I will be traveling to Italy for work this month and after my week in Trento, I will have a week free probably starting in Verona. My return flight is Rome. I have from Jan. 25 until 2/1 when I fly home.
I would love to have two cities to see and a not hectic Itinerary. I have been to Italy once before 30 years ago and saw some of the major things. But I am open to suggestions. I am a female traveling alone. Any tips or ideas would be great as I need to book ASAP!
Thanks so much! Any fun things to do as well. I like food, art and shopping!
Posted by
245 posts
Visit Padova (Padua) - you're not far if you're in Verona, so you won't lose a lot of travel time, and it's a wonderful, overlooked place to visit. Stay a few days in the old city, near the university -- there's great energy, lovely piazzas to sit in for a drink or a meal, really good food, lots of history, and some lovely historical art and a beautiful Basilica. I was there (solo female) for 5 days last October, and wish I could have stayed longer.
Posted by
New York
521 posts
Vicenza is a nice day trip, as well as Treviso and Padova, as mentioned above. You won’t be far from Milan and if you are interested in art, might try to see The Last Supper. Venice is a short train ride from Verona. Heading toward Rome, you might stop in Bologna or Florence.
If you’ve never taken a cooking class in Italy, this can be a lot of fun!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32253 posts
vanessa,
My suggestion would be to divide your time between Florence and Rome. A few thoughts.....
- Weather could be less-than-desirable at the end of January, and Florence provides lots of good Museums, such as the Uffizi and Accademia. It's also a great home base for day trips to Lucca (train), Siena (bus) or other locations in Bella Toscana. For a short trip, you could also take a trip up the hill to Fiesole for some gorgeous views of the city.
- As your return flight is from Rome, it makes sense to make that your last stop. It's only a 90 minute ride on the high speed trains, so easy to reach from Florence. There are lots of things to see in Rome in both indoor and outdoor sights. You could also take a day trip to Orvieto (Umbria) or Naples.
As it's been 30 years since your last visit, you'll need to get up to speed on using trains and other transit there, as there are some potentially expensive caveats to be aware of.
You might want to check your local library and have a look at the RS Italy guidebook as there are good suggestions there for sightseeing and also suggestions for reliable and reasonably priced hotels.
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
Temperatures Verona 31-43. Florence 36-51
Rome 34-54.
I'd skip Verona unless you did it as a day trip on your way to Florence. Then 3 in Rome.
Posted by
North Italy
337 posts
As others have said, it will be cold in the North, possibly damp too, since you are flying out of Rome I would spend more days there. Although the weather is getting more and more unpredictable.... It's low season now so you could book the week before when you've seen the weather forecast