Italy - 6 Weeks?

[GlobeUs]

Post Covid Planning (more of it...)

I'd love to go to Italy for a six week touring holiday. I've been to Rome for four hours (post work-meeting), and I have been skiing in the North a couple of times.

I do want to go back to Rome, I want to go up a Volcano, and visit the Dolomites for a few days, go snorkelling for a few days and then I haven't figured out where else - if you have been what would you recommend?

Surprised Naples hasn't been mentioned yet. One of the best places for food I have ever been in my life.

@GlobeUs
Are you planning on driving or travelling by train ? Just curious . Have had several holidays to various parts of Italy, but I like the idea of touring ....

In 6 weeks you could do almost everything.
Cities need 3 days max.
I love Verona, Florence is, of course beautiful but rammed every day of the year. Venice left me cold. Bologna isn't particularly beautiful, and the food is better IMO in other Emilia-Romagna towns, Bologna has suddenly become a bit like Prague- lots of cheap flights so tourist-menu places popping up everywhere.
I love the Gargano in Puglia, and towns like Polignano, Gallipoli etc near Bari are wonderful.
I love the lakes too, which seem like a completely different country.
Sorrento is nice but again, very touristy.

I love Italy... Rome, Venice, lakes, Verona, Amalfi coast - all amazing. We love the mountains near Turin too - we've only skied them though, so don't know what they're like in summer.

But my 2 favourite areas are Tuscany- Siena, Lucca, Florence, Chianti (and surrounding villages) are all just stunning. And Sicily. Be mindful that Sicily is huge though - it's the largest island in the Med. We spent 2 weeks just in the south east and there's loads to do along both coasts and in Palermo too.

The area in the heel of the boot is also supposed to be lovely, as is Umbria. And Milan.

If you can, stay a few days on an Agroturismo - there are loads in Tuscany. We spent an afternoon learning to cook pasta with great sauces, plus other local dishes, and Tiramisu.

It's such an amazing country. I want to go back now...

@StepOutOfLine - you're right about Florence being busy, but it's so beautiful. And the Duomo... We didn't do any of the art galleries, but walked miles and miles and found some amazing hidden bars and cafes along the way. And there's a lovely town just outside (a short bus ride) where you get fab views over the city and there are ruins/an amphitheatre and an ancient monastery.
It's busy for a reason, but it's easy to escape the crowds.

We went for 2 months in our own car, through the mont blanc tunnel into eh aosta valley, turin, tuscany, orvieto, lucca, a few out of the way mountain places, down to sicily and then across the sole of the foot to Lecce, Matera and Brindisi

Love Italy. DH and I went to Venice decades ago in the summer (June or July) and it didn't smell. It's gorgeous, we spent a week there and loved it, a longer visit gives you time to go somewhere other than St Marks Square to the Rialto. We had a day on Murano and had a fab time. Florence is wonderful, avoid the summer but in the spring or autumn it's lovely, I'd love to go back and spend more time touring Tuscany, we had a day trip to Lucca which was lovely and the DCs favourite day of the holiday (we cycled round the city walls which was great fun). Best meal I have ever eaten was in Bologna so agree about that as well. And obviously you have to go to Rome. God I miss holidays .

Aww I went to Tuscany and then onto the Amalfi Coast for my honeymoon three years ago.. we stayed in Positano, absolutely beautiful. We hopped over to Capri for a day trip, beautiful but somewhere people go to be seen rather than to relax...Umbria and Rome are out of this world amazing...I also went to Rimini nearly 20 years ago, one of the only places in Italy I wouldn't rush back to. I've been snowboarding in Livigno which was great and I've just remembered I went to Sardinia a few years ago, that was stunning. As you can tell, Io amo l'Italia!

I have also remembered I spent a couple of days in Milan.. i wouldn't go back, not the best that Italy has to offer IMHO

Emma, did you cry in the Vatican also?

Op as others have said, Venice, Rome, always do sienna with Florence.

There are very strict rules around driving into and around some of the cities.

For the cities like Rome, Venice, Florence etc - take the train. The train network is excellent, and you can book tickets in advance.

For Tuscany, rent a car and drive around (but don't drive into Florence).

That's my main advice.

And what everyone else said up there.

Rome - Venice (stayed in Venice - Lido) worth spending a few days and taking vaporetto to Burano, Murano etc as well as touring Venice sights, Amalfi Coast, day trip to Capri, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Positano etc - in Sicily Taormina. Day trip to leaning Tower of Pisa and pre-book tour.

Less keen on Florence, lakes but still worth a visit.

I went to Venice for my 30th, when I saw St Mark's Square for the first time, I cried, it was so beautiful and iconic (I was also about 6 weeks pregnant, so hormones may have played a part 😂).

Not hormones. We got a ferry from the airport and when we came round and the "Cannaletto" waterfront was spread before us, I cried. I'd wanted to go for so long and it exceeded all expectations.

I adore Italy. Last time we went we spent a couple of nights on Ischia, an island near Capri, which was heavenly. Favourite place is probably Florence.

@LickEmbysmiling

Emma, did you cry in the Vatican also?

Op as others have said, Venice, Rome, always do sienna with Florence.

Haha 😂. Actually, the Vatican made me feel sick with the levels of immense wealth, and thinking on the harm in the name of Catholicism that's been done to too many people. How that wealth could be used to help more.

2 days is not enough for Rome. We stayed a week and barely scratched the surface.

Verona....gorgeous...

Bologna and Lake Garda, definitely!

Tuscany is so beautiful, little villages full of quaint charm, bigger ones like Volterra.

Go to the Terme at Saturnia in Grossetto, it’s amazing.

I’d give Rome a good few days, Pisa just half a day, and two days in Venice.

I did Tome in January and it was deserted. Had a great time.

Thank you OP, you've inspired us. We've just started planning a tour for April 2022 by car for 12 weeks. At the moment it's in its v early stages, just a list of places we'd like to go back to and some friends we'd like to catch up with while we're over there, along with the dates worked out to ensure we can still go to Greece in Sept, while missing the snow chain requirement for Northern Italy. Its definitely brightened up my lock down!

I've only been Lake Garda, always wanted to explore more of Italy so this thread has been brilliant. Thanks all

Place Marking :-)

I don't know if this is helpful to anyone else but I have taken all of the suggestions from this thread and added them to a google map base Link Here

I have added Milan as well (in Orange) because it looks like travelling by train between The Lakes and Aosta Valley, from Verona, would take you through Milan. For me it's a once in lifetime trip so I figured a day or two there would not hurt.

I am going to look up some recommendations in the South East as well as that looks like a long journey with no stops at the moment.

Lake Como is beautiful.

If you can squeeze it in, hop over to Sardinia. Honestly some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever visited.