Thinking About Italy For Next Year

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I’ve been to Venice & Florence but DH has never been to Italy. Any recommendations for areas to stay? Lake Como appeals although guessing it can get extremely busy. We might be able to go in May.

Placemarking as I fancy Italy in May next year! Never been but Sorrento and Cinque Terre have been mentioned on another thread.

We’re thinking of Italy for next year too. We’ve been to Lake Garda, Lake Como, Verona and Lucca and loved them all. We’re also heading to Sicily in September. But I’m wondering whether to try Sorrento in June?? Or Puglia??

With two young ones we went to lake Garda- Stayed in bardolino which is lovely and did boat visits to eg Sirmione, etc. some bits were bisier

and torri del Benaco - it was something out of the movies - sublime and so quiet

we then went to Verona for a day trip

then got a train to Venice for a few days

all very manageable

flew into Verona, flew out from venice

i would go to lake Garda again in a heartbeat

As per PP, Bardolino is good, Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast. All classic destinations and no car required.
Sicily is lovely. I wouldn’t bother with Cinque Terre or Puglia, or Elba.
Do not go later than early June or before mid September.
I went to Bardolino one year and it was 39 during the day.

we went June and the heat was so intense it actually ruined it , couldn’t do anything

I disagree with a PP. I would definitely bother with Cinque Terre, Puglia and Elba.

They’re beautiful. Although, do expect large crowds in Cinque Terre.

Lake Garda and Verona.

Lake Maggiore absolutely stunning, visit to Isola Bella one of the highlights of my life! ❤️

We loved Lake Garda (Bardolino like a few others here!) and the Amalfi Coast.

Sorrento was good as a base for exploring the Amalfi coast but as a destination itself I didn’t love it.

Afriend has just returned from a holiday at Lake Garda. Family of four, they had a great time including fabulous meals out at €20 per head.

The reason I said don’t bother is as you say the crowds at Cinque Terre, and it’s over rated. Puglia is just hot, relatively run down, you can see they have no money, and really not that much to do, and you need a car. Elba was just a hell hole, run down, and you need a car. Couldn’t wait to leave.
Each to their own obviously, but for a first time Italian holiday none, of them would be my recommendation.

We love Sienna and the rural areas south east of Pisa.

Also stayed in Cortona last year and visited Arezzo, loved them both.

When we stayed in Siena it was 38 in the day and 30 at night. We had an air conditioned VRBO apartment. Didn't ruin the trip at all we just adapted. It helped that it was the week after the UK heatwave in July 2022 so we were already acclimatised.

We still managed to visit Florence and the Uffizi and walk around etc. Just had fans.

*Siena. Autocorrect above.

May - perfect time!!!

Puglia - Ostuni, Alberobello, Lecce, drive around the coast, lunch and walking around old town Taranto, a few days in Matera (Basilicata province). Beautiful!!!!

Siciliy - east or West, probably not both in one trip (though depends on length).
Palermo, Segesta, San Capo lo Vito, Erice
or/
fly to Catania, trio to Mount Etna, several days in Ortigia and Noto, visits to Scicli, Ragusa, Modica, Piazza Armerina for Roman Ruins Villa del Casole

Then a million other places in Italy….

Como is gorgeous.

What type of holiday are you after?

I love Rome.

If that doesn’t appeal, Amalfi coast is stunning.

DH isn’t really a beach person but I love swimming in the sea - given it up here because of the sewage 🤮Are the lakes safe to swim in?
I was going to say a 2 centre holiday but I suffer with anxiety so probably better to be anchored in one place for maybe 10 days then hire a car to tour around. We would prefer B & B in a small hotel or apartments with a pool.

I’ve been many times and loved everywhere we visited. Going to Bologna at the end of August for a few days as it’s always been on my bucket list.
For our Honeymoon we stayed in a converted water mill in rural Umbria. Well it was just over the border from Tuscany. We visited Cortina, Abrezzo, Siena, Chianti. It was idyllic. Ate far too much gelato and enjoyed all the wines. I totally recommend, but try May instead of Summmer

Well since nobody has mentioned it yet, Naples is one of my favourite places on earth. Absolutely beautiful in its own crazy and chaotic way. Of course Pompeii and Herculaneum are amazing but the actual city is sheer joy.