Recommendations for a four-day break in Italy in early November

[Isometimeswonder]

My husband and I are thinking of a 4 day break in Italy at the beginning of November.
Any recommendations please?
Happy to go anywhere as we have never been to Italy together.
Thank you

I’ve just come back from Italy. I stayed in Torbole on Lake Garda which was absolutely beautiful - very pretty towns to explore (you can get the ferry between them and/or do private boat trips), lake swimming and water sports (though not in November I guess) and there is a nice spa just outside Torbole. You can also do trips to Verona or Venice from there, I didn’t bc it was 35 degrees and I was with kids!

My brother travels more than I do and he has enjoyed the Amalfi coast and Rome but recommends doing Rome out of season as it gets insanely busy. I think it depends a bit what sort of break you want, do you want to sight see or just wander and have nice food? If the latter I’d go somewhere more off the tourist track.

Oh I have also been to Sardinia but I only really ate nice pasta and sat on a pretty beach so don’t have huge input. But people were friendly and the scenery is really beautiful. I do think Italy is a very consistently scenic place !

If I got the chance to go again I’d probably go to Cinq Terre, five very pretty towns linked easily by the train (or you can also hike between them I think) and stay in maybe two or three different ones. But again I don’t think that’s a massively original idea and would be overrun with tourists also probably!

We went to Bologna in early January and absolutely loved it. Whilst there we also did day trips to Padua and Florence by train (all very easy). Bologna is a fabulous city and the food was amazing. I keep thinking about when i might be able to go back.

I'd go to Rome, you might get bright sunny sky (though not warm) but even if it rains there is so much to see indoors.

You could do Pompeii, Vesuvius, Sorrento and Capri. Fly into Naples.

Venice. Fantastic and will be much quieter than the high season.

We did this in feb half term. Was 19/20 degrees. Perfect for exploring. They look horrendously busy in high season so it was a good time to go.

Rome with a day trip to Pompeii. I've been twice to Rome and would be happy to go again... and again... and again!

What are you interested in, resting and spa treatments, walking, history, scenery, seaside, lakes, mountains, FOOD (!), famous sites?

An idea of what you have in mind might help narrowing things down as Italy is huge and full of contrasts. Great time to go IMV as any time from May to end September is just too hot and far too crowded, not very pleasant, well to me anyway!

PS Naples is lovely, but found it is quite small for a four day trip, unless you want to use it as a base to travel to other places like Sorrento, Herculaneum and Pompeii.

PS: I loved Naples, as it's less touristy compared to Rome and other major cities.

I’m off to Rome for four days in early November. Quiet plus loads of space on tours!

Husband did Bologna last November for two nights to go to a concert and really enjoyed wandering around during the day.

In early April we both went to Pisa for a day before taking a train to Florence for three nights. While in Florence we booked a wine tasting tour. Florence is really buzzy and fun.

Really easy to travel in Italy on trains.

I wouldn't recommend seaside or lake towns as a lot of things will be shut for the season and even in Italy they can be a bit bleak if the weather isn't great. But a city break would ideal at that time of year. Rome is the obvious choice but also Venice, Florence, Bologna or Naples. Hard to go wrong really.

Bologna has many fantastic places nearby - you don’t need to go to Florence. I can recommend Parma, Ravenna (amazing churches), Modena and Ferrara. You have great food tasting opportunities and the Ferrari museum. It’s a great base. Rome is iconic and so is Florence. Flights to Florence might be problematic though. We went via Pisa.

I have been to Venice in November and yes it was quieter but it was also flooded and stank. Still fell in love with the city though and have been back to experience its glory on the late summer.