Pompeii, Cinque Terre, Venice, Rome, other

[scribbledhearts]

I'm hoping to go to two of these locations... I'll be in Milan most of the summer. I'm leaning towards Cinque Terre and Venice because they're closer, but I really wanna see Pompeii. Or other locations I should check out?

[Eagle]

Cinque Terre, Venice and Rome are all good choices, and of course don't forget Florence!!! Another area I really like is Lago di Como (Varenna & Bellagio); it's only about an hour north of Milan by train, so not hard to access. Whether you're able to get to Pompeii will depend on how much time you have available? Will you just have weekends away from your duties, or perhaps slightly longer times?

Generally speaking, touring Rome requires at least 4-5 days. Pompeii can be done as a day trip from Rome, but it's a LONG day (be careful going through Naples)! Two days or so is good for both Cinque Terre and Venice. You'll have to assess each of these choices based on travel times to & from Milan and how long you have off-work to spend in each place.

Cheers!!!

[madamtrashheap]

scribbledhearts, there are so many choices for places to visit in Italy. Some that spring to mind (other than those you've listed) are Lake Como (the lake, not the city of Como), Lake Garda, Verona, Florence and other Tuscan towns such as San Gimignano, Siena, Montepulciano (the list is endless), Sicily (the whole island)....I could go on. Have a look through the other sections of the Boards as there have been many Posts about different places in Italy.

And don't forget that the Eurostar (Italia) runs from Milan to Naples via Florence and Rome in around 6ish hours so that (and Pompei) might be an overnight trip, or a very early/late evening day. You could fly to places in Italy that are too far away (Sicily eg) from Milan to do comfortably on the train so don't discount other areas in Europe too.

[scribbledhearts]

I have a whole week off when the family goes to Denmark...I've heard alot about Lake Como, but I heard it's not very cheap

[Eagle]

Yes, some areas of Lago di Como are a bit "pricey", but if you wanted to have a short holiday on the lake, you might consider a stay at the Hostel in Menaggio. Dorm rooms are about €15.00 per night. Check www.menaggiohostel.com for more information. If you need directions on how to get there, post another note. I've heard that the food is incredible!

Another option might be to spend a few days on Lago di Como and a few days in the Cinque Terre. That should take care of your one week holiday. There is only one "official" Hostel in the C.T. - check www.ostello5terre.com for more information. They do have a lockout duirng the day (10:00-16:00 from what I recall?). There are also lots of B&B's and other accomodations in each of the five towns.

You could also spend three days or so in Florence and the rest of the time either on Lago di Como or the Cinque Terre. I didn't mention Venice, as it's somewhat in the opposite direction to the other places. If you wanted to travel eastwards, you could consider Venice and the Veneto (Padua, Verona, etc.). There are lots of possibilities!

Since you only have a week for holidays, it might be more prudent to limit your travel area somewhat to the northern regions, so you don't spend too much of your time travelling.

Cheers!!!

[scribbledhearts]

Ahhh ok maybe I will consider Lake Como...I heard George Clooney lives there and tons of celebrities go. If you know of nicer accomendations for a reasonable price, let me know...I plan saving money if possible. It seems really close to Milan...maybe I could just go on a weekend. And yes, directions would be nice

[scribbledhearts]

Ok, I'm in Florence for a week and I'm thinking of taking day trips to nearby cities. So far, I'm thinking of Siena, Bologna, Montepulciano or San Gimignano. I'm probably gonna choose 2 cities...any suggestions?

[Jules80]

Siena was nice, but you're best to go on a sunny day or the city looks quite drab.

Julie