Seeking ideas for another adventure in Italy

[FedericoBoston]

I'm a reader and occasional contributor to these valuable forums, and would like to solicit opinions.

My wife and I have been fortunate to make a 5 trips to Italy in the last 15 years and are starting to plan another. I hope that with some context from me, members will offer some ideas about destinations.

We are late in life but active. We have visited a majority of Italy's 20 regions with the exception of:

Valle d'Aosta
Piemonte
Lombardia
Le Marche
Abruzzo
Molise
Calabria
Sardegna

We, like many of you, think of ourselves as travelers, not tourists. Keeping a distance from mass tourism hotspots is priority #1. There are countless special places and unique experiences away from crowds.

Our interests include art and archeology museums, architecture, music, and exploring by foot in towns and mild to moderate hikes in the countryside or hills. We aren't interested in beaches, adventure parks, skiing or water sports, or in self-drive.

No surprise is our love of local cuisine and the km-zero movement. I'm moderately fluent in the language so that doesn't present any obstacle. Train and bus travel are more an adventure than a burden.

Grazie mille, many thanks, for your advice.

 

[Penn251]

How long will you be traveling and what time of year?

 

[Ian Sutton]

Plenty of good options in your remaining regions.

Given we have a similar outlook to travel and Piemonte has captivated us over multiple visits, that feels like the easiest recommendation. Torino can cover pretty much every base, and whilst there is now tourism, it's a minor aspect of the city. Galleria Sabauda and Museo Egizio are next to each other, but Torino also has quirky museums such as Museo Pietra Micca and Museo della Montagna. There's an opera house, but also a vibrant cutting edge music scene. Some decent parks, but also the basilica di Superga that could include a solid walk (or scenic & steep rack railway).

We tend to join up Torino with another location, and there are plenty of good ones available including Vallee d'Aosta region. We've loved utterly humdrum Ghemme, plain to the eye, but really felt at ease there. Cuneo quirky for sure, but we found it charming. Bubbio quiet and with little to shout about in the guide books, but we loved it. Alba and surrounds vibrant in truffle season, but also very much a hub for the Langhe wine region that's an utter joy to walk even if wine doesn't interest. Free access to walk the vineyards a wonderful legacy of inheritance laws. Novara a lovely barely mentioned city, classy and relaxed. Plenty more besides.

Lombardia can offer something similar, with the contrast of Milano with it's focus on style (albeit we bounced off it a little), to the mountains of Valtellina.

 

[Penn251]

Without a car, you choices are more limited but eminently doable to places you haven't yet been. Consider Abbruzzo and Le Marche. If you fly into Rome, there is an easy train to Sulmona in Abbruzzo - a quaint town in the middle of the Apenines and great views. There are a couple of historic train rides from there from which you can see the countryside and other towns. https://www.fondazionefs.it/en/itineraries.html?region=abruzzo&train-type=&month=april. When we were in Sulmona we stayed here https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18123962?source_impression_id=p3_1769697207_P3ZN1I5BU2MSavp0 . We really enjoyed the apartment. We did a bunch of reasonable hikes in Abruzzo, but I don;t now how accessible those are by public transport. If you can get there, I would definitely recommend the hike from Santo Stefano di Sessanio to Rocco Calascio - nice hike and breathtaking views from the castle.

From Sulmona there is a direct train to Pescara, from which you can train up the coast to various points in Le Marche. We had a car and rented a house, which we also loved, near Tolentino. https://casapaceegioia.com/ But there are many nice places that are accessable by public transport, From Le Marche, you can train to Ravenna to see the fabulous Byzantine mosaics, and then to Bologna from which you can get anywhere that you will depart from.

If you have more specific questions, just ask.

 

[www.hidden-italy.com]

I would recommend Le Marche if you're looking for something off the beaten track - start south at Ascoli Piceno and work northwards. Ascoli has a regular train service and you can also opt to head into Abruzzo (I recommend Sulmona as another less-tourist area, and investigate the FS "Ferrovia dei Parchi" specials service into the Appenines:
https://www.fondazionefs.it/en/itineraries.html
You're also welcome to read my blogs and reviews of Le Marche (check "Regions").

