Northern Italy Neophyte

Stephanie, To begin wtih, I assume you're flying into Venice and returning home from Florence? Your Itinerary looks logical, but it's difficult to suggest a "recommended number of days" without having some idea what you're interested in seeing? My preference would probably be 3 days in Venice, 4 in Lake Como (with day trips), 4 in the Cinque Terre (with day trips) and 3-4 in Florence (possibly with a day trip to Siena). Regarding "where to stay" on Lago di Como, most here stay in Varenna and that would be my recommendation too. For the Cinque Terre, you'll have to decide which of the five villages is most "appealing" to you and go from there. Many here prefer Vernazza, but I'd suggest looking at all of them. Corniglia is not as popular due to it's location, so any of the other four would be good. It would be a good idea to have a look at the Italy Guidebook, as that will provide lots of information both for touring in each location, as well as hotels, restaurants and transportation. If you ever get over to Seattle, you might consider making a brief stop at ETBD in Edmonds, as you'd be able to talk to Rick's travel experts as well as have a look at all the Guidebooks. Happy travels!

Hi fellow islander! We visited those places with our adult daughters last June, and loved the places we stayed at both Lago di Como and Cinque Terre: Albergo Milano in Varenna, and La Torretta in Manarola. We had lake/sea views and balcony both places. I would happily go back to either one. I was a bit ambivalent about going to Cinque Terre because of all the comments about it being overrun with tourists and even ruined. I'm gald we chose to stay in Manarola as we avoided most of that. Vernezza, when we arrived around noon after the hike from Manarola, was waaaay too crowded for our tastes. We couldn't leave fast enough.

@ Lola, "Vernezza, when we arrived around noon after the hike from Manarola, was waaaay too crowded for our tastes. We couldn't leave fast enough." I had exactly the same impression last time I stopped in Vernazza after the hike from Monterosso. I had a quick lunch, rested my feet and left as soon as possible. The service in the restaurant wasn't particularly good, so I was in somewhat of an "annoyed state" when I left. I was staying in Riomaggiore on that occasion. I'll be making a return visit this year, but decided to try Monterosso this time for a change. Cheers!

Counterpoint time! We stayed in Vernazza and loved it! There are a lot of daytrippers, but by late afternoon, the crowds thin (early October BTW) and it is a sweet place to stay. The waterfront is fantastic, early morning a joy.

As for where to stay in Lake Como, I highly suggest Albergo Milano in Varenna. We stayed in a lake-front room with a balcony & both the hotel and the view were fantastic. I still think about waking up to the sounds of the birds on the lake and sitting on the balcony watching the activity. As for the CT, we stayed in Albergo Margerita in Monterosso. It's in the old town area and the rooms were modern and comfortable. the best part was the breakfast buffet. You can read the reviews for both places in Trip Advisor. Have a great trip.

I have to agree with Laurel about Vernazza. We were there last September and by mid to late afternoon the crowds have thinned out. We checked out all the towns and they each have their own charm, but I'm glad we stayed in Vernazza. We rented the Cozy Studio from Maria Capellini. They also rent out the Charming Room. In Varenna we stayed at the Orange House. It is located between the train station (no train noise) and the ferry. It was much less expensive than staying ON the lake, although we could see the lake from our room. I found Varenna to be the best place to stay when traveling by train. I would stay 5 nights in Venice, and take a day trip to Verona. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Verona. I would spend 3 nights each at Lake Como & Cinque Terre. Spend the remaining 5 days in Florence and take some day trips to Siena and/or hill towns. Both Lake Como & Cinque Terre are pretty kick back places. Having a combined 6 nights in those places may be enough for you. Hard to say not knowing what you like to do. Have a fantastic trip!!