NOTE TO READERS WITH ITINERARY QUESTIONS: We’re having a slight technical difficulty behind the scenes on this article, partly due to the huge number of comments/questions that have already been posted on it, which means there’s no box to leave additional comments/questions at the bottom of the post. While we work on that to get the comment box back up, if you have questions you can send them to me via email. Thanks for your patience!
NOTE TO READERS WHO ARE INDEPENDENT TRAVELERS: If you’d like to simply be pointed in the right direction but craft your own Italy itinerary, then I recommend looking at my article about how to create the perfect Italy itinerary – it’s precisely what I do when I’m making my own itineraries, and how I go about answering your itinerary questions.
My favorite thing to do is travel in Italy – but if I can’t be visiting Italy myself, my next-favorite thing is to help other people travel better in Italy. Toward that end, I’ve put together what I’m calling the perfect 2 week Italy itinerary in this article.
This Italy itinerary is geared toward first-time visitors who want to make sure to see the highlights but may also want a few other options. But in order to make this itinerary for Italy even more broadly applicable, I’ve also listed a few possible alternates for each place in case you want to swap something out, either because you’ve already visited that city or you just have no desire to.
And before you get upset about something I’ve left out or included that makes you think I should get my head checked, be sure to read the caveats at the bottom of the page.
>> Also, be sure to take a look at my comprehensive Italy visitor guide, which is also geared toward first-time visitors but contains helpful planning information for all travelers to Italy.
Here’s my suggested two week Italy itinerary:
- Venice – 2 days
- Cinque Terre – 2 days
- Florence – 4 days (with a day-trip to Siena)
- Rome – 5 days (with a day-trip to Pompeii)
There are a few details about each of these stops listed in the article below, along with some suggested alternatives if you’d like to adjust the itinerary a bit. I’ve also written a separate article about each of these stops on the itinerary, too, so if you want more detail after going through this page, then here’s where to go next:
- Itinerary for 2 Days in Venice
- Itinerary for 2 Days in the Cinque Terre
- Itinerary for 4 Days in Florence
- Itinerary for 5 Days in Rome
This itinerary assumes that you’re getting an open-jaw ticket to Italy, flying into Venice & out of Rome. Although open-jaw tickets can be a little bit more expensive, they give you maximum flexibility and actually allow you to have more of your vacation time be vacation as opposed to travel time. If you can afford it, it’s absolutely worth the extra cash. (And sometimes they don’t cost any more at all, so it’s always worth checking.)
I recommend Venice as a starting point for almost any Italy trip (at least any trip that includes Venice on the itinerary!), primarily because the Venice Airport is significantly smaller than Milan’s or Rome’s airports and there’s nothing quite like arriving in Italy and your first sight being the canal city (there’s a link to information about getting from the Venice Airport into the city below).
The other major benefit, especially for first-time visitors to Italy, is that Venice runs at a bit of a slower pace than, say, Rome or Milan – so starting in Venice will give you a couple days to get your feet under you in a city without cars. And with how Italian drivers are, you’ll be pleased you don’t have to face cars right away.
Flights to Venice aren’t always as cheap as flights to Milan or airfare to Rome, however, so shop around. You may not be able to find a flight directly into Venice, in which case the order of this itinerary may need to be adjusted.
2 Days in Venice
You’ll start your trip in one of my favorite Italian cities, Venice, with what will probably be a morning flight arrival time. It’s endlessly romantic, and also endlessly crowded. Still, doing Venice as a day-trip from somewhere else just isn’t enough. The crowds are worst during the day because of the day-trippers, so to even give Venice a fighting chance to prove how fabulous she is you’ve got to stay at least one night. The good news is that there aren’t too many actual “sights” in the city, so spending two nights and the better part of two days is really plenty of time to see everything you “need” to see and still enjoy a quiet(ish) Venice night. I’ve listed my suggestions for a two-day trip to Venice on this page, which includes my top two recommendations for Venice – the stunning St. Mark’s Basilica and just getting lost in Venice.
