Solo trip to Italy (F) - June - Need help! : )

Are you looking to maximize your time, or see certain places? CT and Amalfi are both way out of the way from Venice, you would probably be well-served to stay closer to Venice if you want to maximize sight-seeing time. IF you are intent on seeing little seaside villages like CT or Amalfi (not to suggest they're the same by any means), then you have to satisfy yourself. Florence is an easy train ride and I could personally spend a lifetime there. Emilia-Romagna (Bologna, Parma, etc... though that area was just hit by an earthquake so you'd want to some research) is also convenient and lovely. Tuscany is wonderful and relaxing and certainly would fulfill your photographic side. However I think all of Italy would :) Personally if it was me I would pick one place to go before (say, Florence) and one place to go after (say, Lakes region, which would satisfy your desire to be near water without taking you so far out of the way) but I'm one of those people who feel that Italy cannot be rushed. Being in Venice in the middle only goes against most people's itineraries because a lot of people try to see a lot of Italy in one trip and go North to South in the same trip. In that case, Venice in the middle makes no sense. But if you're staying relatively close, I don't see why it'd matter. Especially if you fly in one place (say, Florence/Pisa) and out of the other (Milan), with Venice in the middle. Just my take, I'm sure you'll get lots of good suggestions/opinions. Regardless, you will have a fantastic time wherever you decide to go!

Shannon, Could you clarify a few points. I assume you've booked return flights into Venice? I'd normally suggest using open-jaw flights, but suspect it's too late for that. Given the fact that your trip is centred around Venice, I'd skip the Amalfi Coast this time, as travel there and back from Venice will use too much of your very limited time. There are LOTS of great possibilities in northern Italy! There are a number of different options.... > PRE-WEDDING - Cinque Terre, Florence and/or Siena, Verona, possibly Dolomites. > POST-WEDDING - Lago di Como (Varenna & Bellagio), Stresa (with day trip to Locarno via the scenic Cento Valli Railway). I imagine you're planning to be back in Venice on Friday night to get your kit ready for the "big day" (charge batteries, etc.), so it's probably a good idea to choose a destination that's reasonably close. While the C.T. is a bit of a long trip from Venice, if you allot the entire four days for that part of the visit, it would provide extra time for travel, and allow you to get back to Venice. Are there any of the above locations that particularly appeal to you? My preference is leaning towards Siena and Florence for pre-wedding, as there are some good photo op's in both towns (and LOTS of great locations in the area around Siena). As I recall, there's a good vantage point across the river in Florence to see Brunelleschi's "dome within a dome". Of course, you could easily spend all your pre-wedding time in Venice, with day trips to the Veneto (that would be the easiest solution). The group here will be able to make more specific suggestions once you've decided where you'll be going. Are you "up to speed" on things like Plug Adapters, voltage requirements for your Camera Chargers, etc? Happy travels!

I also traveled by myself to Italy and loved it. I would definitely suggest Florence for before or afterwards. As well, you can easily do a 1/2 day trip to Pisa and climb the tower. I absolutely loved climbing the tower.

Almost everything you stated in your "wish list" can easily be accomplished at Lake Como (I stayed in Varenna, and loved it) and probably the other lakes as well. These are closer to Venice than either the Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast. Lake Garda is closest to Venice, but the others aren't far. As said, if you can get open jaw tickets it's even easier (Milan is closer than Venice to Lakes Como and Maggiore), but you can still fly RT into Venice and see them.

Shannon, I just spent two weeks in Italy, flying into Milan and out of Rome. After visiting Lake Maggiore, we took a train to Venice, then to Lerici just south of Cinque Terre, then Tuscany for a week. The lake country north of Milan is certainly doable before or after the wedding. We visited Lake Como on an earlier trip, also staying in Varenna, and think it is the more beautiful and picturesque of the two lakes, although both are great. If you decide to go to the west coast, we loved Lerici - a gorgeous beachside town on a nice bay. Wonderful strolls into and around town. Extremely picturesque. Good luck.

I'd suggest a few days in Bellagio/Lake Como and a few days in Florence, both area easy by train from Venice