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)
Quick search for flights to Venice:
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.
Also note that for this itinerary I recommend sticking to public transportation, which in all cases but one means taking the train. You can browse train schedules and book tickets with the box to the right, which gives you access to Trenitala’s cheapest fares if you book in advance.
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.
Quick tool to compare prices on flights to Milan (MXP) and Rome (FCO):
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.
Quick search for hotels in Venice:
>> Want to get more specific with your hotel search? Check out my article on Venice hotels to find hotels near St. Mark’s or near the train station, for romantic or unique places to stay.
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.
>> Here are my thoughts on what to do with two days in Venice.
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. And since it’s sometimes cheaper to find cheap flights to Milan than to Venice, it’s a default starting point for many trips.
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.
Quick search for hotels in Vernazza & Monterosso, two of the more popular Cinque Terre towns:
Vernazza Hotels:
Monterosso Hotels:
>> Find out more about where to stay in the Cinque Terre, with a bit of detail about each town and what kind of accommodation to expect.
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.
>> Here are my suggestions for what to do with 2 days in the Cinque Terre.
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.
Quick search for hotels in Florence:
>> Want to get more specific about your hotel search in Florence? This article on Florence hotels will point you to hotels near the Duomo, near the Pitti Palace, and even some of those famous “rooms with a view.”
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.
>> Here are my suggestions for what to do with 4 days in Florence
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
Want to stay longer? Quick search for hotels in 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.
Quick search for hotels 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.
>> Here are my suggestions for what to do with 5 days in Rome
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 from Rome – 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.
Want to stay closer to Pompeii? Quick search for hotels in Naples:
>> 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
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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
Hello
1st – Thank you so much for all of this information on your website!
My family of 4 – Me, Wife and 2 sons 16 and 12 will be making our 1st trip to Italy in June 2011 and are planning on 12 days. We will be traveling on American Airlines Rewards points so we only have airport options of Rome and Milan and would like to follow your 2 week Italy itinerary but leave out Cinque Terre. What would be your recommendation on where to fly to and leave from considering the airport choices and how many days in Venice, Florence and Rome?
Thanks
John
Houston, Texas
Hi, John:
I think my basic recommendations listed in the article above are going to be the same for your trip – including the number of days in each city. If you’re skipping the Cinque Terre, then you may only need to remove one day from the itinerary (probably either of the day trips from Florence or Rome would be a good option) to make it work. And you can fly into Milan, take a train to Venice immediately, and continue on the trip from there – flying out of Rome at the end.
Ciao,
Jessica
Hi, Jessica …
My husband and I are starting to plan a trip to Italy in April to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Can you please give me a run down as to where the best place to start our vacation will be, how long we need allow for time there (9 days will be the total amount of time we’ll have, including flights to and from Italy from the States) and the best mode of transporation to get from place to place, including travel time to each.
Here are the areas we want to be sure to visit:
Tuscany (Pisa, swim in the Mediterranean Sea and visit to the Vineyards)
Milan (Ferrari headquarters, ‘Last Supper’)
Venice (Gondola ride and possibly Adriatic Sea)
Bologna (Lamborghini headquarters)
Rome (Art/Architecture)
I guess I am looking for something like this:
Fly into ______
Day 1: Travel to _______ via car/plane/train
Length of Stay: _____
Visit: ________
Day 2: Travel to _______ via car/plane/train
Visit: ________
Length of Stay: _____
etc., etc.,
Day 9: Fly out of ______ back to GA<USA
Once I hear back from you w/ a travel plan and length of stay, I will start researching places to stay in each of those places and book each night individually.
Feel free to email me with any questions … Thanks so much for the help.
Christie
Hi Jessica,
Love your two week itinerary. What would you estimate the all in cost of the trip being? I’m thinking May 2011 and have already price the flights (for two, with taxes, $1900). Flying into Venice and out of Rome as your suggest.
Also, if you had to cut a couple of days out of this trip (due to work schedules) where would you slim it out?
Thanks!
I’m bad with budget questions, Tera, but you might find some information in this Q&A post I did awhile back on the site:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/italy-qa-daily-budget-for-italy.html
As for what I’d cut, it totally depends on what your preferences are – not a hiker? Skip the Cinque Terre. Not so interested in history? Perhaps take one day each off Florence and Rome. Look at what’s available in each place and what you’d do there, then see if you’d be happy with your agenda in that place with one fewer day.
Hi Jessica,
My husband, myself and our 6yr .old are planning a trip to Italy in June for two weeks. We have a wedding to attend. I’ve been to Italy several times but my husband and son haven’t. We’re also celebrating a milestone anniversary I’m trying to come up with a plan that works for us all. I’ve thought about flying into Venice, staying 2 days, then to Cinque Terre (Monterasso area) for 2 days, then down to Rome for the wedding, sightseeing stuff and doing a sidetrip to one of the villages. Afterwards, I thought we could head over to Poisitano & maybe a day trip to Capri. I’m hearing a lot lately that both the Cinque Terre and Poisitano area requires walking up steep hills which might also wear down my son. We love beaches and love relaxing on vacation. My husband and I both dislike heading to the touristy museums. Do you have any advise on how these places sound when bringing little ones?
