I have a week to work my way down from Lake Garda to Rome for my flight home. Any ideas for suggested routes/itineraries? I've been to Italy many times, do not need to spend any extra time in Rome. I mostly enjoy visiting the smaller towns and stay in inexpensive hostels or charming small hotels. Thanks.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16236 posts
You didn't say if you'll be driving or taking a train.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Have you been to Orvieto? It's charming and on the way.
Posted by
OP
San Diego, CA, USA
3 posts
I will be travelling by train and bus. I have been to Orvieto (wonderful!), Lucca, Pisa, Firenze (of course), and Verona, Padova, and Parma (love Parma!) I have not been to Modena or the towns between Bologna and Ravenna (Imola, Faenza, Forli, etc.) Any advice on these towns? Also, from Firenze, I'm thinking of detouring to Pistoia, Prato and/or Empoli and San Miniato. Thoughts and ideas on these places? Or perhaps direct train it to Rome and do some travelling to the towns around there???
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Ravenna, Mantova, Cremona, Certaldo, Ferrara? Pistoia is great, I spent a couple of days there and wished I had stayed longer.
Posted by
OP
San Diego, CA, USA
3 posts
Good suggestions. Ravenna's a little far out of the way. What route(s) would you suggest for getting to the others? Can you give me some highlights of each town? Thanks.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16236 posts
If you want to stay the course, without venturing off your path, the following are possible nice stops along the way (I'm excluding what you have listed as "been there, done that"): Mantova Bologna
Arezzo+Cortona Perugia+Assisi are not too far off course, if you haven't been and both are major destination. Then of course there are places suggested above.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I saw Ravenna as a daytrip from Bologna, by train. I remember the only problem was having to leave a bit earlier than I wanted, because of gaps in the train schedule, but it wasn't otherwise "out of the way." And it is unique; there are lots of nice Italian towns, but none with the mosaics you'll see in Ravenna. So, it's definitely worth the detour. I haven't seen any of the towns between Ravenna and Bologna. But I'm intrigued because these are Romagna, not Emilia; according to Fred Plotkin in his Italy For The Gourmet Traveler, there are differences between the two halves of Emilia-Romagna. I also really liked Ferrara (seen twice - once as a daytrip from Bologna, and once as a daytrip from Padova). I haven't been to Prato, but a friend really liked it (he was finding Florence too touristy, and said Prato was the perfect antidote). Parma is nice, isn't it? I only saw it as a daytrip from Bologna, but would love to go back.