My husband and I are thinking about celebrating our 20th anniversary in Italy. We would like to spend just 8-9 days as we have a toddler we'll be leaving back home in the States. Although we would like to see some major sites (like the Vatican), we would really be most interested in small towns where we can fully immerse ourselves in the culture and feel a little more relaxed (less crowded). Please leave me your suggestions for an itinerary. Other than layovers, I've never been to Italy. Thank you in advance.
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2334 posts
It's a little hard to reconcile seeing major sites with staying in a small town. You'll probably want to consider a few nights in Rome and a few in a smaller town. Orvieto is a wonderful town an easy two-hour train ride from Rome. If you fly into Rome, you could go to Orvieto first and relax and then return to Rome for sightseeing and be there for your flight home.
Posted by
shingle springs, CA, USA
782 posts
Orvieto is an excellent suggestion,we stayed at the Hotel Duomo in 2013 and they have a parking area.The Hotel is located 300 feet from the Cathedral and Piazza and breakfast is included,the desk can reccommend very good restaurants and sights to visit,very clean.
Posted by
KS, USA
677 posts
My husband and I went to Italy on a two week honeymoon two years ago. We were ambitious and covered Rome, Orvieto, the Cinque Terre, and Venice. We absolutely adored Orvieto and would 100% recommend it to you. We stayed at the wonderful Casa Selita which is just a short walk outside of town. Perfect for relaxing, gorgeous scenery, friendly people and very affordable. We also did a fantastic wine tasting with them. There are also many little touristy things to see and do while you are there, many of which we enjoyed. Great shopping, too. A few things we didn't get done but maybe you could: the Etruscan hilltop town of Civita de Bagnoregio and a cooking class that is highly reviewed at Decugnano Dei Barbi. I think you could easily spend 5 nights in Rome and 3 nights in Orvieto and be very happy with yourselves. It just depends on the pace and atmosphere you desire. Enjoy your time and feel free to message me if you have any more questions.
Posted by
Houston
86 posts
As a parent of a toddler, if your gut says to "getaway" to smaller towns, I would follow your gut. Rome to us, outside of the Vatican, was pretty much a big city, with pretty lousy public transportation compared to other major European capitals, Lots of churches and art, and crowds. Siena was lovely, the Cinqueterre was so peaceful, Florence was nice. No point in exhausting yourself chasing sites when your getting away from chasing toddlers!
We are leaving our two little ones for nine days in the Loire Valley and Paris this fall and we will be spending the bulk of our time in small towns, with big city time around our flights on either end.
Posted by
San Jose, CA, USA
5 posts
I would also suggest Orvieto as the best of both worlds. You can day trip to Rome to see the Vatican and other "sites" as much as you feel called to. On the other hand, you can explore Orvieto (and Civita) when you feel like a more peaceful day. My husband and I spent four nights at Casa Selita in Orvieto in April, 2013 and couldn't have been happier with our experience. We spent three full days exploring Orvieto at a leisurely pace, including the duomo, well, clock tower, and lots of wandering around the old town. We also did the "ring walk" around the town, and saw Etruscan ruins. We spent a half-day in Civita, too. If we had been in Orvieto longer, I think a day trip to Rome would have been nice, and if you're there for a week, you could day-trip to another small town, or even to Florence. As we are not big "city" people, day-tripping to see the sites and then coming back to the peace & tranquility of Casa Selita sounds very pleasant.
We could not recommend Casa Selita more highly -- it was so lush & verdant, yet only a 5-minute walk to the heart of the old town. And Selita herself was a delight to talk with. She provided spot-on restaurant recommendations all four nights we were there, and even drove us to Civita and showed us around there for a very reasonable additional fee (less than the cost of a taxi would have been).
Honestly, this is making me want to return to Orvieto for our next trip rather than try out the north like we have planned!
Posted by
Portland, OR
1136 posts
What time of year will you be going? My mind goes to the Amalfi coast for a romantic trip like that. You could fly in and out of Rome and take the train to Sorrento and then bus to Positano, Amalfi or Ravello. From there you can take day trips to Pompeii, Capri, Herculaneum, etc.
Alternatively, you could fly in and out of Milan or Venice and go up to Lake Como. I prefer Bellagio, but many people love the smaller town of Varenna.
One thing to keep in mind is the time change and jet lag. We always like to plan a few low key days upon arrival so that we can acclimate. Laying by a pool, walking around small towns and liesurely meals top the priorities for those first few days.
Happy anniversary! Italy is an excellent place to spend it.
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
It would help to know what time of year you plan to visit Italy. I also loved Orvieto and agree it would be nice to spend a few days in Orvieto and take day trips to Tuscan or Umbrian towns (if you have a rental car) & then spend 4-5 days in Rome itself. There's so much to see and do in Rome. You could fly into/out of Rome. If you prefer to spend more time in a smaller town, April's idea of flying into Milan and then spending time in Varenna/Lake Como is good...depending on what time of year you'll be in Italy. The Amalfi Coast is also an option but if you'll be there during the summer months, it will be very hot and crowded and may not be as relaxed as you desire.