There will be 6 of us heading to Italy from Switzerland in early October. Trying to figure the best place for a home base to rent a home for the week. We want to see Florence, Cinque Terre and as much as possible in the Norther region. Any suggestions appreciated. We will not have a car so will rely on public transportation and we are willing to walk and explore.
Posted by
roswell, ga, usa
1501 posts
My choice would be to rent an apartment in Florence. I love Florence and have spent many weeks there, but that is not the reason I am recommending it. I am recommending Florence because of the availability of public transportation to explore neighboring cities from there. You can take a bus to Sienna for a day trip. There are also very pretty nearby towns you could bus to like Fiesole. I think you may need a car for Cinque Terre -- but that is not my area of expertise. There is just so much to see and do in Florence -- several days at least! Sienna is a one day trip in my opinion, and Fiesole is very charming, also one day. I hope someone with knowledge of Cinque Terre will post on here -- but I DO know that much of Cinque Terre was heavily damaged by last year's floods and some of it may not yet be open. I use VRBO.com when renting in Italy. Good luck and have fun!
Posted by
roswell, ga, usa
1501 posts
I think a day trip is possible also to Pisa if you take an early train or bus.
With all of those day trips, I don't think I'm leaving enough time for Florence
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32213 posts
Cheryl, Florence is one possibility for a "home base" in Northern Italy, but which location to choose will depend to some extent on what you want to see. With only a week, you're not going to have time to visit too many locations, as well as see the sights in Florence. If you're mainly interested in the Lakes, Verona and other sights in that area, then Milano would be a good choice. If you'd prefer to focus more on Tuscany and the Cinque Terre, then Florence would be more suitable. It's an easy trip by Bus from Florence to Siena, so that would make a good day trip. One point to note is that visiting the C.T. as a day trip from Florence is possible, but not ideal due to the travel times involved. Spending at least one night there would be preferable. I should clarify a few points that were mentioned in the previous replies. Only two of the five C.T. towns were impacted by the flooding of Oct. 25th and only the "old town" section of Monterosso, so the other three towns weren't affected. Repairs have been remarkable in the two towns that were affected, and while Vernazza won't be "back to normal" completely, they ARE open for business and anxious for tourists to return. The 2012 season opens today, so it should be business as usual. One other clarification - having a Car is NOT a good idea for visiting the C.T. as it would likely have to remain parked in La Spezia during the time you're there. Most of the towns are "car free" so only local traffic (ie: deliveries) is permitted in many cases. Some of the roads were damaged in the floods, so access to that area is not completely back to normal yet. The easiest way to get around is via the local trains, or boats when the weather is good. The local trains are an inexpensive way to get back and forth. Happy travels!