As we live in times of Corona, we only opted for lodging that comes with foodie hotspots, too. We also went to the Pont du Gard where we spent half a day, with walking around admiring the site, taking the tour which included walking through the top part, went through the museum, had a picnic lunch, and waded in the water. Milan 2 Nights. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My wife and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary next year. Our first trip we visited Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Genoa/Cinque Terre. Your last stop on this itinerary is tapping into a bit of central Italy territory, but it is a must stop for foodies. Read about all the best towns on Lake Garda. Our first stop was the Lake Orta region not far from the Swiss border to Italy. Spend at least three nights in Paris itself and if you have extra days you might do a day trip (tour buses are a great choice) of the nearby Loire Valley. Take a train from CDG to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Another thing to know is that many highways are not really scenic and are quite expensive. 3 hours is the the recommended time to allow between flight arrival and train departure. Later on, I have also discovered that Orta San Guilio is a truly splendid village. France Itinerary: Where to Go in France by Rick Steves Barcelona, Southern France I prefer Lake Garda over Lake Como (which I visited twice) because the towns of Lake Garda are prettier, and it is more affordable and We only had one night available and had not planned to do longer activities in town. That is up to you and the flexibility of your travel dates! One minute trip to Venice | Triptile | Firebird Tours Watch on We are coming from the West Coast of the US (California). 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. I wouldn't tell you not to do it but you need to be careful. Id fly into Paris and spend 3 or 4 night there and then take a train down to Nice for 2 nights there. 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. (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). 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. With regional buses you can typically reach small towns, while with Flixbus, youll mostly be limited to cities. Head west to Turin, a financial and cultural hub like Milan, stylized by Baroque-style architecture and the famed Mole Antonelliana. Regardless, these two sister cities are only 40 minutes apart by car, but exhibit completely different landscapes. Your email address will not be published. You could do it in a day, but you might be more :Here are the best first-time Italy itineraries for 3 days to two weeks. This is the enchantingVilla della Pergola, located a bit above town in a gorgeous botanical garden. 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. One of the most popular seaside towns in the area is Alassio with a 4 km/2.5 mi long stretch of beach. If you love the idea of vineyard views on end and wine tasting with your partner, it must be added to your romantic itinerary. Book trains on sncf-connect/en-en . 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! featuring the one Michelin starred Restaurant Le Saint-Martin. 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. This was the first time in (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Region covered: Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Cte dAzur. Im going to re-think the middle portion of this trip. Don't get too stuck on Barolo. possible route via Orange and Sault (Lavender fields); or just The Hotel b design & Spa was the hotel of our choice in the Provence. On a quick visit you can hop on the local bus in Sorrento that takes you through Positano and Amalfi to Salerno. Come back later to learn a bit more about Vienne and its flagship hotel and restaurant. Im glad you have enjoyed the site and Ill try to help. The towns are all fairly similar and in April or May they will still be rather quiet, especially in April. Yes, extremely helpful! Read my full disclosure! And we wanted to stay and dine in style. Leave a comment! As far as how long to spend in each place, here are my recommendations for a minimum amount of stay based on how much there is to do in each place (& my personal favorite spots! Once you are checked into a hotel there, you can take the same train back to Naples, or an even faster boat. An Epic Northern Italy Itinerary (10 Days) - Every Steph Lake Como is a must stop also for mountain lovers: the peaks soaring above the lake are breathtaking. We cooked our dinners at our accommodation and swam in the pool. Those little villages along the lake are basically summer homes for wealthy people who live in Milan, so they are pretty dead during the winter months. Youll see all the famous and amazing Amalfi Coast views, and you can return either by bus or boat for an ideal day out. Then youd take a high-speed train to Nice and then perhaps a local train to the destination of your choosing. In the article below youll see the best option to string together a tour of these countries in two or three weeks. I was thinking of flying into Rome due to convenience and cost and flying out of Milan mostly due to convenience. Yet it was such a great experience after so many Switzerland staycations! We also visited a small town called St-Quentin-de-la-Poterie. Dive deeper into the Val Brembana to the north of Bergamo to visit the villages of Branzi and Cornello dei Tasso. by Patrick Henriroux, a two Michelin starred chef. Tour du Mont Blanc - Day Hike Recommendations. 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). I will not go into it in this overview article. France And this time, you encounter here the gentle hills full of vineyards. All to say, for me, although this trip was wonderful, next time I would go with fewer locations and stay longer at each one. After crossing the boarder between Italy and France, we arrived on the famous Cte dAzur, also called French Riviera. 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! I considered this northern Italian spot as the ideal one to start our trip. Northern Italy is a diverse landscape: mountains, sea, lakes, floating cities, metropolitan centers, food-rich countrysides. Depending if you have the intetion on taking the RER to CDG or taking a taxi. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Ill stop rambling now and hopefully this is at least a bit helpful. We chose to take on -Roger. Northern Italy Itinerary We returned the rental car on arrival and walked to our accommodation which was very close by. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. I concur that 3 h after your arrival time is the minimum amount of time recommanded for taking a train in CDG. And also if your mas is not too far And I think a canal trip around Paris would be great. This sounds OK? While in Paris we will stay 4-5 nightswhat are your thoughts on an airbnb vs a hotel? In the time to come, you will find reviews of the luxury hotels we stayed and the Michelin (starred) restaurants we dined. Venice 2 Nights. Nights 1,2,3 in Rognonas at Mas Saint Antoine: Here, we visited the town of Rousillon where we walked on the ochre trail, had gelato, wandered and explored the streets, and had delicious pizza at a local place with a patio overlooking nature. 