My wife and I are taking a trip to Italy during the first week of May for 7 nights. The only thing we have confirmed at this point is that we arrive/depart in Venice. We have been to Florence and would like to go back. Is Venice and Florence enough for 7 nights or should we add another to our itinerary? Would 3 cities be too rushed? Would adding Cinque Terre in the mix be too much? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Carbondale, IL, USA
1201 posts
CT is too far, IMHO
Why not make it an all Veneto trip.
Verona 2 nights
Either Bardolino or Torri del Benaco on Lago di Garda for 2nights
Then end with 3 nights in Venice.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15589 posts
I vote for Verona too. And I understand why you would want to return to Florence. I haven't been to the other places Ron suggested - but I shall put them on my list for next time.
Posted by
OP
Athens
10 posts
We will look into an all Veneto trip...pictures look great. I realized I posted our trip is the first week of May...it is the first week of June.
Not sure if that makes a difference. Are there good hikes, biking, etc near the Lakes?
Thanks
Posted by
Costa Mesa
348 posts
agree with ron, it would be a nice trip. We went to Garda and stayed in Sermione. Second option would be Venice, Ravenna and Modena/Parma
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Matt,
I have to agree with the others. With only 7 nights, you'll probably have time for only two or three locations. Travel to the C.T. would add a lot of travel time to what is already a very short time frame.
One option you could consider would be to divide the time about equally between Venice and Florence, and take a day trip from either location. Verona would be an excellent choice, but Padova is another option.
Cheers!
Posted by
OP
Athens
10 posts
Thanks for all the comments. The pictures of Verona and the towns around Lake Garda all look great.
As I had mentioned we have been to Florence before. We have also spent some time in the Umbria region and visited numerous towns...also saw Rome. We did this during a 2-month trip throughout Europe while in college. What we loved about these areas was the museums, gardens, street side cafes, markets, etc..
Will Verona and Lake Garda area have these same qualities (but of course in its own unique way)? (we looked into the Dolomites area but learned it has more Austrian/German feeling)
Thanks so much
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1449 posts
One option you could consider is Bologna. The region isn't in the RS guides but is in some others. It is in the food capital of Italy, and the surrounding towns such as Parma are a delight to visit. Bologna is right there where you're going to be so travel time is minimal, and you can use Bologna as a base for daytrips to the surrounding area or even stay in a place like Parma. Do a search on this website and you can see what other travelers have said about Bologna.
Another option would be to keep these 2 towns, but use them as a base for daytrips. From Florence you could take excursions to the wine country, or do it on your own via train to go see places like Assisi or other hilltowns. From Venice you could go see Padua and other towns in the area.
Personally for 7 nites I'd go with the latter; use them as bases and explore during the day.
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
2026 posts
We spent a month touring Italy and enjoyed the time spent in the Veneto-about a week- a lot. We visited Padova (our base), Verona, and Vicenza with a day trip to Venice. All these cities are easily connected by train and near one another so little time is lost in transit.