Im trying to plan a graduation trip for my family of 5 for our daughters graduation. Head east and end your itinerary in Venice. Comment* Driving in France is such a pleasure. Find here my Google Map of our journey. Days 5 6: Zermatt, Switzerland. Then probably your return transfer from your hotel to the Rome or Naples airport and then probably a flight to Paris and then a flight home. The whole Italy portion just seems too much like a stretch. Cinque Terre should be pretty nice in September (rather than overrun in August), so 3 nights could be good. But in general, when you want to explore small towns and villages and see the countryside and tale scenic routes, you need to take the smaller roads. I cant begin to thank you enough for your input and detailed info with links. All about our stay here later on my blog. I would love do my shopping at the outlets -which should I visit for the outlets? We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Its much appreciated!! It is housed in a building typical for this region, a so-called mas. Duration: 14 days. Just a couple of comments - we LOVED this trip, we enjoyed each of the places we went. In the time to come, you will find reviews of the luxury hotels we stayed and the Michelin (starred) restaurants we dined. Not only is Sorrento the perfect base for a visit to Naples and Pompeii, but its also the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and a short ferry ride from the touristy island of Rognonas is about 10 minutes by car from Avignon TGV station. I'm usually the first to warn people of driving when jet-lagged, but for such a short And the village of Vence here in these hills above Nice and Antibes is a truly picturesque place. The Ultimate Northern Italy Road Trip Itinerary for 2 Weeks They had a shuttle bus that took us down to Eze). The ferry from Sorrento only takes 20 minutes each way and leaves hourly most of the day. Honestly, if this is your first trip to these countries, youll really get the most bang for your buck by adding extra days in Paris or Florence or both. When getting here, I absolutely fell in love with this unique building in Moorish style. You can easily do day trips to Naples, Pompeii, Capri, and the rest of the Amalfi Coast. Avignon to Nice by train: About 3 hours. Regardless, these two sister cities are only 40 minutes apart by car, but exhibit completely different landscapes. Another thing to think about is that one big advantage of Airbnbs in general is that you can buy food at markets and cook some meals at home to save money. On our way back from the south of France we had been looking for lodging to stay and dine in style. Required fields are marked *. Breakfast in Paris tends to be a small baguette, jam, butter, and coffee at some hotels, while other hotels have a nice buffet with eggs and meats as well. -Roger. Days 1 2: Lucerne, Switzerland. This is about Relais San Maurizo, an impressive resort in a former monastery. Making your way from the Western Alps, youll cross Milan, Lake Como, and Bergamo in the Central Alps. I have been to Barolo town only once and on a day trip. The girls really want to spend time on the coast, maybe rent a boat one day. Really appreciate any comments/suggestions you have. Here you can have breakfast and dinner in this Michelin restaurant. Then off to the Riveria - perhaps 2 days in St Tropez, and 4 days in the Nice area. Nights 8-9: La Morra, Italy - in Piemonte region. If you are having trouble narrowing down which places are the top to visit for you or youre starting from scratch seeking inspiration, youll find the perfect northern Italy itinerary for you in this post, along with tips for visiting this part of the country. WebRe: Rough Itinerary: Southern France, Northern Italy 1 year ago Save Take a train from CDG to Avignon from 13.00 onwards. Or cut the Lago di Como and stay longer along the Mediteranean and around Barolo and cut to Annecy through the Aosta Valley or come back to France near Brianon and continue your journey. Even on trains, you still have three main options: If you are under 26 you can qualify for the 2nd Class Eurail Pass, which will be ideal for many people. With only a few exceptions, 3 nights per city is a good minimum even for those wishing to see as much as possible, or 2 nights in the smaller cities. 13 Days Itinerary to Italy, Switzerland and France for a Good Mix of Europe Italy, Switzerland and France are the classic must-visits for Central Europe, each with its I think the train only takes you to Sorrento and then you have to take a bus or a shuttle to Positano, but Im sure youll figure that all out. Days 7 8: Glacier Express and St Moritz, Switzerland. After that its probably easiest to fly from Nice to Rome or Naples and book a transfer from either of those airports to the Amalfi Coast town of your choice. Prepaid French 3G micro-SIM for iPad - it's not a problem! If the round-trips are much cheaper then your best option is to buy one of those as well as a one-way flight between the cities (for around US$100) for just before you fly home. We did not stay directly by the