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Four week Italy Itinerary Suggestions

mpearl

New Member
My wife and I are planning a 4-week trip to Italy and are overwhelmed with the options. We have both been many years ago and don't feel the need to revisit Rome, Venice, Florence but would like to experience slow-travel in Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, and Como (if we can fit it in)... What city should we fly into? Should we try to fly in and out of the same city? We will likely rent a car.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations.
 
One option is to fly into Rome and head to Puglia - you can drive or save the weariness of a long drive and either fly or train to Bari (both easy) and rent a car there. From Puglia a route through Umbria, Tuscany and then up to Como makes sense. Then fly home from Milan/Malpensa. You could of course do the reverse as well - the month you are going may dictate which would be better. The harder part is deciding where to base for various legs of your trip - so many good choices, an embarrassment of riches. Near/in Ostuni or Lecce in Puglia? Near/in Spello in Umbria? Near/in Lucca in Tuscany? Near/in Como in the lake region? Many other good choices as well. If you narrow down what kind of experience you are looking for you will get some great concrete recommendations here.
 
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Time of year should be a consideration, with Puglia especially hot in summer. Personally we'll typically travel in April/May or October, which tends to keep all options open.

I often think about 'variety' on a longer trip and this gives you a good amount of variety, albeit Umbria and Tuscany are likely to be feel more similar. Puglia gives you a true sense of the south, with charm and rusticity. Como a relaxing lakeside experience. Tuscany/Umbria a scenic and relaxing setting.

Some ideas that might give you something different, over Tuscany or Umbria, such that one could be subbed out for it:

- If away from summer, Bologna is a super foodie city, and not beholden to tourism. If in summer or at least the warmer months, you could still graze the food by staying in the nearby countryside
- Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast will give you a stunning coastline, plus superb walking (for me the AC has much greater appeal and the paths are very lightly used (unlike the CT coastal paths). Ferries can give another aspect to the holiday e.g. visiting Positano or Capri when on AC, or Portovenere when in CT [Caveat: Neither reward having a car, so for instance if going to AC, I'd look to go there first, then pick up a car on exit]
- Mountains can also be brilliant, especially in warmer months, but more likely to be a bigger detour on this trip

On the current itinerary I'd be looking at Milano Malpensa as exit after Como, and ideally Bari on arrival in Puglia (it's a nice quiet area around the airport, so a superb start to the driving)
 
My late husband and I loved the Veneto. We would base ourselves in Vicenza for example & discovered many gems as well as exploring the Palladian trail.
Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza for example is simply amazing.
We stayed in Verona too of course but
It does depend upon your interests. Architecture and gardens were ours at the time.
We spent many holidays in Bellagio before it became over run but Lake Como remains in my memory as one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.
We would spend 3 weeks or so flying into Milan & returning from Rome, or Naples if we visited the Amalfi Coast. Our favourite little town there was Ravello.
We would often visit for music festivals & particularly enjoyed being in Italy in June for the wonderful midsummer festivals.

So many places to choose and all you have to do is make up your minds !
How wonderful.
Sorry I’m not much help with the practicalities but lots of good suggestions from people already about the logistics.
 
If you are there for 4 weeks, I would not rent a car, lease a car. It will be cheaper and have many advantages over a rental, e.g. unlimited miles, full insurance, any licensed person with you can drive it, you pick the exact car (not a "BMW or similar" and they give you a Yugo :D), and the car brand new, among other benefits.

We usually fly into Nice so that at least the pick up is in France and avoids a charge. However, you can pick up in Italy and drop off in Nice


 
We have done what is known as a lease/buy back several times in Italy. We fly in and out of Milan and get the car at the airport. WE usually did 6 weeks but should also pay to do it for a four week rental.
Lucca is a wonderful city to base in for Tuscany. With a car you can easily take day trips.
We stayed in Massa Lubrense, a small town on the Sorrento peninsula which was fun and different. You can visit Naples (Pompeii) and Capri.
 
Time of year should be a consideration, with Puglia especially hot in summer. Personally we'll typically travel in April/May or October, which tends to keep all options open.

I often think about 'variety' on a longer trip and this gives you a good amount of variety, albeit Umbria and Tuscany are likely to be feel more similar. Puglia gives you a true sense of the south, with charm and rusticity. Como a relaxing lakeside experience. Tuscany/Umbria a scenic and relaxing setting.

Some ideas that might give you something different, over Tuscany or Umbria, such that one could be subbed out for it:

- If away from summer, Bologna is a super foodie city, and not beholden to tourism. If in summer or at least the warmer months, you could still graze the food by staying in the nearby countryside
- Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast will give you a stunning coastline, plus superb walking (for me the AC has much greater appeal and the paths are very lightly used (unlike the CT coastal paths). Ferries can give another aspect to the holiday e.g. visiting Positano or Capri when on AC, or Portovenere when in CT [Caveat: Neither reward having a car, so for instance if going to AC, I'd look to go there first, then pick up a car on exit]
- Mountains can also be brilliant, especially in warmer months, but more likely to be a bigger detour on this trip

On the current itinerary I'd be looking at Milano Malpensa as exit after Como, and ideally Bari on arrival in Puglia (it's a nice quiet area around the airport, so a superb start to the driving)
Thank you Ian. Just beginning to study all this and find your suggestions very helpful.
 
We have done what is known as a lease/buy back several times in Italy. We fly in and out of Milan and get the car at the airport. WE usually did 6 weeks but should also pay to do it for a four week rental.
Lucca is a wonderful city to base in for Tuscany. With a car you can easily take day trips.
We stayed in Massa Lubrense, a small town on the Sorrento peninsula which was fun and different. You can visit Naples (Pompeii) and Capri.
Thank you for the advice. The lease/buyback sounds like an interesting option.
 
