My husband and I are planning a three week trip October 2012.
we would like to stay in three places for a week each and use that as our hub. We have never been to Italy. we love roaming the countrysides and meeting people and eating good food and wine. Also, would like to take in some of the big sites and museums. Suggestions for the three hubs??
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
You might also consider spending a week in Sorrento. From there you can take day trips to Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and the isle of Capri.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11818 posts
First let me say how smart you are! This is a great way to experience Italy. We are doing much the same on our upcoming trip: 4 weeks, 4 places. Last trip, 22 nights, we hit 7 places, which was not bad, but we really like the settling in for a week and not being over-scheduled. I'd say first and foremost, a week in Rome. You can daytrip from there if you like, but there's so much in Rome you will be quite happily occupied. We love Venice although some will say a week is too long. You can spend 3 full days happy in the main city, a day on the islands, daytrip to Padua and/or Verona and/or Vicenza, cruise the Brenta Canal there's 6 days easy! A Tuscan hub might be good for the 3rd stop. You could stay in Florence or Siena, or even in a smaller town with good rail service and daytrip from there via bus or train. Or, if you are up for driving, having a car in Tuscany (maybe stay at an agriturismo) affords you the opportunity to really roam the countryside, maybe even do some hiking if you like. Happy planning!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34149 posts
Roberta, you could do lots worse than a week each in Venice, Florence and Rome. Maybe even (hark at him who loves Venice so much) do a couple of days less in Venice and add to Rome. Maybe even take another day off Florence and add to Rome. Daytips galore from all 3, easy and relatively cheap. Have you got tourbooks yet - Rick Steves' Italy for example?
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts
Roberta, Consider Rome, Florence, and southern Tuscany. What to do in Rome and Florence is easy, for southern Tuscany see http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm and
http://www.prolocomontalcino.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=213%3Asagra-del-tordo&catid=52%3Aeventi-e-costume&Itemid=102&lang=en
Posted by
Alachua, FL, USA
238 posts
I have done several trips like this (in April it'll be four places in four weeks), and we like Rome, Siena, and Venice. We rent a car when leaving Rome, take our time driving through Tuscany to Siena, stay outside the city so we have free parking, take a day trip to Florence during our week in Siena and stop again on the way to Venice. Turn the car in when we reach Venice and go from there. And of course we rent apartments at all three places.