My fiance' are excited to take our honeymoon to Italy this Sept 14th-Sept 25th. We are TRYING to plan our itinerary but would be GRATEFUL with suggestions! We wanted a mix of relaxation (beach for me), great food, beautiful atmosphere~ My fiance' researched Cinque Terre region so that is a MUST! We chose a couple other towns to visit and this is what we came up with. Our flight is purchased arriving and departing into Pisa.
We are arriving in Pisa before noon the 14th and plan on taking a train to Cinque Terra. After researching the CT region, we decided that Montoresso may be the best "home base" due to availability of beach access and restaurants. From what I've read on other traveler posts, 4 night stay would be adequate time (Tues-Fri ) to hike to all towns and relax a bit. Hotel suggestions NOT B&Bs would be helpful! Because it's our honeymoon, we'd prefer more private rooms. Patio access would be a bonus! Next would be train to Tuscany. The plan is to leave Fri early afternoon and stay until Sunday (2 1/2 days). Our plan is to set up some wine tours and enjoy the scene! Mon, Sept 20th AM, we'd take a train from Tuscany to Venice. We'd stay in Venice until the 23rd (3 days) and take train from Venice to Pisa on the afternoon of the 23rd. 1 night in Pisa and then home. I appreciate you taking the time to read this LONG post! Thanks!
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Kristen, congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Your planning has a good start. Pisa Airport has a train station with runs to the main Pisa train station (5 minutes). Easy run from Pisa to Monterosso. You are correct about the beach there. Other towns have far smaller beaches.
While in the CT for 4 days, I would suggest purchasing a 3-day Cinque Terre Treno card. This card will cover all train rides from La Spezia to Levanto and the fees on the trails (yes there are trolls on the trails who will charge you money to pass). You can buy these cards at any TI office in the CT.
The mystery is where in Tuscany do you wish to travel. It's quite a large area. Please advise for more assistance.
Your return train from Venice to Pisa will most likely take you through Florence.
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
Dear Kirsten,
Please do a little more research regarding the CT beach experience. While this region is wonderful, it isn't very beachy. Have a great trip!
Posted by
Kihei, Hawaii
475 posts
We just rented and watched Rick's DVD on Italy ~ the countryside one. Although there aren't alot of good beaches in CT, it looks like Monterossa has a lovely one, with umbrellas etc. CT looks like a beautiful place for a honeymoon! We are staying at La Torretta in Manarola and it has great reviews on TripAdvisor. I think since you don't have alot of time, you might want to skip Pisa and stay an extra day in Tuscany or Venice ~ so much to see and do!
Enjoy!!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17442 posts
We were just in CT last week, staying at La Toretta in Manarola. It is a wonderful and romantic place, and definitely honeymoon-worthy. I would choose Manarola over Monterosso, as the village is charming and there are great views of the vineyards. It is quieter and less bustling/touristy than Monterossa. No beach, but there is great deep-water swimming in the Mediterranean which is a great experience. The spot we liked was a few hundred yards out of town, not down at the harbor.
If you are interested in La Toretta (and they have avilability) send me a private message and I can describe a couple of the rooms for you. Ours had a lovely balcony and was very private.
In Venice, you might consider La Calcina. Their rooms are very nice, but simple rather than ornate. They have a rooftop terrace that you can reserve for private use for an hour---try to reserve for sunset, and before that walk up the Zattere to the litle grocery for a bottle of wine and some antipasti. A very romantic evening you won't forget.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15791 posts
Lola is spot on. I loved La Calcina. That's my choice from now on.