Thanks for your help…..M
Both the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast are made up of cliffside towns, so yes – both typically involve lots of up and down walking. Neither has the best beaches in Italy, either, although the Amalfi Coast is perhaps better for the kind of beach-lounging that you might be thinking about.
And although I understand the aversion to “touristy museums,” there’s a reason some of these places are touristy – they’re packed with truly amazing art.
I’m not a parent, and I’ve never traveled with kids, so I can’t say how your son would do with either the hiking or the museums – you know him best, so I’d suggest you read up on the destinations you’re considering and then you should know whether he’d be able to handle them. There are also websites dedicated to traveling with kids, whether in Italy or not, that you might want to check out for advice and tips.
Hi Jessica,
I am planning my honeymoon next june. We are looking at something close to 2 weeks, maybe 3. I will have a closer look to your 2 weeks itinerary but before that, I would need your help with something. After that 2 weeks of traveling, walking, visiting, I would like to take a few days at the beach so we can relax as much as possible. What would you recommend ? We would like the water to be clear and clean…something like Cuba.
Thanks for your help. Love everything you do.
Regards,
Paolo
It depends on what parts of the country you end up visiting, but if you want a solid 4 days or more on a nice beach then I might steer you toward Sardinia, Calabria, or Sicily. These are some of the beaches the Italians visit during their own beach holidays, and although they’re a bit more off the regular tourist trail they’re extremely crowded in nice weather – it’s just that the crowds are almost entirely Italian!
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for the answer. That being said, where would you choose, what city, where exactly would be your first choice?
Thanks alot!
I haven’t actually visited Calabria or Sardinia personally, so I’m not able to give you an exact city name. I’d suggest you read about the beach towns in Sardinia, Sicily, and Calabria and see which one strikes your fancy. Just remember that if you’re concentrating the rest of your trip in the north, all of those beaches are quite a distance away – which is why I said they’re best if you want 4+ solid days in one place. And I’d look into flying down and back, depending on where you pick – you could find a great cheap fare, and it would save you loads of time.
Also, in case you haven’t seen it, here’s my article on some great honeymoon destinations in Italy.
Jessica,
Your website is absolutely fantastic. That being said I’m planning a 3 week get away in August 2011 with my 16yr old daughter.
My goal is to see as much as possible from north to south.
With 3 weeks (North to South) is it better and possible to reserve 4x5days (different centraly located home bases) and constantly go for day trips?
Or 2 days here, 4 there, 3 here etc..?
Would you be so kind as to helping me build my trip around the following likes / dislikes. Thanks so much.
- Short stay in Venice (Im solo with my 16 yr-old)
- Very diversified interests. From the Milan shoping to the tuscany country side. From beaches to architecture to history… From good food to wine visits.
- I do have a weakness for the Amalfi coast.
- Is there a specific village you can recommend for us to spend a day and really get the feel of how locals live (where there might be less tourists) ?
- I have an approximate budget of 10K. Is that realistic?
- Flexible as to transportation (drive or not) and arrival/departures. BTW. We’ll be flying in from Montreal, Canada.
Thanks so much and keep up your great work.
Cheers,
Patrick.
I hope your daughter knows how lucky she is to get a 3-week trip to Italy…
First off, since I’m not a travel agent I’m not really able to design personalized tours for people. What I do is give people the tools they need – the tools I’d use for my own trips – to create their own Italy trips. What I’d suggest you do is have a look at this article about how to create the perfect Italy itinerary:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-create-the-perfect-italy-itinerary.html
A few comments about your questions:
* I don’t really think it’s possible to spend one day in a village and come away with a feel for how the locals live. Day trippers never see a place when the bulk of the tourists have gone (mornings and evenings). Having said that, every city in Italy – including the big touristy ones – has locals who go about their daily business every single day. Look around wherever you are, get away from the main tourist sections of town, and you’ll find the locals.
* Whether you choose to stay in a few home-base towns and do day trips or move from place to place every few days really depends on what’s on your itinerary and how much ground you’re planning to cover. Also, some places are more easily done as day trips than others. I would recommend doing an open-jaw ticket if at all possible, to maximize the amount of time you’re on the ground traveling and enjoying Italy.
* Keep in mind that August is when Italy is hottest, so the further south you go the hotter the temperatures will get. It’s also when Italians often take their one-month holiday, so beaches (especially in the south) will be crowded and accommodation in any popular holiday spot will be expensive (and booked well in advance).
Jessica,
Thanks so much for your quick reply…You’re so fast, it almost seems like you’re just waiting for us to write.. ;o)
Based on your reply we’ve done a couple of things.
1- We decided to change our plans and go from late June into July instead of August.
I understand it’s still high season but is it a little less crowded?
2- We did lots and lots of homework / research.. ;o)
This is so far what our schedule would look like, would love to have your comments and/or recommendations.
Fly Mtl – Venice, spend 2 days
Venice – Milano (or Genova) 2 days…
Down to Cinque Terre & Italian Riviera. 1-2 days
Then onto Florence / Tuscany 4 days
Rome. 4 days
The Amalfi region (With Sorrento as a Base) 3 days
Ending our trip in the Calabria / Sicily region….
