First trip to Italy--Itinery questions

Trust what you're hearing on this site. Move mountains if that's what it takes to stay in Venice proper. Sell the car, rent out the dog, whatever it takes! :-) By the way, the population of Venice is only 65,000. Venice has entire neighborhoods where you feel like you're in the small town that it really is. Dorsoduro, Cannaregio, San Polo, Sant'Elena. In Venice, you're never more than a 15 minute walk away from a small town experience. Consider Pensione Guerrato, if one of their rooms with shared bath is still available - for 95 Euros a night, plus you get a Rick Steves discount if you have either the Italy or Venice book. It used to be that these rooms with the shared bath had their own sink in the room, making it much easier to deal with. Or consider staying on the Lido (definitely a distant second choice, but some cheaper options) and get a 3 day vaporetto pass while there. (We're going to be there at roughly the same time as you, but we booked well in advance at Hotel Helvetia on the Lido for this our third trip to Venice. By prepaying a nonrefundable fare, we got three nights at 54 euros a night. That low fare is no longer available, but does illustrate how the Lido is less expensive.) Would you mind sharing what your budget is per night? And, yes, 3 nights in Milan is 1 or 2 too many.

I would personally take Bologna over Rimini every time but there aren't really "right" answers to questions like this. I would take Ravenna over both and there is a wonderful hostel there that is 1) cheap and 2) has nice private rooms. The only downside is that its a bit of a walk from the old core. I'd figure out a way to stay in Venice. For me, the appeal of Venice is between 7pm and about 9am... The place is magical then. What kind of price are you getting at Mestre? There are a few cheap places in Venice but you have to find them and be willing to do the give and take. (like bathroom down the hall) For me, your plan is high on time in Milan. I like it but find a day there plenty. Unless you have a compelling reason, I might shave a bit of time off there and invest it elsewhere. If you need some suggestions on budget hotels, I have stayed in many of the towns you will be visiting and can offer some suggestions as I travel "on the cheap"

I agree, skip other things if you have to save money, but you will be glad you stayed in central Venice rather than the outskirts. You will spend a lot of time getting there. And it is magical in the evening.

I like your slow pace! Our first trip to Italy, many years ago, was to northern Italy only, as well. Why so many days in Milan? People don't usually spend that much time there; it's not as scenic as some of the other places that you're going, or considering going. I did visit Milan, and enjoyed it very much, but two days/two nights would be enough for most people. I love Bologna. It's a non-touristy small city that's great for people-watching, and great food, too. Because it's a university town, it's lively for younger people, especially nearer the university. Lucca's a good place, too, for much the same reason, but I'd pick Bologna over Lucca. Also, if you're at all interested in mosaics, from Bologna you could make a day trip to Ravenna, which has fantastic mosaics from the earliest days of Christianity. Really, really consider staying IN Venice rather than Mestre, even if you have to seriously skimp somewhere else to do so. Venice is so wonderful late in the evening and early in the morning, and you'll miss out on that if you have to leave it for Mestre. Your boyfriend probably won't get big city-ed out from Venice. It's actually a small city/big town, and the absence of cars makes it less frenetic and noisy than the usually city/town of its size. But I can understand the feeling! My husband and I are the only people, I think, who didn't really love Lake Como. It is beautiful, but the town seemed past its prime, and not a lot of younger people there. Rimini is a bit out of the way of the rest of your trip. Is there a train from Venice through Rimini to Siena? If so, consider it only if you love beach towns. Otherwise, I'd pick Bologna over Rimini any day. Note the beach in Monterosso is a gravel, not a sand, beach.

Yes!. If your boyfriend is tired of the big city, instead of staying in Milan on the way back, continue on to the nearby town of Bergamo and spend a couple of nights there. A 'foothill' town of the Alps, the views and athmosphere of the town above (take the funicular up to it) will be a relaxing place to cool off and enjoy the Italian countryside. Belagio on Lake Como also fits that bill.

As others have said, Milan is of limited interest a day is plenty. Try Try Try to stay in Venice. What is your budget? There are low-cost B&Bs if you know where to look. Skimp on food and wine, but STAY IN VENICE. It is not a "big city," so the boyfriend should not feel too citified. I recommend 4 nights so you can get out to the neighborhoods, the outer islands, away from P.za San Marco. We spent 90 euros on a B&B and averaged less than 75 euros per day on food and beverage in Venice. I could definitely have spent less if I had to. Be sure your buy a vaporetto pass from www.veniceconnected.com before you go! Saves a ton of money on transportation. Milan, May 16 & 17, simply to get over jet lag, see the Last Supper if you are interested, see the Duomo, shop and wander. Venice, May 18-22 (4 nights) Ravenna or Bologna, May 22-24 (2 nights) Siena, May 24-27 (3 nights) - be sure to get out to some hilltowns. You can take bus or train to several from here. Florence, May 27-29 (2) - Big city. Since Siena is close you'll have most of 2 full days here. Hit the highlights and move on. Cinque Terre, May 29-June 1 (3) Lake Como, June 1-2 (2) Milan, June 3 (1) - can't avoid a last night in Milan before flying out Good for you for not trying to see the whole country in 3 weeks.