>> Here are my thoughts on what to do with two days in Venice.
Before you have a chance to be transported by the city, however, you’ve got the get there first. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about getting from the Venice Airport into Venice – by water or by wheels.
As removed from mainland Italy as Venice can feel, the Santa Lucia train station is well-connected to points all over the country. You’ll leave on an early train for your next stop, the Cinque Terre, and it’ll take you about 6-7 hours to get there. And don’t be surprised if your journey includes a transfer in Milan. Here’s my more detailed article about how to get to the Cinque Terre from Venice.
>> If Venice isn’t your style, here are some alternatives:
- A Lake Town – Many of the towns along Lago Maggiore or Lago di Como are delightful and ready-made for tourists. They aren’t going to be crowd-free, but they’re almost unbelievably beautiful and picturesque, and will provide you with another way to get a slow start to your Italian trip.
- Verona – Just about an hour outside Venice, this beautiful city is famous for being the setting of the “Romeo and Juliet” story and for its stunning Roman amphitheatre. Opera lovers will want to visit during the summer season when you can see an opera sitting on Roman-era marble seats.
- Milan – Okay, this city definitely is not a slow start to an Italian trip, and for most tourists it’s actually not even worth the time. But if you’re into opera, shopping, or “The Last Supper” then it’s the place to be.
2 Days in the Cinque Terre
Like Venice, the five little towns of the Cinque Terre are both beautiful and (usually) very crowded. I’ve even gone so far as to argue that the Cinque Terre should be closed to most of the people to traipse through it each year. So why am I including it on this itinerary? Because it doesn’t matter what I think about how overcrowded these villages are, you still want to see them. And I aim to please.
>> Here are my suggestions for what to do with 2 days in the Cinque Terre.
You’ll spend two nights and one full day in the Cinque Terre, so pick a town to call your home base and enjoy your first afternoon and evening after you’ve arrived from Venice exploring that town (it shouldn’t take long) and scoping out your dinner options. Hike the famous trail that links the five towns the following morning before it gets too hot (assuming you’re doing this in nice weather, of course), and go for a swim in the afternoon. It’s a tough life, but someone’s gotta do it.
The next morning, you’ll catch a train for Florence. The trip will take you about 2.5-3 hours, and you’ll need to change trains in Pisa. If you’re not planning a longer day-trip to Pisa from Florence, this is the perfect opportunity to stash your bags in a locker at the Pisa train station and hop on a local bus to see the leaning tower and tour the nearby cathedral and baptistery. It’s a 1.5-2 hour diversion, but it’s a way to tick “Pisa’s leaning tower” off your to-do list without another hotel charge. There’s a much more detailed article on how to get to Florence from the Cinque Terre, too, if you’re looking for more information.
>> If you’d rather not deal with the Rick Steves tour groups & German tourists who can flood the Cinque Terre, some alternatives are:
- A Lake Town – Assuming you didn’t opt for this alternative in place of Venice earlier, you can enjoy a couple days in a town on Lago Maggiore or Lago di Como at this point instead. Of course, in the summer these lakes are also invaded from the North by German tourists, but I never said they weren’t crowded.
- Bologna – This under-rated city is the heart of Italy’s primary food region, so it’s a must-stop on any foodie’s tour. It’s also well off the tourist track, although it’s home to the oldest university in Europe; so while you won’t find vendor carts selling crap in the piazze, you will find the areas around the university overflowing with students.
- Portofino – Slightly North of the Cinque Terre, this Ligurian town is part of the Italian Riviera, and it lives up to that title. It’s gorgeous, yes, and it’s also notoriously expensive. It’s frequently a stop on Mediterranean cruises, so it’s very tourist-friendly in that sense, and it’s a good place to get your glamour on.
4 Days in Florence
As the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is chock-full of amazing art and architecture; I’ve talked with plenty of people who think that even with a full week in Florence you could spend the whole week running around trying to see everything and still not see all of it. There are obviously major “must-see” sights in Florence that everyone wants to see, including the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia, so if your trip won’t be complete without seeing those then be sure to book your tickets in advance.
