Florence to Venice Itinerary Help - 2 weeks/4 cities

Not Rome?

We're saving Rome (and vicinity) for a trip with the kids. :)

Ok, that explains the omission of Rome.

I don't know if February is the best time to go to Lake Garda, even for just a day trip and by public transportation.
Perhaps others here could comment on that specific issue?

I like your itinerary...it's not rushed and you aren't trying to see too much. You'll feel like you saw many of the highlights and you'll have time to do some extras too. Good plan!

Should you choose Florence, I would do Tuscany and eventually Umbria

FLORENCE (3)
PISA (1)
SIENNA (2)
SAN GIMIGNANO (1)
GUBBIO or AREZZO (2)
PERUGGIA (2)
ASSISI (1)
GROSETTO (2)

Should you decide Venice

• Padova (1)
• Ravenna (2)
• Mantova (2)
• Trento (1)
• Verona (2-3)
• Venice (4)
• Lago di Garda
• Trieste (2 days)

I like both Bologna and Ferrara, Bologna is bigger.

Kent,
Having loved Scotland in January, are you referring to the transportation or the cold?

florenceintoscana,
Those sites are awesome to be sure. Though this trip we’re focusing on slowing down, we’ll be sure to keep that itinerary on our bucket list. Besides size, do you favor Bologna or Ferrara?

Anita,
Appreciate the feedback, I think you’re on to what we were going after!

I love both Bologna and Ferrara. But I would vote for Ferrara. You could visit Padova (get tickets well in advance for the Scrovegni Chapel if you plan to see it) as a daytrip from Venice and still keep Verona. Padova is about 1/2 hour by train from Venice.

If you decide to forgo Lake Garda, you might spend two nights in Verona and two nights in Ravenna.

Zoe,
Ravenna looks great and hadn't considered it. Didn't realize Padova was that accessible either, thanks

lumen,

Italy has an extensive rail system, so you should have no trouble getting to the places on your list. You can view all the rail solutions on the Trenitalia website. There are a few important things to know however.....

• If you're travelling on one of the "faster" trains such as the Freccia high speed or InterCity, you MUST have compulsory seat reservations, which are specific to train, date and deparute time. Those caught without valid reservations for the train they're riding on will face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! If you're buying P-P tickets, reservations will be provided with the tickets, and you can only use the ONE train specified on the ticket.
• If you're travelling on the slower Regionale trains, no reservations are required (or even possible), but you MUST validate (time & date stamp) your tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel. Those who don't validate will also face hefty fines. The same applies to use of Metro or Buses. Do NOT validate the day before travel, as the tickets have a "shelf life" once validated and will have expired by the time you board the train (and of course that means hefty fines!).

Regarding your destinations......

• Were you planning to visit the destinations in that order?
• Where are you flying from?
• I'm not familiar with Ferrara, but the time allocated in the other places looks good.
• Regarding the trip to Lago di Garda, there are three main destinations on the south end - Peschiera, Desenzano and Sirmione. If you just want a short look at the lake, I'd suggest Peschiera as it has a rail station and it's easy to get from the station into the main part of town. I've timed the walk to the dock at about 13 minutes (when you know the way of course). If you'd prefer a Taxi, there are usually some waiting just outside the station.
• If you'd prefer to look at other towns up the lake, you might consider Malcesine which is towards the north end. You can get there either by boat from Peschiera or Bus, however I haven't checked the schedules for February so don't know how often they run.

Buon Viaggio!

Ken,
What a wealth of information, thanks.

The train schedules have been a bear to figure out and we originally planned on the high speed, but it looks like we'll be doing both. Crossing our fingers we can get it all sorted out before leaving.

Regarding our destinations......
Were you planning to visit the destinations in that order?---Yes, we'd prefer to leave from Venice

Where are you flying from?---California

Peschiera was just the suggestion we needed, (can't believe you timed the walk) like the fact that the heart of town is near the station.
Thanks again

lumen,

Thanks for the additional information. With the order of cities listed, I assume you're flying inbound to Florence?

The rail system is actually quite straightforward and easy to figure out, once you get used to it. One other important point to mention is that many cities in Italy (and elsewhere in Europe) have more than one station, so it's important to know which station you'll be using.

A few suggestions for the trips you'll be making.....

• Florence to Ferrara - I'd suggest a departure from Firenze S.M. Novella at 09:30, arriving Ferrara at 10:30 (FrecciaArgento, so reservations compulsory). As this is a direct train, you won't have to deal with any changes. However, you'll have to get up to speed with changing trains eventually. More on that below.
• Ferrara to Verona - one of the shortest trips on that route will be a departure at 10:32, arriving Verona Porta Nuova at 12:00 (time 1H:28M, one change at Padova, both legs via Freccia so reservations compulsory).
• Verona to Venice - that's an easy trip. You could use a departure from Verona Porta Nuova at 10:29, arriving Venezia Santa Lucia at 11:40 (time 1H:11M, FrecciaBianca so reservations compulsory).

The trains listed are suggestions only. You can check the Trenitalia website for all the solutions.