THANK YOU sooo much to all you lovely strangers who have responded. My mind is made up to stay in Venice instead of Mestre after all of these strong recommendations. Much appreciated.
My boyfriend has a friend in Milan, which was why the longer stay was planned there, but we might still cut it shorter per many suggestions that we're planning too much time in Milan!

Good for you! You guys are going to have such a wonderful time! (Do buy at least the RS Italy book if you haven't yet. It will be the smartest money you spend.)

My partner and I are also going to Venice at the same time you are. We are staying in Venice itself for 5 nights in a BnB with our own ensuite. I booked it a few months ago and got it for 38 euro each a night. There are cheaper places to stay without breaking the budget, you just have to do your research and book in plenty of time, that way you always pay less. We will be in Italy for just over 3 weeks, staying in BnB's with all our own private facilities for no more then $1300 for the both of us the whole trip. Stupidly cheap considering what we get for it and their locations. The major tip is to always book early. For me as long as a place is safe, clean, and with ensuite, the rest is a bonus. After all it will only be a place to rest your head at nights
Cheers

I think you are spending way too much time in Milan. Lake Como is very close. Think about Varenna.
Carole

To Michael--our budget is about 70 Euros/night. I'm going to start the search for places in Venice at about that rate. Any suggestions? I realize we might have to stretch that budget a bit if we want to stay in Venice (rather than Lido).

Oops....misspelled Itinerary! :o)

Stephanie:
As to suggestions for 70 euro per night, you will have to hunt. Try Trip Advisor, especially under their "specialty rentals" but once you identify a property, email that property directly rather than booking through TA. You might have to Google to find some websites with contact info. Also try www.VRBO.com. There are some bargain properties, but you have to reach out to them. If you are staying 4 ngihts, ask for a discount. If you are paying cash, ask for a discount. You might save a couple of euros doing that. Good luck! It is worth the effort!

A number of places you could go to around your routes. Vicenza, Padova, Verona, Ravenna, San Marino, Volterra, San Gimignano etc.
We stayed in Mestre for the cost savings also. It's not that bad, buses run 24 hours and it was only a 15 min ride. I do agree with others though about staying the night in Venice itself and it's still something we plan on.

I recommend not staying in Mestre when visiting Venice. To get the real experience of mornings and evenings in Venice you need to be sleeping there. I've stayed at Hotel Tivoli in Venice a couple of times. It was inexpensive and handy to the Frari church. Breakfast was included. I think it will fit your budget. Try looking for hotels in Venere.com in Italy. I've found budget lodging in all the cities of Italy in Venere. Of course, you can check out any lodging on TripAdvisor.com. If you want a relaxing trip, stay longer in fewer places. I don't think there is much point in spending 5 nights in Milan. You might spend a couple of nights in Varenna (Lake Como) instead of two of your Milan nights. If you find yourselves with extra time, take a daytrip to Lucca from Florence.

We just recently booked our hotel in venice for june 3-6 about 3 weeks ago, and i was disappointed that all of my top choices were sold out. I started looking on booking.com, because they have a map of all of the available hotels. I found a hotel near the area i wanted to stay, clicked on it, and it was within my budget. I then went to tripadvisor.com and typed in the name and looked over the reviews and especially the user photos just to get a sense of the place.. there is a market right outside! sold! anyways that is a suggestion of how to find an available hotel in such short notice.. our hotel is called Hotel Arcadia but not sure if they still have any rooms available.

Whoaa, Stephanie My boyfriend has a friend in Milan I agree that Milano, in the general scheme of things, has nowhere near the attractions of other mentioned cities. I myself have only spent some time in Milano - never saw everything but enough. But, and this is a big however, when you have the chance to be immersed in a city in the company of a local.... well all bets are off. I say, take enough time to take advantage of that situation and have your boyfriend's friend show you some of the things only locals see. Enjoy it, immerse yourself. Maybe you will get to the Certosa di Pavia. enjoy yourself - good decision about Venezia too... ...ciao...