We want to go to Italy....

smw42

and don't know where to start to plan?

Any suggestions?

LaFemmeRousse

Start by setting a budget for your trip and picking the dates that you can go.  Then think about what you want to do in Italy- visit wineries?  go to the shore?  hike?  visit museums?  immerse yourself in historical sites?- and research what cities and areas of the country will be best for your chosen activities.  From there, start researching flights, maybe set up one or two faretrackers on sites like Kayak, Yapta, or Bing to figure out when the best time to buy is.

Are you looking for recommendations about where to go in Italy?

smw42

Thanks for the start- if you have any specific places you'd rec' I'm all ears. I wanted to do Tuscany but it's a bit out of the way from Rome/Florence/Venice.

LaFemmeRousse

I've never been to Tuscany, but I have done Venice, Florence, Rome, and Cinque Terre.  I expected to love Venice but found it only so-so; two days there were plenty in my opinion.  We had four days in Rome, two days in Cinque Terre, and three days in Florence, and I could have used more time in all those cities.  Cinque Terre was hands down my favorite part of Italy, though- if you will be there during a good weather time, you should try to make it there, and do the hike if possible!  We did a train from Rome to Cinque Terre via Pisa, then went back through Pisa from CT to Florence, and it was all very easy and fairly fast.

Italy is gorgeous and will be perfect for a honeymoon

LaFemmeRousse

Haha, of course you ladies are right, Florence is IN Tuscany.  I should have said- I have never spent time in the Tuscan countryside

AmoroAgain

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_want-italy?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:865852c3-4290-4cc9-8e81-9c8c2506c4aePost:8e1bc1ac-54c7-41c8-9c5d-37c8ecee8b42">Re: We want to go to Italy....</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the start- if you have any specific places you'd rec' I'm all ears. I wanted to do Tuscany but it's a bit out of the way from Rome/Florence/Venice.
Posted by smw42[/QUOTE]

Um, no, Florence is IN Tuscany.  The only one of those that's "out of the way" is Venice.  Honestly, I know people are all about these cities, but there is SO much more to do there than just those three!  It drives me up the wall.

ETA: Ah, I see that was mentioned already (Florence/Tuscany thing).  If you're interested in really seeing the Tuscan countryside (again, this is not the only region or best region in Italy!) you should look into visiting what are called "agritourismo's".  They are generally large homes that have been turned into B&B's in the countryside.  Some are just that, and others actually have wineries and you can learn about wines or food of the area.  Then on other days you can just drive around (which I'd never do, the people drive like maniacs here, but it's an option).  You should also visit the city of Arezzo, Siena, Cinque Terre (though I think this is actually in Liguria, but it's not far from Florence), Vinci... etc etc. 

You can also do bus tours, but that wouldn't be my thing because I want my own schedule and not have to follow anyone else's.

There's also the city of Verona, that's over near Venice, Bergamo which is a gorgeous city at the base of the Alps, Lake Como, Lake Garda- it has thermal baths too. 

I've been to Rome a couple of times, and I think it can be interesting, but... eh. 

Don't forget about Sicily or Sardinia either!

Aaannnd... Be very aware of what time of year you're going.  July and August are peak tourist times and it's HUGELY expensive and soooooo hot.  Soooo hot.  While you might think, "Oh, it's hot where I live" remember that AC is not common here.  Not in hotels, not in apartments, not in restaurants.... nowhere. 

I've been living here for two years (I know it says Grand Rapids, but that's just where we got married) and there are a lot of areas that go unnoticed here because of the Big Three.