 

[FedericoBoston]

How long will you be traveling and what time of year?

When: probably Fall '26
How long: about 3 weeks

 

[jan]

Fall in Piemonte! Truffles, harvest, colorful vineyards.
Maybe some days in Torino for the museums and some days in a Langhe town.

 

[FedericoBoston]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. I have "railfan" tendencies (fortunately not severe enough for a clinical diagnosis) so the historic trains are a great idea.

As for getting around without a car, I'm reminded that Italy, as well as elsewhere in Europe, has a substantial regional (extraurbano) bus network. We've taken buses from Amalfi Town to Ravello (and Taormina to Castelmola but that's really municipal service).

In Le Marche it appears that Adriabus (Home - Adriabus) will for example get you from Pesaro to Urbino in an hour. I expect to find similar networks in other regions.

Finally, we have friends also of the not self-driving type whose travel agent connected them with a car and driver (NCC - Noleggio con Conducente) for the majority of their trip in Toscana. Dunno the cost but if you really want to experience somewhere outside public transport I guess it's an option.

 

[Ian Sutton]

For that interest in trains... The wonder train from Cuneo to (IIRC) Ventimiglia. We've not yet been on it, but it sounds great, skirting briefly into France, and performing a loop to gain/lose height en-route through the mountains.

 

[www.hidden-italy.com]

Although you're planning to visit in the Fall, I would warmly recommend the FS Fondazione rail trips and we did the excursion from Ancona to Pergola in late June. I think in 2025 they ran into September. If you're in Abruzzo as I mentioned above in the Fall, the Sulmona "Ferrovia dei Parchi" excursions will most probably run again this Fall. I think last Fall they had snow in the Appenines in late October! As well as the official FS link, the tour organisers operate a good facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/ferroviadeiparchi
All the best!

 

[MilanoInterForza]

Grazie for the detailed context — it really helps.

Based on your preferences (culture, walking, light hikes, good food, no mass tourism, and train/bus travel), a few of the regions you haven’t visited stand out.

Piemonte would be a very strong fit. Torino is excellent for museums, architecture, and cafés, and it’s easy to reach smaller towns in the Langhe hills by train. Great food and wine culture without the heavy crowds you find in more obvious destinations.

Le Marche is probably one of the most “authentic Italy” regions left in that sense. Urbino is a highlight, and towns like Ascoli Piceno are very walkable and full of character, with a relaxed pace.

Abruzzo is ideal if you want more nature mixed with historic towns — small cities, national parks, and mountain landscapes that are still quite accessible without a car.

Calabria is more raw but very authentic, with strong local food culture and far fewer tourists.

Sardegna inland can also be interesting if you skip the coast and focus on places like Barbagia.

Lombardia is quite varied — beyond Milan there are great places like Bergamo and Brescia, plus lake towns, though it can feel more mixed in terms of tourism.

If I had to narrow it down, Piemonte and Le Marche would probably match your style best.

If you’re also looking for structured local experiences in Italy (food, wine, small group tours, family-style activities), you can check here: https://toursoftuscany.it/

 

[wco81]

Don't be afraid to revisit some places. 5 trips in 15 years, there may be some places you haven't been to in almost a decade.

For the fall, early fall or late August, the Dolomites might be a consideration. August has the least average rainfall there.

Umbria would still be nice.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Yes, and one little quirk of our planning, was often to start somewhere we knew, then go to 1-2 places that were new to us (or that we'd only seen by day trip).

Starting with the familiar seemed to work especially well, easy to navigate, and easier to adapt to. After that, going somewhere completely new was less of a leap into the unknown.

