One Month in Italy!!!!!!!!

Careful or you'll run out of exclamation points. :-) I've done a month in Italy before and a few things jump out at me. The first is the one- and two-nighters that you've got. I would encourage you to slow it down a little and rework this so you spend at least three nights in each location. The second thing is to suggest that you train to Orvieto and pick up your rental car there. The next is April in the CT. You could get a good bit of rain and the temps will be fairly cool - not the CT at its best. The same could be said of Lake Como, and you're really doubling down with a combined six nights there. If it's raining, there's not a lot to do. You don't say whether this is your first trip to Italy, and that makes a difference on recommendations. As for what to do in each area and how to do the connections, I'm wondering if you have the RS Italy book? It will be the smartest money you spend. Happy travels.

Thanks for the reply. It is my first trip to Italy and the 2nd for my husband, but it's been almost 40 years for him. We live in Michigan and we are pretty hardy when it comes to the weather. We actually love winter in MI!! I have thought about the one night in Spoletto and 2 nights in Perugia and have considered just combining those into 3 nights at one place since they are so close to each other. Those are the only stays that are less then 3 nights.

Spoleto and Perugia are usually a little further down the usual list of priorities for places to visit, so I'm wondering why they're on your itinerary.

Sounds pretty set but since you ask.... Start in Venice, spend your last full week in Rome ,make fewer stops.

I have read a lot about the Umbria region and have a lot of friend who have been to Italy and it really sounds like an area that I really want to visit. Spoleto and Perugia both look to be good centrally located cities to see Umbria from. We decided to start in Rome and work our way north as the weather has a chance to get warmer from south to north as the month progresses.

Perugia is well worth a couple nights in my opinion- it's interesting in that it's a "hill town" but also a sizeable working city. I thought the underground passageways (part of a papal fortification) were really interesting. I was there on the first day of the Amanda Knox trial- the Italians don't do a media circus like we do.

We took the train from Rome to Orvieto and got our car there. We were able to leave the car at the rental place while we spent the afternoon in Orvieto. The car rental places are not AT the train station. They are about a block away. All I can say about Agriturismo Marciano is.....can I go with you?? It was my favorite place we stayed in our 3 weeks in Italy last September. Maybe my favorite place of ANYWHERE we have stayed. Two things about Marciano - I hope you have a GPS AND the directions they provide (I accidentally left mine at home) and if they are cooking dinner don't even think about not eating there. The best food and the best dining experiences of our trip. After spending a week in Tuscany we spent 3 nights in Vernazza and 3 nights in Varenna at Lake Como. Besides our arrival day in Vernazza the weather wasn't great and the trails were too slippery for hiking. It was pouring when we arrived in Varenna, but the rest of the time the weather was fine. They were both nice places and relaxing. Maybe a little TOO relaxing for me for a 6 day stretch. If you are interested in a cooking class, the one given at Il Caminetto in Varenna was outstanding and very reasonably priced. If you want to take the class you will need to book it well in advance. Have a great trip!!

Andrea, thanks for the info! I am so excited to stay at Agriturisimo Marciano. We are hoping to have our Easter dinner there. I will check out the cooking classes. Sounds like fun. Do you remember what car company you rent through?

I rent through AutoEurope. They are a consolidator based in the U.S. You pay in dollars and it is easy to change or cancel your reservation if you need to. Get the smallest car you can get away with. You will also need an International Drivers Permit (IDP) for driving in Italy. They are available at AAA. Learn about the ZTL's to avoid expensive tickets. If you have time, Verona is a nice day trip from Venice. We actually spent 2 nights there and enjoyed it tremendously. What room are you staying in at Marciano?

Thanks for the rental info. We are staying in Grande.

We stayed in the Grande room too!! Very charming and comfortable, I suspect that describes all their rooms though. If you are bringing a computer of some sort there is wifi on the porch and in the living room. They have a computer that guests can use in the living room too. They will provide a map and make suggestions for day trips if you ask. They also have many guidebooks, though I don't think they are very up to date.

I am also SO jealous that you'll be spending 5 nights at Agrit. Marciano. We stayed in the Grande room as well for 4 nights in Sept '09 & as Andrea said, it was absolutely the highlight of our trip. Take her advice & don't miss dinner any of the nights that it's offered. They can also recommend some fabulous restaurants in Siena for the nights that it's not offered at the agriturismo. I agree with taking the train to Orvieto and renting the car there. I loved Orvieto and I think it's definitely worth a half-day visit. Take the underground tour if time permits. Your itinerary looks good though I can't comment on the Spoleto/Perugia portion of your trip as I have not visited those places. I agree that you are taking a chance by spending 3 nights in the CT & 3 nights in Lake Como. Weather in April can be less than optimal. You said that you don't mind the cold weather but there are really no indoor activities in those places. In the CT, the ferry boats don't run when the sea is the slightest bit rough & the trails close, etc. Hopefully the weather will be nice for you in April. The only other suggestion I can make would be to spend 1 more day/night in Rome. Since you are visiting Rome at the start of your trip, you might be jet-lagged for the first day or so & not fully up to speed. There is SO much to do in Rome and I think it really deserves an extra day. I would even consider taking a day away from Venice & adding it to Rome. Have a great time; how exciting that you get to spend an entire month in Italy!!

Thanks for your comments Sharon. I think that I am going to cancel the one night in Spoleto, stay 4 nights in Rome, take the train Orvieto, use that 1/2 day to explore the southern Umbria region, then go straight to Perugia for the 2 nights and explore the rest of Umbria from there. I know the the weather is a crap shoot in CT and Lake Como, but we really want to see these areas and who knows when we will ever get back to Italy!!! Can't wait to go to Agrit. Mansiano!!! How is the bed in the Grande room Sharon and Andrea??

Maribeth, I think the bed was fine though the beds in Italy are generally very firm which I don't like. We found this pretty much everywhere (some were better than others) so I had to suck it up & deal with it but my husband loved it because he likes a firm mattress. The Grande room is very comfortable though I can't remember specifically how the bed was. My guess is that it's probably on the firm side. Have a wonderful trip!

Take me with you.....Please

I've limited myself to 2-3 week trips so can't imagine 4 weeks in Italy. But I agree with comment about spending more time in Rome. I keep going back to Rome and still leave there with a list of things to see next time. Definitely don't need a car for Rome. I went to the lake region once and left after 2 days due to boredom...and I love nature. I let my list of 'things to see' influence the number of nights I stay in any one location...never had enough on my list to justify 4 days in Venice but maybe I'm not enough of a romantic. I would think you need one more night in Florence. Agree with the comment that fewer and longer stops is better. Have a great time.