>> Here are my suggestions for what to do with 4 days in Florence
You’ll spend four nights in Florence, so you’ll have time to relax into the rhythm of the city a bit more (and don’t forget to eat as much Italian gelato as possible here, as Florence is well-known as one of the best places to get gelato in Italy). If you’re following the itinerary thus far without substituting any other cities, then this will be your first Italian city that isn’t car-free! Luckily, many of the most popular sights are in or near primarily pedestrian zones, so you can still get a bit of a break from automobiles. Florence is also extremely easy to navigate on foot – in fact, it’s likely you won’t need to use public transport at all.
After your 4th night in Florence, you’ll get on a morning train for Rome – it’s a journey of about 2.5-3 hours, and it’s a direct trip. Read everything you’ll need to know about getting from Florence to Rome.
>> If you’d rather sidestep Florence, here are some alternatives nearby:
- Siena – Assuming you’re not opting for a day-trip to Siena, it’s a city that positively oozes charm and is even better after the day-trippers leave. So if you can spend a few nights in the old city center (inside the old walls), that’s a very good thing, indeed.
- San Gimignano – San Gimignano is one of many beautiful hill towns in Tuscany; it’s another popular day-trip from Florence or Siena, although it lacks a train station so it requires either a bus trip or a rental car. If you’ve got a rental car, it’s an excellent base for exploring Tuscany.
- Perugia – Want to avoid Tuscany altogether? Head for the capital of the neighboring region of Umbria, Perugia. It may be a good-sized city, but it’s not nearly as touristy as Florence, and you can use it as a home base from which to explore the hill towns of Umbria.
Day Trip to Siena from Florence
If you get itchy feet with four nights and more than three full days in the same city, then a day-trip from Florence is a great idea – and Siena is the most obvious choice. It’s one of those cities that people fall in love with instantly, and with good reason. Siena is a popular day trip from many places, and (like Venice) is even better when the day-trippers leave in the evening – but if you can’t spend a night inside the old city walls, then spending a day exploring the medieval center is well worth it.
Read more about how to get from Florence to Siena
>> Some possible substitutions for Siena as good day trips from Florence are:
- Pisa – If you didn’t spend a couple hours in Pisa en route to Florence, it’s a good day-trip. Just about 1.5 hours away, the city is much more than just the tilted tower. With a full day, you could explore far beyond the tourist hordes.
- Cortona – “Under the Tuscan Sun” fans will probably want to visit this Tuscan hill town, made famous most recently by Frances Mayes. It’s beautiful, and only 1.5 hours from Florence by train (to Cortona’s main Camucia station).
- San Gimignano – This lovely hill town is another popular day trip from Florence, and is also better if you can afford to spend more than just a day there. Still, it’s extremely charming and historic. San Gimignano doesn’t have a train station, but you can catch a bus from Florence.
5 Days in Rome
Rome isn’t called The Eternal City for nothing – and you really could spend an eternity there without seeing everything there is to see. I find Rome exhausting and a little overwhelming (it was especially so on my first visit), which is why I’m allotting so much time for the city on this itinerary. If I don’t have to rush around in Rome it means I can allow myself a bit of down time when I need it.
>> Here are my suggestions for what to do with 5 days in Rome
I don’t think it much matters what order you do things in Rome, but you’ll want to give yourself the better part of a day to see Vatican City, and you can also easily combine many sights of ancient Rome (including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Pantheon) into one day.
Rome is big, so be sure to acquaint yourself with Rome’s transportation system so that you won’t exhaust yourself too much.
>> If you’re looking for an alternative to Rome, there isn’t one. But if you really don’t want to spend five days in Rome, you could potentially split that time between these cities:
- Naples – Naples is the birthplace of pizza, so it’s a good stop on a foodie tour of Italy. It’s also a great base from which to explore both Pompeii and Herculaneum, the towns destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius.