When changing trains, it's often necessary to go down into a Sottopassagio (tunnel) to move from one platform to another. Before doing that you'll need to check the electronic sign board to determine which platform your next train is departing from. There are also large paper charts in each station showing arrivals (Arrivi) and departures (Partenze), but these are not always accurate so use the electronic board primarily. If you need to validate tickets, the validation machines are often down in the tunnel these days.

You might find it helpful to browse the excellent Man In Seat 61 website.

Let's see, you say you are traveling in February but don't say if you mean this year or next. Here in California, February 2015 starts in less than 3 hours, which is quite soon. Fortunately, there will be relatively fewer visitors in mid-winter, which should make it easier to find last-minute lodging, although Florence and Venice are always busy, I assume. You probably know that Carnevale 2015 occurs in Venice in mid-February. I was there for Carnevale once some years ago. It is a wonderful and quite surrealistic experience, but is very, very crowded and dominates life in Venice for the final few days, around Feb 14 to 17 this year. Will you be there then? If so, lodging could be tight and even more expensive than normal. Also, I notice that all the places you list or others have mentioned (except Lake Garda) are cities of considerable population. That includes Ferrara, Bologna, Ravenna and Padua, as well as Florence and Venice. I think it would be a shame to visit Italy for the first time without getting at least a taste of really small town life. One way to do that would be to go on a one-day wine tour out of Florence, which usually includes rural Tuscany, visits to a couple hill towns, plus one or more wineries, with lunch. I have not done this from Florence (although I did one from Rome). There are many of these from Florence, and many on this forum and I believe RS books recommend wine tours by Roberto in Florence, I'm sure others could comment more. I hope these tour run in mid-winter, I'm not sure. Or you can just choose one of the lovely Tuscan hill towns and go for a day by bus, from Florence. About Lake Garda, others can comment on how enjoyable and active it might be in February. I myself took a day trip from Verona last May, and there was an easy and direct bus from Verona to Sirmione, a main visitor's stop on the south of the lake. You can get ferries there, don't know what the winter schedule and weather is like on the lake. Many say the northern part of the lake is the most scenic, and there are also direct and short bus routes from Verona to the northern towns. It is tough to include both ends of the lake on the same day trip, at least without your own car. Buon viaggio!

Lumen,

If you decide to travel to Peschiera to visit Lake Garda, keep in mind that the ferry boats do not run in February.

See ferry boat timetables here: http://www.navlaghi.it/eng/g_orari.asp

My mom & I were in northern Italy in October & we stayed in Verona & Padua (Padova) and enjoyed both cities very much.

You can take a day trip to Padova from Verona as it's an easy 43 minute ride by freccia (high speed) train.

You can visit the Scrovegni Chapel (doubt you will need reservations in February) & St. Anthony's Basilica.

Ken,
I assume you're flying inbound to Florence?---Yep

Your train suggestions are a great help. Checked out the Man In Seat 61 website, also very informative, never would have found that on my own. Thanks again

Larry,
You are so right, February is closing in. We're going at the end of the month and unfortunately will miss Carnivale. But that's just the way it timed out, though on the bright side, we'll miss the hoards as well.

Mmmm, we were thinking that Verona and the Lake Garda trip would give us the chance to experience a smaller town. As we've done the Napa region and Spanish wineries, (of course there was no way for you to know this) we're more inclined to explore a worn alleyway. We loved Toledo and Bruges, and if you have any thoughts along those lines, please toss them our way.

Thanks for the bus info, we know we'll have to be flexible with such short notice and it being the off-season. Will check the winter schedule and routes to the lake towns.

Really appreciate the help folks, thanks!

I love Verona, which is very walkable and I consider to be the best blend of ancient history and modern lifestyle I have experienced in Italy, but it is a city of about 260,000, not a small town. The small, medieval, stone hill towns of Tuscany and elsewhere in Italy are totally different from places in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, without even thinking of wine. You will find well-worn and quiet alleys and lanes in all the spots you've listed, especially in Venice and in Florence, away from the big tourist attractions. Another place to experience quiet local life is on the island of Burano in the lagoon of Venice, a small town which I expect will not be crowded at all in early March. Wander the pastel colored residential lanes, and have a great seafood meal there. (Sorry, I can't compare anything to Spain, as I've only been there for 20 minutes many years ago, to visit the nearest gas station to where I was in eastern Portugal! Marvao, Portugal, now there's a remarkable old hill town!)

Lumen,

FYI, the ferry boats on Lake Garda start running on 3/14/15, don't know if you will still be in Italy at this time.

Priscilla,

Thanks for the ferry info and and timetables link. We'll definitely check them out and the Chapel too. Good to know you enjoyed Verona and Padua as well.

Larry,

Tuscany sounds great but will probably have to wait for a return trip. Checked out Burano, looks really interesting, unlike what I'd expect to see at all. That's what we're after.

Thanks, as we're putting this trip together at the last minute, we sure appreciate all the help.

Ravenna and Ferrara are small cities with compact historic centers and both have lots of indoor things to do if the weather gets in your way. Burano is a great suggestion.

