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Italy Itinerary help for end of April/early May

Posted by on

Hello!

We are planning a trip to Italy and need your sage wisdom and advice for how best to structure our time. We scored a great deal on last-minute flights into and out of Venice. We arrive in Venice on April 24, 2018, and depart Venice on May 4, 2018. After booking, we learned that we will be there for two Italian holidays (April 25th, Italian Liberation day and May 1st, Labor Day). We'd ideally like to structure our stay to avoid crowds on both holidays and weekends, if possible. Here are two itineraries we've come up with - I'd love to hear your suggestions on how best to avoid the crowds in both Cinque Terre and Florence and which of the following itineraries you would suggest using. Or, if you have a better itinerary idea I'd love to hear that too!

Many Thanks!

(24th) Day 1: arrive Venice; stay overnight in Venice
(25th) Day 2: depart Venice in afternoon; drive to Modena
(26th) Day 3: depart Modena in afternoon; drive to Cinque Terre
(27th) Day 4: Cinque Terre
(28th) Day 5: Cinque Terre
(29th) Day 6: depart Cinque Terre, drive to Volterra, then on to Montepulciano (stay in Montepulciano and do day trips)
(30th) Day 7: Florence
(1st) Day 8: Heart of Tuscany Drive
(2nd) Day 9: Siena OR Orvieto
(3rd) Day 10: depart Montepulciano, stay in Venice overnight
(4th) Day 11: Leave Venice for home

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(24th) Day 1: arrive Venice; stay overnight in Venice
(25th) Day 2: depart Venice in afternoon; drive to Montepulciano (stay in Montepulciano and do day trips)
(26th) Day 3: Florence
(27th) Day 4: Heart of Tuscany Drive
(28th) Day 5: Siena OR Orvieto
(29th) Day 6: depart Montepulciano, drive to Volterra, then on to Cinque Terre
(30th) Day 7: Cinque Terre
(1st) Day 8: Levanto
(2nd) Day 9: Cinque Terre
(3rd) Day 10: depart Cinque Terre, stay in Venice overnight
(4th) Day 11: Leave Venice for home

Posted by
1245 posts

Is there a reason why you are not staying in Venice longer? Maybe take a night from Cinque Terre and add it to Venice (looking at 2nd itinerary). Skip Levanto.

"Siena OR Orvieto OR Umbria"
Orvieto is a city in Umbria, which is a region, like Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, etc.

Posted by
318 posts

I can't help you regarding possible crowds (or closures) on those holidays, but I have some other suggestions.

As a previous reply suggested, I'd take a day away from Cinque Terre and give it to Venice unless you have a special reason for allocating your time as you did.

Regarding the day in Levanto on your second itinerary, it's unclear if you meant you were going to move there for one night, or spend a full day there, or something else. Was your idea to be there, and not the CT villages, on the May 1 holiday? It's a pleasant beach town and I used it as my base to explore the CT, but it lacks the atmosphere of the CT villages (and also of Portovenere, which is a worthwhile half-day trip via ferry).

Also, I wouldn't recommend having a car for that long. While I think it's worth having while you're staying in Montepulciano, it's of very little use in the Cinque Terre. For example, In Itinerary 1, you could go from Venice to the Cinque Terre on the train; then when you leave the CT, take the train to La Spezia or Pisa, perhaps, to rent the car and then continue into Tuscany.

Posted by
1829 posts

As others have mentioned, have you been to Venice before, if not 2 one night stays there doesn't make sense?
Plan 1: Why Modena? Skip that and take the train until you are done with Cinque Terre for getting the rental car.
Plan 2: Why Levanto? As above drop off the car before you reach Cinque Terre and use the train.

These places are crowded, Venice, Florence and Cinque Terre ; if you are day tripping you really cannot avoid the crowds, if you are staying overnight you can.
A weekend day trip in Siena or Orvieto will be crowded as well ; I would choose Siena not for crowds as it is likely more crowded of the 2 ; just cause I thought it was a special place you should not miss.

I would worry less about where the crowds will be and when, expect everywhere to be crowded with the exception of Montepulciano and the countryside.

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