- Positano – This famous town along the Amalfi Coast is extremely gorgeous and extremely steep; it can be expensive depending on the season, but the sun-soaked beauty of Positano is tough to beat.
- Sorrento – And in case Positano is a bit too well-traveled or expensive for you, another town you might want to check out is Sorrento. It’s still quite crowded in the summer, but because it’s not technically part of the Amalfi Coast it can be a bit less expensive.
Day Trip to Pompeii from Rome
With four full days in Rome (one of which is basically taken up by a Vatican City tour), you may not feel the need for a day trip outside Rome. On the other hand, the city may just get to be too much for you after a few days! Pompeii is actually more easily visited from cities like Naples or even Sorrento, but you can do a day trip to Pompeii from Rome. Melanie at Italofile has written up a great post about how to do Pompeii as a day trip – she lists both a few of the guided tours available as well as the options and cost of making the trip on your own, so you can decide whether it’s worth it and, if it is, which you prefer.
>> Other alternatives for a day trip from Rome are:
- Naples – As mentioned, Naples is where pizza was born. If that’s not reason enough to go, then there’s also the fact that most of the actual stuff they’ve discovered at Pompeii isn’t at Pompeii. It’s in a museum in Naples. Naples is about a 2-hour train ride from Rome.
- Sorrento – A day trip to Sorrento, just north of the Amalfi Coast, is a great way to explore this gorgeous area without paying the often high prices for hotel rooms in these coastal towns. After taking the train to Naples from Rome, you can hop on a boat for Sorrento – it’ll take less than an hour, and it’s a lovely way to enter Sorrento.
- Assisi – You don’t have to look South of Rome to find day trips, as evidenced by the Umbrian town of Assisi. It’s about a 3-hour bus ride from Rome, and it’s an incredible town, whether you’re a pilgrim or not. The Basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You’ll fly out from Rome on your final day in Italy; if you’ve got a flight that isn’t leaving at the crack of dawn, then you’ll even have a few extra hours on the morning after your 5th night in the city to explore any last-minute spots you want to see before you leave. And just remember, whatever you didn’t see on this trip is probably going to be there for awhile – so enjoy this two week trip to Italy, and start planning your return on the flight home.
Read more about how to get from Rome to Fiumicino Airport
Caveats (AKA Don’t Send Me a Complaint About This Itinerary Without Reading These First)
I know I’m going to hear from some people who are horrified that I’ve left something out, or included something that they never would. So here are my caveats which will, I hope, cover all bases in terms of the questions I’ll inevitably get about this post. I suppose we’ll see if this works…
- What’s perfect for you isn’t perfect for me. You’re absolutely right. I’ll be the first to admit that I think it’s kind of impossible for one traveler to tell another traveler what the “perfect” itinerary is. You can get close, but each person’s travel style and personal preferences are going to make it impossible for one itinerary to really be ideally suited to a large number of people. But there’s a reason the “tourist trail” is well-traveled. It’s because many travelers do the same things and visit the same places, so even if this Italy itinerary isn’t perfect for you, you can probably make it perfect with a small tweak or two.
- Two weeks is not enough time to see Italy. I agree with this statement 100%, and I also know that the vast majority of American travelers are lucky to get 2 weeks off in a year. If you’re one of the lucky ones, or if you’re from a more generous country when it comes to holiday time, then use this itinerary as a starting point and build on it for the rest of your trip. And for those of you who only have two weeks, just remember that Italy will be waiting for you whenever you come back.
- You can’t possibly say you’ve seen Italy without seeing (fill in the blank). Umm, yes you can. When you spend time exploring a country, you’re seeing that country – or at least some aspect of it. You can’t say you’ve seen all of Italy if you haven’t actually done that, but to say that visiting Italy “doesn’t count” if you don’t hit someone’s idea of a checklist of sights or cities is absurd. The only exception to this rule is that you can’t say you’ve seen Italy if you’ve never been outside an Italian airport.
