Help with Itinerary - First Trip

Looks like a nice, relaxing trip. We found an american couple who rents out a guest house. It's really just a bedroom, sitting area, and bathroom. No kitchen. However, it's in a seperate building on a farm and was built some time in the 17th century. It has been nicely renovated, but it's not a hilton. We stayed there for 6 nights on our first trip to Italy two years ago, and we're returning for 5 nights in June. You can find them on airbnb site by looking for Ben and Martha and Podere. Or, use this link: http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6913 I've wrestled with the train/car question and have decided to take the train whenever I can, and only get a car when I have to. So my advice is to take the train to Orvieto. You'll probably catch it in Naples and it will take between 2:40 and 4 hours, and cost as little as 17 Euros. Google maps says it would take you at least 3:21 to drive it, so you might as well train.

Regarding driving in Tuscany, I posted a message about GPS units recently. If you search around you'll find a post I put up. Navigating in Italy can be, ahem, somewhat challenging. The Garmin 275T is a 3.5" GPS unit that has european maps installed. Buying european maps costs about $100 (SD chip). Fry's electronics is closing out the Garmin 275T right now and selling them for $130. I bought one two days ago. If you think you might want a GPS....Call your local Fry's and try to find a Garmin 275T in stock. Run over there and buy it. NOW!!!. They may already be gone, or will be gone in a few days. After you buy it, you have 30 days to return it if you change your mind. If you have any doubts, don't open the unit. Just do some research. Read about GPS units on this site. I'm sure after you do some research you'll be happy you have the GPS. However, you don't have time to research. Don't open it until you're sure because of restocking fees for an open unit.

Hi, He have a Portable Garmin that we use here. We were going to buy the Italy map. That should work?

It does look like a very nice, relaxing itinerary indeed. The only suggestion or heads-up I would give you is regarding your transportation from Cinque Terre to Venice. Keep in mind if you do go straight from CT to Venice, you will either be going up and through/around the Milan area or down and through/around Florence. In both cases you will have several connections to make; and in both cases, the trip will be at least 6-7 hours. So, since that would be quite complex and take up most if not all of your day traveling, I would suggest going to CT after Tuscany/Umbria, then coming back down to Florence, then going up to Venice. Yes, it is some backtracking, but you will have to backtrack regardless, and doing it this way cuts down on the complexities and transportation time. If you decide to get a car to go through Umbria/Tuscany, you can drop it off in Pisa, Lucca, or any other town/city available, and just train the rest of the way to CT (because you certainly aren't going to be able to need/use the car in CT). From there, training back to Florence is a breeze, and training from Florence to Venice is a straight shot, and can be done in as quickly as 2 hours. So, again, I would suggest swapping CT and Florence and visiting the CT first. If you would like to check out potential train schedules, you can just visit the Trenitalia website (just Google it) to see when, how long, and how many connections certain train trips would be. However, if you are visiting major towns in Umbria and Tuscany such as Orvieto (as you mentioned), I would also suggest just sticking to public transportation throughout the region. But, you will be able to go on more of your own pace as well as stay at agriturismos with a car, so if you would like to stay that course, it is certainly do-able. Just beware of ZTLs in some Tuscan towns (you can search this helpline for several extensive posts on that matter). But enjoy your travels!

Sounds like a fabulous trip. As to your request for experiences: Rome: 6 nights is great! Really an amazing city that many people fly through in 3 days and they miss so much. Look for the book "24 Great Walks in Rome." Moderate walks but you can string them together for more. We really liked structuring our tours around these. Also consider a private guide for the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine; Francesca Caruso is fabulous! Nice apartment at http://www.palazzo-olivia.it. Venice: "24 great Walks in Venice" will get you aways from the crowds. Consider 4 nights here, though. That extra day will allow you to get out to the outer islands. Tuscany: Hopefully you can settle somewhere here for 5 to 7 nights. It will be a respite from all the traveling between places you are doing. A car will facilitiate daytrips. Siena makes a nice base, or an agriturismo outside Siena. So convenient for Chianti region, Volterra, Cortona. We liked Montalcino a lot for the quiet, the food and wine, the nature. Hiked to the Abbey of Sant'Antimo. Hardly saw another person! Had lunch at the end of our 2.5 hour hike in Castelnuovo dell'Abate and took a bus back to Montalcino. Be sure to ask locally about how to get started on the trail. We used the book "Walking and Eating in Tuscany & Umbria" BTW. Great book, but things change so check with locals. Nice place to stay http://www.montalcinoitaly.com/home_cesira.htm. Montalcino also a great base for pretty drive to Montepulciano via Pienza.

If you stay in Siena and want a fun tour, http://www.toursbyroberto.com is fabulous!

It does seem like a good itinerary. Consider, however, that with a trip of this length (I envy you!), that a succession of 3-night stays might get a little tiring, in terms of moving every third day. In addition to having a car for Tuscany/Umbria, I think it would be easier to get around the Lakes and the Dolomites if you have a rental car there, too. I don't have any great ideas, though, on how to bunch together your car destinations and your non-car destinations. We have easily taken a rental car to the Cinque Terre; we drove it there, and then left it parked in either the large public lot in Monterosso, or stayed at a hotel, such as Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso, that has its own parking. I would think that at least some agriturismos allow a few-nights stay. Keep in mind, however, that if you want to have dinner elsewhere than the agriturismo, you'll be driving on dark side roads after dinner (and possibly drinks). European laws about driving and driving are very strict. We prefer to stay IN small towns, where we can walk around before and after dinner, and have a bottle of wine without having to decide who's the designated driver.

Re: GPS The portable map should work. If you're ebay-savy, you might sell the map card once you get back. I bought the $130 portable with Euromaps. I plan to sell it when I return, since they are selling for $137 on Ebay right now. It will be 2 years before I return to europe, so I don't' want this thing sitting in a drawer for that long. The map card for your portable will cost $100.

Thank you all for the input. I did mean to go to C.T. before Florence. Now we are deciding how to split up our time in Umbria Tuscany. So far. Orvieto two nights. Umbria Countryside 3 nights Tuscany Countryside 4 Nights
Lucca 2 nights Thoughts?