sea, but headed to the hills high above Nice, to the picturesque village of Vence in the region of the Mtropole Nice Cte dAzur. Nice to Milan by train: About 5 hours The beach weather in southern Italy usually goes into early October or so. Youll see all the famous and amazing Amalfi Coast views, and you can return either by bus or boat for an ideal day out. All of the stops are 2 to 3 hours apart by train. Coming back to Santo Stefano Belbo, you find here the hotel of our choice not far from it. Required fields are marked *. You can go more off-the-beaten-path and deep dive into the culture, taking the slow travel route. There is an airport in both Venice and Milan so you could start your itinerary in either place. Check out the map with extra suggestions: I could go on and on about all of the beautiful places to visit in northern Italy, but this post would then be at least 10,000 words. Book your stay in Milan and spend time exploring the city, while using the next few days to visit Cinque Terre and Lake Como. Instead the meals are heartier, which reflect the lifestyle of people living here: industrial workers or those living in the Alps having to face long winters. Otherwise, I would just stay put in France. One of the most popular seaside towns in the area is Alassio with a 4 km/2.5 mi long stretch of beach. Newer travelers always assume that more is better and overly-seasoned travelers always preach that virtually any city anywhere deserves at least a week. When planning your itinerary, I highly suggest planning at least 2.5 days at Lake Garda. I will do some more internet research before deciding, thank you all again for your suggestions. Glad I found this article- Planning to visit Italy and France for 2 weeks- would like to visit Paris, Nice, Venice, Florence, Pisa and Rome. -Roger. Quite the contrary, it makes part of the Italian lake region. Let me know if you have any other questions. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112612320', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Europe again in a few years, so I will resist the urge to try to cover too large a geographical area! Therefore, when looking for places to spend our vacations, we make sure that there are upscale hotels and gourmet dining-spots around. Thank you both for the suggestions, tradeform and Planner. English is also more widely spoken there than most other Italian cities, so its less stressful in some ways. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112594285', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Annecy to Barolo is long, two of viaMichelin's suggested routes are quite scenic. If you want to go inside at least a few of the big attractions you might consider getting a Paris Pass, which also covers the bus tour and a cruise on the Seine. We are at a loss as to where to start as there are so many places that can help you or customize a trip for you. Second, I became aware of a hotel with restaurant here on our Turin journey in 2019. But I will inform about other options to travel around, too. Ultimate Southern Italy Road Trip Itinerary: 2023 Guide :Here are the best first-time Italy itineraries for 3 days to two weeks. Itinerary for Italy and Southern France - Italy Forum Im jealous! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112592618', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car right after a long flight. If Barcelona, Southern France Again, it makes the most sense to start and end your visit in Paris and Rome, and if you are starting inRomeyou should add an extra day just to get your footing. It used to be that round-trip tickets were always much cheaper than two one-way tickets, but often that is no longer true. If taking the RER I would probably opt for an hotel close to one RER B line station. WebYou could go from there to Andorra la Vella, then cross into France and visit Tarbes and Pau before heading toward Biarritz, San Sebastin, and Bilbao, then over to Santiago de Compostela and A Corua before heading back through, say, Len and Zaragoza. Leave a comment! Do you think 2 weeks will be sufficient enoug? Find more info about this and another walk to do in the area in my separate post to follow. WebFrance is so treasure-filled that you could barely do more than skim the surface in a week. I love simple focaccia, made with just oil, but the bread is so versatile that youll find many different versions. Northern Italy vs Southern Italy | Part I prefer nearby la Morra, and there are other nice villages too. Dive deeper into the Val Brembana to the north of Bergamo to visit the villages of Branzi and Cornello dei Tasso. The train from Florence to Pisa takes about an hour and then you can walk to the Leaning Tower and spend an hour or two there before taking the train back. In the article below youll see the best option to string together a tour of these countries in two or three weeks. If youre someone whos embarking on their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, this itinerary is for you. Thank you! Heres a more in-depth look at how to get around northern Italy: There are both