- You shouldn’t go to (fill in the blank), it’s just a tourist trap. In general, I’m not a fan of tourist trappy sights, but if someone absolutely must go to Pisa simply to get a photo of themselves propping up the leaning tower, who am I to say they shouldn’t do that? Likewise, if I say that I love Venice and can always find a quiet corner even in the busiest season, no one’s going to be able to convince me I shouldn’t still love Venice just because it’s often overrun with tourists.
photo at top by Hvnly
{ 122 comments }
← Previous Comments
Hi Jessica,
My husband and I are taking an impromptu (anniversary) trip to Italy next week for 4 days and would love some more of your practical advice. We’re flying into Rome and I’m planning to train to Naples. Since it’s off-season, much of the advice/warning about driving should be irrelevant (or is it?) so I’m thinking about renting a car. I thought we could drive from Naples to Sorrento and spend a night there. From there, head over to the other side of the peninsula and spend 2 days driving and exploring the Amalfi Coast. I’ve located some nice boutique hotels and plan to book only the first night in Sorrento.
Our return flight out of Rome is before noon, so I think we’ll stay near the airport on Sunday night.
I was wondering if you have any suggestions or comments. Do you think it may be best to drive the entire way and skip the train (we live in Istanbul, so crazy driving doesn’t intimidate us)? Are there any boats running this time of year? Do you think it’s reasonable/advisable to use Sorrento as a base and drive around from there or should we plan to stay in Positano or Praiano? So many beautiful places to choose from and since we travel light, we could get around easily…
Thanks in advance!
Hi, Laurie:
Yay for impromptu trips to Italy!
The warnings about driving aren’t just about the crowds during the high season, but also sometimes have to do with less-than-ideal roads. The Amalfi Coast is one of the areas I’ve heard can be challenging to drive on, because the roads are narrow and winding and shared with buses and other larger vehicles. Also, parking in small towns can be difficult. Still, that drive is legendary, and well-loved by many (especially motorcyclists!); and if you’re used to crazy driving then it might not seem challenging to you at all! Driving in/around Naples looks like something I would never want to attempt, myself, so you might consider finding a place to pick up the rental car that’s outside the city – perhaps at the airport or another town nearby.
In general, for a short trip like you’re planning, I’d recommend making one place your home base for the duration and make day-trips to nearby spots. It just makes the whole trip less of a hassle, and then you don’t have to worry about packing/unpacking & moving hotels, etc.
As far as where to base yourself, I think that’s more a question of which town sounds most like a place you’d want to be most of the time. I’m not sure it matters whether your hotel is in Sorrento or Positano, since you’ll be back and forth along the coast anyway. I’ve not been to Positano, and I’ve spent only a little bit of time in Sorrento, so I’m actually going to ask my friend Laura who lives on the Amalfi Coast to come over and give her two cents’ worth, too.
RE: boat schedules – I don’t know if you’ve seen my article about how to get from Naples to Sorrento, but there’s boat (and other transport) information there:
http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/how-to-get-from-naples-to-sorrento.html
I hope that helps!
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
This was a very helpful article. My fiancee and I are planning our honeymoon for two weeks next June. I’ve been to Italy (Venice/Florence/Rome) and although he has not, we are both more interested in spending time in coastal areas and wine country than in cities for this trip. Problem is (obviously) we want to do too many things. One possible trip would be (in some order) flying into Milan, then doing Lake country, Piemonte (Barolo, Asti, etc.), then the NW coast (Portofino/Cinque Terre) then maybe trying to go to Sardinia, or just heading to Rome for a night so he could see some of the city and then flying out from there. Another option would be doing Tuscany (rather than Piemonte) for wine, Sardinia, Amalfi Coast, and flying out of Naples. Any suggestions as to which itinerary might make more sense (or anything you’d change about it) would be great. We want to see a few places but also be relaxed and able to settle into each place a bit.
Thanks!
Sarah
Hi, Sarah:
Thanks for your note, and congrats on your upcoming wedding!
I think I’d like to know how much time you’re hoping to spend in each of the places you have listed to know whether going all the way from northern Italy to Sardinia at the end of your first itinerary idea. Let me know that, and I’ll see what strikes me then.