One option is to fly into Rome and head to Puglia - you can drive or save the weariness of a long drive and either fly or train to Bari (both easy) and rent a car there. From Puglia a route through Umbria, Tuscany and then up to Como makes sense. Then fly home from Milan/Malpensa. You could of course do the reverse as well - the month you are going may dictate which would be better. The harder part is deciding where to base for various legs of your trip - so many good choices, an embarrassment of riches. Near/in Ostuni or Lecce in Puglia? Near/in Spello in Umbria? Near/in Lucca in Tuscany? Near/in Como in the lake region? Many other good choices as well. If you narrow down what kind of experience you are looking for you will get some great concrete recommendations here.
Thank you for the advice.
 
How would you go about deciding on places to stay? Would you book in advance, or just wing it? What internet sites are there to find lodging, Airbnb, VRBO...?

Probably traveling in September or October. How difficult is it going to be to find lodging at the last moment during that time of year?

Should we be using a travel agent to make these decisions for us?
 
How would you go about deciding on places to stay? Would you book in advance, or just wing it? What internet sites are there to find lodging, Airbnb, VRBO...?

Should we be using a travel agent to make these decisions for us?
The specific accommodations one chooses today are pretty much a personal preference - there are so many options today other than a standard hotel. Since the quality and compatibility of your accommodation to your needs can certainly be a factor in the overall enjoyment of the trip, it pays to do some research. The easiest way to start is to open Google Maps and zoom in on the area you are considering a stay in, and to type "hotel", "vacation rental" or similar in the search bar. There are many booking sites - like the ones you mentioned - that can also be used. For stays in cities, I use AirBnB only; for stays in the countryside I do independent searches for agriturismi. I like to contact the latter directly through their websites.

The question of booking in advance or winging it is also answered differently by different people. If you're the type that likes to have everything planned in advance and enjoy the peace of mind this gives you (not to mention the ability to choose freely and unhurriedly among almost countless options) - then it is certainly wise to book in advance, as soon as you have an itinerary figured out. I belong to that category of people, and have booked almost three months ago all accommodations for an October trip to Italy.

For many of us, the research, planning and independent booking is half the fun of the trip. But doing this through a travel agent is certainly legit and advised, if you feel inexperienced or unsure how to go about planning and booking. Sometimes an agent like this can get prices that the independent traveler can't, for the same accommodation or flight.

Probably traveling in September or October. How difficult is it going to be to find lodging at the last moment during that time of year?

This depends where you will be staying, and how important the accommodation is to you. September in Rome is a different matter than September in a small town in Calabria. October will probably be less of a problem than September. But probably the main consideration should be how important the actual accommodation is to your general satisfaction. If it is going to be a significant factor in your trip, then it's not such a good idea to leave this to the last moment. Remember that cancellation policies of accommodations - unlike flights - are usually costless or very flexible, so no real reason, I would think, to leave this to the last moment, especially if the stay is in a popular destination, and in a relatively high-season month, such as September.
 
How would you go about deciding on places to stay? Would you book in advance, or just wing it? What internet sites are there to find lodging, Airbnb, VRBO...?

Probably traveling in September or October. How difficult is it going to be to find lodging at the last moment during that time of year?

Should we be using a travel agent to make these decisions for us?
We book, but that's mainly because my partner prizes that certainty.

September/October usually a good time for accommodation and less tourists, though early September may still be busy in some places.

Plenty of options for accommodation:
- Chain hotels, which are useful if you're a points gatherer, but having experience hotels for work too often, they don't feel anything like a treat now.
- Independent / boutique hotels do exist, and should still be in the aggregator listings
- B&B isn't big in Italy, but is growing a little
- Apartment rental has been a preferred option for us, well before airbnb came along. It forces you to get into the local community more, buying groceries, shopping in specialist food shops, alimentari and gastronomie (like delis) and sharing the block with some locals. You typically get more space, with more facilities / freedom than a hotel, but for cheaper! It does however lack the hotel 24/7 support.
- Aparthotels / Residences: These form a halfway house between private apartment rentals and hotels, and well worth considering.
- Agriturismo: Another favourite of ours, staying on working farms, typically in modern or historic accommodation, and with the food they serve being local, home-made, plentiful and tasty, yet often stupidly cheap for what you get. Eating here often has you sat in a room with groups / families of Italians, so a cool window into that world.

We always book things ourselves, but going back to my first trip in 1990, 2nd trip in 1995 and 3rd trip ~ 2001, I went through a travel agent. It's much easier to tailor your own trip now, than back in the 1990s, but experience of the country (and a basic understanding of the language) helps for sure.

Trenitalia site will sort train transfers / day trips and booking in advance on a set train save a lot of money, on what start off as good value trains.
 
For Agriturismi I use agriturismo.it, but there are others and (Joe?) posted a full list of sites here recently

For apartments, I will search for local agencies, as this not just puts more money into the local economy, but means you'll have support close to hand. However there are also larger agencies like VRBO, aggregators like airbnb, and indeed they do pop up on the big aggregators like Expedia etc.

I'll also do a google map search of the local area, in part for aparthotels/residences, but also for other interesting places/shops/etc. and even to 'streetview' the route from bus stop to apartment. I enjoy this prep, as it helps get me used to what's there, even before setting a foot in the place.

I don't know where has B&B listings, but the tourist offices are probably a good starting point, and some are very good / efficient indeed. If you love quirky, then also have a look at Alasdair Sawday / Special places to stay. There won't be much listed, but what's there will be characterful and a world away from uniform hotel rooms.

Sometimes we'll be set on a location, and then find the accommodation, but there have been occasions where we'll stumble on a lovely place to stay and will revise the original plan to fit that in.
 

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