Early Stages - April vs. May & Itinerary - Help Appreciated!

You may consider taking out one destination since it looks like you will be spending a lot of time traveling from place to place. I would consider taking out Cinque Terre and adding a day to Venice and Florence (you can do a day-trip to Cinque Terre from Florence with CAF Tours). Last summer myself and another traveler did a day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence with CAF tours and it was wonderful!

Three nights in the Tuscany region sounds wonderful, I would recommend stopping by San Gimignano if possible. It's a wonderfully small hill town where you can really get the experience of medieval Italy.

Maybe split the difference and go late April- early May? You will definitely want to avoid Easter week, April 9-16 as that is a major holiday time.

As for Cinque Terre, I understand your dilemma. I faced the same when planning a trip, with our daughters in 2010. I decided to just go and see for ourselves, and I am glad we did. We stayed in Manarola at La Torretta, which my husband called "the most beautiful hotel in the world." At least our world, as we do not usually stay in places that nice. But it was lovely and peaceful, and we enjoyed the views from our balcony, walking through the vineyards, and swimming from the rocks just outside of town. We also enjoyed the hike to Corniglia and on to Vernazza. There the pleasure stopped.

The town was so crowded we could not find a place to sit to eat the sandwiches we bought at a bakery. The person serving us was grumpy and harried, and gave us the wrong things, but the line was too long to go back and set it right. It was hard to even move in the town. Finally we found a place to sit on some shop steps (after enquiring of the shopkeeper if it was alright). We ate quickly and made our way (threading through crowds) up to the train station, only to find the platform full and people pushing each other to board the train. We passed on the first one but managed to get on the second, after a wait. We were packed in the car like sardines. It was a relief to get back to Manarola.

That was six years ago, before the flood that hit Vernazza, and before the cruise ship crowds were as massive as they are today. Would we go again? I would, but only to stay in Manarola and hike in the hills, rather than on the coast path.

Thank you for the replies Jenna and Lola! A day trip to CT is something to consider for sure!

Lola, your story is exactly why I'm hesitant about CT. However, I was eyeing Corniglia as a base, and it sounds like Manarola would also be a good place to consider. We love to hike, so the plan would be to hike much of the trail while we are there and stop at the other towns, but sounds like it could get pretty packed in Vernazza!

And I thought about an April/May split, but thought I had read that many Italians go on Holiday the last week of April, right before their May 1 Labor day? That may be incorrect.

Be sure to go to Orvieto itself. The historic town is at the top of a funicular and doesn't have much vehicular traffic. It's very popular with Italian tourists, but the crowds weren't overwhelming when I was there the first half of June 2015. A lot of the visitors are day-trippers, so if you can get there early in the morning and/or stay for dinner, you'll have a relatively peaceful experience.

Orvieto folks told me last year that the weather had been chilly and rainy through about the first 3 weeks of May. Of course, there's no reason to think that pattern will be repeated in 2017.

I hate cold weather, especially when it's raining, so I personally would opt for May--especially for a trip to be spent mostly in northern, rather than southern, Italy. But you'll have a rental car, so you'll be less affected by the weather than I would be, as a user of public transportation. I think that makes a difference. You will be pretty exposed to the weather in Venice, though. It was chillier than I like, with flood waters in St. Marks Square, on my last visit (years ago) in late September or early October. I'd consider April pretty risky, weather-wise.

That you, acraven! I appreciate your advice, and we will definitely spend some time in Orvieto!

If you are not set on the Cinque Terre, consider visiting one of the lakes instead. Or anywhere else - there are so many charming towns to explore.

As Lola said, mid-to-late April would be just about the right time to travel, right after Easter. In my opinion, May 1 is the ringing bell for more tourists than you would like.

And you know, don't worry about the weather. We traveled Paris, Lucerne, Florence, Salerno in late February/early March, and although it was darn cold at times, a hat, gloves & ultralight down jacket (the kind that folds into its own pocket for packing away) kept us warm & cozy to venture wherever, with no lines anyplace during the week, a real pleasure. That's the other thing--don't plan on seeing popular attractions on the weekend, almost any time of year. It's a good time to do your laundry and shop at the markets!

Nice to finish up in Florence, my favorite town, although you only have a day-and-a-half there. I'd cash the Cinque Terre option, only stay at one agriturismo in Umbria or Tuscany for 4 days or so, and add that to Florence, giving you 3-4 days to chill and enjoy Firenze at the end of your trip.

Chani, I had actually been thinking about a lake visit in place of CT! Thought we could fly into Milan instead of Venice and stop on our way for a couple of nights. That is definitely something we'll consider. My husband is more set on CT than I.

Jay, you're right about the weather! I think the thought/anticipation of poor weather might actually be worse than being in it. I've been to France and Germany/Austria in April and both trips we had a mix of gorgeous weather and cold, rainy days, but when I think back on the trips it seems like every day was perfect and beautiful! Thanks for the reminder.

Thanks to both of you!

I spent 2 months in Italy 3 years ago in April & May - it was chilly and rainy. I spent 10 days in Florence last year, and it was HOT! I had a down coat since it was supposed to be cold. I only zipped it on the really sunny COLD day!

So planning a trip between months so close together by weather seems a bit silly. Pick by what's open and cost, I'd say!

Susan
American living in Waterville.

We traveled in mid-May our last trip. The weather in Florence/Siena will not be that different than mid-May in St. Louis: some warm sunny days, some rainy and cool. Venice will be a bit cooler but not cold.
If you do decide to visit CT (and Corniglia would be the least crowded of the 5), fly into Milan and end your trip flying out of Venice. Venice, with travel, needs 3 nights. It is at its most magical at night. And lucky you, you have a car in Tuscany.
As wine aficionados, a great drive is from Montepulciano (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Montepulciano d' Abruzzo) to Pienza (known for their pecorino cheese)and on to Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino). On this route, you are in the Val d'Orcia. The whole valley and the villages within it are designated a World Heritage site. Out of Siena, you could pair up a trip to San Gimignano with a visit to the walled city of Volterra. North of Siena is Chianti country (Gaiole, Radda, Castellina, Greve). Cin Cin!