 

[FedericoBoston]

Thank you MilanoInterForza and wco81. After some back & forth with an agent we used once before, we have a 17-day itinerary including Orvieto, Spoleto, Perugia, Tornino, Le Langhe, and Aosta, in mid-October.
On my other visit to Torino I missed out on the Egyptian Museum but that's a must see, also maybe the Royal Museums. Hoping to get views of the Matterhorn from Valtournenche, and some castles / forts. Our plan has us 4 nights in Neive, from which we plan to do a day trip to Alba, and some car & driver into Barolo country.
I wanted to get to Urbino but it didn't seem to work out. I spent some time puzzling over rail and bus, and indeed if you get to the coast, from there a bus will take you to Urbino. Ascoli Piceno also appeals.
You can't do it all, and when I'm in a glass-half-full mood, well - there's another trip awaiting us.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Whilst I've not been to Neive, I'm told it's a good option by a friend who has, including good dining. If you make it to nearby Treiso, the dining there is super as well, with all the places when we were there, good in their different ways, from the ease of the wine bar, to the tradition of Risorgimento, to the once over-hyped but stubbornly genuine Osteria dell'Unione. We didn't even go to the 'top' place (Tornavento) - we tend towards the solid traditional over the fancy.

One little local speciality I like are the rather hard to find sugar sweets 'Ginevrine'. They are very simply made (I've even made some myself at home), by adding a subtle flavour / colour to melted sugar on a very gentle heat. Then turn the heat off and use a spoon to pour 'drops' onto greaseproof paper. Once hardened into these tiny discs, they're a little firmer than sugar cubes, but not much. I've only seen them in the little shop in Treiso and the sweet stall in Torino's covered market.

Trains will get you as far as Alba, and it won't be a long taxi ride to Neive (taxis are usually waiting outside the station). Barbaresco wine villages certainly in easy reach of Neive (it is one itself). I'll recommend Albino Rocca on the outskirts of Barbaresco, especially as they impressed with the whites as well as the reds (a really good Cortese, and an utterly charming Moscato d'Asti). I'll also recommend humdrum La Ca' Nova, recently 'discovered' by a prominent wine critic, but cellar door prices should still be as cheap as they ever were.

Aosta offers two choices:

1. the city itself, a quirky place squeezed into the only decent piece of flat land, which also sprawls up the hills/mountainside. Seeing the light planes come into land is a super sight, as the crest the mountain and then swoop down to the airfield. Some decent Roman remains, and we found them friendly, especially the slight unusual lady (in a good way, her mind raced and she sometimes struggled to keep up, such was her enthusiasm) in the tea/coffee shop not far from the station. For wine, I'll recommend Fumin, a decidedly local grape, that for me loiters somewhere between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo (it's related to the latter). La Crotta, and Les Cretes both good producers, but there are others.

2. The mountainside country. We barely touched on this, but I know Pauline has been to Cogne, so tap into her insight to see if that appeals.

Torino my favourite city in Italy and happy to throw ideas in as you need. Sometimes places shut and I mourn them, but other places emerge. In times gone by the Museo Egizio was a bit fusty, and was showing its age (pun not intended), but it has a popular makeover a decade or two ago, and sounds like it's now much more worthwhile. The museum of the mountains is good IMO and gives you an excuse to cross the river near the location of the wedding in the Italian job, and see La Collina, the posh part of the city. Museo Pietro Micca is seemingly small and a bit dull, but it also included a tour of the napoleonic counter-mining tunnels, that was very interesting / atmospheric. The main market on Piazza della Repubblica was typically a frequent destination for us to pick up all sorts of stuff, from the stunning local hazelnuts, through seasonal mushrooms, sometimes variable fruit, superb cheeses, etc. It's got a slightly edgy feel, but is absolutely fine. From there we'd often walk to Piazza della Consolata for the historic al Bicerin cafe. So much more mundane than the fancy cafes on Piazza San Carlo, but for us the most charming for its plainness.

 

[braindoc]

Neive is lovely. We’ve stayed there twice, both times at Borgese Camere e Suites - highly recommended.

