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Critique my itinerary, please!

Posted by (Milwaukee, WI, USA) on

A friend and I are travelling to Italy on a tight (college-aged) budget. This is a very rough itinerary, so I'm hoping for some advice in general and specifically regarding the questions below...
Day 1: Fly into Milan; see the Duomo, relax, etc.
Day 2: Milan – Cinque Terre
Day 3: Cinque Terre
Day 4: Cinque Terre – Florence; Uffizi, Accademia
Day 5: Florence; Bargello, Museum of San Marco
Day 6: Florence – Tuscan hilltown (still undecided on which one)
Day 7: Tuscany – Sorrento
Day 8: Sorrento; day trip to Pompeii, Herculaneum
Day 9: Sorrento; day trip to Paestrum
Day 10: Sorrento – Rome; Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon
Day 11: Rome; Vatican Museum
Day 12: Rome; Borghese Gallery, National Museum of Rome
Day 13: Depart from Rome :(

  1. Which Tuscan hill town should we choose?? I've looked at some previous posts so this will likely be a debate.
  2. Does the itinerary make sense geographically and for the amount of time spent in each place? Where should we add or subtract a day?
  3. We're hitting Florence on a Sunday and our only full day is a Monday (terrible museum days). Does anyone see a way around this or will we be all right?

Any other comments would be much appreciated. We still haven't worked out exactly what we plan to do in each location, so any advice or thoughts would be welcomed. Thanks everyone!

Posted by
400 posts

Laura, I would skip spending a day in Milan and adjust your itinery accordingly. For instance, after arriving, go start to Florence, then the CT, and then the the hilltown (suggest Orvieto), Sorrento, etc. This would get you out of being in Florence on Monday. Not much in Milan (big city) and because of jet-lag, should not rest but keep busy.

Posted by
479 posts

Other than the Monday in Florence thing, it looks like a very nice trip.

Posted by
16 posts

That is what I was worried about - the Monday in Florence (it will be the 3rd Monday in May). I don't really see a way around it, but I think it would be feasible to catch the museums on Sunday and Tuesday before we leave. Any suggestions as to what to see on that Monday in Florence?

Posted by
16 posts

Linda,
Our plane arrives in Milan at 3:55 PM, so I was hesitant to try and travel to CT that same day. Do you think that would be feasible or are we crazy to try? That would remove our problem of spending Monday in Florence.

Posted by
40 posts

I would skip Milan, take the train directly to the Cinque-Terre you will be much happier waking up there instead of Milan. Before you decide to do it check the train schedule from Milan to the Cinque-Terre.
Eileen

Posted by
400 posts

I see your delema Laura. Usually flights come in early morning but 4 PM is late. It is feasible though if coming into a strange town as nightfall is approaching doesn't bother you, then why not. When are you traveling? If it far enough away, you can have your pick of places to stay. Find a hotel or room that is near the train station. Monterosso would probably be your best bet since it is a more level and a more lively town. I know the trains travel late so it shouldn't be a problem for that time. Check schedule anyway for trains leaving Milan for Genoa, then on to the CT. It is about a 3-4 hr train ride, so you will be getting in about 8 pm.

Posted by
400 posts

If what Kent says is true, why not switch your destinations. Go to Florence first from Milan, then CT. This also will get you out of Florence on Monday.

Posted by
16 posts

Actually, we're flying into Milan Linate, which I understand to be considerably closer than Malpensa. In that case, I think it would be more feasible to head to CT that night. I just worry about plane delays, etc. that would mess up our plans.

Also, does it seem better to buy a Italy Railpass (maybe the 5 days in 2 months one) or just to buy point-to-point tickets when we're there. I think the prices would be fairly similar but I'm not quite sure which to choose.

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