Italy in 12 Days: Vineyards, Beaches & Mountain Adventures - Need Travel Advice

I'll begin by saying that, in my opinion, you should cut WAY down on your destinations.
With 12 days you have barely enough time for Florence, other parts of Tuscany and Elba. (Go to a beach town in Maremma rather than having to think about ferry to Elba)
It's crazy to think of adding the Dolomites.

If you plan this out, day by day,, I think you might agree.

Why go to the beach in Europe, there is so much history, art and culture to enjoy?

I love the seaside and seaside towns, and I find coastal Italy especially special. Nothing wrong with getting some seaside time! I agree with eks that the Maremma area has marvelous beaches and all the things Elba would offer but without the hassle of a ferry and back. I think you need to zoom in on each day to determine if you have enough time.
I also love a combo of mountain, town, sea, but I would not necessarily go all the way to the Dolomiti either. No it is absolutely not the same, but the northern part of Tuscany offers mountains. See if Barga and surroundings looks appealing.

Hi Palakmantri, I am someone who travels much faster than the average RS forum people. I dont like having a 'base' and doing day trips from there, but instead tend to move from place to place with anywhere from 1-4 nights depending. And I agree that your current plan will be too much, particularly the Florence, etc portion. My first time in Florence, we spent 2.5 days, and that was enough to walk the entire older part of the city and visit all the noteworthy sites there (Uffizi, David, Duomo, Boboli, etc etc). I was in Siena for 2 full days plus an evening, and that was perfect for experiencing the basics there. I would pick two, say Florence and Siena, and maybe stop for lunch in Chianti en route (if you are driving). And yes getting to and from the Dolomites will take 1 day (½ each) of your trip. It is really out of the path of your other destinations. You mention three experiences, and beach, city, and countryside/villages is three. Mountains adds 4th. I understand the desire to see the Dolomites, and if that's important then I would skip Elba and find that experience in a different way, either a beach town near Tuscany, or on Lake Garda en route to the Dolomites (Malcesine is a village on the east side of the lake, accessible to other villages on the lake like Limone sul Garda and Riva del Garda via ferry, so you could do day trips to these).

There are many reasons to visit coastal towns in Europe! Not the least of which is people watching! Food--seafood in Italian coastal towns can be very special. Some of my favorite locations in Italy are near the coast. That does not mean splaying out on a lounger all day long with a tablet in your lap.

That's just my style....I learn more sometimes from having good conversations while relaxing on a beach, or at a waterfront cafe, than I would looking at famous works of art in packed museums. I'm not at all putting "culture" down, but there's a wide range of elements contained within that word.

If you just rush from one "sight" to another, one museum to another, how much of Italy are you actually absorbing? How many actual conversations do travelers have with local persons, or with travelers from a country different than their own, as opposed to time spent checking off v various "sights?" But I do understand a beginning traveller wanting to get all those famous places off their list..

I think it would be nice to have some time on the beach/coast in Tuscany. But you don't have enough time for Elba, in my personal opinion. Other than that, you seem to have a nice range of serious "culture" and cultural immersion...

Oh boy do I sound pedantic here or what??! Sorry about that!!

Need Help With:
Best transport options:

With the number of places you are aiming for in a limited time frame, the "best" solution is the Transporter system from Star Trek

The next best idea is fly into Florence and out of Milan ( or the reverse)

How many nights will you be in Italy?

Choosing a mainland beach is the real solution, assuming you cannot add days to the trip

I have done all these areas except Elba and the beaches around Tuscany, however, there is gorgeous water in Puglia, the heel of Italy, perhaps you could save your beach time for another trip. However, I get your idea, I actually somewhat use the same philosophy in my planning. I like to have a few BIG city days on the front and backend because that’s where I fly in and out from, always open-jaw, also I always include scenery, water, mountains, countryside, and of course a few museums, cathedrals etc. I like a variety of experiences. So back to your ideas. I have been to the Dolomites by car and drove there from Lake Como, I believe it was about a 5-6 hour drive on winding roads. It was beautiful and the Dolomites were spectacular. It was very long ago, and I don’t recall if I dropped down to the Venice area from there. But as others stated it doesn’t make sense to do Elba and the Dolomites, even Tuscany is a long ways from the Dolomites. It’s normal to want to cram in as much as you can, but you don’t want to be racing from place to place. I have always liked RS philosophy, you can always go back. Hope you have a great trip!