Hi
My husband and I are planning a low/mid-budget trip (South African exchange rate is brutal!) to Italy mid-April for about three weeks and then head to Greece for 2. Neither of us have been to Italy and would rather do less and absorb more in an unpressured way. We have not travelled much in Europe and previous times have been to one of the big cities which was less complicated. This is unscripted! We have also never driven in Europe, but would like a mix of train and car hire - maybe cycle?.
We love coffee shops, food, wine, walking, cycling people-watching....
Would it be foolish to try and not have bookings at this time of year so we could be spontaneous? I would appreciate thoughts re my plans: fly into Milan and get train to the Lake area (Como?) for about 3 days. Then a train or hire car to Portofino/Cinque Terra (stay in Vernazza?) area and explore over 4/5 days. Hire car from Lucca, explore Tuscany for a 5/6 few days (Cianti? Siena?) - this is starting to sound quite busy!. Then train to Florence for 3 days. Train to Rome: 2/3nights?. Does this sound like too much
And fly from there to Greece, preferably direct to an island, but don't see many direct flights for early May (any suggestions?). Another idea was a train from Rome to Brindisi and then a ferry to Greece? Thinking Kefalonia/Ithica.... We have been to a few islands in the Cyclades before (love it!), but thought of exploring elsewhere.
Any and all advice welcome.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11240 posts
Take train to Cinque Terre. A car there is useless.
Would spend more time in Rome than Cinque Terre.
For your destination in Greece, I have no help.
Posted by
New York, NY
1585 posts
Hey Robyn,
Since this is your first trip to Italy, I would suggest giving Rome at least 4 days minimum to explore the city. 3 days in Lake Como is fine. You can either be based in Menaggio or Varenna to explore the lake towns. After Lake Como, you should train to the Cinque Terre and not rent a car. Monterosso al Mare is one of the nicest and picturesque towns to stay in CT. In addition, it is less touristy then the other towns. Train to Lucca from CT and rent a car to explore Tuscany. You can either be based in Lucca or Montepulciano and Pienza to explore the region. Try and stay at an agriturismo to get the full Dolce Vita experience.
Posted by
871 posts
Monterosso less touristy?! It's the largest, the only one with a beach. However April is a good month with respect to cruise ships in port.
Also no one in their right mind would go to Lucca to rent a car. Train time on 3 trains is a little under 2 hours. Get one from Hertz in La Spezia. The quality of agriturismi are very uneven, especially with respect to meals.
Possibly skip Florence, after Tuscany drive to Rome and dump the car; or return it in Chiusi [Hertz, closed Sun] and take a train to Rome, getting off at Tibertina.
The Val d'Orcia is a very scenic area with lots of nice towns to explore. For places like Montepulciano and Pienza, one would definitely not stay in Lucca, which is a 2.5 hour drive.
https://www.wanderingitaly.com/maps/valdorcia.html
With respect to Greece, search non-stop one-way flights IT to GR on www.skyscanner.com.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7364 posts
Lake Como can be expensive and attractions seasonal. Check your dates. In season, it must be booked in advance.
Posted by
4473 posts
If you end up flying into Athens, the Peloponnese really has it all--gorgeous seaside spots, nature, plus a high concentration of ancient sites if you are interested. As suggested, use Skyscanner to search all options.
I think your Italy portion looks well balanced. No need for a car for Cinque Terre.
Posted by
871 posts
Pisa and Lucca in one day one wastes 2 hours on trains and going to and from stations.
Posted by
New York, NY
1585 posts
Lucca and Pisa are doable in one day and N_Kingdom, it's not a waste commuting wise.
Posted by
OP
Cape Town
4 posts
Thank you for all your input and effort - much appreciated and very helpful.
Posted by
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
8 posts
In case you don't have your hearts set on 2 weeks in Greece, I was recently researching Slovenia which seems to have very low prices and the scenery is stunning. Ferries from Venice and maybe other parts of Italy. Croatia also looked stunning, but slightly more expensive and touristy.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15602 posts
You don't mention art or history in your interests. With that in mind, I would not recommend a lot of time in Florence or Rome. I would suggest Venice which is a unique city and there are places to stay that aren't expensive. If you want to save money, you need to book rooms and trains in advance. The bargains will go quickly and you'll waste time on the ground looking for places to stay.
Consider staying in Bologna, which is a rail hub. You can day trip to half a dozen or more interesting small towns on low cost regional trains. It is a mecca for foodies, and not a big tourist spot, so room prices are low in comparison. It has a well-preserved historic center and pleasant streets with arcades (out of the sun, out of the rain).