We’re sooooo ready to leave already….
Also, in order to take full benefit of this trip as well as seeing as much as possible my plan was to avoid driving all together.
That being said if I were to decide to take an “Italy Drive”, taking into account the traffic and so called “Crazy drivers”what would you recommend as being as “must drive” in Italy ?
- I’ve read that Milano and Genova are “somewhat” similar. Is that so? If not, any suggestions?
- On the way to Milan would like to take a day trip to Lake Garda or from Milan, take a day trip to Lake Como, Which one do you recommend?
- From Florence down to Rome, we thought of stopping over at the Capalbio beaches (Between Orbetello & Tarquinia) to maybe take a day to just “Chill” on a beache. Is that area worth stopping over?
- In the Tuscany region, I know you’ll probarbly tell me they’re all nice but is there a countryside region that you prefer?
- From Sorrento, would like to visit Ruins from either Pompei or Paestum. Can I go wrong one way or another?
In ending, you should know that when we do get there, we’ll feel like you’ve almost been our own “personal guide” !!!
Again,thanks for all your help, it’s appreciated by all…
P..
My replies to your questions…
* June/July are still going to be very crowded throughout Italy. Even if the Italians aren’t on vacation, the cities on your list are flooded with foreigners. You’ll have trouble escaping the crowds at any point during the summer, really, unless you get far from the main tourist cities. Read more about each month in Italy on the articles linked here – http://www.italylogue.com/weather
* Remember to take travel time into account when you’re creating an itinerary. Giving yourself only 1-2 days in a place is fine if that time doesn’t include whatever time it takes to get there and get out again.
* If you’re planning to spend a few days in Tuscany and you’re NOT staying in Florence, I’d suggest renting a car for a day and driving around Tuscany. Just make sure you have a good map and a GPS unit. Driving in and out of Florence and Siena is a pain, so stick to public transportation for both of those.
* I’ve not been to Genoa, but from what I know of it I can’t imagine why people would say it’s similar to Milan. What did you read that makes you say that?
* I don’t have personal experience with all the lakes in northern Italy, so I suggest you pick the one that fits best with your itinerary.
* I don’t have personal experience with the Capalbio beaches, but if you’ll be spending time in the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast you may have plenty of beach time already without a stopover.
* I’m not sure what you mean by a countryside region in Tuscany I prefer?
* I’ve not been to Paestum, but visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum are both easy to do from Sorrento. Here’s information about both – http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/pompeii-herculaneum-history-visitor-tips.html
Travelling as a family with adult kids in 20′s for 2 – 2-1/2 weeks in May. Would like to see: Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence (stay outside of Florence in a farmhouse) and leave from Rome. We enjoy light hiking, vineyards, quaint towns and history, but not an overload of museums. Thought we’d spend just 2-3 days in Rome. What are your recommendations for time in each locale and if any have to be omitted, which one?
I think with 2.5 weeks or so you could probably hit all of those places – if you spent 3 days in each, that’s 15 days, leaving you a few days extra to account for travel time between cities. If you haven’t seen it already, you might look at my tips on how to create the perfect Italy itinerary (they’re the tips I use when I create my own trips):
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-create-the-perfect-italy-itinerary.html
Hi there! I love you ideas & your sight has so much information. We are going to Italy in late June & considering flying into Florence( reward miles), renting a car & driving over to Pisa then up the coast for a few nights then onto Tuscany for 3 nights. You have not mentioned anything about flying into Florence but I did see something about it being difficult to drive out of Florence??
We thought we could return the car to Florence & take the train to Rome, do a day trip to Pompeii & stay in Rome for 3 nights.
Open to ideas??
I have some information here about both Florence’s airport and the larger airport in Tuscany, which is in Pisa:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/budget-airlines-that-fly-to-florence.html
Driving in/out of any big city in Italy is a challenge, especially if you’re not familiar with the area, but nothing is impossible.
With a GPS system to help guide you, and avoiding rush hour times, you can certainly drive out of Florence and out into Tuscany. If you can avoid driving in the city center, however, I think you’ll be happier – so you might want to look for a rental agency that’s outside the city center, which does include the airport.
Day trips to Pompeii from Rome are possible, but be aware it’s a very long day. There’s plenty to keep you occupied in Rome for three days, and if you’d like to explore some Pompeii-like ruins that are a half-hour train ride from Rome instead, check out Ostia Antica.
Hi,
what a great website!!! we have 10-14 days and want to visit Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome, possibly in that order. We have a one week timesare that is free to stay in Rome, but want to know if we can do any of these other cities as day trips and make Rome our home, and only have to pay for hotel costs for 3 days in one of the other cities? How do you recommend we do this, and we have availability for May 8-16 or June 10-17, which time should we go for the best weather conditions. thanks.
If you’re spending 7 of your 10 days in Rome, it’s unlikely you’ll get everything else squeezed into 3 days. Florence is really the only potential day-trip from Rome. Milan-Rome is 3.5 hours one-way, Rome-Venice is 4-5 hours one-way, and Rome-Florence is about an hour & 40 minutes one-way.