national train lines and regional train lines, meaning you are well-connected between the major cities and there are also options to reach smaller towns. We do like road trips and are accustomed to doing very long distance drives (in North America). Maybe you'll catch 40 winks on the train, even if I think it's better to try to stay awake as long as possible on arrival day. You could probably do all three of those things on a guided trip from Rome. Franciacorta. It belongs to the I Borghi pi belli dItalia (the most beautiful villages in Italy). But for a quick trip where you are trying to include as much as possible, Pisa is best for a day trip. But it takes a lot longer to reach your destination that way. Its 45 minutes away by highspeed rail and the town has a lot more to see including a major cathedral. And we came upon Hotel and Restaurant La Pyramide. We are trying to plan a trip for 6 to Paris 4-5 days, then Lake Como for 2/3 days, then Amalfi Coast 7 Days in Italy Itinerary - a guide to what not to miss in Generally speaking, I recommend skipping Milan at least on your first trip. More about the accommodation (my post) and the activities to take here can be found soon on my blog. -Roger. The trick is to stay at least one night, if not two,on the main island itself. 9 days to 3 weeks Destination #1: St. Tropez Dream away in St Tropez! This will be our first time in Europe. The best things to do in France; A summer guide to Chamonix, France; My first Via Ferrata in Nax, Switzerland and a night at Hotel DAngleterre in Geneva; The best things to do in the Dolomites, Italy I live in northern Italy, so the area not only has a special place in my heart, but Ive also happened to travel all around it! An Epic Northern Italy Itinerary (10 Days) - Every Steph Then explore Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, the oldest national park in Italy, before heading north to the tiny town, but skiing haven of Breuil-Cervinia to see Monte Cervino otherwise known as the Matterhorn! We would really like to visit Bologna and Florence again and have to add Verona for sure due to business (just 1 day business meeting). Yani. You cant take a romantic trip to Italy without enjoying the swoon-worthy, picturesque atmosphere of Venice. Southern France Northern Italy Itinerary suggestions Can anyone suggest an itinerary and logistics for 22 days..Fly into Nice out of Milan in May Would like to go We arrived in Eze around 9 am and parked in a big parking lot (you keep driving above Eze, it was a great price and included one pass for the Jardin Exotique. We want to make this more of a romantic trip rather than a tour type trip. Your insight is so much appreciated! Of the 5 towns, Vernazza is probably best for a short visit and its definitely the most scenic. Your email address will not be published. WebThis itinerary takes you to the following destinations in Italy and Switzerland: Day 1: Zurich, Switzerland. If you love the idea of vineyard views on end and wine tasting with your partner, it must be added to your romantic itinerary. Aug 20 Flight from Ottawa to Paris overnight. Train to Positino 5 nights They have an excellent breakfast buffet as well, and plenty of amazing restaurants nearby. Bologna is the origin of many Italian food favorites: Parmigiano Reggiano, Mortadella, Rag Bolognese, Balsamic Vinegar and Lasagne. After heading to the sea, return to the mountains around the area of Bergamo. Read about all of your options and how to navigate bus lines in my guide on buses in Italy. (Psst! Required fields are marked *. If you don't go to Italy on this trip, do you know where you will spend that time? Im sure youll find good information by Googling it. 3 hours is the the recommended time to allow between flight arrival and train departure. Ok, I will plan for 3-4 hrs from the arrival time at CDG to the time for the departure with the TGV. I havent had a chance yet to delve into the details of the trip yet, but have a rough itinerary. WebTo plan this part of your Northern Italy itinerary in more detail you can read my ultimate Dolomites road trip itinerary for 5 days. This trip should include Pari, the south of France and the Amalfi coast definitely. We did not venture far, to neighboring Italy and France. Naples is also famously the birthplace of pizza and home to one of the worlds best archaeology museums so its worth a day trip for sure. I loved it in Eze, it was so beautiful in the morning as it was quiet and not crowded and the Jardin Exotique was amazing, with unforgettable views. But if you want to dig deeper into Italy and you have enough time, your next best choice will be to base yourself in Sorrento and use it to explore Naples, the ruins of Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and the island of Capri. For two weeks in France, I would spend 5 days in the Luberon, then 3 days near either St Remy or Vaison. As to that, learn about things to do in the area in my blogpost to follow. Set on a low range of hills covered with these wonderful vineyards, it offers everything a demanding traveler could wish for. A view