glad to hear that people didn't think 3-4 weeks was too much time to spend in Italy. It just seems like I "should" be stopping somewhere else on the way over.
Mary

Jean, thanks for the suggestions. I went to Lucerne and Basel this spring before my first ever river cruise. I loved both of those places. They were beautiful . We flew into Zurich but didn't stay there. Went right to Lucerne. Is there another convenient small pretty close to Zurich that might be worth visiting.
Mary

Hi Mary, on our trip last September we flew into Zurich in the morning and immediately went by train to the Lauterbrunnen valley and returned to Wengen for 3 days. Then we took a train to Stresa, Italy (stopped in Spiez for lunch) for 2 days. Then returned to Florence for a day, then returned to Siena for 2 days, Grosseto for 2 days, and ended in Rome for 4 days. On this trip we were in the gorgeous mountains, beautiful lake area of Stresa (really want to go back there!) then smaller towns of Siena and Grosseto with the finale at the large city of Rome. Everything was by train, except by bus for Siena & arriving in Grosseto.

On a previous trip to Italy, we really wanted to spend more time in Venice, so we flew into Venice and stayed in Padova for 4 days (day trip to return to Verona & a day trip to Venice Regatta), then to Moena in the Dolomites for 2 days (wanted to stay longer!), a night in Trento, 2 days in Bologna, and the finale at Venice for 4 days. We were in mid-size towns, small village in the mountains, and larger cities - Venice, of course, with lots of water. And years prevous, we took the RS Northern Italy tour - starting on our own in Verona for 3 days before joining the tour.

Every one of those locations we absolutely loved, except Bologna (& Padova was lower on the list of favorites). So, it's just a manner of deciding what you would like to see or do. You could fly into Zurich and spend some time in Switzerland, first, but there's a lot of wonderful locations in Italy. The best part is that there's really no wrong choice - just what interests you the most, : ) If you don't want to be rushed, you would probably enjoy your initial plan of staying a week in specific locations. Otherwise, if you're interested in Switzerland, I'd post a question on the Switzerland topic for recommendations of villages that might interest you. And, the Venice Regatta is the first Sunday in September (Sept. 6 this year)- in case your dates are flexible to come see it.

Can I suggest x4 apartments for a week each,
1 Venice - however, you may find Padua a more cost effective option for a week. Venice is a short train ride.
2 Verona - check out Mantua and Vicenza.
3 Bologna - check out Ferrara, Ravenna, Parma, Modena.
4 Florence - or maybe Siena as a better base for the Tuscan countryside. San Gimignano, Volterra, Pisa, Lucca, Arezzo

If you are looking to mix it up a bit then take just 3 weeks in Italy and spend a week in Barcelona, Berlin or Amsterdam. It's a great time (Sep-Oct) to be anywhere in Europe. Jealous. Enjoy !!!

This sounds like a wonderful idea. One week in Barcelona then on to Italy. Thank you. I will start researching. Also thanks for the suggestion of Padua instead of Venice. I love how helpful every one is.
mary

Fantastic. Check Vueling for flights from Barcelona to lots of destinations in Italy.

I would take a look at where you can fly to easily if you want to add another location. I am from Michigan and fly out of DTW and when I went to Barcelona I don't think there were any direct flights. I do think there might be a direct flight to Malaga... I don't remember any stopover on that trip. Certainly you want to end up at a location you want to vist, but sometimes the easiest route helps make up my mind.

I like to see a lot when I travel, so I would probably add another location... however... I could also spend a lifetime in Italy and not want to leave!

You have lots of great suggestions already, but I can't resist adding my 2 cents. If you want to experience the best of Venice, stay at least one night in Venice (not in an outlying city such as Mestre or Padova). You will be glad you did. Many people are turned off by the crowds during the day in Venice, especially in & around St. Mark's, but in the late evening, it's such a treat to wander through St. Mark's square. Take a vaporetto ride up the Grand Canal after sunset. Also, get up early and walk through St. Mark's square around 7:00 to see the sun rise over the Grand Canal. (Even during the day, you can avoid crowds by wandering 5 minutes away from the crowded areas; before you know it, you will be in a quiet residential area).

I concur with Susan. Definitely, absolutely stay in Venice overnight. It is magical in the evenings! And, if you're in the midst of a huge crowd during the day, just walk a parallel route that isn't in the main Rialto Bridge-to-St. Mark's square route.

As I noted above, we went to Venice with the RS tour and returned there to stay 4 nights in Venice - loved every minute of it!

Just to through you a curve, there are great agratourisimos in the Lucca area. A bike ride around the city walls is a great experience. From there you can access the coast and explore north or south. Have fun. - George

So many great ideas. Lucca sounds like a great idea and the bike ride around the city. The flights are crazy out of Michigan to go to Spain before so i think it will be Italy only which is just fine. I think I will fly into Venice and leave out of Rome and spend around a week in each area-- Venice, Florence and Rpme with more time surrounding Florence than Rome, but at least 4-5 days in Rome. The surrounding towns from Florence and Venice sound fantastic. I am still planning. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Don't forget to try and get to some of the more 'off the radar' places I mentioned - Padua, Verona, Mantua, Vicenza, Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, Parma, Modena. You will be richly rewarded with authentic experiences, surprising sights and less crowds.

Oh definitely, These will be base camp areas and plan from there.

Dear Maryrev

I have at times spent a week in Venice, a week in Verona and week in Padova. All are wonderful cities. From Verona you can visit Padova, Vicenza, Mantova and Lake Garda and some wonderful wine villages. Check if the opera is on and book online early to get your tickets. It is an unforgettable experience. Most hotels and self-catering accommodation have cushions if you choose the cheap stone seats.

In Venice Campo St Barnaba in Dorsudoro has some really good medium priced restaurants and the church will be familiar from Indiana Jones and the last Crusade. Get to the Doge's Palace and St Mark's as soon as it opens to enjoy some respite from crowds. On Murano don't miss the Glass Museum in the Bishop's Palace and enjoy sitting in the garden among glass sculptures.

Padova makes an easy day trip to Verona, Vicenza and Venice. Trains virtually all the time. And taxis can take you to your accommodation if you are very late

So much to do in each city. Don't forget to take a good carry bag for supermarket shopping. Italian plastic bags are notoriously unreliable.

The weather is usually great during what the Italians call the 'argenti months', when the silver greys sensibly choose the cooler weather and cheaper prices.

Florence is great but Lucca, Verona, and Padova are more accessible and less hassling with many fewer people trying to sell you things, etc.

A day trip from Florence to Rome in a day would be exhausting and too much travel

Thanks again. Padova sounds like a great place as does Verona. I don't think I had any idea how large and touristy Florence was. Sounds like I should spend at least one or two nights right in Venice but then go out to one of the other towns I really think the smaller towns are the way to go. I have been looking at vrbo and airbnb for rooms with a kitchen.

Booking.com also lists apartments.

If you were going to spend a week in one town in Italy outside of the large cities where would you chose?? One that you could access day trips from by train or bus??? Would love to hear suggestions and even suggestions for a second week in a different area where I could rent a place with a kitchen cook a little make breakfast at least , grocery shop and pretend to be a local, take day trips
Mary