Italy itinerary

Hi, Jim. Orvieto is one of my favorite places in Italy. It has some nice historical sites (e.g. the Duomo and San Domenico church) and excellent white wines that are surprisingly affordable. When I visited in 2007, it was a popular place to visit. Since then, the high-speed Eurostar trains take people quickly from one end of Italy to the other. Unfortunately, Orvieto is not one of the stops for the Eurostar trains. The Eurostar trains zoom past Orvieto, but they don't stop there. So, when I made a return visit in 2012, the city wasn't nearly as popular, and the restaurants were hurting for business.

Orvieto is still a stop for the other trains. In fact, it's a nice, scenic train ride from Rome. When you get off the train, you take the funicular up the hill into Orvieto. To save money on rental car expenses, I would recommend the train. It's more relaxing than trying to navigate the Italian highways and roads on your own.

Also, from Rome you can take the Eurostar train to Florence, spend a few nights there, and then take the train (non-Eurostar) down to Siena, and spend a few nights there. Be sure to sample the local cuisine in Siena, which has a fascination for boar-meat.

I've never been to Pisa, but everyone I know who's been there -- down to the last woman, man, and child -- has told me it's not really worth it. The sole highlight of the city is a famous bell tower that leans, and that's about it -- or so I've been told.

I've been to Assisi three times, and it's one of the most peaceful places on earth. It's worth one night's stay in a pensione, which is more affordable than a hotel. If you're a Catholic who's attracted to the life and spirituality of St. Francis, then it might be worth two nights' stay. It is a truly picturesque, Medieval city with breath-taking views.

In terms of general advice, if you've never been to Italy before, the way that Italians drive is culture-shock, to say the least. I would recommend not getting a rental car, but taking advantage of the trains instead. Also, I wonder if you're trying to cover too much in one month's trip. Italy is a fascinating and beautiful country to visit, but there is a lot of walking in the cities, which are very hilly. It can be exhausting to see too much. You might want to tweak your itinerary to visit fewer places on your itinerary so you can have time to relax and take in the scenery. Go to fewer cities, but see more of the cities you're visiting. You can always go back to Italy, and it's highly probable that you will want to.

I hope you find this info. helpful.

I count 9 nights from Rome to Cinque Terre....
Day 1 Train from Rome to Orvieto (2 nights)
Day 2 Orvieto
Day 3 Pick up hire car (6 day rental), then to a base somewhere in Chianti (5 nights)
Day 4 Excursion to Arezzo, Cortona
Day 5 Excursion to San Gimignano, Volterra
Day 6 Excursion to Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino
Day 7 Excursion to Siena
Day 8 Chianti to Lucca (2 nights) and drop off hire car
Day 9 Excursion to Pisa by train
Day 10 Train to CT

Thanks Ron and yes your response has been helpful. I too wonder if we are being to optimistic with so many places to visit. We do want to spend time to get a feel for each town.
As far as Pisa goes I've heard the same thing but we are heading that direction and after a lifetime of seeing pictures of the leaning tower it would be nice to say I saw it in person, besides the wife thinks it is a must see.
Thanks again

Pisa is a nice half-day trip from Lucca. In addition to the bell tower, the cemetery, duomo and baptistery are worth a visit.

I would not have lunch or dinner near the Campo dei Miracoli, eat in Lucca instead.

Hi Jim,

I'll echo Ron's advice. Forget the car on your first trip to Italy. There are many wonderful places and the trains are good while driving can be very stressful, parking difficult and/or expensive, and huge traffic fines a real possibilty if you accidentally drive into a ZTL area of a city. Slow it down and enjoy being in each place instead of planning a hectic itinerary. Less is more, truly.

I stopped for a 1/2 day to visit Pisa on the way from Florence to the CT by train (there's luggage storage at the train station) and I was not sorry I included it in my itinerary, but I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to see it. If you do stop, there's little of interest (compared to other towns in the area) other than the Field of Miracles. You can see it all in 2 hours, allow another 1 or 1.5 hours if you want to climb the leaning tower. It's a short taxi ride from the train station, then take a taxi or bus back.

It is tiring to move around a lot (1 and 2 night stays). Also you may want/need a relaxing day after the tour, which will probably be pretty intensive. Consider that 2 nights in a town = 1 day of sightseeing.

After Rome, I'd go to Orvieto for 3 nights. It's a lovely town with enough sights to fill up the better part of 2 days. Relax a little. There are places to have a picnic lunch with great views of Umbria and several good restaurants for dinner. Spend an hour sitting in front of the cathedral, drinking wine or an Aperol Spritz, or eating gelato, and watch the facade change in the late afternoon sun. From Orvieto, you can spend an overnight in Assisi if it's a priority destination, or save it for another trip. I spent one night, arriving late morning and leaving the next day in late afternoon. I left my luggage at the train station and took an overnight bag up to the historic town. Again, Ron's given good advice to consider spending 2 nights. It is indeed a lovely town. Unlike Orvieto, which is built on a fairly level hilltop, Assisi is very hilly, you'll be walking up and down steep lanes and stairways everywhere.

I am not familiar with much of Tuscany, so I don't have specific recommendations. My general advice is to find a base for at least 4 nights and take day trips.

If you are hikers, 3 nights in the CT is good. If not, I'd drop a night.