RP from Travel: What do you think of this Italy itinerary?

[mrsd2006]

Neither one of us has ever been there. I know this is brief, what highlights it leave out? Where would you spend an extra day or two?
What about Milan, Lake Como? Tuscany? Already thinking about adding an extra day to Venice. 


traveltips.usatoday.com/seven-day-tour-italy-27457.html





A Seven Day Tour of Italy





Italy is a sensory place, from the smell of the salty Italian Rivera and the taste of Venetian cuisine to the jaw-dropping sight of Rome's Colosseum. While Italy is best seen slowly by concentrating on one region at a time, some intrepid travelers want to see as much of the country as possible in a week. If this is your plan, you can focus on Italy's must-see places for a whirlwind seven-day tour of the country. Staying in a different place every night is exhausting and leaves little time for savoring your vacation, so this itinerary calls for two nights in each spot. Based on Rick Steves' recommended sightseeing priorities and Frommer's suggested Italian itinerary, train travel is the best option for this trip.











Day 1: Rome



Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can see the major sites in two. Fly into Rome as early as possible and check into your accommodations. Resist the temptation to take a nap and head out immediately to sightsee. Start by exploring the ruins of the Roman Forum, then head west for a short stroll down Via dei Fori Imperiali, which leads to the Colosseum. Remember to stop for a bite of gelato on the way. Spend the evening gazing at the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon before dinner.







Day 2: Rome



Spend your second day in Rome exploring Vatican City. This tiny city-state can easily fill a week, but focus your sightseeing on St. Peter's Basilica, including a climb to Michelangelo's panoramic dome, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Eat a quick lunch at a pizzerie and save your big meal for your final dinner in Rome, perhaps at a local trattoria.







Day 3: Florence



Start your day with an early morning train ride north to Florence in the Tuscan region. Check into your accommodations and head out immediately to explore the city of the Renaissance. Begin at the Uffizi Gallery, which houses da Vinci's "The Annunciation" and Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus." Enjoy a light lunch at a piazza café before heading to the Duomo, Florence's great domed cathedral. End the afternoon with a visit to the Accademia Gallery to gaze at Michaelangelo's "David" before a leisurely dinner.







Day 4: Florence and Siena



First thing in the morning, hop a bus for a day trip to Sienna, only 21 miles south of Florence. This walled, medieval city is well-preserved and a stroll through its narrow lanes and pedestrian-friendly squares will fill the morning. Have lunch on the Piazza del Campo, the main square. After lunch, climb to the top of the square's Torre del Mangia for a panoramic view before visiting the Museo Civico in the Palazzo Pubblico. Head back to Florence in time for dinner.







Day 5: Cinque Terre



Grab a train for the short ride north to Cinque Terra, five tiny villages perched on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Each village is connected by slow, local trains and ocean-clinging pathways, and there are no museums or famous monuments here. Cars are not allowed in four of the five villages. Rick Steves recommends basing this part of your trip in Vernazza, the only village with a natural harbor. Take it slowly the next two days -- life doesn't move very fast in this part of Italy. Spend your first day exploring the tiny Vernazza, sampling some local wine and seafood and swimming in the Mediterranean. Take part in the passeggiata, an evening stroll where the locals walk up and down the tiny streets together.







Day 6: Cinque Terra



On your second day in Cinque Terre, choose the local trains or meandering pathways to explore the other four villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia and Monterosso. Like Vernazza, there are no major sites, only the rocky Riviera, local fishermen in their tiny boats, vineyards and tiny cafes and bars. Don't forget to sample the local pesto sauce on your linguine.







Day 7: Venice



On the seventh day, wake up early and catch a train to Venice, northeast of Cinque Terre on the Adriatic Sea. From the station, take a vaporetto (water bus) through the Grand Canal to the city center. Check into your accommodations and head out immediately to explore this city of canals and water. Grab lunch or a coffee on the Piazza San Marco. Other must-see sights here include the Basilica di San Marco, Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Have dinner in a Venetian tavern before embarking on a gondola ride. The following morning, catch a flight home from Venice.









Read more: pandce.proboards.com/thread/413623/italy-itinerary#ixzz3PwRNKmHg

[agnes]

I haven't been to Italy, but I don't think I'd want only 2 days in each place. I think I'd want at least 3 days each.