Overall, I wouldn’t rule out either itinerary just based on the places you’d like to go – it just depends how much time you want to spend in each place, because if you’re forced to move often from one place to another that isn’t necessarily going to give you the most relaxing experience.
So – let me know what you’d like your rough schedule to be and I’ll throw in my two cents!
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for getting back to me. We want to go to Italy above other destinations because we do want to relax, so you are right, we don’t want to be moving every day. However, we would like to see a few different areas while we are there. As I mentioned earlier, we’d like to do a mix of countryside (food and wine focused) and coast. Coast could be Portofino/Cinque Terre, or Amalfi, or Sardinia. Wine country could be Piemonte or Tuscany. The lakes also look beautiful, of course. I am wondering if over 2 weeks, 3 destinations might be the right amount for us (~4 nights each, and travel days). Again, less focused on spending time in the cities, though we will fly into/out of them of course (and different airports are fine).
Any thoughts you have would be great – thanks so much!
Sarah
Hi Jessica,
I am hoping you get this post as I have tried previously to get your opinion on our honeymoon trip to Italy. We are from NYC and were going to start our vacation on a cruise of the adriatic from Venice for a week, then spending 2 days in Venice then heading to Sorrento via plane or train, spending 2 days in Sorrento with a half day trip to Pompeii and then spending the last 2 days in Positano. After reading some reviews of the European cruise we started to second guess whether or not we should cruise although the itinerary was great for such a short period of time. Do you think we should reconsider and spend the 2 weeks in Italy. We are coming in to Venice in August 2010 and leaving from Naples 13 days later. Since this is our honeymoon I am not sure I want to be lugging luggage all over. But we were thinking if we were to visit – we would staying in Venice for 2 – 3 days, possibly head to Cinque Terra for 2 days, Rome for 2 1/2 days – sorrento (inclusive of half day trip to Pompeii) and Positano for the remainder with a possible day in Capri Do you suggest any other place we should hit or eliminate? We def want to enjoy the beach and add some site seeing as well.
Let me know your thoughts. Oh and this is a first trip to Europe for both of us.
Thanks,
JG
Hi, Jessica:
I did get your earlier question, and I replied on that post here:
http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/visiting-pompeii-in-italy.html/comment-page-1#comment-28930
I hope that helps!
Jessica
Hi, Sarah:
Thanks for your reply & the additional info. Here’s what I’d say…
The coasts you’re talking about are fairly different from one another, so with those you can make your choice at least partly based on the environment you’d prefer for your trip. Cinque Terre? Tiny fishing villages that have become super touristy (in that backpackers, Rick Steves book-carriers [of whom I was one!], and Germans flock to them in droves). Portofino & Amalfi Coast? Gorgeous towns that tend to be much more upscale/expensive in that “playground of the rich & famous” sort of way (although there are some towns on the Amalfi which are less popular & therefore less like that). Sardinia? Loads of tourists in the summertime, but they’re Italian tourists (far fewer non-Italians go over there). Pick which of those environments sounds best to you and you’ve got your coastal area sorted.
With wine country, you really can’t go wrong with either Piemonte or Tuscany (unless you have a favorite wine from one or the other place). Tuscany is more touristed, and Piemonte is closer to the lakes so could be good for a lake-town day-trip.
You could do Piemonte, then Cinque Terre, and then you could choose to go with more beaches (Sardinia or Amalfi) or more wine (Tuscany) or on to Rome. Or you could skip Piemonte and do Tuscany, Rome, & beaches (Amalfi or Sardinia). The main thing I’d advise is to make sure that as much as possible you’re moving in one direction so that you’re not having to backtrack on your path much. I always try to avoid that, as it “wastes” vacation time. And flying in and out of two different airports is a great idea, too.
I hope that helps!
