Itinerary Help Please

If you have 20 nights, and (I'm guessing) 7 nights in a rental in Tuscany, then you have 13 nights left for Rome, Venice, Verona and the Cinque Terre. And Lake Como? Even if you leave off Lake Como, that's a lot to fit in.

Are you really wedded to a one-week rental in Tuscany? And why 5 nights in Verona? Rome and Venice have so much to see and do, I would suggest increasing the amount of time you spend in those locations. And dropping something else, even though they are all great places to visit, so you have more time in the places still on your list.

One thing I do when I'm at the stage of planning that you are is to make a calendar of all the days you'll have. Then start pencilling in where you might want to be on each day. Also add in travel time. Before calculating exact travel times, use the rule of thumb that every change of location eats up 1/2 day. So, for example, your 2 days in Venice would only be 1 1/2 days, or possibly less, depending on whether your 2 days consists of 2 or 3 nights.

Also add to your calculations that if you'll be using Verona and the Tuscany rental as base locations, you'll be travelling some portion of those days too.

Lexma, Thanks for your response. I have already done almost exactly what you have suggested with a calendar, but instead of penciling in places I used little post-it stickies. I have repeatedly moved them around for about a month, relocating stickies, removing some, etc.

I would love to go to Lake Como, but I think for the length of time we have it is too far out of the way. Five nights in Verona is to allow a daytrip to Lake Garda and maybe another couple of daytrips. I think we can stay there for less money than in Venice. We do want two nights in Venice, but if we would like to see more we could always go back as a daytrip from Verona. It will also be easier to get to Germany from Verona.

Most of the rentals in Tuscany are for a full week, usually from a Saturday - Saturday. I don't think we will have any trouble at all filling the time in Tuscany, which is where I have been dreaming about going for years. For this trip three nights in Rome is enough. As for the CT, I think three nights will work out. That gives us our 20 nights.

I prefer doing daytrips using Tuscany & Verona as a base than be constantly checking into and out of lodging, hauling luggage, etc. I am hoping to find a rental centrally located in Tuscany so we don't spend too much time driving to the different towns. We will go to Florence as a daytrip.

I am just trying to make this trip flow well. I had to totally rearrange what we were initially going to do because Germany got added to the trip, which meant one week less in Italy.

So many places to see, so little time...

Steve, Rick's suggestions would have us moving all the time. We would like to avoid constant movement. I would prefer to do day trips rather than constantly be packing up and checking into and out of lodging. We could spend more time in Venice, but I don't want to be on the move on our actual anniversary. If we follow the itinerary as I have it currently we would arrive in Verona the day before our anniversary. Verona would be a better base to see Lake Garda too I would think.

I'm not too interested in the mountains because we will be spending plenty of time in the mountains in
Bavaria.

Are you trying to say that a week in Tuscany is too long because there isn't enough to see and do there?

I will be the first to admit that I am not much of a "relaxer", much to my husband's chagrin. Where he likes to sleep in, I want to get the day going because there is no time to waste.

I first considered staying in two Tuscany locations, but have reconsidered that and was thinking with a centrally located rental we can find plenty of towns to do day trips to. I do like the idea of a rental, as opposed to a hotel room.

No reservations have been made yet so I still have time to tweak things.

Andrea,
There is no problem finding towns for daytrips in Tuscany. The problem is choosing which ones. See http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm for ideas.

Thanks Henry. I was sure there would be enough in Tuscany to keep us busy. I know a week might seem like a long time when we only have 20 nights, but Tuscany is where I really want to spend some time. We may cut it down a day or two, but at this point a week sounds good to me.

Okay, another proposed itinerary -

Rome - 3 nights, Tuscany - 6 nights, CT - 3 nights, Lake Como - 3 nights, Venice - 2 nights (anniversary there), Verona - 3 nights.

Thoughts? I have used cars for trips where we moved around more, so I think I am a little nervous trying to figure out how to do this by train.

Thanks again for the input.

i like the second much better. but maybe tweek with.... 4 nights rome. 6 tuscany, 3 ct, 3 como 3 venice and 1 verona

I think we are good with 3 nights in Rome. The nights in Venice & Verona can easily be reversed, with 3 in Venice & 2 in Verona. I hated the thought of missing Lake Como. We are trying to find a balance of enough time in each place, but also seeing the places that are really important to us. I think that this is probably as good as it gets. We will most likely spend 4 nights in/near Siena and 2 nights in Northern Tuscany. Possibly Lucca or nearby.

I think it looks pretty good to me, since you say you are satisfied with 3 nights in Rome. A car makes sense in Tuscany, and perhaps Lake Como as well, but not Rome and obviously not Venice. The Cinque Terre is better without a car, but I think what you might want to do is pick the car up on your way out of Rome--perhaps in Orvieto--park the car during your CT time, then return it before reaching Venice. Use the train to get back to Verona (and then onto Bavaria).

Is a car necessary at Lake Como? If so, maybe it would be better to go from Rome to CT, then pick up the car for Tuscany & Lake Como. That way we wouldn't be paying for a car we aren't using.

"Is a car necessary at Lake Como?"

Definitely not.

Here's Rick's advice: "With the parking problems, constant traffic jams, and expensive car ferries, Lake Como is no place to drive if you don't have to. While you can drive around the lake, the road is narrow, congested, and lined by privacy-seeking walls, hedges, and tall fences. You can arrange a rental car for when you leave Lake Como." (Rick, Italy 2008)

Thanks Kent, that's what I was remembering. So I think our plan to just have the car in Tuscany, then go to CT and on to Lake Como from there will work out fine.

You should only require a car for the time in tuscany. But only in tuscany. you do not need it while un florence. So you could spend a couuple days in florence then rent the car there and drive around tuscany and retrun it then head out to venice by train

Yes, Andrea, exactly what you said in your last post, which is the same thing David said.

Italian trains are easy to use, affordable, and go everywhere except rural destinations like Tuscany, where the flexibility the car gives you makes it worth the hassle (of renting a car in Italy).

Yes, I am heeding the warnings about Florence. We will do a day trip there and take the bus or a train.

Andrea: Actually, I should correct what I said in my last post about driving to Florence (I deleted that part of my post)--I should not have been so simplistic about driving to Florence, when it's 1) a day trip and 2) you're starting out with a rental car and from a (rural) Tuscany location.

Rick began, starting with his 2008 Florence & Tuscany book, giving detailed instructions about how to drive to Florence, for a day trip, park outside the ZTL's, and take a bus or taxi into the Center.

See his 2009 or 2010 Florence & Tuscany book for detailed instructions on how to pull this off.

I mention this because, when you already have a rental car and are beginning your Florence day from a rural Tuscany location, if you're careful to follow Rick's instructions, then it may possibly be less hassle for you to drive to Florence and park outside the Center, than it is to locate a train or bus station in Tuscany (depending on where you are in Tuscany).

Just a thought. Either way will work.

Thanks Kent. I'll check that out. I have the 2009 Italy book, but none of the regional ones.

By the way, it's nice to have you back!

Let me just say that it is so nice to read about a traveler who is so interested in making a trip flow well. I have been amazed the last few months of reading posts from folks who must be novice travelers, who seem to have little concern for the "arc" of a good trip.

And good for you for insisting upon a week rental in Tuscany. Too few people do weekly rentals, too. I could go on and on about the benefits of those, both financial and psychological.

You will have an amazing trip.