Italy for 84 days

If you haven't already, watch the videos of Stanley Tucci and Alex Polizzi. You'll see a lot of stuff and get a lot of ideas.

I haven't been to Florence or Lucca recently but hit the other cities mentioned in 2015. They all have a lot to recommend them, but must it be four weeks in each place?

Palermo has an urban feel to it that may wear on your wife after two weeks or so--maybe even after one week. I'd consider splitting the Sicilian time between Palermo and Siracusa.

The geography of Puglia makes two (or even three) bases very desirable, as far as I'm concerned. If it must be just one base in the area, I do think Lecce's the best.

Convenient side trips from Orvieto by public transportation are fairly limited. It's a really nice place to be, but if you want to do much traveling around during the week, a four-week stay may be a bit long.

If you decide on the Piedmont, check into the regional sightseeing pass. It could be a big money-saver for you if it isn't one of those things that automatically renews every year; I'm not sure about that not-so-minor detail.

@phred

Thank you for your reply! We recently watched the Stanley Tucci series, but have considered rewatching for inspo! I have seen bits and pieces of Secret Italy but will take you up on that and watch them.

@acraven

You make a good point about Sicily and Palermo and would definitely consider splitting our time down there.

My wife will be in the middle of a fairly intense course hence why we want to “slow down” a bit as she will not have as much leisure time to explore through the day. However we both agree, 4 weeks does feel like a bit too much time in some of the smaller towns but we worry that too much transition may be a bit disruptive. This style of slow travel is not how we typically travel which is why I think this is so hard! Lol. (I know worse problems to have).

Thank you for the sightseeing pass recommendation. Will certainly look into that. Have you travelled the piedmont region? Any must sees or areas you enjoyed?

Any experience travelling through Abruzzo or Le Marche? As stereotypical as it sounds these regions feel a little less “untouched”.

Thanks again!

The Piedmont, Le Marche and Abruzzo are less touristy. Unfortunately, I haven't been to any of those regions. I've done a good bit of prep on the Piedmont. Everyone seems to like Turin, but it's probably too large a city for you.

We spent a month in the Langhe region of Piedmont this past spring and really liked Torino (Turin). Lots of inexpensive dining options, parks and museums and nightlife. Alba too could be a nice base if you want a smaller town than Torino or even smaller and we thought nice are La Morra and Novello. We did a lot of hiking on the marked vineyard trails that take you from hill town to hill town.

In Tuscany we have always stayed in Chianti and taken the train from Figiline Valdarno, to Florence. Figiline is not touristy, but has a old center and could make a nice, less expensive home base if you decide to be near, but not in Florence.

To find places to stay, I ended up using google maps a lot, and searching vacation apartments and appropriate local terms. Sometimes i find ones that are not listed on Airbnb or VRBO that way.

I would consider Verona, Parma, Torino, Lucca, Arezzo, and Perugia.

We rented an apartment in Lucca for 2 weeks. We loved Lucca, people friendly, good food and a walkable city but I will say it wasnt easy walking Lucca. The sidewalks and street are uneven and you have to be careful where you walk. The train station was convenient and we were able to travel easily. Give Lucca a thought.

Thank you all for your responses! I appreciate you taking the time! Sounds like Torino, Lucca, and Perugia may need a bit more consideration.

So many considerations. Does anyone have any experience with Trieste?

🙏🏼