 

[michele29]

I'm a reader and occasional contributor to these valuable forums, and would like to solicit opinions.

My wife and I have been fortunate to make a 5 trips to Italy in the last 15 years and are starting to plan another. I hope that with some context from me, members will offer some ideas about destinations.

We are late in life but active. We have visited a majority of Italy's 20 regions with the exception of:

Valle d'Aosta
Piemonte
Lombardia
Le Marche
Abruzzo
Molise
Calabria
Sardegna

We, like many of you, think of ourselves as travelers, not tourists. Keeping a distance from mass tourism hotspots is priority #1. There are countless special places and unique experiences away from crowds.

Our interests include art and archeology museums, architecture, music, and exploring by foot in towns and mild to moderate hikes in the countryside or hills. We aren't interested in beaches, adventure parks, skiing or water sports, or in self-drive.

No surprise is our love of local cuisine and the km-zero movement. I'm moderately fluent in the language so that doesn't present any obstacle. Train and bus travel are more an adventure than a burden.

Grazie mille, many thanks, for your advice.

We have the same philosophy and enjoyed Le Marche, Friuli and the Piedmont area.

I am in Mantua now. Very few English speaking tourists here.. or tourists at all. We were joined by an Austrian couple this morning at Palazzo Te— has the place to ourselves.

 

[michele29]

Torino.. the cinema museum
Is first rate and I lived in Hollywood for decades.

 

[dayhiker]

We spent 5 nights in Torino (Turin) last fall and enjoyed ourselves. Plenty of museums and historic sites, and even a hill to climb within walking distance of the main part of town. Good food and fabulous chocolate! Bus, tram and train transportation can take you within the city or further afield, even to Milan for a day.

 

[Mary Hanson]

I'm a reader and occasional contributor to these valuable forums, and would like to solicit opinions.

My wife and I have been fortunate to make a 5 trips to Italy in the last 15 years and are starting to plan another. I hope that with some context from me, members will offer some ideas about destinations.

We are late in life but active. We have visited a majority of Italy's 20 regions with the exception of:

Valle d'Aosta
Piemonte
Lombardia
Le Marche
Abruzzo
Molise
Calabria
Sardegna

We, like many of you, think of ourselves as travelers, not tourists. Keeping a distance from mass tourism hotspots is priority #1. There are countless special places and unique experiences away from crowds.

Our interests include art and archeology museums, architecture, music, and exploring by foot in towns and mild to moderate hikes in the countryside or hills. We aren't interested in beaches, adventure parks, skiing or water sports, or in self-drive.

No surprise is our love of local cuisine and the km-zero movement. I'm moderately fluent in the language so that doesn't present any obstacle. Train and bus travel are more an adventure than a burden.

Grazie mille, many thanks, for your advice.

The part of Italy National Geographic traveler has called the most beautiful PUGLIA worth another visit..
Shall I start with the sundrenched white sand beaches. Are there the typical beach chair hot spots? Yes but if you travel in the summer you deserve them. The rest of the year there is literally no place where the water is the same deep blue as the Adriatic.
How about the spectacular restored freedom architecture of Bari?
The cone roofed Truli of Alberobello,
The 14th century castle in Carovigno with a romantic history. Not to mention Carovigno's 2 Michelin restaurants.
The White city of Ostuni.
The mad, crazy art obsession that is Vincent city.
The food is totally different than much of italy.
start with pasta. Black pasta is NOT squid ink. Its burnt wheat. Created during the famine caused by the turks burning the wheat fields. People went out and picked up the burned kernnels. And made pasta.
Its a seafood based cuisine.
The wines of San Donaci where negroamaoro grape was rescued from extinction (personal fave is Paolo Leo.)
Ceasars marched his legions from Rome to Brindisi to cross to Greece and fight Pompeii. There are ancient aqueducts to ride bikes on.
Despite the media its nowhere the mad rush of the areas you mention.
April, May or September October are the best times to visit. Everything is still open, the weather is spectacular and in the fall the olive harvest is full on.