Help with Italy itinerary

Visit south of Rome. A guide book will give you some itinerary ideas to suit your interests

If you're considering anywhere up north, like the Dolomites or the lakes, I would add Cinque Terre to your list. We went there, along with the other four places you mentioned on our first trip and loved it.

hey jmw1948
we had the pleasure of staying at bardolino on lake garda. a fabulous place on the water at hotel nettuno. we attended their wine festival (festa del uva) on a sunday night. wine, food, people watch, crafts, walk around the cute town, have dinner, fireworks over the lake. It's usually end of september first of october, look it up. if you have a chance book early and you'll have a great time. we had a car for the two days we were there and drove back to venice where we were staying. you can drive around the lake, stop at mount baldo in malcesine and ride the cable car and see the dolomites. after you can drive back past milan area and see turin (torino). you can check out getyourguide.com do a cooking class, a chocloate tour, a wine tour, check out the piemonte area or the po river. something totally different and the area that most tourists don't get to see, go to their porta palazzo market, rent an apartment for a few days, you can cook inside, buy picnic goodies and find a park to sit and relax with some local wine. the area is all there for you to explore. enjoy and hope this is something for you. look at designsponge.com with info of area.
aloha

Where are you flying into?

You've already visited the biggies in the North, perhaps you should travel South: Amalfi Coast, Naples/Sorrento, Pompei, Paestum and Sicily.

Did you like the North and want to explore more...check-out: Verona, Padova, Lake Como & Garda. Bologna is very underrated, also visit Parma, Ferrara and Ravenna. Been to Cinque Terre? Lucca is another big favorite, have you been to Siena or Assisi?

If you want to see the south, take a look at Rick’s 13 day tour of southern Italy itinerary. Instead of 2 nights in Rome, leave FCO and visit Orvieto for 2 nights. Perhaps a visit to L’Aquila and Pescara on your way to th east coast. Don’t miss Tivoli and Paestum. On the Amalfi Coast, definitely spend half a day in Ravello. Read that trip’s itinerary carefully because there is so much very interesting to take in.

I’m returning to Italy soon for the 5th time and haven’t been to a town that we didn’t enjoy. Besides considering specific towns (several already mentioned), I would recommend checking which towns have some type of festival during that time in October. Those can be a lot of fun and enjoyable to learn the historical and cultural beginnings of them.

Not sure where you want to go, but the Alpine region of the Dolomites is cool. I also enjoyed Sicily. I've also done multiple trips to the Tuscany area, and I still love it.

What are your interests????

Don't know what your interests are but we just got back for 17 days in the south of Italy but on the heel side. Matera (fascinating history behind this town and it is now deemed and UNESCO area), Lecce, Alberobello (where the truilli houses are). And then up the coast at several stops. As mentioned Cinque Terre is an option as well as the Dolomites with its specatular views.

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I will be putting our itinerary together over the next three months and might come back for advice on tweaking it.

hey jmw
please do come back and let is know what you ended up doing.
aloha

Yeah, please share your itinerary here and I would love to see what you have planned. Have fun!

I would do Florence and Tuscany for such a small period
In Tuscany I would do
Siena, Luca, San Gimignano, Tuscan Archipelago with Elba and Capraia.
You could also do Tarquinia which is in Lazio but at the Southern limit of Tuscany where you can discover fabulous Etruscan tombs, a jewel. You could also have a swim there.
https://www.discovertuscany.com/it/itinerari-in-toscana/
Also have a bath in Sartunia in the hot sulphuric water of the terme del Mulino.
If you like hiking try the via Francigena
http://www.viefrancigene.org/fr/

You will not be able to do it all probably but you would do one of the most beautiful region in Italy.
Tuscany is quite big, it is 22 987 km2.