of the village of Manarola from the Cinque Terre hiking trail WebIf youre looking for a 4-day France road trip itinerary, check out this post. 7 days in Italy Option 1: the Northern Italy itinerary bucket list destinations First stop: 2 nights in Venice. I would actually recommend the slower pace to most people on their first trip because travel days (checking out of a hotel in one city and into a hotel in the next city) are rarely good sightseeing days and they can be a bit stressful, so minimizing them is good in some cases. Ive yet to do one myself, but Ive heard good things. This is perhaps the most challenging question when planning an itinerary. As with most things, the best answer probably lies somewhere in between. To reachSorrentoyoull take a train to Naples and then change for a one-hour local train (known as the Circumvesuviana) to its final stop. France, on the other hand, has Paris, but beyond the capital it can be hard to know where you should go. Many do advise against driving a car right after a long flight. I have done it plenty of times for both personal and business trips. I find that I Both these cities will be your home base on this kind of itinerary. These two countries contain several of what I consider to be the best cities in Europe to visit for anyone, so its just a matter of narrowing down where to go and how much time to spend in each place. Naplesis a large and gritty city that has an unfortunate reputation for pickpockets and other street crime. We have a total of 12 nights. However, the travel time is the longest. -Roger, Paris (minimum 3 nights but even that is rushing it), Venice (1 night minimum, 2 nights maximum), Florence (2 nights minimum, plus side trips), Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast (optional up to 4 nights), Should you buy European train tickets in advance: Yes, and here's how to save, How and why to plan a (cheap) splurge on your next trip, How long to stay in each city? It will be cheaper to buy the tickets as you go. WebItaly has Europe's richest, craziest culture. Book trains on sncf-connect/en-en . At the castle we took a tour and visited the grounds. featuring the one Michelin starred Restaurant Le Saint-Martin. France Especially for the days where you will have long drives. Make it easier to visit using my Lake Como budget tips, but dont be afraid to indulge in visiting its most romantic places like Villa del Balbianello and the town of Bellagio. Venice is also quite compact so seeing the main highlights in 24 hours isnt difficult. Several big music hits were released over the last few years singing Italian food is in a league of its own, but youll soon find It might be best to just consider any of them and look for a hotel or resort that you like the look of and that fits your budget. This is a very nice small town on the Portofino peninsula and I loved the relaxed atmosphere and the views of the sea. As you can see, the drive from Puglia to Sicily is a long one. From the views, to the quiet harbor, to the unreal swimming spots like Lord Byrons Grotto and the untouched beaches of Palmeria Island, its a lovers paradise and exudes Italian charm. Naples is kind of gritty and the two top things there are the National Archaeological Museum and the amazing pizza. Also take advantage of the linked posts within this article to discover individual destinations in depth and ultimately allow you to plan your trip better. And it delivered in this respect. Its also the cheapest city on this list so lingering here will be more affordable in addition to relaxing. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Before I go any further, Id love to hear whether you feel any parts of this potential plan do not make sense! Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, but its small, cascading hillside towns make the atmosphere intimate. With regional buses you can typically reach small towns, while with Flixbus, youll mostly be limited to cities. Gondola ride for two? We enjoy walking, dining, exploring, and just being at places that takes you away from it all. So we did not have to venture further to indulge in culinary highlights. Im so excited to look into Hotel Cler! The drive from Avignon to Barolo is very long - see http://www.viamichelin.com for itineraries, driving times and costs. But (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Having said that, it may happen that there are certain establishments beingon my wish list a long time. Our first stop was the Lake Orta region Day 8: Italian Riviera via Monaco. Before coming to it, there is one more thing to add. Southern Italy Road Trip: Stop 4 Sicily Itinerary. Once you are checked into a hotel there, you can take the same train back to Naples, or an even faster boat. We chose to take on There isnt much else to see in Pisa. Is there something else we should In reality, any daytime visitor who uses the typical precautions will be fine. This epic northern Italy itinerary begins in Valle DAosta, the smallest and most underrated of the regions. When Ive had even those breakfast buffets in Paris the food is