[sarahbear]

I'd cut out Cinque Terra. The travel time to get there is long. If you had a longer trip I'd keep it but given your time I would favor staying in cities longer and cut down on travel time.

Spend an extra day in each place and leave out Siena.

[craftyone]

I would keep in mind travel time from each place. We spent 10 days in Europe London, Paris, Venice, Florence in 2006. At least 2 days were just the travel from one place to another whether it was in a train or plane. We were okay with the 2 days in Venice and Florence. It just depends on how much you want to see at each place. It was easier for us to get a travel agent, but we had to double check on times because for instance the Venice airport was bus ride away and I thought it took us over an hour with loading passengers etc to get to the actual city. Trains from one place to another were it seemed at a weird time.

[jillboston]

You must go to Venice. Must. And frankly I'd say the same for Siena.

[Deleted]

I have been all over Italy. With such a limited amount of time, there is no way I would go to Cinque Terre. I would probably also limit the areas visited.

[msmerymac]

I'd love to go to Siena. It's supposed to be really underrated. My husband disliked Venice, which is something I hear a lot of, but I guess it's something you should probably see once, while you have the opportunity.

[cheezer]

Way too much. I would think it would take a whole day just to get from Cinque Terre to Venice. With 7 days I'd do Rome, Florence and a day trip to Siena. You could also take a day trip to Tuscany. I would definitely not go to Milan, not the most to see there for when it's your first time besides lots of expensive shopping.

You could possibly do 3 days Rome, 2 days Florence, and 2 days Venice. Trains aren't that long between them since they're major cities without any connections and run pretty frequently.

[Deleted]

If you go to Siena and don't have a specific time you must travel to Italy, I would be sure to go while the Duomo floor is not covered.

[HoneySpider]

We loved Siena and Lucca, I'd put those on my itinerary over Florence but we didn't like Florence at all. Just really depends what you're interested in seeing/doing.

It does seem like a really full itinerary though for only 7 days. Any chance you can extend your trip by a few days?

[chickens987]

Jan 26, 2015 12:55:14 GMT -5 HoneySpider said:

We loved Siena and Lucca, I'd put those on my itinerary over Florence but we didn't like Florence at all. Just really depends what you're interested in seeing/doing.

It does seem like a really full itinerary though for only 7 days. Any chance you can extend your trip by a few days?

I thought I'd be the only one to say skip Florence.

If I only had 7 days, I'd do Rome for at least 3, hit a smaller city like Ravenna or Perugia or Bologna, and then do Venice. I'm a little biased, since I lived there, but I prefer Emilio-Romagna over Tuscany.

I think one thing people really mess up when they go to Italy is having "things" they have to see - David, the Sistine Chapel, etc. Those things are awesome, but they're also insanely crowded and full of other tourists staring at the same thing. You need to wander the small streets and towns, find restaurants that are run out of someone's kitchen, tiny churches that have been standing for centuries. That's how you fall in love with a place

[sporky]

With only a week, that's just too much. I'd prioritize two (mayyyybe 3) cities. Though, honestly I love Rome enough that we spent a whole week there when we went and it wasn't even close to being enough time.

[dirtyred]

I spent 5 days in Rome and that wasn't even long enough to see/do everything I wanted to.  Two days?  Nope.

[redredwine]

I could spend 5 days in Rome alone, there is SO much history. I loved Rome. 

Call me weird, but I didn't love Florence. Tuscany itself is cool, Sienna is beautiful but maybe a short day trip.

My FAVORITE place in all of Italy (and that's hard to say, I love Italy!) was Sorrento and the Almafi Coast. Almafi looks like the postcards you see with the houses dotting down the hillsides along the sea. Pompeii is a day trip -maybe an hour via trip-and SO WORTH IT TO SEE!!! I spent almost a full day there. It's fascinating. 

Venice is incredible, it's so different, but 2-3 days there is probably fine.

[Deleted]

I spent a week in Rome and could have stayed longer!!!

[v]

In 7 days, I'd probably do 3 days in Rome*, one day somewhere north of Rome (Orvieto or a Tuscan hill town) and then 2 days in Florence or Venice.