I highly recommend you get out a map of the country and look up travel times between the cities on your wish list so you see how long it takes to get from place to place. It’s my top tip when planning an Italy trip:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-create-the-perfect-italy-itinerary.html
If you’ve got 14 days, then you could probably do a week in Rome plus two of the other places on your list.
There’s more information about transportation in Italy on this page:
http://www.italylogue.com/transportation
And here’s my weather in Italy page:
http://www.italylogue.com/weather
my boyfriend and i are thinking of heading to italy in late spring or early fall. i like the 2 week itinerary that you have set up but i like the idea of camping more than staying in hotels for the entire two weeks. can you help to give me an idea of which of these cities would be better to get hotels and which ones would have campsites that would still be accessible to the city centers. we plan on taking the train the entire time that we are there and that will be our sole source of transportation. the camping maps are a little intimidating because most of them go by region instead of cities. any help and information would be greatly appreciated!!
The campgrounds I’m familiar with in Italy are places where you don’t even need camping gear – you sleep in tents provided by the campsite, or you upgrade to a tent-like house or a mobile home-style building. It’s all very affordable, and they all have services and activities on site like swimming pools, bars, restaurants, laundry, internet cafes, etc. So it’s budget-friendly and rustic, but not really “camping” in the sense we often think of it. (The good news is you don’t have to haul around a tent everywhere, though!)
Both Rome and Florence have campgrounds like this – and in both cities there are buses that will get you to and from the city center. The one in Rome is much further from the city center than the one in Florence, but they’re both reasonable if you don’t plan on staying out too late.
I seem to recall that Venice has a similar campground, but it’s on the mainland rather than the islands. Transportation back and forth is, therefore, more restricted. I’d suggest you stay at one of the hostels in Venice, since it’ll let you stay on the islands, and then do campgrounds in Florence and Rome.
Most campgrounds list themselves under “hostels” because they’re in the budget category. There are two campgrounds in Rome listed in this article (both near the bottom):
http://www.italylogue.com/accommodation/9-rome-hostels-away-from-termini-station.html
And here’s the campground in Florence I know of:
http://www.whygo.com/italy/florence/plus-camping-michelangelo-18454
Otherwise, you can browse hostels listings and just scan for the word “camping.”
http://hostels.bootsnall.com/europe-italy.html
I hope that helps as a start, let me know if you need anything else.
Hi Jessica,
Your website is fantastic and has been so helpful to me. My daughter, 17, and I will be spending a week in Italy in April, and we will be splitting our time between Rome and Florence. We have already been to Venice (and loved it) and would like to make a day trip or two from Florence (we will not have a rental car). We are considering Siena and San Gimignano, but I’m open to suggestions. In lieu of a day trip, we are also open to spending a night in another town. Thanks in advance for any input!
I think both Siena and San Gimignano are excellent as day trips or as places to spend 1-2 nights – if you don’t mind just spending 1 night (I usually try to spend at least 2 in a place to avoid all the unpacking/repacking!), I think you’d appreciate both towns more if you spent the night. Because they’re both popular day trip options, they’re quite different in the early morning and late evenings before/after the daytrippers. San Gimignano is quite small, and I recommend staying right in the historic town inside the old city walls if possible. Siena is larger, so it’s easier to find accommodation that’s far from the historic center, but again I’d recommend staying within the old city walls so you have the old city at your fingertips for an overnight stay.
As for access, Siena has a train station (San Gimignano does not), but taking the bus from Florence is the better option. You can also get a bus to San Gimignano.
Many thanks for the info! We will be extending our trip by a few days and spending the night in at least one of those towns. Can’t wait to get there!
Hi Jessica,
I hope you still read comments here because I need some advice. My husband and I are going to be in Italy from 4/10/11 to 4/25/11. We’re starting in Venice and pretty much following your Perfect Two Weeks. I’m an artist and want to spend more time in Florence/Tuscany so we’re going to skip the Cinque Terre this trip.
We prefer to travel without a lot of reservations so we can change our plans as we go. Do you think I’ll be able to find reasonably priced hotels during this time or will they be booked up?
I love your blog. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a travel blog this informative, fun to read and easy to navigate!
I hope this reaches you. Thank you for your help.
Susan
Thank you so much for your kind comments, Susan! I’m glad this site has been helpful in planning your trip.
I think you’ll be able to travel in April without reservations, it just depends on what you mean by “reasonably priced hotels.” In Venice, for instance, even budget hotels are expensive by some standards, so you need to be prepared for that – even if you do have reservations in advance there, prices aren’t exactly low.
Hi! My husband and I have always said we will visit Italy for our 10 yr anniversary. Well…April 2012 will be 10 years, and I am ready to start planning! We will most likely have 10 days total, including travel days. We definitely want to sightsee and see some of the historical sites; however, we don’t want to rush around like crazy people. We want to enjoy the country, the food, the wine, the people, the scenery. Here is what we are thinking…will you take a look and let me know what you think? Thanks so much…your input is very helpful!
