Two months in Italy - itinerary help

I'll address the Sicily part. While a car is certainly handy there for some places, to me the highlights (at least of what I saw) were Palermo and Taormina. Each of these is very easy without a car (in fact, a car would just get in the way). And from each one, there are various daytrips possible without a car as well. For city life you can't beat Palermo, and for beauty and gardens Taormina ranks very high.

When you say you're not sure if you and Sicily will be simpatico: the biggest surprise of my recent Sicily trip was how similar it was to mainland Italy. I had constantly read that it was "like a different country," but it wasn't; it's still Italy. As you know, Italy is very regional, and Sicily was just another region, with the differences I expected from that (cuisine, etc). Hawaii certainly feels more different from mainland US than Sicily does from mainland Italy.

Similarly, what I had read about Palermo had me expecting Naples on crack. It's not. It's no more intense than Rome, and certainly less intense than Naples. Again, I was surprised by how non-stressful it was, after the way it had been described. It's a big city and won't suit someone who doesn't want that, but otherwise it wasn't hard to deal with at all.

If you want LOTS more information about my recent Sicily trip, my lengthy report is here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sicily-palermo-caltanisetta-siracusa-taormina

If you don't want to go to Sicily, you could look into some of the following (all between Sorrento and Venice in a manner of speaking): Padova, Verona, Ravenna, Ferrara, Parma, Modena, Cremona, and Mantova. I've been to all of them, and particularly recommend Ferrara, Padova, and Ravenna. Many of these are also easy to see from Bologna, if you find you have extra time there.

Mary:
If you love scenery why not go a little north of Venice to Cortina d'ampezzo, from there head west to the Dolomite mountains and to the cities of Bolzano and Trento. Head to some of the great valleys of Trentino and its marvelous hill towns. Then to Milan and the airport.

While RS tends to dismiss Milan, I've enjoyed a number of days there. It has wonderful very early churches, and some amazing art galleries. And although I'm not a shopper, friends have really delighted in that aspect of the city. It also has really good public transit, which always helps me to enjoy a city.

I'd also suggest you consider a couple of days in Ravenna. Wonderful early churches, with some of the best mosaics in Italy. It's easy to visit from Bologna or Venice. Include the monastic church of S Apollinaire in Classe, less than a 30-minute bus ride from Ravenna. Beautiful mosaic work, quiet and uncrowded, and still an active church.

Finally, I notice you're not spending any time in Florence. Given your interests, I think you could still enjoy a visit, even if you don't want to do the museums.

I would pick Siena over Lucca. Spent 21 days in Italy, Siena was by far my favorite. Nice people, very relaxed.

Hi Mary Sue,

I don't see Florence mentioned, and if you select Lucca during the first portion of your trip, you could add Siena & Florence. Another option if you like gardens would be to go to Lake Maggoire @ Stresa to take the ferry out to see the beautiful Isola Bella, etc. It's a quick train ride from Milan. Also, if you're at Stresa, you could always take the train or boat up further into Switzerland. Or, if you're going to be in Venice, Verona is nearby.

Italy is so beautiful there really isn't a bad choice. : )

You might consider Umbria (Spello, Assisi, Todi, Gubbio). I had a great time in Ravenna, Ferrara, Bergamo, and the lakes, traveling solo.