Advice on Italy Itinerary

Lauren, you need to factor in the travel times between these locations. Personally, I think you are skating by, and not giving yourself anytime to enjoy these places. Depending on from which direction you arrive in Italy, I would remove at least two from your list. Cinque Terre seems to be the flavour of the month and crowded...I would rather the Dolomite region. Give yourself time to enjoy where-ever you are, and not be rushing offto the next destination.

From my experience in those areas spend more time in Rome min 4 days, Siena area 3 nights ok CT 2 notes ok, Venice 2 nights if you can afford but one night min.The dolomites are fantastic with gorgeous alpine scenery but difficult to see w/o a car or on a tour. We spent 2 nights in Bolzano/Dolomites w/ a car. I would skip Bolzano entirely unless you pass thru for the Ice Man. The key is to stay in Dolomites itself.It is best for hikers, skiers or those in a car. It has very windy and slow going roads but stunning!

Thanks Pat!

I am trying to firm up my itinerary for the rest of Europe, which I believe will include the Swiss Alps. If this is the case then I can forgo the Dolomites...I just wanted to make sure I got some Alps in :)

If I do not go to the Dolomites, then I am less inclined to go to Venice. However, I don't want to miss out on Venice if it is worth investing time there--I have just heard mixed reviews from friends who visited Venice.

Thanks JS,

Yeah, I'm thinking the Dolomites just got the axe :)

I am still not sure about 4 nights in Rome-however I keep hearing this number of nights suggested. I am more geared to staying away from the major crowds/heat for longer stays-We will be there in mid August. Is Rome doable with 2 full days there?

If you only plan to do Colosseum/Forum/Pantheon, and Vatican/St. Peters....barely. You'll be missing out on much, much more that Rome has to offer, and you will probably be hot, sore, and tired when you finish. I would suggest at minimum 3 nights if you can somehow manage to squeeze that in with the rest of your trip.

Unless you think it will be a very long time before you are able to return i suggest less stops with more time. We just recently did a 16 day-14 night trip to Italy with 3 nights in most places and the next time we will stay longer in fewer places so that we can go beyond the highlights. We loved Venice but i could see why people could be turned off. it was very hot, crowded with european tourist and some were very rude and obnoxious (probably could have said the same about americans back when the dollar was strong though). If you time it right the museums were not crowded and wonderful. We also walked thru charming neighborhoods away from the crowds and sought out local artisan shops usually also away from the madness, where the artisans were extremely nice and after talking with them usually invited our family back into the studios for impromptu demonstrations. Wonderful people! I also like to get up early each morning and walk and had cappucino with the locals in busy cafes, talked to shop owners as they opened or to the delivery guys. It's a side of Venice (or anywhere) that very few tourist see. And of course on our last night in Venice we did a gondole ride with a nice gondolier who had been doing it for 28 years. Wonderful!

I spent two nights in Venice last September before going on a Rick Steves' Italian Hill Towns tour and am very glad I did. I deliberately did not visit churches or museums because I knew we would see many on the tour. I loved Venice, just wandering the streets, using the vaparettos, grabbing food at the local supermarket or restaurants, and soaking up the incredible views, and atmosphere. Once you are away from San Marco it is a lot less crowded. I stayed at a lovely small hotel just off the grand canal at a cost of 92 Euros a night. It had the advantage of being relatively close to the station, vaparetto stop was 1 min away, and was about 3 mins walk to the main shopping street with restaurants and cafes.

Venice is crowded any time of the year and it can be expensive in terms of accommodation and food - Rick 's guide books has some very useful selections!

I am going to France next year and am hoping to add on some additional time in Venice.

I thought the Cinque Terre was overhyped and crowded - we stayed in Levento and I retreated to the beach there when overwhelmed by the crowds(in September!) on the Cinque Terre.

Loved the hill towns - regret not making it to Sienna.

If you take the train to Switzerland from Venice you will be passing through Dolomites and the Alps. They are stunning but you do need your own transport.

Italy is a wonderful country, but August will be busy - a lot of Europeans take August as their vacation so be prepared.

Let me know if you want the name of the hotel.

Thank you Mike!
I have gone back and forth about Venice. I think we are going to take the early train in, stay the night, spend the day and take the early train out. I'm sure that in the minds of many people this is travel blasphemy :) but I think it is a compromise to meet our needs....and hopefully now we won't have to sell the house..ha!

The less time changing hotels and going to and from train stations the better. You need to enjoy the place you are at. Cutting out the Dolomites is a good idea. Venice is a must - but you must stay in the city so you can enjoy the main sites when the daytrippers have departed. The daytrippers are only in the city from 9:00 to 5:00. Spend those hours exploring the rest of Venice or the many islands. Then have a drink at a cafe in Piazza San Marco or go into the church after the crowds have vanished.

Lauren,
Just returned from a three week trip to Italy/Greece. My concern would be the two nights in Rome. Just got back from Italy. We spent the last 4 days/3 nights in Rome - wasn't nearly enough. I love Rome. Give it the time it requires...unless of course you've been there before. Also, we spent 3 nights in Vernazza, Cinque Terre and felt it was just barely enough time. We love hiking though.

Have a great trip!

Count me as one that says skip Venice, especially if you only have 1 day for it. By the time you get to Venice, take the boat to the vicinity of the hotel, find the hotel, check in, etc. you'll only have a few hours left anyway during the day. At nite not a lot to do; wandering around the streets is nice, but that's about it. I am one of those people that isn't blown away by Venice, though. Thought it was crowded, expensive, and just not as delightful as other places I've been in Italy.

As for Rome, there's so much to see I don't think you can exhaust it in 3 days or 3 weeks; however 2 nites is fine for a first visit and you can always see more another time. One trap people fall into is trying to see everything; intead pick a few things you want to see and take the time to enjoy them. I'd highly recommend a walking tour of the Colosseum and Palatine area with any of the guides Rick recommends; also the twilight tour of Rome was a favorite. Those tours, a few other sites you pick from a guide book you want to see (or just time spent wandering around), you'll have a great time.

A car is worth renting in the Tuscan area; you can get to many by train (then bus up the hill) but a car gives you much greater convenience and you can visit those not as easily reached by train.

I'm a fan of the Cinque Terra; when its sunny it is stunning! I'd spend 3 nites so you have time to hike, walk around, and just relax at the beach (drop a day if you're not a relax on the sand person).

Lastly, since yuo're spending 10 days or so in italy, its worth your time to learn a few phrases, numbers, etc. Your local library probably has the pimsleur series. Do at least the 1st 15 lessons (30 min each) and you'll know a touch of italian, but it really makes a difference!

Hi again,
Oh - one other idea. If you like the wonderful small villages of Tuscany & Umbria...we spent one night in Orvieto. Spending just one night here didn't seem too "quick" as it's just an hour north of Rome and we were on our way to Rome - it's incredibly beautiful (so is Siena...we "lluuuvveedd" Siena. :)

Shannon

If you have decided on only a quick stop in Venice I would just bypass it all together. Venice is not a one night stand. You won't enjoy it and it will be too much trouble fighting thru the daytime crowds to find your hotel only to leave the next morning. It may put you off from wanting to return. Spend the extra day in Rome or Tuscany.

I'd skip the Dolomites in order to add another day to Rome, also. I'd sure not miss the chance to go to Venice, even if it's for one day, although if you stayed for another you could do day trips either by boat or train.

I loved Venice, but we didn't get stuck in St. Mark's square, and wandered around the island.