Just for the record, Florence is the principal city in Tuscany, and many smaller towns are within an hour or so by bus.

The weather in Feb may not be the best for enjoying lake Garda, but it's probably a good time to visit Sirmione, on the south shore, which is otherwise overrun by tourists.
Small villages in Tuscany will also be devoid of tourists, which is good. Siena is a nice day trip from Florence (Siena is not a village, but a small city of about 70000). San Gimignano is always nice to visit (a medieval village) and winter is the only time the place is not overrun by hordes of tourists.

Lumen,

This sounds like an awesome trip - I am getting excited about traveling in Italy again just thinking about it. Florence and Venice are what they are. I have visited Verona a couple of time and found it a great place to visit some great sites (their arena and castle are wonderful), as well as see smaller Italian city. If I were you I would, at the very least, visit (if at all possible) Padua, even if only as a side trip. The university, cathedral San Antonio, and Scrovegni Chapel are well, well worth the short trip. I prefer Bologna over Ferrara, but I have only been to Ferrara on a much too short day trip. Enjoy - the weather should be great!

Zoe,

We enjoy staying in the small towns of Europe as much, if not more than the large cities. We’re rethinking spending a day more in Ferrara and one less in Verona for this reason. Ravenna keeps jumping on and off our list. Thanks

Roberto,

Other than sleet, we can take the cold if it means avoiding the tourists. This trip has been really hard to plan. Our M/O is to see a small chunk, and leave some big cities and pretty sites to come back to and enjoy with the kids. Once we chose Florence and Venice, the trick was to find two smaller towns to plant ourselves. San Gimignano looks great (like they had a campanile competition there) but it’s just outside the chunk. Sirmione seems to fit the bill on this go round, any others you’d recommend?

Thanks all for the help!

Jack,

Bolgna was on our list originally (as was Mantua, Modena and Vicenza) We are really torn trying to narrow down the two smaller cities. Are any of these more or less striking/friendly/sleepy/flavorful than the others?

Bologna is a big city compared to the other in your last post. Sometimes I google photos of places and that helps me decide. I've been to Mantova and Vicenza, I would give Vicenza the edge.

Zoe,

I've heard that the US military base near Vicenza makes the locals less friendly. Were there any issues that you noticed there (or anywhere else for that matter) that might be of concern? Or are respectful tourists always welcome everywhere?

Thanks

I was only in Vicenza for a short time and didn't notice any unfriendliness. But of all possible options on your list that aren't firmed up yet, I would spend the time in Ravenna.

Thanks Zoe

We enjoyed our time in Ravenna-- amazing mosaics!

We stayed at Hotel Diana-- very reasonable, comfortable & they serve a delicious breakfast!

Thanks Priscilla,

We've been so consumed by where to visit, it never occurred to me to think about where to sleep! I'll check them out.

Trip update:

Just returned from Italy and couldn’t have asked for a better selection of towns to visit. Just to recap, our tour in brief went as follows:

Milan – had a few hours after landing to tour Sforza castle, the cathedral (inside and on top!) and a special design installation for fashion week, then it was time for the train to Verona

Verona – Roman ruins and arena (with an impromptu concert from a Japanese choir), the piazzas, views from the top of Lamberti Tower and late night strolls. An ideal introduction to Italy.

Venice – St Marks, the Accademia, Doge’s palace, Frari, etc (refreshingly not a line at one). Tintoretto and Boldini exhibits were amazing. It was as romantic as everyone says and a photo op at every turn.

Ferrara – A castle and museums to ourselves, markets and bikes, pizza and wine and quite possibly the town we most felt at home in.

Florence – Botticelli, Michelangelo, Galileo, Titian, Raphael…the mind-blowing list goes on. We walked over, under and around nearly everything, even did the Duomo and campanile stairs back to back. (wouldn’t recommend it!) A city that’s both overwhelming and intimate depending on where you’re standing.

We used Rick’s books and audio guides whenever we could. They were a great addition and I can only imagine how we looked as the only two people enraptured by the seventh column of Doge’s palace!

Lastly, we send a heartfelt thanks to you all for your suggestions. It was a wonderful trip!

Thanks for posting! I hope you post a copy in Trip Reports as well. I also love Ferrara.

I assume you will probably not travel to Venice again in Feb. so I think you would be missing a great opportunity to experience one of the most magical experiences if you miss Carnavale. It is truly extraordinary and while it is crowded, just a few streets from the main attractions it is not busy at all. Yes, it is expensive, but a really wonderful time. If you get up very early you will be one of a few people (mostly photographers) to watch the city come to life and the Venetians in spectacular costumes wandering about the city. I don't remember the name of the author but there is a book called Watermark in which the descriptions of Venice in the winter are so poetic and it is a reality that we found. I don't think you will regret trying to make this happen.

Thanks for the trip report! I enjoyed reading about your wonderful trip!

Ok...a little late on my post:). Not paying attention, but sounds like a great trip.

Terry Katherine, no worries... though we weren't able to pick the dates this time around, Carnevale is still on our bucket list. Plus, you never know who'll be checking out this thread months from now, your input might be just what the doctor ordered. Thanks!