Recommend a 3rd stop in May- Florence/Lucca/then what?

Cinque Terre & Portofino are always crowded. In Liguria you can find a similar scenery in Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, Sestri Levante, Levanto, Lerici, Portovenere. However they are all crowded as well (maybe not as much as CT and Portofino but they are very popular). Forte dei Marmi is a place where you find many posh, expensive shops and private beaches but not really natural landscapes. Como & Barga are very beautiful but are also very different from Liguria ... it depends on what you are going to visit and see during your holiday.

Very helpful, thank you!! We'll look into Camogli and Lerici for sure, others have mentioned them as well.

Skip Portofino for sure. It's expensive, doesn't have train service and there isn't much to do there.

Okay given that we only have a week (probably 7 nights in country), I think we will do:

Florence (1 night) - flight will probably arrive ~2pm
Lucca and surrounding area (3 nights)
Barga (2 nights)
Florence (night before our flight home departs) - flight will likely depart in the morning?

I don't think we have enough time for a beach stop, boo.

Since you arrive fairly early in the day, I would press on to Lucca--that way you do not have to split two one-night stays in Florence.

Ah - how far is it? We can train?
Perhaps we would do..

Friday night/Sat fly on red eye to Florence. Arrive Florence 2pm Saturday. Go right to Lucca (train?).
Saturday night - Tuesday Lucca (3 nights)
Tuesday - Friday Barga (3 nights)
Florence Friday night (1 night)
Depart Saturday am

We could do one more night in Lucca and one less in Barga, I think there is more to do around Lucca.

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