Italy - 12 days/ 11 nights

Hi Meredith,

Depending on the time of your trip the weather may be warm :) I would cut 2 days from Cinque Terre and add 1 day to Florence and Venice. What is your main interest in bigger cities? Just the main sights? You can explore Tuscany / Lucca / San Gimignano / Siena from Florence, or take trip to the Dolomites or Murano Burano in Venice. Let us know so we can advise better

When are you planning to go. That will help determine possible weather - also crowds.

What you have outlined is pretty rushed but not crazy. If you like to travel fairly fast and not sleep till noon it would be OK. What else do you want to see in the CT region. I love that area and there is enough to keep you occupied for a week or more if you include Rapallo, Camogli, Portofino, Portovenere, etc. If it's just the CT maybe not so much. You might take a day from that and add it to Venice or Florence both of which you really only have one and a half days (after time taken to get to them) each which is pretty bare minimum.

Hi, Meredith, Congratulations on your planned trip to Italy! You've chosen some beautiful places to visit. Here are some first thoughts on your proposed itinerary. First: Where are you flying from? Have your purchased your flights yet? Flights into Verona and out of Pisa will be few, and expensive. You might look at flight schedules (on Kayak, or Travelocity, or other websites) just to take a look at the schedules before you settle on your itinerary. You might well find that flying into Venice and out of Florence (or other large city within several hours by train of CT, like Bologna) would be much easier and more affordable. Second: What time of year are you flying? Have you read much about how massively crowded the CT has become? There have been several discussions on this forum about the changes there over the last few years, and how unpleasant some travelers find it now. In any case, I'd sure take a couple of days from the CT and add one each to Venice and Florence. Finally, if you do fly into Venice, you might start there, then Lake Garda, then train over to CT, then end in Florence and fly out of Florence. That would eliminate some backtracking. Take a look at a map, and at train schedules on trenitalia.com, to see your options, better.

Sorry, we will be travelling end of September - beg of October

I would definitely take a night from Cinque Terre and add it to Florence. The weather should be nice in October.

Congrats Meredith! I take it this is your first trip to Italy. We could be a lot more help if we knew a little more about your interests and your dates of travel.
[EDIT] I see you have added dates. You will be going during a great time of the year. Crowds will be thinning out.

Plan your trip day by day. Also look up and plan in travel time. People forget they don't instantly appear in the next location. I still think you need more time or fewer stops.

hi,

Thanks for all of your advice and help.

I'd like to add Cinque Terre and Lake Garda as a point of relaxation - so would like to find accomodation with pool or near to beach so we can relax a little, while the cities will be much more on the go. I was hoping the weather will be nice enough for swims etc, so would like a little longer in Cinque Terre and Lake Garda to do so.

Would it make sense to fly into Florence and out of Venice, so from Florence head to CT and then CT to LG and LG to Venice and home?

Thanks

Hi Meredith -

I'd like to add Cinque Terre and Lake Garda as a point of relaxation -
so would like to find accomodation with pool or near to beach so we
can relax a little, while the cities will be much more on the go

The trouble I see with this is that the amount of time you've planned for lounging - 2 full days in Lake Garda and 3 full days in the CT - is disproportionate to the only 1 full day each allotted for Venice and Florence. Both of these cities have much to offer, and trying to cram too much into too little could be wearing to point of not being able to enjoy them much at all. So, I'd definitely find an additional day for both of them unless you're not particularly interested in their attractions.

Another thing you'll want to plan for is ending your trip in the city of your departure, especially if you have morning to early afternoon flight. For instance, you don't want to be somewhere in the CT with a morning flight from Pisa.

I agree with Kathy. I think Venice and Florence are both being seriously shortchanged here.

I'd like to add that we did Cinque Terre as a day trip tour from Florence. Granted it was a very long day but worthwhile. We hiked, boated and took a train and saw all the villages. It did not feel rushed and with a guide I felt our time was well spent. Florence is too special to rush.....give yourself plenty of time there.

Thanks for all of the advice! Because we have no plans I am totally open to suggestions. Would another route be Venice to Rome and then the Amalfi coast? Perhaps it might be a bit warmer and less hectic only doing a few stops. Is 12 days enough for this? Thanks

To add, we’ve never been to Italy and are looking for relaxation as well as history and culture - so would like a bit of both in 12 days. Thanks

I'd like to add Cinque Terre and Lake Garda as a point of relaxation - so would like to find accomodation with pool or near to beach so we can relax a little, while the cities will be much more on the go. I was hoping the weather will be nice enough for swims etc, so would like a little longer in Cinque Terre and Lake Garda to do so

You'll be there September- October. Rome is roughly at the same latitude as Boston. Also, Lake Garda is polluted and swimming is not advised.

Your time in Italy is precious. There's so much culture and history to be explored I can't imagine spending most of what little time you have sitting on a beach or in a swimming pool. If you'd like to spend a day relaxing, natural hot springs might be an alternative, especially that time of year. Be aware the water is sulphurous and smells that way. You'll want to bring a bathing suit you don't mind throwing away at the end of the day. The springs are in Tuscany, roughly halfway between Siena and Rome.

The problem with CT, especially if you are using it to relax, is that if it gets cold and rainy, there's really nothing else to do. In cities like Florence you can easily change your plans to inside acitivities.

To add, we’ve never been to Italy and are looking for relaxation as
well as history and culture - so would like a bit of both in 12 days.

We understand! It's just that the you've planned such a very little bit for history/culture and such a big bit for relaxation. I think most of us are recommending a more balanced approach for this first trip (and this is from people who have been to Italy). :O)

What you haven't told us is what you want to do and see when you're not sitting on a beach or beside a pool?

Hello,

Thank you all so much for your replies! It’s really great to hear everything.

I’ve also posted another post about visiting Venice, Rome and the Amalfi Coast and in the time frame we have I think we will do that route instead.

There’s just too much to see and do in Italy, and as we are only from the U.K. we will go back to Cinque Terre and the Lakes another time.

Thanks for all of your help.