10-12 days in Northern Italy

Hi,

Looking into putting together a great itinerary for 10days this September flying in and out of Verona. We’ve been to Venice and Bologna so not too fussed about going there. We would like to go to lake Garda for a few days, the Dolomites for a few days + visit a few vineyards. Our interests are culture, scenery + food/drink.

Any suggestions are most welcome as the options appear to be endless.

My wife and I are visiting Italy for 9 days at the end of August/beginning of September (we're an active, foodie couple in our 40s). We'll spend the first few nights in Rome and then are looking at what to do for the last 6 nights of our trip. She's been to the North of Italy before, so tops on my list are going to Naples and the Amalfi Coast. A couple questions:

Should we expect lots of tourists along the coast from Aug Aug 30 - Sept 5? Or will summer crowds have receded by then?

And if it will be crowded, might it be better to base ourselves in Salerno instead of one of the smaller/more touristy spots? *I'm actually considering staying in Salerno regardless of crowd sizes, so we can experience a more 'real' Italy but still have access to the picturesque towns.

Any other suggestions appreciated! Thanks~

Thanks!

We are a ‘mature’ couple traveling to Italy with 11 nights open between Rome & Florence so decided to visit Sardegna in early September. Probably flying into Olbia & departing from Cagliari.

Enjoy white sandy beaches, crystal clear water (who doesn't?), swimming, drinking local wine & local food. Also realize that beaches in Sardegna are rocky.

Prefer to stay at hotels in town to walk to dinner and stroll around town at night. Will rent a car to drive to close beaches during the day, perhaps stay at a beach hotel for 2 or 3 nights if on a beautiful beach.

Any suggestions on itinerary - where to stay & for how many nights? Perhaps 3 locations with 11 nights? The more I read on this helpful forum, the more overwhelmed I become on where to stay.

San Teodoro, Orosei, Villasimius, Isola Carloforte? Departing from Cagliari; how many nights would you recommend staying there?

Will reserve rental car prior to arrival, as well as hotel 1st and last night. Should I make hotel reservations in advance for the rest of trip? September is a busy month and may be more so this year.

TYIA!

Hello, my husband and I (both fully vaccinated) will be in Switzerland for one month (Sept. 21-October 21). We are thinking of extending our trip for 1-2 weeks and visiting Italy because we end up in Lugano, and would be able to take the train to Italy. (We will need to return to Zurich for our flight home, so as to avoid change fees.)

We have been to Italy several times, but have never done anything other than the main cities and tourist areas. We did visit Cinque Terre from Florence on one trip, and did the hike from village to village, and we have visited Lake Como twice, but only on day trips. We also did a vacation in Italy one time that included the Dolomites, Verona and Sienna. We love nature, hiking, quaint villages, pretty beaches, biking. We have never done the countryside in Italy (Tuscany area), seen Portofino or Genoa. Based on when we'd be there (late October), and the fact that we will need to get back to Zurich for our flight home, we don't want to travel as far south as the Amalfi Coast, so we'd appreciate any suggestions for places to visit for 1-2 weeks that are more north. We prefer being able to use public transportation, but are open to car rental, if need be. Really appreciator any advice/suggestions!

Just looking for some additional advice or recommendations - here is what we have so far;

8/26 - Arrive at FCO 745am, will take car service to our hotel (Hotel Martis Palace) to drop luggage and start exploring Rome.

8/27 - Rome. Vatican museum.

8/28 - Rome. Colosseum tour.

8/29 - 710am Fresciarossa train to Milan. Arrives 1050am. Already booked the tickets. Pick up car rental and drive to Lake Como. Staying in Diamond Apartments in Bellagio.

8/30 - More Lake Como. Staying same place.

8/31 - Driving to the Dolomites. Staying at the Hotel Angelo Engel in Ortisei.

9/01 - Dolomites. Won’t bore everyone with the list of hikes, but the hikes and scenic pass drives are the main reason for coming to the area. That and some of the lakes in the area.

9/02 - Dolomites

9/03 - Dolomites

9/04 - Dolomites, then driving back to Milan, staying at the Sheraton airport hotel that is literally in the terminal.

9/05 - 1020am flight back to US.

