Its definitely worth looking, but my hunch is that any Airbnb that is fairly close to the Eiffel Tower is going to be very expensive, even compared to nearby hotels. It would cost more on the train and also take 14 hours, so flying that last part is the way to go unless you are planning on using the last leg of a Eurail Pass on an overnight run. Then off to the Riveria - perhaps 2 days in St Tropez, and 4 days in the Nice area. People. Its hard to predict so its worth comparing them yourself. Between wine, fairytale villages, and intimate vistas, youll be feeling the Italian romance. Many of them stay in hotels nearby on the mainland, while many others just come in for the day on part of a bus tour. We have already done Positano and loved itnot sure if we should do Capri insteadTrying to do a lot however we have already done Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome and Positano last time. Train to Cinque Terre 3 nights Drive to the Luberon . The entire area is made up of the Western Alps. Bergamo is big in size, but quaint in spirit. The other dish I ordered at every restaurant in Liguria: Trofie al Pesto. There is truly so much to do and see that one trip may not be enough, which is why I have curated 5 northern Italy itineraries that play to certain strengths: one for those who want to see the most famous locations, one for outdoor adventurers, one for city-lovers, one for couples, and one for foodies, so you experience a little bit of everything. 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. If you are only staying 1 night in Paris and your flight is at 11.00 - which implies being at CDG by 8.00 I would either stay "at" the airport (not "near" the airport) or near Gare de Lyon where your train from Annecy will arrive. I would love do my shopping at the outlets -which should I visit for the outlets? Thanks sooo much for the above itinerary you have created! Italian food is in a league of its own, but youll soon find They arent as cheap as buses, but theyre less expensive than renting a car. The post Northern Italy & southern France in style, a 11-day road trip itinerary first appeared on Swiss Traveler, Your email address will not be published. Sometimes the one-way flights are exactly half the round-trip fare, sometimes a bit more than half, and other times they are double. All of that said, Rome is absolutely a must-visit, although you wont be blamed for hustling through the city quickly and efficiently so you can spend more time in the relative serenity of anywhere else. Italian Riviera 2 nights. Hello, my husband and I are planning a 2 week trip to Paris and then work our way to Rome in June of 2023. Buses are usually the cheapest option for getting around, as Flixbus tickets are as low as $5. This is our second trip. The trick is to stay at least one night, if not two,on the main island itself. Naples is kind of gritty and the two top things there are the National Archaeological Museum and the amazing pizza. When I have looked in the past, there have been few Airbnbs with really good locations in Paris or most other large European cities. Its small and always crowded, especially from about 10 AM until 5 PM most days. I have a few questions. 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. I think the hiring a car for a village near Siena sounds great. Fantastic site.really appreciate the info! Day 8: Italian Riviera via Monaco. Hi Roger, Manage Settings Is there something else we should Part of the reason we chose this area was so it would be do-able to spend a few hours in Eze on the morning of check-out on our way to Italy. If you have less time and want to see a lot, plan out your transportation well and get ready for days jam-packed with things to do and breathtaking places to see! Read about all of your options and how to navigate bus lines in my guide on buses in Italy. So we did not have to venture further to indulge in culinary highlights. The ferry from Sorrento only takes 20 minutes each way and leaves hourly most of the day. I love simple focaccia, made with just oil, but the bread is so versatile that youll find many different versions. I think the general plan would be to fly into Paris and spend 4 or 5 days there, perhaps allowing time for a day trip or two to the Loire Valley or some wine regions. It is housed in a building typical for this region, a so-called mas. Gondola ride for two? https://provence-alpes-cotedazur.com/en/alpes/things-to-do/road-trip/route-des-grandes-alpes-tour/, https://www.fortravelovers.com/en/roadtrip-on-the-route-des-grandes-alpes-the-must-see-stages. Then take a train to Florence for 3 nights and you can visit Pisa as a half-day trip. WebFrance is so treasure-filled that you could barely do more than skim the surface in a week. Florence to Rome by train: About 90 minutes. I found it hard to narrow down the areas that we want to go to. Therefore, when looking for places to spend our vacations, we make sure that there are upscale hotels and gourmet dining-spots around. Find a detailed review about it in the time to come on my blog. Let me know if you have any other questions. But if you have three weeks you will be adding days to these cities or adding new cities altogether. Read my full disclosure! Your last stop on this itinerary is tapping into a bit of central Italy territory, but it is a must stop for foodies. Love planes & trains so both total options! The big question when planning a trip is always: how long you should spend in northern Italy? I cant begin to thank you enough for your input and detailed info with links. Any of these itineraries can be turned into a road trip itinerary like I said, the country is best experienced by road trip! This sounds OK? As you can see, the drive from Puglia to Sicily is a long one. Region covered: Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Cte dAzur. While my husband and I have already traveled Liguria east of Genoa (Riviera di Levante, highly recommended, see our hotel here), we have never been to the Riviera di Ponente, the coastal stretch west of Genoa. And also if your mas is not too far south of (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? So you won't really have time to explore small towns and countryside. Verona is the ultimate city of romance in Italy: the setting of Shakespeares Romeo & Juliet, made up of rose-hued buildings and castles nestled over the Adige River. 