Day 1: Fly into Venice; sightsee, roam the city, canals
Day 2: Head to Italian Riviera; have heard Portofino is excellent…one night in Portofino
Day 3: Head to Florence for 2 nights (hoping to travel through Tuscany)
Day 4: Florence/Tuscany
Day 5: Head to Rome for 3 nights
Day 6: Rome
Day 7: Rome
Day 8: Travel to Capri via Naples or Sorrento for 2 nights
Day 9: Capri
Day 10: Back to Rome for flight home
Is this itinerary too ambtious? It seems like a lot to me, but I don’t know what to “give up”. What would you suggest?? HELP!!!
I do think the itinerary you’ve proposed is too ambitious for a 10-day trip. It’s possible, yes, and I also think you’ll be rushing around like the crazy people you don’t want to be.
I highly recommend you plot out your itinerary on a map and look up transfer times (whether you’re taking the train or driving or whatever) to get a realistic idea of how long it’ll take you to get from place to place vs. how long you’ll actually have to spend in each place. Here’s how I plan out my own itineraries:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-create-the-perfect-italy-itinerary.html
Hi Jessica:
Having a tough time deciding whether I’ve got too much planned for my upcoming trip to Italy in late April, early May (just me and wife and we’re in mid-50′s) and if I have to give up something, what would it be? My rough itinerary looks like this:
Day 1: Arrive in Rome in morning from overnight flight from Boston – so light tourist stuff that day
Day 2: Rome
Day 3: Rome (day trip to Pompeii)
Day 4: Rome
Day 5: Florence (train from Rome in morning)
Day 6: Florence
Day 7: Florence (day trip to Siena)
Day 8: Bologna (train from Florence in morning – cooking activity afternoon through evening in Bologna, staying overnight in Bologna)
Day 9: Milan (train from Bologna in morning)
Day 10: Bellagio (Lake Como) (train and then boat from Milan in morning)
Day 11: Bellagio (Lake Como)
Day 12:Venice (train from Bellagio – thru Milan – in morning)
Day 13: Venice
Day 14: Venice
Day 15: Fly home from Venice
Thoughts?
Overall, I think this looks like a good itinerary – not too rushed. The only part that’s busy is the Florence-Bologna-Milan in 3 days, but if you’re not racing around too much the rest of the trip then that shouldn’t be too bad. Well done!
Hi Jessica,
Amazing website thank you for this resource, clearly its a labour of love!
My wife and I live in Sydney and would like to “do Italy” for our 10 year wedding anniversary – planning 14 days on the ground (leaving our 3 kids at home!). I am still in the early planning but want to lock something in shortly along the lines of your itinerary, so i was wondering if i could trouble you with some questions.
1. Timing. We can either go 3-17 Sept or 8-22 October. I am leaning much more to October because less crowds and cheaper generally etc. Mt wife is worried about weat5her. Will the weather still be holding up ok by then?
2. Itinerary. We like yours, but have a few things we wanted to do on top and wonder if its viable – (and excuse us being so naive about Italy!). Early thought something like this:
1. arrive Milan, straight to Lake Como
2. Lake Como
3. Head to Venice
4. Venice
5. Head to Cinqueterre
6. Cinque Terre
7, 8, 9, 10 – Tuscany, wine country village chillout etc
11, 12, 13, 14. Rome
Not sure how i should be working in Florence as well? Just was interested in thoughts on the above – is there too much running about?
Thanks heaps for your time.
Regards
Nick and Jo
What a cool anniversary trip! Here are my thoughts on your questions:
Unfortunately, I can’t say what the weather will be like in October – yes, it’s still supposed to be reasonably good in October, but when I was there last October I got rained on (quite a bit) pretty much everywhere I went. I’ve also been rained on (though less so) during September visits. You can look at seasonal averages, but you never know with the shoulder seasons.
http://www.italylogue.com/weather
Your suggested itinerary is do-able, the only thing I would recommend is that you take the time to look up transfer times from station to station on the Italian rail website (I assume you’re taking the train?) so you know exactly how long you’ll spend transferring from place to place. It’s frustrating to think you’ve got 1.5 days in a city only to realize once you’re there that it takes much longer to get there and get settled in, so you only end up with a day after all – better to know that going in.
http://www.italylogue.com/train/
Depending where you base yourself in Tuscany, you could do a day trip into Florence if you want to see the big museums – but whether you “should” include it or not also depends on what you like to do. If art galleries aren’t your top priority, then maybe you don’t need to worry about skipping Florence. You’ll get plenty of art elsewhere on your itinerary, anyway.
Hi Jessica,
Kudos on this great site!
Im planning a trip with my girlfriend to Italy in March and am utterly lost on how to squeeze everything in!
We land in Rome on Mar 11 at noon and have to leave Mar 20 in the wee hours of the morning- so we have about 8.5-9 days. Here was the itinerary I came up with:
Mar 11 Fri Rome
Sat Rome
Sun Leave in the morning on a train to Siena
Spend say in Siena, rent a car and drive to the Chianti region and spend the night
Mon Explore and chill in Chianti
Tues Drive to Florence in the morning using that S222 scenic highway. Stay in Florence
Wed Florence
Thurs Florence, leave in the night to Venice
Fri Venice
Sat Venice- train back to Rome to leave in the morning.
