First Time in Italy - Which region should we visit? 10 Days in early November

I would fly into either Milano or Bologna.
5 days in each.
We are going to be in both cities this November. 3rd time for Bologna and 2nd time for Milano.

Our possibilities for Milano are https://www.planapple.com/trip/262873/#entries_milano/ALL
And for Bologna are https://www.planapple.com/trip/262873/#entries_bologna/ALL
These do not include attractions we have already visited.

Some other ideas
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/20/travel/things-to-do-milan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.M08.6ZU9.OnU9ruFDbX5Q&smid=url-share

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/travel/what-to-do-in-36-hours-in-bologna-italy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.M08.p8yv.nM1fWh2S3OpU&smid=url-share

I would suggest Rome for part of your stay. It may be a bit less crowded by early November. We have spent time in Rome in November twice and the weather was pleasant. To state the obvious, Rome will meet your criteria quite well. Rick Steves tours and his book provide itinerary ideas.

Rome! For the whole time. November is wonderful. Do it!

The classic first Italian trip is Rome, Florence an Venice for very good reasons. With 8 days I would pick two and concentrate on those because otherwise you spend too much time traveling and split you're not in one place long enough.
Rome and Florence are easiest but you could fly into Venice and out of Rome depending on airline tickets and do it that way.

I would check the RS content on those cities, decide what interests you can make some reservations. November is off season so there will be fewer people and tickets for attractions should be easier to come by it's always a good idea to reserve tickets for "must see" things and to not waste valuable time standing in line.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Italy is like the very best chocolate wonderland - there are no bad choices and no matter how many times you go, you always want more of what you liked best and what you haven't tried yet.

Italy generally has a very good public transportation system, but not so much when you are going to hill towns. Many can only be reached by buses or getting a car and driver (expensive). It's hard to visit more than one a day (without a driver) especially in November when sunset's around 5 pm.

November to me means cities. Cities mean public transport, so you're good there. Really you can pick any one city in Italy and not run out of things to do in a week, so I would pick the best airfare.

You will enjoy wherever you choose in Italy- but my recommendation for a first time trip would be Rome and Tuscany (Florence with some day trips to surrounding area). The train between Rome and Florence is very easy. Good luck!

Have you looked at flights from your airport to Italy? That may help you choose what area of Italy to focus on.

Take a look at the Trip Report section of the forums. You'll find several reports of Italy trips without a car.

I would fly into Venice for half the time, then take the train to Rome for the rest. If you look at the itinerary for Rick Steves Venice/Florence/Rome trip that will give you a good idea of what you can accomplish. By minimizing the stops you make, you will have more time to sight see. In Venice, if you stay close to the train station, it will be easy to catch a train to Rome.

November is our favorite month for visiting Italy, partly because it's not hot and there are fewer other tourists. I recommend that you take advantage of this and spend the entire 8 days in Venice or perhaps Venice and then one other place that is an easy train ride from Venice like Ferrara or Padua or Verona. Less time on trains, more time being somewhere unique in the world (as Venice is, but sadly also kind of horrific during the tourist season and what used to be the shoulder season).

Venice does still have local culture, if you know where to stay and where to eat --- there are several people here that can give you great advice about that. In Venice (for the 3rd time, for 10 days) in early December 2023 we easily visited San Marco without a reservation and ate at restaurants that were clearly not tourist-oriented. We had the island of Torcello all to ourselves one early morning. You just can't believe how pleasant it is to be in a city without cars, trucks, and motorcycles (and bicycles!) and to be able to ride a vaporetto everywhere and walk everywhere. People who didn't enjoy Venice perhaps tend to be people who only spend a night or two there during the busy (and hot) times of year and only go to San Marco, the Doge's palace, the Rialto bridge, and the walk between the train station and San Marco.

Rome + Florence, would be my first choice.

In early November the weather may be rainy (very rainy) in Italy, so you want to be in a city where there is plenty to do indoor (museums, basilicas, palaces, etc.).

The classic first time trip to Italy would be Venice+Florence+Rome (from north to south), however 8 days are probably not enough for a proper visit to all 3.

Out of the 3 I would opt for the latter two because Florence and Rome are only 90 min away by high speed train and Rome has the most flights to everywhere. Also Venice (the northernmost) is colder and damper in November and the highest probability of Acqua Alta (high water) flooding is in fact in early November.