ONLY a month,heck i can travel from Veneto to Sicilia in 30 days and see most places in between.. if

If you only had a month in Italy, where would you go? What is your favourite thing to do there? Would you go to more than one area? Which city do you like the best? ROme? What countryside do you like? Cinque terre? tuscany? Almalfi?
We all have different tastes. I've not been everywhere in Italy but have been a few places. I personally loved the Cinque Terre and have been twice (but it is extremely australia and new zealandand escorted tours touristy now - you'll hear American voices everywhere). Love Venice at night and in the morning; hate it during the day with its Disneyland-like australia and new zealandand escorted tours crowds and lines. Loved Siena; didn't care much for Florence. Loved the Roman Forum and old ruins in Rome; didn't care much for the city. Loved Parma, kind of liked Bologna (the food is amazing in both towns) - not nearly so many American tourists in these two towns, perhaps australia and new zealandand escorted tours because Rick Steves does not cover them.
Such choices! I really loved N.Italy (Venice, Verona, Vincenza and that area). Didnt esp like the lake area, but its very pretty. australia and new zealandand escorted tours The Dolomites are beautiful and on that trip we spend time in Friuli Venezia Giulia region and that was wonderful. Talk about no tourists. While I have really enjoyed both Rome Florence, they both just seem too crowded for me. The Amalfi Coast is gorgeous so like that too. Sicily is fabulous, very different from Rome or Florence or anywhere else I have been in Italy. And of course, can't wait to explore Puglia next month part of it in the apt. u turned me onto... R u planning a trip there or just thinking at this point?
So if I had a month in Italy, I'd spend a week in Venice (in an apartment), 2 weeks in southern Tuscany (in a villa) and then maybe devote a week to some part of Italy I haven't australia and new zealandand escorted tours yet visited, such as Bologna, the Piemonte, the northern Italian Riviera, or the far south of Italy.
We had a month in Italy last year (September) australia and new zealandand escorted tours We spent a week--actually 8 days--- in Rome (our second visit, so we just enjoyed a few big sights, and played in the city. Then we picked up a car and spent 2 weeks in a flat outside Spoleto in Umbria, It was so wonderful, that I would probably have been just as pleased if the trip ended right there. Then we had a couple days in Cinque Terre (never been before and were blessed with perfect australia and new zealandand escorted tours weather. After a serendipitous day/night in Parma and Cremona, we finished in Bellagio for 5 days.
When you stay in one place, you really australia and new zealandand escorted tours can explore the region. We enjoy museums, and art galleries, australia and new zealandand escorted tours and just plain people watching. We stumbled on a fantastic Classic australia and new zealandand escorted tours Car rally in Cortona that was much more interesting than the market (also in town that day.)
You know how much I love Rome, but given a month I would have to say (for me) Bologna would be the place I'd want to base myself for a month. The food alone in that region of Italy would keep me happy for years!
Not to slight southern Italy (I enjoyed the Amalfi Coast as much as the next guy) or northern Italy (which I haven't australia and new zealandand escorted tours been to in ages). But one of the things I really liked about Bologna (and I was only there for 1 week a couple years ago) was the easy train connections. australia and new zealandand escorted tours I believe australia and new zealandand escorted tours you can easily access most of the major Italian cities from Bologna and many of the smaller towns in the Emilia-Romagna region from there.
Also, I felt the city of Bologna, although large, (but not as large as Rome) was very manageable, had a vibrant population (probably thanks to the university there) australia and new zealandand escorted tours and the people I came in contact with there were friendly and helpful. Plus I got to practice more of my fledgling Italian since although English is spoken by many, not as many as in the larger cities. At least that has been my experience.
ONLY a month,heck i can travel from Veneto to Sicilia in 30 days and see most places in between.. if i wanted to. what is your budget? what do you like to do and why Italia? , what is the main purpose of this trip,? are you single traveler ? you may have the answer to your questions.
australia and new zealandand escorted tours I am trying to think of what part of Italy is my least favorite and I can't do it. I can't think of anyplace in Italy I wouldn't want to go back to - even Milan, which I thought I wasn't going to like but did. But I guess if I had to choose it would be the area of the Veneto australia and new zealandand escorted tours and Emile Romagna/Lombardy. I loved Bologna, Padua, and Verona - all places I have been to more than once and stayed in. I also really like many of the other towns in the area - Ferrara, Modena, Mantua. australia and new zealandand escorted tours I completely agree about Venice being wonderful early and late but not mid day when the cruise ships are in. If I had to pick one town to base in it might be Padua - has many of the same attributes as Bologna (university population, less tourists) at least partly because of good location between all those other places. Including the lakes.
Andrew - curious what you liked about Parma? I know you are not alone in that feeling on this board but it was my least favorite place on my trip this summer (LOVED australia and new zealandand escorted tours Slovenia by the way). I was actually thinking of posting a question as to what it is people liked so much cause I clearly missed it and am curious as to why.
As for what I like, I like beautiful scenery, I like to wander in the towns and cities and soak up the lifestyle, the atmosphere , the architecure. I'm not big on museums, just love wandering the streets. I love Italian food, although I'm not a foodie.
isabel, what I liked most about Parma was how untouristy it was compared to elsewhere: a vibrant, real Italian city. Many people barely spoke English. (I bought a SIM card and no one at the TIM store could speak almost any English.) It's small, compact, and walkable. I happened to be there on a Saturday night during some sort of festival perhaps, so it was a lively place.
Contrast Parma to a place like Florence, which is full of history and culture but also is so overwhelmed with tourists that it's hard to have an authentic experience. Venice is largely the same as Florence in that regard, except that Venice is so beautiful and unique that I was able to put all of that aside.