* I'm actually not a huge fan of Rome and think you can see a ton of highlights in a well-planned 3 days, even accounting for a jet lagged arrival on a red-eye. It is a must-see, but not somewhere I'd linger at the expense of seeing lovely other places in Italy.

[M]

We did something similar, but it was an 8 day tour of several countries. We like to squeeze in as much as we possibly can to see more.

Of your list, we only stopped in Venice and Rome. I thought one day in Venice was plenty and I don't care to go back. We spent 2 days in Rome. On day one we took the train into Rome and followed a tour guide. That night we drove into Rome to see it at night. On day two, we toured the Vatican in the afternoon. We wished we would have stayed one more night so that we could visit a couple other places. But we had a tight schedule to keep. We plan to go back to Rome one day.

[imojoebunny]

Jan 26, 2015 13:36:25 GMT -5 redredwine said:

I could spend 5 days in Rome alone, there is SO much history. I loved Rome. 

Call me weird, but I didn't love Florence. Tuscany itself is cool, Sienna is beautiful but maybe a short day trip.

My FAVORITE place in all of Italy (and that's hard to say, I love Italy!) was Sorrento and the Almafi Coast. Almafi looks like the postcards you see with the houses dotting down the hillsides along the sea. Pompeii is a day trip -maybe an hour via trip-and SO WORTH IT TO SEE!!! I spent almost a full day there. It's fascinating. 

Venice is incredible, it's so different, but 2-3 days there is probably fine.

I spent a summer in Florence and travelled around a good bit.  I agree with all of this, except that I liked Florence.  I was there for a couple of months, so saw more than a typical traveler.  Venice is really worth seeing.  Rome was not my favorite.  It's a major city and I was a woman traveling alone there most of the time when I was there.  If I could only see two place in Italy, it would be Pompeii and Venice.  Unfortunately, they are not at all close together, so I think your choice to do Rome, Florence, Venice, with the other two places thrown in is a good choice, but it will be a whirlwind.  

[Deleted]

It's a packed itinerary, but doable. Rome overwhelmed me, I love Florence and Siena, haven't made it to Cinque Terra, and a day in Venice will be fine. We had 2 1/2 days in Venice and it was a 1/2-1 day more than we needed. My concern would be the travel/distance to get to/from Cinque Terra. Rome to Florence to Venice is pretty easy by train.

[starlily]

I think it's packed, but doable if you just want to see the major sights. And if you don't mind not having a relaxing vacation.

I did Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre over the span of 10 days. I also did Rome, Florence, and Venice on another trip over 7 days. It would've been possible to add a 4th destination as part of either trip, but I don't think I would've enjoyed the trips as much.

I'd probably cut Cinque Terre from your itinerary and add a day each in Rome and Venice instead.

[fryjack2]

Jan 26, 2015 10:44:33 GMT -5 sarahbear said:

I'd cut out Cinque Terra. The travel time to get there is long. If you had a longer trip I'd keep it but given your time I would favor staying in cities longer and cut down on travel time.

Spend an extra day in each place and leave out Siena.

The Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places on earth. I say don't skip it!!

I did not care for Florence.

You will need at least 3 days in Rome.

Whatever you do, you have to go back and do the Amalfi Coast

[Lilac]

Jan 27, 2015 9:35:58 GMT -5 fryjack2 said:

Jan 26, 2015 10:44:33 GMT -5 sarahbear said:

I'd cut out Cinque Terra. The travel time to get there is long. If you had a longer trip I'd keep it but given your time I would favor staying in cities longer and cut down on travel time.

Spend an extra day in each place and leave out Siena.

The Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places on earth. I say don't skip it!!

I did not care for Florence.

You will need at least 3 days in Rome.

Whatever you do, you have to go back and do the Amalfi Coast

Ditto fryjack. Last year, DH and I did Rome, Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice. Absolutely LOVED Cinque Terre. Rome had a lot to see, so definitely 3 days there. Florence was ok. We're not art people. We'd rather spend our time hiking the Cinque Terre trail, swimming in the ocean and eating awesome seafood

[mrsd2006]

Sounds like two trips are in order to see everything. Thanks for the feedback, greatly appreciated.