Jessica
Dear Jessica,
I am planning to visit Italy from June’10 with my husband and 13year old son. We have planned our 12 day trip as follows. Arrive in rome & immediately leave for Sorrento (3 nights). Come back to Rome.(4 Nights) Move on to Florence (3 Nights) and then to Venice (2 Nights). From Venice we plan to go to Switzerland (7 Nights) and finally to Paris(5 Nights). Kindly make suitable suggestions about this Trip. Kindly let me know whch rail passes should we buy? (I was thinking of Eueorail flexi pass for 3 countries) Will Flexipass include train travels from rome to sorrento and back and rome-florence-venice travel?
Hi, Jessica:
Thanks for your message. Since you’re already planning to fly into one city and out of another, I’d suggest flying into Naples instead of Rome – you want to start in Sorrento, and that’s much closer to Naples than Rome. Personally, I prefer to avoid rushing out of the airport and onto a train for a long train trip right when I arrive in a new place… But even beyond my own personal preferences in that regard, flying into an airport that’s closer to the first city you want to spend time in means you’re getting more vacation time and spending less time in transit.
Other than that, I think your itinerary looks great. I’m not a Eurail expert, but you can read what I wrote about train travel in Italy and then if you still have questions you can contact the Eurail expert in my office to find out which pass would be best for you. Most of the trains in Italy are covered by the rail passes – they act as your ticket, and for the more expensive/faster trains you’ll just need to buy a reservation.
Have a great trip!
Jessica
Hi Jessica
we love you 2 week suggested itinerary but how hard will it be to organise accommodation for a family of 5? Parents plus Kids 11,15,17 , I am guessing we will always have to get 2 rooms?
Hi, Tim:
Thanks for your note, & I’m glad you like the 2-week itinerary I outlined! As for accommodation, I think it can vary widely what sorts of options you have.
If you’re staying in one place for 3+ days, booking an apartment rental might be a great choice for you – it could be cheaper, could give you the ability to save even more money by cooking for yourself, and could give you more flexibility with the sleeping arrangements.
Some hostels have rooms that sleep 4-5 people, so you could book that whole room and essentially make it a “private” room for your family. Some hotels have rooms that sleep 3-4 people and then allow for the option of bringing in 1-2 temporary beds so that (again) you’ve got your whole family in one room.
Since I don’t have kids, this isn’t a dilemma I’ve had to face personally – but a friend of mine has written a couple of articles for me about family-friendly accommodation options in a couple of places in Italy:
Rome: http://www.italylogue.com/accommodation/recommended-family-friendly-hotels-in-rome.html
Tuscany: http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/10-favorite-family-friendly-accommodations-in-tuscany.html
A colleague of hers also wrote an article for me about visiting Rome with kids: http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/how-to-visit-rome-with-kids-travel-tips.html
And their website is totally dedicated to family-friendly accommodation – with a special emphasis on Italy: http://www.ciaobambino.com/
I hope that helps!
Jessica
I need help planning 13 day trip… travel times/trains Rome, Siena, Florence, Cirque de Terre, Venice, flying out of Milan. Not sure how much travel time on trains/what trains to get from place to place.
July 28-Aug 10 Any insights are appreciated!
Hi, Sandy:
Thanks for your note. For starters, you should probably have a look through my Italy transportation page:
http://www.italylogue.com/transportation
There’s lots of information there about trains and links to some specific articles I’ve written about how to get from one city to another. It sounds like many of them will be on your itinerary, and those articles should help you out.
Here’s the specific article about train travel in Italy, too:
http://www.italylogue.com/train
You can also access the official Italian trains site from Trenitalia and plug in your departure and arrival cities to find out roughly how long the journey will be.
http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
I hope that helps!
Jessica
Hi,
My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy this June. We are thinking about a tour for two weeks. What do you think of tours in Italy?
Thanks
Hi, Fran:
I’ve never taken a tour in Italy (other than a walking tour of a city or a church or something), but I know it’s hard to imagine cramming everything there is to see and do in Italy into a trip without a little help. According to one report I read recently, Italy is the most popular country for travel packages – so you’re not alone in thinking of a tour.
