October 2012 in Italy - Itinerary Help

Fly home from Rome unless the RT from Venice is cheaper (factor in train cost as well). Half a week is not enough for Sicily. Half an hour is too much for Sardinia.

Lynne: This seems like about 6 weeks, is that correct? Verona is close to Venice: close enough for a daytrip although I would daytrip to Verona from Venice, not vice-versa as Venice is such an amazing place to live temporarily. Maybe another northern Italy location will give you more variety, or you could stay in Venice longer and daytrip to Verona, Padova, Vicenza, etc. We rent apartments almost everywhere now, even for 3 or 4 nights. We'll be in Venice next week in an apartment that is new-to-us. I'll try to get back to you and let you know how it is, but if I forget, PM me in a week. Ditto Rome, end of December if you want to check back. I think Rome is worth a full week. We spent 5 nights there last year and are back for 9 more soon. Perhaps skip the idea of Sardinia and Sicily and add more to Rome. (Sicily from what I have learned in my research is a good two week trip in and of itself. I am saving that for another trip.) Totally agree with Ed: fly into one city and out of the other if you can.

Do the open jaw. Makes no sense - time, money - to back track to Venice. Besides Venice is an expensive air port to fly in and out. I would consider flying into Milan and home from Rome.

I love your idea of starting in Venice. It's a great place to recover from jetlag. I suggest Pensione Guerrato in Venice. We've stayed there twice and can't recommend it highly enough. Verona is an excellent place to stay for a week and do daytrips out of via bus or train. PM me for an apartment recommendation, if you'd like. We stayed in Verona three nights this past May and wished we had stayed a week. Definitely do open jaws (or "Multi-City" option on websites), departing from either Rome or maybe Naples. (I'm not a fan of flying into Milan if Venice is your first destination city. Factor in the cost of the bus/train from Malpensa into Milan, then the train to Venice. Add in all the time you're losing in transit and I'd fly directly into Marco Polo, if I were you.) You might want to rent a car for your Umbria/Tuscany time as well as your time in Sicily.

You might consider the Lake District (i.e. Lake Como) instead of Verona for your "Northern" destination. Then you could book the more economical flight into Milan, start your vacation at Lake Como, then head to Venice.

Lynne, Your overall plan is a good starting point, but it needs some "fine tuning". One area of concern is that there doesn't seem to be allowance for travel times, considering the area you're covering. A few thoughts..... > Did you allow for losing the first and last days of your trip in travel times? > The Italy Guidebook would be excellent reference to find good, reliable Hotels in Venice and the other locations you'll be visiting. The Guidebooks are now available in both paper and E-book versions. > Rather than Verona, you might consider Florence for a "home base". Trips from there to Pisa, Lucca, Siena and other locations are very easy. > Which locations in Umbria or Tuscany are you considering? > The trip from Rome to Sorrento will require 4-6 hours, so be sure to include that in your planning. > I'd suggest skipping Sardinia and spending the time in Sicily. With the travel days, you won't have a full week. > Using open-jaw flights (inbound Venice, outbound Rome) would be a much more efficient travel method (you can fly directly from Sicily to Rome - EasyJet flights from PMO - FCO would be a good choice - flight time 1H:15M). > Another option would be to travel directly from Umbria (ie: Orvieto) to Naples and then Sorrento, and save Rome for the end of your trip. There are numerous possibilities, so you'll have to decide what best fits your preferences. Good luck with your planning!