I think having basically 3 full days/nights in Rome is this plenty. Not sure that a day and a half (2 nights) will give us much time in Lake Como, but we’ve never been and would like to check it out unless someone has a better option. I think our time in Dolomites will give us enough time to do some hikes and explore the area. Obviously I’d rather have weeks to spend in each area, but unfortunately that isn’t an option haha.

Any suggestions or recommendations for these areas?

Hi! We have been to Italy a few times, mainly Venice and Rome with trips in Tuscany, Florence, Verona, and Naples. At this point, I'm looking to go back for a mix of adventure and relaxation, going to 2-3 destinations over the course of ~9 days. What we can't determine is where...places we are interested is: Capri, Positano (and nearby areas), Sorrento, sardegna, bari, and lake guarda. Any suggestions on where to focus or not focus would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I am planning my 8th trip to Italy (covid permitting) early next spring. I will spend time in Florence (3 weeks), Verona (two weeks) and Rome (three weeks). I am looking at a full month in a mid/northern town where I can just relax. Coffee, cigars and the like. Train access is a necessity. My research is leading me to Orvieto. Thoughts please.

Hello:

I am considering a trip that covers both the Austrian Alps and the Italian side. Cost-wise, I understand that Austria is in between Germany and Switzerland. What about northern Italy (the Dolomites)? In the past ten years, I have only been to Rome and the Amafi Coast, neither of which offered cheap lodging. It seems that Italy is an affordable country for locals, but not for tourists. I was in other parts of Italy before, but those trips were in the pre-Euro days. I also understand that northern Italy is more affluent than the southern part, and therefore wonder what travel costs are compared to the Austrian side.

I have not decided upon the mode of transport yet. However, should I choose to rent a car, I will do so in Austria or Germany to save $.

Hi! My partner and I would like to plan a trip to Italy for 2 weeks in mid September - very close to a sandy beach (we will book an Airbnb).

Neither of us travelled to Italy before and we don't have a drivers license, so we would like to pick a location easily accessible from an airport (such as Palermo, Catania, Napoli, Pisa, Venice) - meaning a commute of 2h~ from the airport to the destination location would be ideal.

We are looking for an affordable, relaxing, laid back vacation away from touristy stuff, where we can enjoy authentic food, nice coffee, quaint towns and most importantly - clean, nice beaches where we could swim safely.

A place with food markets (supermarkets or open-air) close by would also be amazing! We love walking but we would also like to rent bikes to go grocery shopping or just to enjoy the area.

We are not interested in any tourist attractions, boat trips, kayaking, sightseeing any famous landmarks.

So far, we looked at the coastal areas of the province of Palermo and Catania - but it's overwhelming how many beaches are there - and if we pick without any knowledge or advice, we are afraid we might miss out on a gem of a location.

Thank you in advance for your tips! I am forever grateful for forums!

I am planning a 13-day trip to the Dolomites this Sept and will arrive from the East Tirol side of Austria (direction of Lienz) by car. So, naturally, my first stop is to visit Tre Cime, after which I will travel to see the Odle Group of the Dolomites. How many days shall I spend in this area? I am thinking of about 3-4 days, to account for likely rainy days that renders hiking along the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop trail impossible. In this case, I can also enjoy some of the Alpine lakes and smaller towns. My questions:

1. It seems that Cortina is the most popular choice of a home base in this region. However, there is no accommodation choice that fulfills my requirements and budget (at a low level of about $170 per night max). Also, I am worried about potential construction noise and dust from construction for the future Olympics. Where else is a good base for 3-4 days? For example, is Padola too far? My next stop will be in the Val Gardena or Val di Funes area. I will have a rental car, but have not driven in Alpine mountains much.

2. Which cable car or gondola rides do you recommend in the Tre Cime area?

3. Beside the loop trail, what are the other easy and enjoyable Tre Cime trails?

4. What other nice places should i visit in this area? Lake Baies is one.

5. Will I need hiking poles for the Tre Cime loop trail? Should I buy some here in the US or buy them in Austria? I don't hike much, if at all, in the US. Even when I do, I won't need any poles.

Once this segment of my Dolomites trip is planned out, I will plan the Val Gardena/Val di Funes part. This is a bigger area and there appears to be more moderately priced lodging options.

Any further advice is appreciated. Thanks!!!