Here’s an overview I wrote about Italy travel packages:
http://www.italylogue.com/italy-travel-packages
And an article I wrote not long ago about why a travel package in Italy might be a good idea:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/why-you-might-want-to-consider-an-italy-travel-package.html
I think the bottom line is whether you’re comfortable with the idea of a tour – there’s going to be less room for flexibility in a tour, but you also won’t risk missing something because you misread the train schedule or thought something was within walking distance when it wasn’t. A good tour guide will eliminate those risks for you. A package also has the added benefit of including many individual parts of a trip that you’d otherwise have to book separately yourself.
I hope that helps a little, and I hope you have a great trip!
Jessica
Hello!
My husband and I are planning 6 weeks in Italy and it’s our first time there. I’ve seen some great two week itineraries but what would you suggest for 6 weeks? We specifically don’t want a frenzied holiday and want to set a leisurely pace so we don’t exhaust ourselves. It takes the enjoyment out of travelling!
Your thoughts would be GREAT!
THANKS!
Hi, Kathy:
Six weeks in Italy? Sounds like an excellent start to a vacation! Since you don’t say where you want to go or what you’d like to do, I’d say that in general, if you’re specifically wanting something that’s slower-paced, you might consider picking 3-4 cities to call “homebases” and renting apartments in each one. Then you can do lots of day trips (assuming you pick places that are relatively central and have good transportation connections). That’s definitely a great way to slow down and get immersed in a place.
Hope that helps!
Jessica
What do you know about European Destinations, they seem to have very affordable rates.
Hi, Mo:
Until your message, I’d never heard of European Destinations.
So I can’t say anything about them, good or bad!
Ciao,
Jessica
Hi, my husband will be in Bologna on business early March, & I plan to join him after his meetings for a 8-10 day vacation. This will be our first time to Italy. We will be flying in & out of Bologna–any suggestions for an itinery would be great! I am thinking Florence for 4 nights (with a day trip somewhere like Sienna), Venice 2 nights, Rome 3 nights (with a day trip somewhere like Pompei or Naples). We like to see City views, the Italian countryside (which we’ll see by train between cities!), wine tasting potentially, bars & restaurants, coast line, etc. We aren’t big art museum fans & will definitely skip anything that has to do with waiting in long lines. Once I get my itinery figured out & will take your advice about getting advance tickets, at least for Rome. I love all of your advice so far– Thanks!!
Hi, Melani:
Thanks for your note, & good for you for joining your husband after his business trip!
With (at most) 10 days to spend in Italy, I’d recommend not trying to do too much or cover too much ground. The more cities you try to hit, the more time you’ll end up spending in transit – and that’s no way to really get to know (or enjoy) Italy.
It sounds like you’re not going to spend any time in Bologna after you arrive (and your husband’s business trip is done)? Bologna’s a great city, I really love it, but if you’re intent on other places that’s understandable. Of the places you listed, I think Florence is the closest, so that definitely makes sense. Spending about half your time in Florence and half your time in Rome would be my first suggestion, because that leaves ample time for day-trips from both cities and only requires backtracking at the end when you’re going back up to Bologna at the end of your trip.
I realize this leaves out Venice (and I love Venice!), but going to Florence, then Rome, then Venice, then back to Bologna is a lot of criss-crossing the country for such a short visit. With a trip that splits your time between Florence and Rome, you’ll get the experience of staying in two very different cities, have plenty of choices for day-trips into the Italian countryside from both, and not have too rushed of a vacation.
Here are some posts that might help you plan:
http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/3-travel-secrets-for-italy-how-to-avoid-the-lines.html
http://www.italylogue.com/florence/
http://www.italylogue.com/rome/
http://www.italylogue.com/transportation/
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/spring-in-italy.html
http://www.italylogue.com/featured-articles/day-trips-from-rome.html
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/getting-from-rome-to-florence-and-vice-versa.html
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/day-trips-from-florence.html
I hope that helps!
Jessica
← Previous Comments
Comments on this entry are closed.