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Need help filling in itinerary for a few days in Northern/Central Italy

Posted by (Marina, CA, USA) on

Hi all,

I've read a ton of posts on places to go and things to see in Tuscany and northern Italy, and have 4 nights that are currently unplanned for an upcoming trip in March and would greatly benefit from the collective wisdom here. There are a few different but related questions...our itinerary has us flying into Milan, and flying back out of Milan 16 days later (I prefer open-jaw, but this is what was necessary due to flight voucher use). Here are the mostly known parts of our itinerary, but flexible if CT and/or Lake Como are not worth seeing in March:

  • 2 nights staying in Varenna or Bellagio on Lake Como Question: Will this area be dead in early to mid March, or still worth seeing?
  • 4 open nights (destinations TBD) - either before or after Florence (or a mix of 2 days before and 2 days after)
  • 5 nights basing in Florence (with a couple day trips by bus to Siena, and by train to Pisa and Lucca); we were there 2 years ago and have done the Accademia and Uffizi; will focus on other aspects of Florence this time, but we loved it before.
  • 2 nights in the Cinque Terre (either Monterosso or Vernazza). Question: Is the CT worthwhile in mid-March, or will everything be closed (hotels/restaurants/trails) due to low season and weather?
  • finishing with 3 nights in Milan

Our likes include a mix of scenery, sightseeing, history, but mostly just absorbing the culture, exploring neighborhoods,getting a feel for the people, and having a range of experiences. Here are the options we are considering for spending those 4 extra nights, and would appreciate learning which villages are the best bases for traveling by car:

1) Spending a couple of nights in Verona, and possibly doing a day trip to Malcesine/Monte Baldy
2) Spending a couple of nights in one or two (if we don't do Verona) of the following Tuscany villages beyond our time in Florence; we are thinking of:
A) Volterra (with a day trip to San Gimignano,
B) Orvieto (with a side trip to Civita Bagnoregio),
C) Lucca, (with a day trip to Pisa (but might make more sense without a car if stopping on our way to CT),
D) possibly Siena (with day trip to Volterra/San G), but worried about having a car there.

Not sure if a day trip to Siena from Florence will suffice....would love to hear which places are best to stay at with a car if we decide to rent one. I have read volumes about the issues of ZTLs and having an IDP for the drivers, and all the other cautionary tales about renting. But we handled 2+ weeks of driving throughout Normandy and Provence last year, so am OK with the concept if it makes touring easier to the smaller towns....

We are also open to any cool ideas such as great wine tasting locations, doing a cooking class, etc. There are obviously way more places to see and things to do than we have time for (which is always the case), so love to hear your "do not miss" suggestions particularly in Tuscany...

Many thanks!
Wade

Posted by
663 posts

Those places will likely be dead that early in the season. If you want the Italian seaside experience, 4 nights in the Amalfi coast/Sorrento area would be just about right, and there is some stuff to do in the area if the weather is iffy, which is not the case in CT.

I absolutely adored Assisi.

Unless there is a lot you plan to see in Milan, I would cut my time there to 2 nights.

Posted by
28477 posts

I'd expect Civita to be totally dead in March, based on how little activity there was in early June, but I don't have personal experience with Italy in March. Orvieto is a living city so should be OK, though possibly quite chilly and rainy.

Another vote for Assisi. I also loved Ravenna.

You have a bit more than two weeks. Have you considered just hopping on a flight to Sicily? It's fascinating and would be a bit warmer.

In any case, no matter where you go, I'd lean heavily on a rental car. Lots of attractive small towns are better served by buses than trains, and standing outdoors (possibly in an uncovered location) waiting on a bus isn't fun in unpleasant weather. In addition, Sunday bus service is extremely thin.

Posted by
34335 posts

No consideration of Carnival in Venice?

Posted by
35 posts

OK, some additional info might be helpful into our thinking:

  • We've been to Venice, Florence, and Rome a couple of years ago, and of those places, wanted to explore the Tuscany region more as we loved Florence and the area around it.
  • We have been considering the Amalfi Coast, and basing in Sorrento for 4 days, but were trying to minimize the amount of travel and maximize the time spent in locations (and relax a bit more), and the Amalfi Coast is an outlier requiring us to likely fly from Milan to Naples when we first arrive, and then work our way back from there to Florence by train. We may still go with that route due to seasonal reasons, but wanted to explore if the other areas would be worthwhile doing in March to keep the traveling time down.
  • We're open to only spending 2 nights in Milan and apply the extra night elsewhere, but we do want to see some things and be there for our flight back..
  • We are thinking that only having a couple of day trips by bus/train from Florence won't really let us experience Tuscany the way 2-3 nights with a car in a smaller city would....

Hope that helps explain our motives a bit...

Wade

Posted by
663 posts

OR you work your way south, and train or fly back to Milan from Naples/Sorrento.

This was the itinerary for my most recent trip, October/November time frame. 1 night Rome, 4 nights Sorrento, 2 nights Orvieto, 2 nights Assisi, 2 nights Florence, 3 nights Venice, and 2 nights Milan. All by train. It was a fantastic trip!

Posted by
16895 posts

Carnivale will be the last week in February, if that works for you. I loved the festivities in Ivrea, north of Torino, and Torino also has some worthwhile city/museum options.

Posted by
29 posts

I would add in the Piemonte region which most people skip over, & it just so happens to be the gastronomic (& arguably lesser known wine) capital of Italy. :) Torino is ok & worth a stop, then hit up the smaller towns - Asti, Alba, Alessandria, etc., where you'll find the best wine and food I've ever had in Italy. The Alps are close by as well. I wouldn't spend too much time in Milan, unless there are specific sites/shopping you want to do. Good luck!

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