Next October-November, I wil be in Italy for the first time. I know I want to see Venezia, Verona, Cinque Terre, Firenze, Siena, La Toscana (by rental car), and Roma (flying out). I am not sure about Portofino, Genoa, Milano or San Marino or any other places on the way. I travel by train, like to walk a lot and stay in budget places preferebly with a local family.
I would like any recommendation from experienced travellers. Tante grazie!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
The RS Italy book is the very best place to start, especially for your first trip to Italy. I've been three times and the one thing I would recommend is to spend at least two nights at each lodging. Three is better. Happy travels.
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts
Regardless of your itinerary in N Italy, the deeper you are in November the more problematic the weather might be. I use weather.com to show my home city compared to Italy city x in a graph for rain/temp. This board suggests another site which IMHO is not as useful. So take a look at both and see which one fits your needs. There are plenty of postings here in the past year regarding Venice's weather in November.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Be sure to research travel times between places before you decide where to base yourself. Although some people may be fine with paying at least $100 round trip and traveling on the train 2 1/2 hrs each way from Milan to Venice as a day trip, I sure wouldn't want to spend my precious time in Italy that way. For Venice that's especially true since it is so beautiful in the late evening, after the daytrippers have left. Once again, that illustrates that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to traveling. Happy travels.
Posted by
Pearland, Texas, USA
441 posts
I used Milan as a home base and made day trips to Venice and Verona. It was easy on the train and I didn't have to move as often.
Posted by
Cesena, Italy
791 posts
I'd say go south. That time of year you'll get more rainy,cold,foggy days than nice ones.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15585 posts
If you fly into Milan, there's a day's worth of sightseeing. The Duomo is super, especially wandering on the roof. If not, skip it and fly into Venice. It's the best place to start your trip. 3 days. Verona is worth an overnight, because it is charming in the evening - and there is a lot to see. Check out the Verona Card, which lists the attractions. If you are short on time, you can see it as a "train stop" - arrive early, check your bags at the station, late train to your next destination. You can also see Padua that way between Venice (or Verona) and Florence. Cinque Terre - dicey. If the weather is gray, or wet (both are likely), there is little or nothing to do. I'd skip it and add the Amalfi coast instead, not far from Rome, much more likely to have decent weather, and more to see and do if the weather's not so nice - including Pompeii. As for time allotments, it depends a lot on your interests. Florence is an amazing place to "wallow" in Renaissance art and architecture - especially sculpture. Siena is more scenic and more picturesque. If you enjoy museums, Rome is a mecca. My tips: 1. read and do on-line research about the sights, get a sense of what would interest you 2. use the Trenitalia website to learn about train times, schedules and prices 3. plan your itinerary BEFORE you book your flights. 4. book lodgings 3-4 months in advance. There aren't that many single rooms. 5. reconsider Tuscany by car - it may be cheaper to take tours, you can't do much wine-tasting if you're driving, and the driving can be challenging in poor weather conditions (mountains, fog, rain, Italian drivers . . . )
6. Eat gelato twice a day