As you can see its squeezing in alot! And I missed out Verona where I need to go to visit a old friend who has been telling me to visit for 15 years! So I was wondering how detrimental it would be to the Italian experience to cut Rome out ( we are coming from NYC and city life seems less attractive!) What would you advise?
Thanks very much!
To start with, you need to accept that you won’t “squeeze everything in” with 8.5 days – or with 8.5 months, even!
Are you flying in/out of Rome? Do you have your tickets already? If you’re already going to be in Rome, cutting out a visit to Rome doesn’t make much sense to me – you already have to travel back and forth to the capital city. If you can change the airport you fly in/out of, then skipping Rome and adding Verona makes more sense. You can look into the airports in Venice and Pisa as good bookends.
If you’re stuck with Rome as your entry/exit point and you still want to add Verona, you might look at skipping Chianti/Siena. You can do a daytrip to Siena from Florence, and then go up to Venice and then Verona. You really don’t have enough time to do justice to all the places you’ve listed, so you’ve got some decisions to make!
Hi Jessica,
First of all let me just say I LOVE your blog and I’ve become addicted to it ever since I started planning our honeymoon. We plan on going in October (not too hot/crowded nor too cold). So far this is the route we plan on taking:
Fly in from Aruba (thru A’dam) to Venice (2 days)
Take train from Venice to Bologna (2 days)
Bologna to Florence (4 days)
Florence to Rome (5 days)
As you might notice, pretty much your “perfect 2 week itinerary. I’m having a hard time finding on your blog “what to do in Bologna for 2 days” like you did with Venice. As you might’ve noticed, I’m taking your alternative to Cinque Terre and choosing Bologna.
Do you think you could give me some advice as to what to do in Bologna for 2 days (we are food lovers so Bologna is a must!)
Thanks in advance for your reply,
Greetings from Aruba
Tania
I don’t have a “2 days in Bologna” post on the site, so that’s why you’re not finding it.
In case I don’t have a post like that up on the site before your trip, I’d recommend looking through the Bologna section of a good guidebook (Lonely Planet and Rick Steves are the ones I typically use for Italy) and make note of the major sites listed. There are some gorgeous churches in the city, and those famous two leaning towers in the center, as well as the old university buildings. Depending on how much you want to see the surroundings, you can also plan a day trip to Modena to visit an “acetaia” where they make balsamic vinegar, to Parma to see the city of prosciutto and parmigiano-reggiano, or to Ravenna to see the stunning Byzantine mosaics.
Hi Jessica, your 2 week trip ideas have really helped me focus on a trip we are planning for May 6-17. Since we have slightly less than two weeks, I am thinking the following: 3-4 days in Florence, one/two of those with day trip to Siena and/or Bologna…on to Cinque Terre through Pisa for 2 days….then back to Rome, perhaps through Orvieto, for the remainder of the trip. Does this make sense? I know it is a bit of backtracking….is there a better way to do it? As you can see, I figured with less days, the thing to cut out was Venice. We are meeting a son who is doing a study abroad program in Verona, but do not necessarily think we need to see Verona, unless you think it warrants the time. Would love your insight! Also, do you recommend flying in and out of Rome are trying to fly into Florence and out of Rome? Thank you so much!
If you’re sticking to Rome-Florence-Cinque Terre-Rome as your triangle, then flying in and out of Rome is probably your best bet (you’re likely to find better deals on flights to/from Rome than Pisa, which is Tuscany’s biggest airport) – but it doesn’t hurt to check both options.
I’ve been to Verona a couple of times on day trips, and find it to be a beautiful and charming city. I guess I’d be curious to see the city where my son was studying, but if he’s bored with the city and you are all more interested in the itinerary you listed then there’s no reason to go all the way up to Verona.
Hi Jessica
This is Rachit from India… I am planning to come to Italy in June with another couple friend and my brother and sister… Please suggest me places to go and for how many days at each place in Italy… We went to New Zealand last year and had a crazy time as it was all adventurous… Our aim is some Adventure without missing out on world famous destinations and sites to be seen there… we are also planning on an onward journey to a nearby country… please suggest the same too… Its like 8 days in Italy then 7 days in another country… Please help me plan the trip…
I don’t do trip consultations, Rachit, so what I’d suggest is that you look at the post above – it has my recommendations for a 2-week itinerary. If you have only one week, you can adjust what your itinerary contains by using this article on how to create the perfect Italy itinerary:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-create-the-perfect-italy-itinerary.html
Hi Jessica
I love this site!! I am celebrating my 50th BD and our 25th wedding anniverasy this fall ( 2011) We want to travel Italy for about 2.5 weeks to celebrate. We want to get into the heart of the community and thinking might be nice to stay in B&B or small Inns. We have been to Rome on a cruise and although we will go there we don’t need 4 days but would love more countryside and small town trips. We love the idea of not driving and just taking trains etc. we are both active and fit so hiking, walking and drinking wine is in our plan lol. I wanted to do a motorcycle trip but hubby prefers to keep that one for him and the ” boys” . Please suggest an alternitive to the 4 Rome days and what you would do to spend about 17 days in Italy total….we will arrive in Venice and leave from Rome. This site is fabulous..thank you!
