My husband and I will be traveling to Italy in mid-March for 2 weeks, in and out of Milan because we got a really good airfare. We have been to Italy so prefer spending our time in smaller cities other than a few days in Milan. We do like to spend at least 2 days in the cities that we travel to and will be traveling by train. We would like to go to Siena, with a side trip to Tuscany, Verona, and Varenna near the end to relax a little. I do realize that we will have to go thru Florence to get to Siena. I'm hoping that the RS Forum community will come thru with suggestions about this itinerary and/or other places to visit. It's late! I need to get on this!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16239 posts
We will be in Italy, in mid-March ourselves, arriving in MIlan and departing from Venice ( which we have visited before, and love). In between, we are heading south to Naples area to see two specific sites my husband learned of from watching Italian travelogues, Caserta and Matera.
For you, with an interest in Siena and Tuscany, it would be better to focus on the middle region. The first place I would suggest adding to your itinerary is Ravenna, with its stunning mosaics. It is well worth a two-night stay, at least.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202075890
The town is very pedestrian-friendly and not at all overrun with tourists. The locals are very friendly, and lodging and meals are lower in cost than other places we have been. Coincidentally, we stayed at the hotel recommended in the above article ( Palazzo Bezzi), where our very nice and modern room was under €100, and we dined at Ca' de Vèn, sharing a large table with locals who ate there regularly, and offered suggestions on what we should choose. The girls' soccer team was at the next table for an awards dinner, a bit noisy but fun to see.
I would think Varenna might be too cold and gloomy in March to be relaxing. We were last there in late September a few years ago, and it was cold and drizzly. We had to dine inside in a noisy dining room instead of out on the beautiful terrace at Alberto Milano. And walking around on the wet stone paths was not enjoyable.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15582 posts
Also consider spending some time in Bologna with its university (oldest in Europe) and historic center. You can day trip to Modena, Ferrara, Padua, and more - even Ravenna, though I agree with the previous poster, it's well worth a night or two to see the very charming town, soak in the incredible mosaics, visit the other sights, and eat and drink very well. Verona is another of my favorites. Good choices!
Posted by
7661 posts
We were not so impressed with Bologna, but loved Ravenna. Siena is a must see. Florence is great, loved the Hotel Balesteri.
Umbria is a possibility.
Posted by
Massachusetts
847 posts
I've been to Italy in March a number of times. It can be great weather but can also be cold and rainy so some flexibility is a good idea. Fortunately at that time of year crowds are less and getting hotel reservation changes easier. I always book my reservations in advance but try to get them that can be changed up to 2 days before the stay. One time I was on the Amalfi Coast, planning on visiting Procida, a small island on which there would be literally nothing to do in pouring rain which was what was forecast. So I ditched that plan and went to Rome a couple days early. It was raining there too but at least in Rome there is plenty of inside things to do. Another mid March trip I was planning on going to Lake Como and the forecast again was for rain the time I would be there where as Rome was forecast to be 70 and sunny so was able to rearrange hotel rooms and go there instead. Rain is not always a bad thing but too much of it, and in places you don't want it can ruin a trip. I did get some great photos of the main square in Siena on a rainy night reflecting the lights of the buildings. Anyway, point is try to be flexible and consider changing up your itinerary mid trip if necessary.
The other technique I use is to base in a larger town (say Milan) and do day trips on nice days and stay in the city for museums or shopping or whatever if it's raining. I did that in Milan one March trip and had wonderful day trips to Varenna, Lugano (Switzerland), Pavia, Bergamo, and even Genoa.
But your plan for two weeks with perhaps three or four bases - Siena (which is in Tuscany), Verona, Varenna, (and Milan) is fine.
Here is the trip report I wrote about one March trip to Italy a few years ago - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/blog/2017/5/italy-through-fresh-eyes---chashing-the-sun-in-italy-in-march
Posted by
245 posts
I was not so impressed with Ravenna, but loved Padua (Padova) - a fabulous place with a great old university (not as old as Bologna, though), fabulous religious art, and great food. I have not yet been to Bologna, but I'd like to go :)