Comment on Itinerary 8weeks

Hi!
This looks fine for a 25 year olds's backpacking itinerary, but the pace feels a bit too sustained for such a long trip in your situation. I am not even 40 and it would be too much for me after a while.

I would consider one of two changes:

1. Least drastic: remove Puglia (Bari)
   Bari is quite far from Rome and Naples. It adds a lot of travel time for just 2 full days of sightseeing...yet Puglia deserves a week, in my opinion.
   The extra time would be well-used in northern Italy: lake Como deserves more time, so does Verona.

2. More drastic: remove Sicily.
   Sicily is surprisingly far; the ideal way to get there is to fly. Instead of going there, you could add 3 nights in Puglia, visit the Amalfi coast for 2-3 nights (yes, busy, but won't be crazy in May-June), visit Turin in the north (3 nights)...basically throwing in a few more highlights of the mainland.

An additional comment about Sicily: Catania's fine but maybe not for 6 nights. Syracuse is a great base; I would look into spending a few days there. There is good access to Noto, Módica, Ragusa from there too, so good day trip potential.

Hello geneenpoldenwright, I like to plan active itineraries and even I'm impressed by your ambition.

A couple of thoughts:
-Como is a larger city and I think you're probably for something more scenic like Varenna on Lake Como than the city of Como itself, but that means travelling all the way to the other side of a different lake. I think the lake days could be condensed down to 4 nights or maybe 3 in one town rather than moving from one lake to another.
-Verona is a very pretty city - it's larger but it feels more intimate because the old section is contained in the curve of the river. I would do 3 nights on one lake and add one to Verona. (My general advice is only stay one night anywhere if required by travel arrangements - otherwise always allow at least 2.)
-To stay in the La Spezia area look at the south bank of the bay. Lerici is a semi-resorty town but it is Italian vacationers rather than cruise ship visitors that overrun CT and Porto Venere. The area is beautiful - you can walk the entire beachfront from Lerici to San Terenzo and Tellaro to the south is like CT before it was discovered. Sarzana is just over the hill and has a charming old town with many restaurants.

Bari does seem like a bit of a stretch (4+ hours from Rome and 3+ hours from Naples) but I understand the appeal of Matera etc.
Salerno is a possibility - ferry access to Amalfi if that interests you and Paestum to the south.
Also think about Herculaneum as well when in Naples.

Sicily seems like the real stretch added onto this already ambitious schedule but it's your trip and you certainly aren't short changing Rome so I'm not sure where you would add if you were to cut it out.

Remember to allow time to breathe and catch up with yourselves. I admire your ambition - have a great trip!
=Tod

You’re right, the Cinque Terre towns (and challenging trails) have become very, very crowded, but in 2021, I was surprised that La Spezia had lots of people, too. It could certainly work for your itinerary, but it’s a full-on city, and not a little village.

Rod and balsa are right. If Pompeii interests you, add Herculaneum for a visit, too.

If the Tivoli trip is to include Hadrian’s Villa, we did that this past September. The bus from Rone got packed with school kids at one point, and people got on and off at various stops. Once in Tivoli, it’s a longish walk to the Villa entrance, although there is town bus service that might require a long wait to catch. Once at the e trance, it’s a fairly long walk uphill to reach the best ruins. Certainly doable for reasonably fit people, but bring water with you, and use the park benches on site, as needed.

We are going to Sicily in May so have been doing a lot of research. You have 10 nights allocated. I would not stay 6 nights in Catania. If I were to stay 6 nights on east coast in a single location, I would stay in Siracusa--specifically Ortigia. It seems to be a lot of people's favorite place in Sicily.

OTOH, Catania is not. We are staying 3 nights in Taormina and 3 nights in Ortigia.

From Palermo, it is is much easier to day trip to Cefalu (hour by train) than Erice. Erice would probably require going with tour.

We went to Lake Como in 2021. I would spend 3-4 nights there and skip Stresa but go to mid lake not Como (I have been to both and mid lake much more stunning. Varenna is easiest for transportation. (Or go to Lake Maggiore NOT Lake Como).

We spent 3 nights in Verona and wish we had 4 but did do a day trip. I would spend at least another night or skip.

I would consider skipping Bari and adding days to other places. It is pretty far for just 3 days.

I have been to Naples and 6 days seems a lot unless you do more day trips. You can day trip to Capri from Naples which would be fun.

Milan 2nites, Stresa 2, Como 2, Verona 1,

The beginning of your trip is really fast paced.

I would choose 1 lake to visit and since we were just in Stresa and enjoyed it immensely that would be my choice.
Stresa is actually closer to MXP than Milan and very easy to get to- bus from MXP takes just 1 hour.
https://www.safduemila.com/linee/alibus-malpensa-lago-maggiore/

I'd go to Stresa first 3 nights- great spot to get over jet lag, very few Americans
Then Milan 2- book LS tickets as soon as you can if that is of interest
Then Verona and give Verona 2 nights- it's a lovely town.

MIlan to Stresa to Como is a backtrack thru Milan.

Your story isn't unlike ours. 8 weeks in Italy would be a dream and I think it still can be. But not as a tourist. Walking (partner's arthritis) would be limited but we're talking about just 'being' in Italy and living (like RS says) like a local. You could still do several of the cities on your list but could I suggest a week in each of your most desired? There are bus tours, private tours and taxis just about everywhere so you could still do the sightseeing you want but get the added benefit of discovering the local atmosphere (which is so wonderfully different from region to region). Can you bring (or rent) a wheelchair? That might work well in some of the museums and some streets. I guess I'm asking those questions for us too.

Hello folks, thanks for all your helpful advice. I know my itinerary is ambitious, with the 20hours plus flight and $4,800A cost from here in Melbourne, Australia we feel we need to make the most of our time in Europe. BUT I have relooked and have seen sense of dropping Sicily and adding in a rest or 'stop and smell the roses' day here and there. balso -thanks for your concern. We did 12 week NEngland, Scotland and Wales in 2022,and 10 week Germany, Benelux, Paris & Normandy in 2019 so know what the tradeoff is in energy & overload versus time allocated.
hiredman- will take your one lake suggestion, and Lerici is the plan- if we can get to it in one day from Florence (involves 2 trains and eventually a local bus).
BethFL- yes, Varenna sounds like a great base.
Robert - Hubby can still manage a normal day's walking - just not hill climbs or hundreds of steps to sites. The 5hourWaterfalls Walk in Yorkshire Moors with steps up and down to 6 waterfalls was his swansong! Again thanks for all your responses - I do need reminding that " I can't see it all".

Ravenna has wonderful mosaics. We visited as a day trip from Milan several years ago. It could also be visited from Bologna.