3 hours is the the recommended time to allow between flight arrival and train departure. -Roger. The water was beautiful and warm and we spent a couple of hours out there going in and out of the water. 50miles, 1h40. France is a deceptively large country so travel will eat up some time unless you are flying or taking the bullet trains. This is another easy and ideal day trip where you can have breakfast and dinner in Sorrento and a wonderful time in Capri in between. Hi Roger, Do you have any suggestions? We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. You could probably do all three of those things on a guided trip from Rome. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This trip should include Pari, the south of France and the Amalfi coast definitely. However, there is a lot more to unpack when deciding which Italian region to visit. Obviously you could go to an offline travel agent and have them put something together for you, and if youve done that in the past with success then it might be fine to do it again. 2 nights means just one full day of sightseeing in all those places. Italy and Switzerland in 2 weeks We rather wanted to enjoy the vibes coming with being by the sea and of course we were eager to explore the region, above all by walking. To reachSorrentoyoull take a train to Naples and then change for a one-hour local train (known as the Circumvesuviana) to its final stop. Yet it was such a great experience after so many Switzerland staycations! For your itineray it won't be a real problem as most will be in nice surrondings. 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. Where would be most logical place to insert? The cheaper hotels in Nice are near the train station anyway, so thats something to consider if you want to visit all 3 places in one short trip. You are spending a relatively large amount of time on the road vs seeing things. My husband and I will be traveling to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? This was so helpful. In fact, I highly recommend taking the 3-hour double-decker sightseeing tour (run by several companies) on your first day in order to see at least the exteriors of all of the famous landmarks. 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. It's a pity Lake Como may be too much for this trip. You cant take a romantic trip to Italy without enjoying the swoon-worthy, picturesque atmosphere of Venice. More about the accommodation (my post) and the activities to take here can be found soon on my blog. First, it is close to Switzerland near the Lake Maggiore. Last stop for lovers: Venice! The places we visited in France and Italy were just beautiful, and I cant wait to be able to cross the ocean again one day. We want to make this more of a romantic trip rather than a tour type trip. The flights on low-cost carriers can certainly be cheap, but most major cities are only 2 to 5 hours apart by train, so riding the rails is faster, more pleasant, and far more scenic. Niceis the largest (and cheapest) city on the Cte dAzur (AKA French Riviera) so its the perfect base to explore this stunning part of the world for a few days. It used to be that round-trip tickets were always much cheaper than two one-way tickets, but often that is no longer true. I just wanted to come back and thank everyone on the forum for their helpful replies. Not only on this thread, but also having read so many other c :Here are the best first-time Italy itineraries for 3 days to two weeks. So relax and savor Paris, Mont-St-Michel, Chardonnay, or Cannesamong other alluring destinationssaving the rest for another day. possible route via Orange and Sault (Lavender fields); or just If so, what would you recommend we eliminate? As a plus, you can walk to it from our hotel in Vence! Dive deeper into the Val Brembana to the north of Bergamo to visit the villages of Branzi and Cornello dei Tasso. A Foodies Northern Italy Itinerary. Your email address will not be published. France 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. Sign me up for the newsletter & access to resources from The Travel Library! Thank you! Venice is another interesting one. But the true draw is the landscape. WebRe: Rough Itinerary: Southern France, Northern Italy 1 year ago Save Take a train from CDG to Avignon from 13.00 onwards. I will do some more internet research before deciding, thank you all again for your suggestions. Milan is bustling, crowded, the energy is always high. We walked whenever possible according to the motto Only where you were walking, you have really been (Wolfgang von Goethe). Bus can also be a flexible and inexpensive option for airport transfer. Not sure of best way to fit Venice in the plans. If you love the idea of vineyard views on end and wine tasting with your partner, it must be added to your romantic itinerary. The Tuscany of northern Italy? Its better to plan to go slower and if you are getting bored you can do a day or overnight trip to something nearby. