We are two friends spending two weeks in Italy in early November 2025. The first week is in Florence on a tour and we are trying to decide the best way to spend our second week. We were thinking of Cinque Terre and Milan, but would love any suggestions. We are flying from SFO to and from Florence.
Thanks in advance!
Honestly before it sinks I’d add Venice to your itinerary. Easy peasy train ride from Milan.
Have you booked your flights? Where are you flying home from?
I am with Claudia. See Venice before it become impossible. Between raising sea levels and general deterioration Venice may not make another 50 years. And Milan is worth a couple of days.
It's too late in the season for the CT. I second Venice , which is a wonder any time of year. Safe travels!
Hello chaysmith, and welcome to the forum,
Everyone has their opinions but the classic first Italian trip is Venice, Florence and Rome for good reasons. With 14 days I would add a day trip or two. Siena from Florence is a classic and Pisa is bucket list item for some people or Pompeii is a long day trip from Rome but it is doable and the crowds should be thinned out significantly.
Rick's itinerary is here: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/itinerary
Check out all the great material on the website and investigate locations and potential routes.
As people have said November is late for the lakes or the ocean and it will be warmer further south so keep that in mind. Even if you don't mind the weather many places will be closed for the season and services will be reduced. I personally don't care too much for Milan. It is a big, busy city and it filled with a lot of people who are doing their thing, but what you want to see and do should dictate your itinerary. If it is fashion then Milan makes some sense, if it is art the Florence and Rome are must sees. Food is everywhere but Bologna is considered the top food destination town in Italy and is 30 minutes from Florence by fast train.
If you don't have tickets yet I'd suggest flying into Venice and out of Rome. If you fly into and out of the same city you will lose a day to getting back there to fly out. That's not the worst issue but with limited time you should think about it. If you are coming into and leaving from the same city consider pushing on from your flight and spending all your time in that city on the way back rather than splitting your time.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
Florence plus Siena and possibly Lucca would fill a week in Tuscany.
Then spend your second week seeing Venice, and Padua. Bologna would be a hit if you like to dine.
Have a great trip!
Hello,
Milan is a great base. You can do day trips to Turin (Torino), Bergamo, Lake Como (Varenna, Belaggio, Como City) and Verona. I would stay there my second week. Lots to do in Milan as well.
On a side note, do a day trip from Florence to Pisa- easy by train and a nice day!
