I am planning our 10 day anniversary trip for August by train. Here is my quandary. ...
Lucerne, Venice, Milan, Florence?
Venice, Milan, Cinque Terra region, Florence?
Venice, Lake Como, Florence?
People either love Venice or hate it. Love Milan or hate it. Etc.. I’m so perplexed.
Mostly 2 days each with 4 in Florence to account for multiple day trips around Tuscany and Pisa.
Tell me what you love/ hate about those options and thank you!
Milan reminded me of NYC, large...people can be stand of fish but nice when you start talking to them. Venice was touristy but different. I liked both but would probably chose Venice over Milan since it is different. Cinque Terra over Lake Como because I love the ocean
For me, four places would be too many for a 10-day trip.
Thank you,that’s the kind of info I’m looking for. We love good wine, good food and good shopping. I love to look at beautiful settings but too many museums bore my husband. He prefers cocktails on the beach so he’s compromising for this trip. Thanks again.
forget what people love and hate and go by your own instincts shaped by your own research about what a place has to offer that you are interested in
But Milan could serve as a good as a day trip from Como.
Frankly u cannot go wrong with your choices. Yes Milan is big city but if La scala is imp then Milan it is.
As you say, every one reacts to places differently. You won't know how you feel about a place until you see it. Remember you can't see everything on one trip, and if you only have 10 days, you will have to be brutally selective.
I highly recommend looking at Rick's videos about these places, to see what calls to you.
As for my own reactions:
I liked Luzern just fine, but it doesn't fit well with a short trip to Italy; save it for when you go to Switzerland.
Venice is unlike any other place, and I think it's worth seeing just for that - how a city has barely changed in hundreds of years. Yes, it's crowded, but it's also easy to get away from crowds.
Milan is a large, modern, fast-moving city. Many who visit Italy aren't looking for such a place, and don't like it. I like it a lot. In particular, the roof of the Duomo alone justifies the trip. It's also much easier to get around than other Italy cities (including many smaller ones), thanks to its efficient metro. If you're flying out of Milan, you'll most likely want to spend your last night there, and Rick's excellent Milan chapter will help you fill a day or two - even if it doesn't otherwise draw you.
Florence has the amazing Renaissance art, as well as great daytrips and beatiful views from Fiesole. I haven't been back in many years, but am planning to return later this year.
Lake Como is all about relaxing. It is lacking in "turnstile attractions" (Rick's great phrase), and is for seeing "how slow you can get your pulse." I also agree with his statement "If relaxation's not on your agenda, the lakes shouldn't be either." I should note that while I liked Varenna a lot, I wasn't taken with Bellagio at all.
I haven't been to the Cinque Terre.
Again, you can't go wrong with whatever you choose.
Venice, Milan, Florence? Florence is a must, and also Venice. the other 1 I’m just going on recommendations... I want the quaint little “town in the movie” experience. We just don’t want to be bored.
Venice , Lake Como and CT--- lots of opportunity to enjoy an 'adult beverage' and just see water, people and scenery.
For 10 days 3 places is all you should try to do. More than that and you are spending too much time 'on the move' and too little time 'there'
Varenna is the beautiful little town in the movie, and if you like to shop, u can take the ferry to bellagio for the afternoon ( a town I also did not enjoy)
Yup, think thru what are YOUR priorities. We changed locations every other day and lived to tell about it. (Florence w day trip to pisa, varenna, lake bled, venice)
Into Venice and out of Milan ...
Try as I might, I can't improve on David's suggestion, though you may want to take a day from Florence and add it to Como. That would give you 2 full days in Como, then you could take an early train to Milan and have most of the day to see the highlights.
I am admittedly not a fan of Venice, so I would minimize my time there, but Venice lovers will strongly disagree. Perhaps:
Venice (2 days) - Doge's Palace and St. Mark's on arrival day, then the Grand Canal and the islands (Murano & Burano) the next day.
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Milan (1 day) - see the Duomo and The Last Supper (reserve tickets on-line well in advance).
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Lago Maggiore and Stresa (2 days) - beautiful and relaxing; I have not been to Como, so can't comment on that.
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Florence (5 days) - lots to see and do; but maybe 2 day-trips into the countryside for wine tasting, or a visit to Pisa and/or Bologna. Last March, we stayed in Florence for 5 days and took a cooking class at a winery in Greve in Chianti that was fantastic and also went to Bologna for a day (40-minute train ride from Florence). In 2011, while staying in Florence, we took a day trip by car to San Gimignano, Volterra, Monteriggioni, and Siena. Options with Florence as a base are many. Fly home from Florence.
I think if you reads through the lines the opinions are likely not that polarizing.
Venice: a tough one for me ; so different and unique. So beautiful when you escape the crowds or find a corner canal to yourself. Also a place where the crowds bothered me more than elsewhere in Italy and parts of it have a Disneyland feel with few local shop owners, too many of the same trinket shops, annoying tour groups, etc...
So some good and bad with Venice but it is still a must see destination.
Be certain to stay on the island so you can experience at it's best in the evening and early morning and not just mid day when it is overrun with tour groups and cruise day trippers.
Florence: All good there
Cinque Terre: Really a beautiful spot, spend 2-3 nights there and you will enjoy it greatly. Too short and the crowds will bother you, too long and the lack of things to do will both you. 2-3 nights and you can really enjoy and experience it well.
Lake Como: Relaxation is a great term, not much to do other than relax. If that is not your cup of tea there are better areas to choose from. I prefer the beauty of the Cinque Terre coast over the lakeside vistas along Lake Como. The ferry between towns is very scenic and Bellagio and Verenna are very nice walking towns though.
There are also other Mountain Lakes in this region, I have never been to them but they look nice.
Maggiore, Orta, Garda, Lugano
Milan: in my eyes more of a real city than a tourist destination. A couple of great sites but not where I would spend multiple nights. A day trip into the city seems ideal to me.
Tuscany area south of Florence: Beautiful and some very charming and unique walled towns so that area is worth your time.
Lucca which is north of Florence is also worthwhile.
Pisa: the main piazza with the tower and duomo is very impressive and worth visiting the rest of the town did not seem like a place for me. Is a college town I believe and I am sure has aspects very appealing to some as well as other sites, but most tourists just go for the main site for a few hours and go about their way.
Lucerne: while I only stopped there on a train as a short day trip from Zurich once ; I would not be compelled to take time from an Italy trip to go there. More expensive, much worse food than anywhere in Italy. If going to go somewhere in Switzerland I would prefer the Bernese Oberland area where we went especially either Wengen or Murren ; or to Zermatt which is a place on my list that I have not had the chance to see yet.
Of course if mountains are your thing and you are already in Northern Italy then the Dolomites makes more sense than going to Switzerland anyway.
The town of Ortisei is a real gem.
Also really liked Verona which is Northern Italy and good as a daytrip or for a short stay.
Which town in Cinque Terra and which town in Southern Tuscany would you recommend staying in? All of this info is very helpful, thank you all so much.
If you want a storybook looking town for the Cinque Terre choose between Manarola and Vernazza both fit the bill and are a 10 minute train ride apart.
For Tuscany south of Florence, Siena for a larger town. Pienza and Montepulciano would be 2 good smaller town options ; though really should be done with a car if limited to public transit Siena would be better, could look into San Gimignano as well which I believe you can reach without too much difficulty on public transit.
I'm not sure if the 10 days include your travel time (as in arrival day and departure day) but I think three locations would be more enjoyable than four. So my vote is Venice, Lake Como & Florence.
If you want to use the Tuscan countryside as your base, you'll need a car. You can still want to do this from Florence, use a tour like this.
If you want a smaller group use
