This board has been so helpful!! We are trying to get our itinerary down. We will be going Sept 2012. Our first trip to Europe. We do not plan on renting a car. What cities we would like to visit are: Venice, Verona, maybe a day trip or 1 night in Varenna and a few nights in a small town in Tuscany or staying in Sienna with a few day trips to some of the smaller cities. Any ideas/suggestions?
Posted by
OP
Surprise, AZ, USA
98 posts
We are more interested in little villages, culture and seeing a few sites. Yes, we are planning on flying into Venice and flying out of Milan or Rome. We have our own business, so our vacation days are adjustable. We planned on 2 days to get to Italy (flying from AZ) and 1 day getting home. 8 or 9 full days in Italy.
Posted by
Fort Mill, SC, USA
70 posts
How many total nights?
Posted by
OP
Surprise, AZ, USA
98 posts
we are flexible....probably 9
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32228 posts
Terri, Some further information would be helpful. How many days total is your holiday? I assume you're planning to use "open jaw" flights, starting in Venice, and returning from either Milan or Rome? It should be fairly easy to work out an Itinerary covering Venice, Verona, Varenna and Siena. What are your interests and what do you most want to see? As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door, as it will provide a lot of good information on "how" to travel well in Europe. The Italy Guidebook would also be useful, as it has a lots of details on Hotels, restaurants, sightseeing and transportation. Good luck with your planning!
Posted by
Fort Mill, SC, USA
70 posts
I agree with Ken about reading Rick's books; I planned our trip using the Italy guidebook. Also, try to watch Rick's DVDs relating to Italy. Deciding on which cities/towns to visit is so personal; it depends on what you like to see and do. Are you traveling with friends, as a couple, or with children? This will make a difference, too. I also agree about not wanting the hassle of renting a car on your first trip to Italy; traveling by train is the way to go...just be aware that the quality and speed of the trains vary greatly. The fast trains are fantastic...the regional trains not so much. (Check out the travel times between cities. You don't want to spend most of your vacation on a train.) And train travel doesn't work well for the hill towns of Tuscany. (Doing day trips from Siena will probably involve buses.)