July trip. Arrive Rome, leave Milan. Flights are confirmed. Total 14 days incl. travel days. Plan is to spend 3 nights in Rome, 3 in Florence, 2 in Venice, 2 in Milan. Other nights we are debating Siena or Cinque Terre. Or possibly Lake Como. Teen daughter wants to see CT and Lake Como. Husband and I enjoy wine and would like to spend a few days in and around Siena. Is CT in July super crowded and day trip would be enough? Looking for fun activities (food tours, cooking class, wine tour - please make recommendations)for all 3 of us in between Rome and Florence. We would not be renting a car and traveling via trains. Possibly open to car rental for a few days. Stuck on where to spend a few nights after Rome. Thank you.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
12006 posts
What is/are your entry/exit points?
Trying to do both CT and Lake Como is a bad idea in your time frame. Logistically Lake Como works better for the other locations already on your agenda.
Posted by
2856 posts
Siena is an easy day trip by bus from Florence.
We debated between CT and Lake Como and chose Lake Como. We were happy we did. It is simply beautiful with the lake and the mountains and charming towns. There are beautiful gardens and lots of hikes as well to enjoy, if you want.
You can take the train from Florence to Milan, change trains and go to Lake Como. Return to Milan to spend the two nights there before flying out.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5586 posts
You don't have time for both CT and Lake Como. And because of the cruise crowds as well as the regular tourists, a day trip to CT will be nothing but frustration. OTOH, there is much to be said for a couple of relaxing days exploring Lake Como before returning home.
Given the time available, you could easily steal a day from Milan and give it to Florence so you could do Siena or a Tuscan wine tour as a day trip. Then do 2 nights on Lake Como and finish with one night in Milan.
Posted by
Lubbock, TX
417 posts
I would highly recommend Siena between Rome and Florence. If you feel comfortable renting a car, the area of Tuscany between Siena and Montepulciano is the best of Tuscany and can only be seen in a car or with a van tour. You could use public transportation to get to Siena and rent a car there for a day and drive around Tuscany. The RS Florence/Tuscany book has three very good driving tours that I did last summer and loved them.
CT isn't worth a day trip and will be a zoo in July, especially if tourism cranks up more this summer. If you have time during your stay in Milan, Como is easy to get to on the train and you can make a day of it visiting the town (take the cable car up to Brunate) and riding the ferries around the lake.
Posted by
Irving
3315 posts
The Cinque Terre is not a day trip from Florence but Siena is by direct bus (1h 15m). Varenna and Bellagio on Lake Como are also doable as a day trip from MIlan by direct train (1h 15m to Varenna) and Bellagio is a 15-minute ferry ride from Varenna.
Posted by
OP
30 posts
@joe32F, we arrive in Rome, depart from Milan.
Posted by
Fort Lauderdale, FL
1244 posts
Is this 14 nights? I would suggest this -
Rome 3 nights
Florence 3 nights, day trip to Siena by bus
Venice 3 nights
Lake Como, Varenna 3 nights
Milan 2 nights
Cinque Terre is not a day trip, you will spend most of it on a train. You could always eliminate one other city and go there instead, but it depends on your likes.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
12006 posts
Arrive Rome, leave Milan. Flights are confirmed. Total 14 days incl. travel days
OP has been amended/edited, to add the above. I read it as 12 nights. Charlotte has laid out a 14 night trip.
Knowing the arrival/departure dates would be a helpful bit of info to aid in proposing an itinerary