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Feedback on northern Italy itinerary

We are looking to travel to Europe next year with our kids (9 and 12). I wanted to get feedback if the below is doable or what your thoughts are. We've been to Italy twice already and have hit up Tuscany, Rome, Naples, Capri, so wanting to try something new.

It's cheaper to get a roundtrip to London and then do 1 way tickets from there.

July 4 – arrive in London then Venice
July 7 – arrive in Verona
July 8 – arrive in Bellagio or Varenna
July 10 – arrive in Cinque Terre, Monerosso
July 12 – leave through Pisa, arrive in London

TIA!

Posted by
15146 posts

When I plan a trip, I count nights on the ground. Most of the contributors here do the same.
Two nights in one place are basically one full day in that place, three nights are two full days, and so on.
Travel days are really wasted days, used for check-in, check out, pack, unpack, transfer time, getting oriented in the new place when arrived.
I like to spend at least two nights in any place and minimize one nighters as much as I can.

I’m not entirely clear on how many nights you intend to spend on the ground.
However I can tell you this:
2 nights in Venice is the minimum I recommend, 3 nights would be ideal.
Verona is probably a place where you can get away with one night only.
Lake Como (Varenna, Bellagio) deserves at least two nights, otherwise why bother.
Same with Cinque Terre. If you are traveling that far, you might as well spend a couple of nights.
You can sleep at Cinque Terre and catch a flight out of Pisa the same day, provided the flight departs in the late morning or afternoon. You need at least 1.5 - 2 hours from Monterosso to Pisa airport.
So you need a minimum of 7 nights on the ground to cover all the real estate you mention. More would be recommended.

Now back to your drawing board. Seems to me that you have barely the nights available.

Posted by
7811 posts

The Varenna to Monterosso is too long a ride for my taste and then you have to pack up and leave again

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks both! The way I have it calculated by nights would be Venice (3), Verona (1), Varenna (2), Monerosso (2). I could add on an extra night (pushing our flight back a day). Not sure if I would tack it on to Varenna or Monerosso. The flight out of Pisa is around 3 pm.

Posted by
15146 posts

Verona is only one hour from Venice, via high speed train, so you could even add a night to Venice (4 total) and visit Verona as a day trip from Venice. Or you could also do Verona and/or Padua on the same day trip (along the same line) from Venice. Doing both might be a bit rushed, but doable.
A day trip back and forth from Venice might be a bit more expensive because of the extra train trip, but I think you save time. The process of changing hotels, with the packing, checking out, checking in, unpack again, takes longer than the trip itself.