almost always amazing. Planning the best order of visiting these places will depend on what airport you end up flying into, as well as what day your business meeting falls on! We are coming from the West Coast of the US (California). (note to Perilizia, Im not stuck on Barolo, just used it as an example as I was looking at accommodations in other towns sort of near there, including La Morra). I do think its your best non-Paris option that time if year, and you can still do quick day trips to Monaco and Cannes while you are there. Here we chose Vienne, a town known for its Roman heritage. Stop to explore Nices Old Town on your own before returning to your hotel. Its almost impossible to get a bad meal in the city and most of the food is reasonably priced considering the quality. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-116190854', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Europe for my husband and I, and we had an amazing time on this trip. When you see a photo of these villages its hard not to be drawn in so if you are in that group you could add a day or two in this area either before or after Florence. Itinerary help please Southern France to Northern Italy The cuisine here is, of course, world famous, and it can get even better and cheaper if you spend a day or two in one of the many scenic villages in this part of Italy. Curious about more spots to hit? Its the traffic and general sense of chaos (multiplied by the summer heat) that wear on visitors. Hi Michela, I would love some suggestions on a 14 day itinerary to Northern Italy. Italy So expect suggestions for high-end accommodations, gourmet dining-spots and things to do, especially short walks (details on the latter in separate posts to follow). I wouldn't tell you not to do it but you need to be careful. complete with the Restaurant Guido da Costigliole, a Michelin star dining-spot. 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary Breakdown. Nice is the most convenient for visiting Monaco and other towns in that area, but most of them are on the same local train line and you can go from one to any other pretty easily. Thank you. We spent time also at the Mas, which was lovely, where we barbecued our dinners and we swam in the pool and enjoyed the relaxed setting. This sounds OK? You could do it in a day, but you might be more We cooked our dinners at our accommodation and swam in the pool. Tour the Villa Ephrussi, a mansion built by a member of the Rothschild banking family, and stroll through the villa gardens. Not only on this thread, but also having read so many other conversations on this forum, I came across many helpful tips. So we had decided to opt for a luxury hotel a bit further away from the sea but with views of it. From Florence to Rome its only around 90 minutes by train, so another easy and pleasant travel day. That meant spending the nights at luxury hotels and having meals in Michelin restaurants, as long as they are worth the money. But if the price is better in Rome, you could always take a train to a major northern Italian city or find a cheap flight with RyanAir, for example. Franciacorta is a territory between Bergamo and Brescia that produces sparkling wine or spumante, mostly Prosecco, Italys version of Champagne. We walked whenever possible according to the motto Only where you were walking, you have really been (Wolfgang von Goethe). Itinerary #3: Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera On this coastal itinerary, you'll hike between the scenic villages of the Cinque Terre, stopping to relax on the beach and taste locally produced wines along the way. Perhaps surprisingly, Venice shuts down early, with most restaurants and bars closed by around 10pm. Next was a typical Piedmont destination, a resort near Santo Stefano Belbo. As we live in times of Corona, we only opted for lodging that comes with foodie hotspots, too. Paris4 nights Youll be sick of the crowds by then anyway. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Luxury hotels, Michelin dining & things to do along the route: Northern Italy & Southern France 11-day road trip itinerary, From place to place in northern Italy and southern France, 5. It comes from Valtellina, a valley in Lombardy bordering Switzerland. Best for: history, sightseeing, nature, small towns, food & wine. Id say 2 or 3 nights would be enough, but if you get out in the morning and then again in the evening, Venice is much nicer and its stunning. They are all just so filled with Europeans during July and August that it can be frustrating, so going just before or after those months is ideal. Qantas Money/Cash card, what do you think? And I think a canal trip around Paris would be great. However, there is a lot more to unpack when deciding which Italian region to visit. I will not go into it in this overview article. Its one of Europes fashion capitals as well, but the casual visitor wouldnt notice. This article was most recently updated in August, 2022. The other main nearby attraction is the famous tourist island of Capri, which is best known for its Blue Grotto attraction.