Can you give me suggestions for an Italy itinerary from Oct 19-27?
October 8, 2013 8:26 PM Subscribe
Hi Italy experts -
I've scored a great fare from JFK-MXP in just a few weeks for an upcoming anniversary. I've been to Italy a few times, but for some reason - either the season, the occasion, or just the area - I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities.
I know I want to finally make it to Venice this trip. I've seen Florence and Rome, so I'm open to a pretty wide range of itineraries.
Currently, my idea is
Oct 19 - Overnight in MXP.
Oct 20 or 21 - Train to Venice
Oct 23 or 24 - Depart Venice
Oct 27 - Depart from MXP
What might you suggest for either a day between MXP and Venice, or after Venice for a few days before departing home? I've noticed a couple of cheap flights - particularly to Puglia, Sardinia, and Sicily - that might give a few days of sunshine, but I'm open as well to sticking to the north - especially if there are any events, festivals, or sights that fit in well with my schedule.
Thanks so much for your suggestions!
I know I want to finally make it to Venice this trip. I've seen Florence and Rome, so I'm open to a pretty wide range of itineraries.
Currently, my idea is
Oct 19 - Overnight in MXP.
Oct 20 or 21 - Train to Venice
Oct 23 or 24 - Depart Venice
Oct 27 - Depart from MXP
What might you suggest for either a day between MXP and Venice, or after Venice for a few days before departing home? I've noticed a couple of cheap flights - particularly to Puglia, Sardinia, and Sicily - that might give a few days of sunshine, but I'm open as well to sticking to the north - especially if there are any events, festivals, or sights that fit in well with my schedule.
Thanks so much for your suggestions!
Best answer: I think Sicily's a bit much to try to do on this trip. It's beautiful and I love it -- I much prefer it to Florence, for example -- but it's also overwhelming and challenging, and the overhead involved in traveling there and back will eat up a fair chunk of the few days you have left. Sicily's better kept for a time when you have a few days to really settle in to it and aren't trying to keep to a timetable -- Sicily wreaks havoc on timetables.
If it were me I'd probably take the train to Bologna (under 2 hours from Venice, similar time from Bologna to Milan) and check out the city and surrounding region.
posted by katemonster at 8:59 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
If it were me I'd probably take the train to Bologna (under 2 hours from Venice, similar time from Bologna to Milan) and check out the city and surrounding region.
posted by katemonster at 8:59 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Vicenza is gorgeous. Trieste and Verona are also lovely. Vicenza and Verona are on the train line between Milan and Venice.
I agree that trying to jam in a few days in Southern Italy is overly-ambitious.
It it were me, though, I'd spend the entire time in Venice. Tourists tend to shortchange it a bit.
posted by jaguar at 9:06 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
I agree that trying to jam in a few days in Southern Italy is overly-ambitious.
It it were me, though, I'd spend the entire time in Venice. Tourists tend to shortchange it a bit.
posted by jaguar at 9:06 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would recommend staying in Northern Italy as well, considering you have only a week in Italy and there is so much to see in the North. I spent a few days in Bologna on my last visit and really enjoyed it - much, much less touristy than Rome or Florence. Padua, Verona, Modena, Parma, even Cinque Terre - all areas that I would recommend checking out in Northern Italy. Maybe even Lake Como (depending on time of year).
I would personally recommend not spending much time in Milan unless there's a particular reason you want to be there. I spent a day there and would have preferred to spend the time elsewhere.
posted by kdern at 9:34 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would personally recommend not spending much time in Milan unless there's a particular reason you want to be there. I spent a day there and would have preferred to spend the time elsewhere.
posted by kdern at 9:34 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
You have a week - and Venice is a microcosm that holds places and experiences to fill a lifetime.
Beyond the already infinte maze of the city proper, you'd barely even have time to consider the myriad islands of the laguna, each a story to itself, and manage to take in any part of the Biennale dell'Arte that's on this year (until mid-November), always fascinating in content and setting.
Unless your thing is travelling itself (in which case Vicenza, Verona, Padua, Trieste each merit a good day at least, no need to check the other, more distant typically tourist Italy boxes), I'd say: fully immerse yourself in the uniqueness of Venice and its many guises. It's a destination that yields itself more, the less hastily you take it in.
posted by progosk at 12:02 AM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
Beyond the already infinte maze of the city proper, you'd barely even have time to consider the myriad islands of the laguna, each a story to itself, and manage to take in any part of the Biennale dell'Arte that's on this year (until mid-November), always fascinating in content and setting.
Unless your thing is travelling itself (in which case Vicenza, Verona, Padua, Trieste each merit a good day at least, no need to check the other, more distant typically tourist Italy boxes), I'd say: fully immerse yourself in the uniqueness of Venice and its many guises. It's a destination that yields itself more, the less hastily you take it in.
posted by progosk at 12:02 AM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions. I'm paying a close eye to the weather.
Perhaps a more directed question - outside of the Biennale - does anyone know of any events in this time period that might be worth a side trip? There's a white truffle festival in Alba, which unfortunately is a bit far from Venice :)
posted by anelsewhere at 9:05 AM on October 9, 2013
Perhaps a more directed question - outside of the Biennale - does anyone know of any events in this time period that might be worth a side trip? There's a white truffle festival in Alba, which unfortunately is a bit far from Venice :)
posted by anelsewhere at 9:05 AM on October 9, 2013
Suggested itineraries in Italy.
Events in Italy.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:03 PM on October 9, 2013
Events in Italy.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:03 PM on October 9, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sara C. at 8:34 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]