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Itinerary review please- 9 nights pre-cruise

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Hi there- this is my first time posting on this website, so please be patient :-)
Planning a first trip to Italy this fall with hubby, and very excited, but obsessing over the best way to allocate our time. We will be arriving in Venice on Sept 12/15, and have to be in Rome on the morning of Sept 21/15 where we will be taking an 11 day cruise that includes Naples (will go to Pompeii). We then have 1 full day in Rome on Oct 2 before flying out on Oct 3.

We are interested in culture, history, food, wine and would love to spend some time out of cities. Interested in UNESCO sites. Some museums- but that wouldn't be our main interest. Would consider doing some driving for parts of the itinerary that are outside the cities, to explore the country side. I have long been interested in Venice, Cinque Terre and Tuscany. I love the RS itinerary for 3 weeks in Italy with a visit to Lake Como, Assisi and Florence, but would like to stay in each spot for at least 2 days, so I am back and forth between not wanting to overschedule and letting go of places we'd like to see/ experience. Would love to see Assisi as well, but that might be too far afield?

So, here is a rough draft
Sept12- arrive in Venice after lunch- stay 3 nights. Will be tired the first day, but will try to stay up until bedtime in Venice
Sept13- exploring Venice on a Sunday- maybe go to a church service
Sept14- Venice, and maybe one of the smaller islands?
Sept 15- train to Florence? stay 2 nights or train to some small town in Tuscany? Maybe an agritourismo?
Sept 16- Florence (or Tuscany)
Sept 17- train to Cinque Terre- maybe Monterosso? stay 2 nights
Sept 18- hiking, beach, café- I also understand there is a little agritourismo in that area that does wine sampling and meals.
Sept 19- train to Rome, stay 2 nights
Oct 2- full day and 1 night in Rome- should we spend 2 nights in 1 are pre-cruise, and 1 night in another area post-cruise?
Oct 3- fly out after lunch- overnight stop over in London, then direct to Newfoundland.

Open to feedback, suggestions and helpful hints. Thanks so much for your time

Posted by
23671 posts

First, look at a map so you have some idea of where your are going. From Venice it makes more sense, travel distance wise, to go to C Terre and to Florence and final to Rome. You really need a car for Tuscany. You can hit a couple of small towns via bus but with two nights I would stay in Florence. Don't think it makes any difference if your extra day in Rome is pre or post cruise. Stay in the Termini area for easy access for the train to the port.

PS Don't know your experience with jet lag. Overtime we have found the best way FOR US to deal with jet lag is a two hour or less nap in the late afternoon - 2-4, 3-5. For us makes all the difference in the world and allows us to function till 9, 10 pm. Then pretty good the next day.

Posted by
97 posts

That is an ambitious itinerary! Probably doable but exhausting. We just spent two weeks in Florence alone - which I loved. Then a week in other parts of Tuscany (Sienna and then hiking and birding with a guide driving) and Assisi. We loved all of what we did.

If you are young and in great condition, go for it. But I (not young but in decent condition) wouldn't. Sometimes we follow the three and one model of independent travel - three days in a place and one quick place.

What are your interests? I would love to go to the Maremma near Rome and hire a guide, go for hikes, hire a boat through the reserve. It's fun if you are in an area to focus on something - like the Etruscans and let that guide you.

We loved the museums in Florence - but the Uffizi was not the top of our list at all.

Read the Light in the Ruins or a Death in Florence to get ready for that area. ...

Posted by
5295 posts

Karla, My suggestion would be 3 nights each in Venice, Florence, and Rome. That way you will not be totally exhausted when you leave on the cruise. Other wise it might be too much in too little time.

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