I’m so glad you like the site, Elizabeth – thanks for the kind words.
You have so many options to replace those 4-5 days in Rome… Here are just a few:
* Naples/Amalfi Coast – including a day trip to Pompeii, if you haven’t been there already
* A hill town in Tuscany or Umbria
* Wine/food-centric Piedmont region
* More time in Veneto, hiking in Dolomites
And those are just a few alternatives.
With the last three, the key would be focusing on places that are served by trains and/or buses – since the more remote places are sometimes only accessible by car.
So i am planning to go to Italy for my honeymoon…its a bit early this will be summer 2012, so i was just wondering, based off of your 2 week itinerary, how much a trip like this would cost, excluding airfare. My god, just looking through this i just want to leave tomorrow, its just beautiful i am so excited a year and a half before i go! i just want this to be THE perfect trip! Your site is amazing! thank you so much for your fabulous insight!
There’s no telling what the cost of airfare and hotels and whatnot will be by next summer, especially as we have no idea what the exchange rate will be, but here are my general tips for how to budget for an Italy trip:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-budget-for-an-italy-trip.html
I am planning 10 days in italy. We have a villa booked in Umbria and as this has been paid for by my lovely Aunty the accomodation has already been paid for. We will be using this as our base.
We are goin from 1-10 May 2011 and trying to plan an action packed 10 days and see as much as we can.
We are renting a car for the duration and this is what we would like to do.
Are flights are from Rome
Day 1 Umbria
Day 2 Rome (Hotel)
Day 3 Rome
Day 4 Tuscany- Wine tasting
Day 5 Florence
Day 6 Florence/ Pisa
Day 7 Umbria or Siena
Day 8 Venice (Hotel)
Day 9 Venice and fly back 6pm.
Do you think this will be too much?
I would also like you advise on Which Umbrian towns you think would be best to visit?
We like the big attractions and museums.
We may look into getting the train to venice instead of driving as i beleive it can take over 4 hrs, Which would you suggest is the best?
I would also maybe like to go to a seaside town near to Umbria which would you suggest?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
With a homebase of Umbria for your whole trip, I would really suggest staying closer to the center of the country – Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio – and not trying to get up as far as Venice. I understand the desire to see and do as much as possible in 10 days, but with an itinerary that’s so jam-packed you’ll spend most of your time getting from one place to another and not as much time just enjoying the places you’re in. It also depends a great deal on where your villa is – if it’s out in the countryside somewhere, that’s going to be beautiful – and it will also mean it will take longer to get to/from wherever you’re trying to go for a day trip.
If your flights are in/out of Rome, why not spend 1-2 days in Rome (in a hotel) at the start or end of your trip, then base yourself at the villa in Umbria for the remainder of your stay, taking day trips but not needing to move in/out with your bags? It doesn’t make sense (to me, anyway) to fly into Rome, go all the way to your villa in Umbria, and then go right back to Rome to a hotel the next day.
I highly recommend you look up transportation times for some of the trips you’re planning so you can see just how long it takes to get from one place to another before you settle in on an itinerary. Here are more tips to planning a great Italy itinerary:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-create-the-perfect-italy-itinerary.html
Hi Jessica,
My girlfriends and I are planning a two week trip in September. Our plan which is quite loose, is to stay in a remote village, have this be our home base and travel to the sites on a daily basis. This village should have some great traditional eateries and cafes. The other thing that we would enjoy would be a couple of cooking classes. We would also like to rent a villa or apartment and not stay in a hotel. Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Ginny
Your plan is so loose that I’m left with more questions than answers! If you’re hoping to stay in one place for the entire two weeks, I’m not sure what you mean by “travel to the sites on a daily basis” – there’s no one base in Italy that will allow you to visit all the big tourist attractions as day trips, so it really depends on what “sites” you’re talking about. There are towns/villages like you’re describing all over the country, so it would probably be good to narrow down what you want to do in terms of attractions you want to see before you decide where you want to be based. Alternatively, you could just choose a place to stay and see whatever’s close by, whether it’s on any “must-see” lists or not.
For starters, you can get an overview of each of the regions of Italy here: http://www.italylogue.com/regions-of-italy
That may help you decide where you’d like to be based.
We are heading to Italy for 16 days – June 6-22. We will fly in and out of Milan (frequent flyer tickets!). Made a connection with a family in Parma who has invited us to stay with them for as little or long as we like. My husband has never been to this part of Italy and would like to see Lake Como and Venice for certain. I can barely imagine going to Italy and not going back to Florence – one of my favorite places in the world. Could someone suggest a good itinerary for us? We have been to Cinque Terre, and although we loved it don’t feel the need to return – likewise for Pisa, Volterra. We are willing to drive (of course would park outside Venice or Florence — so it might be a waste to be renting a car we aren’t going to use for those days)) but we also like a good train ride. Good being the operative word. (took the train from Rome to Florence last time we were in Italy and it was great). Thanks for any help!
