hi all!
we have decided to travel to italy in may for 15 days. we have not been there before and would like to know how and where we should go.
how many days should we spend in milan, rome, florence, venice etc.?
should we rent a car or take trains?
we are not too much into museums but still, which are must see?
we are not on shoe string budget but prefer bed and bfast hotels or apartments. any recomendations?
also, if there are any places which are not on tourist map, please tell us.
we thank you all in anticipation.
cheers!
thriller
1
samsned
Definately take trains - they are easy to use and a lot cheaper than renting a car. May is the start of high season so it may be hard to find a place to meet you "shoestring budget." Can you tell us how much you are willing to spend on accommodations? That will make it easier to recommend places to stay.
I would visit Rome, Cinque Terre and Florence with daytrips to the Tuscan countryside. Venice is expensive but worth it my opinion, but again, it depends on your budget. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful but expensive, so visit the Cinque Terre and hike the trails, see the coast from there. Lake Como area is also nice if you're looking for more scenery/outdoor stuff to do. What are your interests? The only thing you listed is that you aren't that into musuems. See the Vatican Museums in Rome and the Accademia in Florence to see the Statue of David. I love the Uffizi in Florence as well but it may not be of interest to you. If you make it to Venice take the Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour - fascinating!
2
thriller
thanks samsned! we will definitely keep your suggestions in mind.
we are NOT on shoe string budget but prefer not to spend too much on the hotel as we would be out most day. our budget is around 100$ a night.
can you tell us a bit more about Doge's secret itineraries? you can even forward a link on shodhanss@gmail.com
our interests are: fine dining, snorkel/scuba, wine tasting, night life......
thanks again.
cheers!
5
samsned
If you want to scuba dive head to Sardegna or Sicily. With 15 days in Italy you have time to explore one of the islands. Meridiana offers low cost flight to Sardegna, Air One has good deals to Sicily.
The Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge's Palace info here. Ask your hotel to make reservations for you and avoid paying any agency fees for the same service.
Pick up a guidebook (Lonely Planet, perhaps?) and pick 3 spots you want to hit. As tempting as it may be don't try to cram too many places in on your trip. You want to spend your vacation experiencing Italy - not sitting on trains/planes.
You need to make some decisions soon. May is high season and $100US isn't going to go far at that time of the year.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
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