My wife and I are doing a three week trip to Italy in April. We are actually flying into Zurich because it is saving us $1200 on airfare (seriously). So, we will probably do a few days in Switzerland because, well, it's nice. We do NOT plan on doing Venice this trip, nor will we focus on Rome, although we will probably spend 2-3 nights in Rome. So, here is what I'm looking for:
-A week in the Alps/Dolomites/Lakes region. We will likely rent a car for this week at the end of our trip. Just want to enjoy the scenery of the region, but have a "home base". Recommended city? Possible options: Verona, Lake Garda area, Trento, Bolzano?
-We also want to do Cinque Terre, Florence/Siena, Almafi/Sorrento. We aren't sunbathers, but like taking in coastal views. We also like cultural and historical sights. Though, honestly, I've seen so many cathedrals in Europe, one can only take so many...
Looking for ideas for how many days per area, things not to miss, other towns to focus on. Also, I love mountain scenery, but is a week driving around northern Italy too much? We can always spend a day in Milan etc. We will train around for the majority of the trip.
Thanks much in advance for your ideas!
Posted by
Placentia, CA
1079 posts
On my first trip to Italy, I choose not to visit Venice. After visiting Venice on another Italy vacation, I realized that I had made a big mistake. Venice is an amazing city. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend it. I would devote 5 days to visit the Dolomites and Lake Como and give yourself at least two full days in Venice.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34244 posts
I enjoy the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento (and Paestum and the Bay of Naples) in April.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5656 posts
You don't say where you're flying out of on your return. Zurich? Rome? That will certainly affect your planning. And does that include your flying days? If so, you only have 19 days, not 21. How much to spend in each of your other areas really depends on your priorities. And remember that every change of location can eat up half to a full day in transit. Just playing around with the places you list:
How many days is "a few" in Switzerland? Where? Let's say 3 nights, so you can get over jet lag and see some mountains. Maybe Lucerne?
A week in the mountains would be too much for me, but not enough for others. Let's say 4 nights.
CT needs 2 nights, preferably 3 to see it all.
You could spend a month in Florence, exploring it and the surrounding towns. But 4 nights, including 1 or 2 day trips (like Siena, Pisa, and Lucca) would give you a nice taste of what it has to offer.
Sorrento is a good base for exploring the surrounding area. You can easily do day trips to Naples, Pompeii. Capri, and the Amalfi coast from there. So you could spend 4 nights there without getting bored.
Then 2-3 days in Rome. Bang. You're already at 21 nights. You may have to trim a night from a couple of places. You'll definitely need to trim more if you're flying home from Zurich, since you would want to be there the night before departure.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
CJean,
Some great points in here; thank you. Yes, flying into and out of Zurich. A three hour train ride from Milan... So, we we will plan to spend the night before departure in Zurich.
So, we are down from 21 days to 18 days for real travel.
I was thinking maybe 2 nights in either Lucerne or Lugano. So pretty in Lugano.
I am definitely amenable to trimming nights from "a week driving northern Italy". It was just an idea. There are places we definitely want to linger, the lakes region, Cortina, Stelvio Pass.
You tips for staying in Florence and Sorrento sound good.
Any ideas for a home-base location to explore the north?