I’d start with the suggestions here, about how to create the perfect Italy itinerary:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-create-the-perfect-italy-itinerary.html
The biggest thing, for me, is always to get out a map and figure out what direction makes the most sense, to eliminate back-tracking as much as possible, etc. With the destinations you’ve listed, you could pretty easily do a circular route from Milan to the Lakes to Venice, and then down to Parma, to Florence, and back to Milan. If you did that, you could wait to rent a car until after you left Venice, and then get rid of it before Florence – but you could also probably do most of the trip without a car, too. It depends on what else you wanted to incorporate into your trip.
Jessica! Loving the site – it’s been a brilliant source of info for a complete Italy virgin!
I’m advance-planning for surprise trip for my other half’s 50th in a year or so – neither of us have been to Italy at all and it’s been on the wishlist for a while.
It would be in Sep/Oct time for 2 weeks.
Essentially your 2-week place sounds great – starting in Venice is a must – but I would like to inclued a bit of time up by the Lakes as we’re more into hiking/nature/birds rather than too much time spent in churches and museums – so could quite easlity cut a few days of Florence and Rome later on.
Could you provide any info re getting from Venice to the Lakes – is this doable by trian or would a car hire from perhaps Milan be a better option?
Would we be better off with a car anyway to around when up in the Lakes?
Any other info re the Lakes region in general would be much appreciated.
Thanks, and I’ll no doubt perhaps be in contact again as the planning takes shape.
Rach.
Here’s some general information about the lakes region:
http://www.italylogue.com/italian-lakes
You can do different parts of the lakes as day trips from either Milan or Venice, but if you’re flying into Milan you might consider going from there up into the lakes and then making your way across to spend a couple of days in Venice before continuing south.
http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/day-trips-from-milan.html
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/day-trips-from-venice.html
If you’d like to get further outside the main population centers around the lakes, then yes – a car would be a good idea. Otherwise, you can certainly access the lakes and get from Milan to Venice by train.
Hi Jessica,
This is a great article. My husband and I have 13 days in Italy. Our plan is to fly into Venice for 2 days, Florence for 2 days, Rome for 3 days then Naples for a day. We then thought we would rent a car to drive from Naples to Sorrento and use Sorrento as a hub for 5 days. My question is 5 days in and around the Amalfi coast too much? Are we better off adding another day to Florence or Rome?
Thanks,
Kerry
It really depends what you want to accomplish in those five days. If you’ve got five days’ worth of stuff to see and do already in mind, then that’ll be fine. But if you’re just allotting five days without an idea of what you want to see and do, that’s planning things a bit out of order. I’d suggest making a list of the things you’d like to do in/around the Amalfi Coast and then seeing if that will fill five days. If not, or if you’re skipping over things you’d rather do in Rome or Florence, then you’ll know it’s better to add days back to those cities.
Also, depending on what you’ve got in mind for your activities and sightseeing from Sorrento, you may not need a car at all:
http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/getting-around-the-amalfi-coast.html
Thank you for your wonderful articles. So helpful!
We are currently trying to plan our honeymoon from Australia to italy with a couple of days in Paris at the start. We are only going to have from the evening of May 2nd to the afternoon on May 13th. I did a nasty upper spine fracture years ago so extended sitting is painful for me, so the extra couple of days we need to get there and back are cutting into our holiday time.
I would dearly love to see Venus, Florence, a little of the Cinque Tera, Rome and Pompei. We are able to take a sleeper train from Paris through to Venice which sounds promising (and no sitting!). For someone who can move well but does struggle with sitting (ie no bus tours and I don’t think I can do a day trip to Pompei unless there is a train that would get there in 1.5hrs or less) are we trying to do too much? Which would you miss out?
Right now I’m looking at 3 days in paris with sleeper train to venice on the 5th, venice to florence on the 7th, florence to rome on the 10th and then fly out on the afternoon of the 13th from rome to london (have to leave from london to get premium economy as I can’t sit in economy) then hong kong and home.
However that way I miss out Cinque Terre. I’ve never seen any of Europe at all and my emphasis would be on taking lots of wonderful photos to use in my art. I’d really appreciate any advice. Wondering if there is an overnight train to Cinque Terre or some other way to get there or to Pompei in the time we have.
Thank you so much,
Neroli
I would say that yes, you’re trying to pack too much into 11 days. And because the distances aren’t great enough to warrant overnight trains in many of these cases, that’s not going to help you, either.
Here’s what I might suggest…
* Skip the Cinque Terre, but plan to visit the coastal town of Ostia Lido from Rome. It’s a very easy day trip, not long on the train at all, and it’ll give you an opportunity to get close to the sea without a detour.
* If you can stand to skip Pompeii, you can also do another very close day trip from Rome to the ruins at Ostia Antica – they’re not nearly as famous as Pompeii, but they’re just as old and (some say) just as cool.
thank you so very much!
You’ve made me feel much better about cancelling out that leg, I really just wanted to see one of the coastal towns built on cliffs and it sounds like now we can get to see both that and ruins in a day trip.
You’re so much better than any of the travel agents we’ve met here
Neroli
Oh, thank you, Neroli – I’m glad I could help.
I did want to clarify, however, that a visit to Ostia Lido won’t be a like-for-like replacement of the Cinque Terre. It’s not the same kind of “tiny fishing villages clinging to cliffs” sort of thing – but it will give you a chance to see the ocean.
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