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112575872', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Avignon I would directly go there it would be one less lodging change in a short amount of time. Cinque Terre photo byWorld Walk About on Flickr, Your email address will not be published. This is what we ended up doing in terms of itinerary and a few highlights of things we did: Day of arrival- 10 am arrival in Paris (from Ottawa), 2 pm TGV to Avignon, picked up rental car and drove straight to Rognonas. Its filled with famous castles and palaces where the rich used to live outside of the city, and many are available for tours. At last, my husband and I set to a first longer trip abroad after the imposed Corona time-out. It comes from Valtellina, a valley in Lombardy bordering Switzerland. Great website. -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? We were very relaxed on this trip, which is what we wanted. I might not choose the town itself to stay, but someplace outside the town or a smaller town or village, which might be more relaxing. Roughly said, most of Italy's "classics", including Venice, Milan, Florence, Cinque Terre, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, are all located in the north (see the Northern Italy map on the right), whereas the sunny gems such as Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily, are in the south. So in a way its a bit like visiting a theme park, and four nights is a long time in a theme park. in northern Italy also love their local ingredients. Milanis famous, though that alone is not enough of a reason to stop there. We had a northern Italy and southern France trip in mind. 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. As to that, learn about things to do in the area in my blogpost to follow. Note that the scenic footpaths connecting the towns are partly closed down at times due to instability, so a quick tour by train or even by boat might be a better option. If you skip it you wont be missing much, or you might stop for one night just to break up the journey a bit. 4 of us (2 couples) heading to France next september.Paris mid september and have 5 weeks touring before returning to Paris mid October. Milan 2 Nights. Northern Italy/Southern France/Switzerland Itinerary And the village of Vence here in these hills above Nice and Antibes is a truly picturesque place. While the drive from Annecy to Barolo is long, two of viaMichelin's suggested routes are quite scenic. The drive across the Alps via the Col de Lar Naplesis a large and gritty city that has an unfortunate reputation for pickpockets and other street crime. From Florence to Rome its only around 90 minutes by train, so another easy and pleasant travel day. There is an airport in both Venice and Milan so you could start your itinerary in either place. The itineraries here take you to some major attractions and some charming off-the-beaten-track towns. In general, your itinerary looks fine. I think two weeks is about right as long as you plan it well and Id definitely plan it and do it yourself if you feel like you are up to it. Unless you are starting from elsewhere in Europe, youll want to carefully choose which airport to fly into. Enjoy incredible beaches, immerse yourself in the local culture and discover the history of these beautiful places. I will go into it in more length at a later point of time (what to do in Orta San Giulio). We are considering a trip to France and Italy. Here you can have breakfast and dinner in this Michelin restaurant. I hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions. My husband found most of the driving was fun (Im glad he was driving, hes a confident driver whereas Im more of a nervous wreck kind of driver). 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. And of course I will also let you know how it is staying and dining at Chteau Saint-Martin. If youre hoping to visit many places that arent major cities or tourist spots, then I would absolutely recommend renting a car. Were hoping to stay very near to the Eiffel Tower. Its hard to fit it all into one trip, but hopefully youve found the perfect itinerary for your trip to northern Italy or at least sparks of inspiration! That sounds amazing. Comment* Have you already been to Nice and other places on the cote d'azur? Southern France and Northern Spain itinerary - Road Find more info about this and another walk to do in the area in my separate post to follow. We took a bus that goes around to the small towns around the lake. When planning your itinerary, I highly suggest planning at least 2.5 days at Lake Garda. 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. I havent flown out of Naples and Id think youd have way more options and better fares out of Rome and I think there is now a high speed train from the Rome Airport to Naples if you need it. Required fields are marked *. Tour the Villa Ephrussi, a mansion built by a member of the Rothschild banking family, and stroll through the villa gardens. The ticket machines are in English and easy to navigate. Ultimate Southern Italy Road Trip Itinerary: 2023 Guide Book trains on sncf-connect/en-en . Our first trip we visited Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Genoa/Cinque Terre. Before coming to it, there is one more thing to add. As for other places in December, Nice is about as good as it gets, although itll be fairly quiet as well. Sorrento is a really nice place to base yourself on a longer trip, but its not nearly as interesting as the other cities on your list. It is doable without any problem. I find that I get exhausted easier as I got a bit older. Regardless of your starting point, you can go to the Pisa Centrale train station and walk about 25 minutes to the Leaning Tower area, or take a train to the Pisa San Rossore train station and 7 minutes to the Field of Miracles.