I am looking for suggestion on touring Italy from Milan to Rome with stops. Travel time May for two weeks.
Hope to get suggestions where to stop and how best get there, by train or by buss?
TYIA
Thank you all for responses, sorry for been so vague about our travel plans:(
Our interests are: nature and art. We’ve been to south Italy twice including Amalfi coast and Rome, never been to Milan. We were thinking flying to Milan spend in vicinity 5-6 days ( mayby visit Lake District) and take a train to Rome ( heading home to Florida from there). I was wondering if it’s doable to include Cingue Terre while on the way to Rome via train.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5629 posts
Your question is so broad, so it's hard to answer. What are your interests? What I love, you may hate.
Perhaps get a RS guidebook, in which there are suggested routes, and look at the routes of the RS tours.
Review the posts here under Italy, and look at Cameron's Blog (here.)
Review Trip Reports on Italy posted (here.)
Join area-specific Facebook groups for on-the ground, real-time info.
Once you have decided what interests you, come back with more specific questions, and I'm sure you will receive many helpful comments.
Have fun planning.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2667 posts
I would start by checking the AT A GLANCE section to see what appeals to you.
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy
Posted by
Atlanta, GA area (USA)
18 posts
If you’re using public transit there are good rail lines connecting all the main cities in that part of the country so I don’t think you’ll need to worry about buses. But it will be hard to see things out in the countryside. Alternatively you could rent a car for part of the trip and tour the countryside. Pick up and return at airport locations or in smaller cities - don’t try to drive in center city Milan, Florence or Rome unless you like sitting in a crazy gridlock of oneway streets and restricted zones.
As far as where to go, the suggestions above are all good. You can also try and find a Michelin Green Guide for Italy (no longer in print but available used or the library might have one) and look at the map page for a quick overview of what’s where.
Good luck!
Posted by
5006 posts
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy
Start with a library, book store, or website (all three will be useful).
You can now use AI to plan a trip, but I don't support this. The human brain is uniquely situated to read and analyze information.
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1110 posts
Hello ligeyfman, and welcome to the forum!
Agreeing with everyone here - everyone can suggest an itinerary but what do you want to see? What are your "must sees"?
And how do you like to travel? Shorter stays in more places or longer stays in fewer?
The classic first Italian trip is Venice, Florence, day trip to Siena, and Rome. With two weeks you could do more places if you are willing to pack and move around more and that is your style. All of these cities are completely achievable by train.
One tip is keep track of nights rather than days. This helps keep track of lodgings reservations and which days you are travelling. Keep in mind that 2 nights is only 1 full day when planning activities.
With 14 nights something like:
Milan 3 nights (2.5 hours by fast train to Venice)
Venice 3 nights (2.5 hours by fast train to Florence)
Florence 4 nights - Siena day trip by train or bus (2 hours by fast train to Rome)
Rome 4 nights (fly home)
would be the typical suggested itinerary and this may fit your interests or you may want something different, but only you can decide that.
Rome2Rio.com is a good site for checking distances and travel times and options between cities, but always confirm the information with an outside source if you're getting serious about plans.
Many "must see" art works and famous sights can be reserved in advance - Last Supper in Milan, Accademia (David) in Florence etc - and reserving these in advance will save you time and potentially keep you from getting shut out completely. Watch out for holidays. museum closure days and other potential pitfalls on your days in that city.
As other have said do some research, make a list with too many things on it and then decide what you really want to see and prioritize until you have something that sounds like what you really want. Feel free to hit up the forum with city A versus city B questions or recommendations but remember these are just people opinions. I love Venice but other people don't and the only way if you love it is find out by seeing it for yourself.
Good luck and happy planning,
=Tod
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7827 posts
Hi,
Nature & art pretty much applies to most places in Italy, but here’s a start. Lucca is near Cinque Terre, so you could add it to the end of this itinerary. I travel by train, but I did take a bus to reach Montepulciano.
Rome is going to be very busy in 2025 with the Jubilee Year, so maybe even consider a RT of Milan (Malpensa) airport.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-trip-to-italy-2018
Posted by
SoCal
1168 posts
The region of Emilia-Romagna (from Piacenza to the northwest down to Rimini to the southeast) is a wonderful area that, to me, gets insufficient press. Bologna, the major city, is a culinary center that shouldn't be missed. Parma is the home of Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto and the Pavarotti festival. Modena is the home of Ferrari and balsamic vinegar. And Ravenna is home to some of the oldest churches and artistic mosaics one can find. It's a region you should at least research and consider; we loved the week we spent there.
Umbria is another region that IMO is "under-touristed." Orvieto is breathtaking.
Posted by
8254 posts
You have TWO weeks.
If you go to Rome, you need at least 4-5 days there.
Cinque Terre is good, but in my opinion Florence is way better.
Using rail is preferable, but if you visit some out of the way places, you might need to find bus transport.