We are planning a trip to Italy in the middle of September 2019 approximately for three weeks.. We would like to start in Florence for 2 days, 2 days Lucca, 4 days in CT visiting too Portofino and Santa Margaherita. Then going to Milan spend 3 days, take the Bernina Express to St Moritz then
4 days in Varenna visiting Como, Bellagio and spend a day in Lugano. Going back to Milan to take train to Venice stay 2 days and take a cruise to the Greek Islands for a week. Leave from Venice back home. We will be traveling by train. We have been already in South Italy and Rome.
My questions are where I should stay in CT like La Spezia and do you have any suggestions of towns I should visit, do you have any suggestions in reference to my Itinerary ??
Thank you for your input !
Brenda
Posted by
11673 posts
The itinerary needs some work. Not enough days some places, too many other places. Three days in Milan but only two in Florence? I spent four nights in Florence and barely had enough time. I spent two nights in Milan to see the Duomo, La Scala and The Last Supper. No time in Tuscany except far western part for Lucca? No Siena or Montalcino, or Pienza?
The Cinque Terre does not need four days, two to three at most if you are hiking the trails from town to town. La Spezia is not in the Cinque Terre, rather it is a not so nice place with train connections nearby. Stay in one of the five villages there. I stayed in Monterosso as it has parking and I was driving. It also has a beach.
After the CT stay in Santa Margherita Ligure and visit Camogli, and Portofino. This is a beautiful area.When I spent two weeks on Lake Como I couldn't tear myself away to go to Lugano. I did visit it on another trip. If you do the Bernina Express, skip the not very attractive St-Moritz and stay in nearby and charming Pontresina.
Stay at least five nights in Venice! Stop in Verona and Padua en route to Venice.
I adore Greece but you should save it for another trip as you’re cutting your Italian trip short, running from place to place without time to see or enjoy any of the stops. Plus a cruise is not the best way to experience the Greek Islands, ferries are the way to go. Stay on the islands and enjoy them, hopefully away from the cruise ship hordes.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you so much for your input. I will work on my itinerary, you gave me a lot of good suggestions !!
Posted by
67 posts
Take this with a grain of salt because I personally haven't been there, but if you are going to be in the area, I have heard many people say Zermatt is one of their favorite small towns anywhere in the world. View of the Matterhorn which is supposed to be phenomenal to see first hand, and a small quaint Swiss town.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
I would certainly want at least a day more in/around Florence and Venice and would take them away from Milan and Varenna first, and possibly also Cinque Terre. Maybe you already intended another day in Venice between cruise return and the flight home.
Depending on your airfare and schedule options, you might prefer to fly into Milan than Florence. That's still a logical starting point for a semi-circular route. If you do fly in there, then I'd stay just one night, see a few sights on either side of that, and get to Varenna for the next 3 nights. Are you wanting to overnight near St. Moritz or return on the same day?
A great mountain option that keeps you within Italy, instead, would be to detour up to the Bolzano and Castelrotto area before reaching Venice.
Staying at the north end of the Cinque Terre in Monterosso might allow you to avoid one train connection on a day trip to S. Margherita Ligure and Portofino, and or on arrival and departure days, but the train connection is also no big deal. Just a small detail.