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary Breakdown. Day 1: Milan Day 2: Lake Como Day 3: Verona Day 4: Lake Garda Days 5 & Train to Nice 2/3 nights For two weeks in France, I would spend 5 days in the Luberon, then 3 days near either St Remy or Vaison. Thanks also for pointing out the long distances and shorter 2 nt stays can make it harder to have time for the small towns. I will be visiting Paris in December 2022. Curious for more ideas? Route Napoleon is faster but they are both scenic drives. 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. And Ill be happy to help. Your email address will not be published. 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. If the two one-way flights are within US$150 or so of either round-trip, then they are your best option. Hi Michela, I would love some suggestions on a 14 day itinerary to Northern Italy. We do like road trips and are accustomed to doing very long distance drives (in North America). I thought the areas we are driving through would have some nice scenery and a few stops would be possible along the way. Drop off car in Rome 4 nights Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ultimate Two Week Northern Italy Road Trip Itinerary Rushing around for two weeks can be exhilarating, but rushing around for three weeks can really start to get exhausting. I just find that you will be doing a lot of driving in a short amount of time passing by so many great places along the way. France, on the other hand, has Paris, but beyond the capital it can be hard to know where you should go. Bergamo 2 Nights. 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. If you head out on your adventure using one of these itineraries or have questions for curating a totally customized itinerary, share with me Id love to hear how your trip has gone or help you further plan your dream northern Italy itinerary! Train to Positino 5 nights Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ill cut out the Lake Como part as you suggested Planner, and get there hopefully as part of a future trip to Italy. 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. Required fields are marked *. 13 Days Itinerary to Italy, Switzerland and France for a There will be options and decisions youll have to make based on your own tastes, but no matter how you do it this should be an unforgettable trip. Polenta is a versatile grain made plain, with cheese or as Polenta Contadina, made with cheese, spinach, and local sausage. There will definitely be champagne tastings (obviously meant for tourists) in Paris on any given day, but you could also visit the nearby town of Reims, which is the main tourist center of the Champagne region. Thank you. Find more info about this and another walk to do in the area in my separate post to follow. WebDepending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are our recommended priorities: 3 days: Paris, maybe Versailles 6 days, add: Normandy 8 Take a train from CDG to Avignon from 13.00 onwards. 3 hours is the the recommended time to allow between flight arrival and train departure. Book 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 We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Do you think were trying to cram in too much? Days 9 10: Bernina Express and Milan, Italy. And we came upon Hotel and Restaurant La Pyramide. They have an excellent breakfast buffet as well, and plenty of amazing restaurants nearby. That is interesting and I wish I could offer some advice. 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. So we had decided to opt for a luxury hotel a bit further away from the sea but with views of it. As you can see, the drive from Puglia to Sicily is a long one. Verona 2 Nights. I will sprinkle in extra tips and suggestions based on my own experience (so you dont have to make the same mistakes I have) and extra destinations as well so you can play with how much extra time you have and be informed about other places in the area well-worth seeing. Im glad this has been helpful. 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. 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. (Psst! Those beaches should be great in June and September. Let me know if you have any other questions. WebRe: Rough Itinerary: Southern France, Northern Italy 1 year ago Save Take a train from CDG to Avignon from 13.00 onwards. This was easy to do and we got off in Menthon-Saint-Bernard. The stops on this north Italy itinerary include: Youll probably start this itinerary in Milano, given that the most major airports are located just outside the city. This area also goes under the name of the French Riviera. This has helped me tremendously! 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! This is perhaps the most challenging question when planning an itinerary. I start my first trips doing road trips. Discover more day trips from Milan to beef up your itinerary. France and Italy make for a perfect first visit to Europe, but there are so many potential places to visit that planning well is extremely important. We walked whenever possible according to the motto Only where you were walking, you have really been (Wolfgang von Goethe). Naplesis a large and gritty city that has an unfortunate reputation for pickpockets and other street crime. 2 nights means just one full day of sightseeing in all those places. They are on the west coast a bit north of Florence, so they are a bit out of the way if you are headed to Rome. Id say flying into and out of Paris would be ideal, but you could also start in Rome and do it in the other direction. Some of these links are affiliate links. Naples is kind of gritty and the two top things there are the National Archaeological Museum and the amazing pizza. I concur that 3 h after your arrival time is the minimum amount of time recommanded for taking a train in CDG. Good way to wind down after busy trip? Youll be sick of the crowds by then anyway. Yes, its a tourist experience, but its also still incredibly unique and wholesome to run away to the city and get lost in its alleys for a few days. In regards to returning to the states, would you recommend I fly out of Naples? Curious about more spots to hit? If you skip it you wont be missing much, or you might stop for one night just to break up the journey a bit. From metropolitan Milan to the medieval hilltop city of Bergamo, the major cities in Italy all offer a different landscape to be explored. 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. Perfect France, Spain And Portugal Road Trip 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. Bergamo 2 Nights. The most famous among the latter is probably Les Baux-de-Provence. Here are the most romantic places in northern Italy: Portovenere is an underrated, hidden gem on the coast of Liguria. Youll find both French and Italian are spoken here because of how close the two countries are. WebNormandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley Provence Savoring France: Paris, Lyon & Provence Cruising the Seine, plus Paris & London 01 04 Traveling With Tauck Never Settle For Ordinary Travel Experiences that are as memorable as the places Read More Leave Your Worries At Home -Roger, Hi Roger. But if you have three weeks you will be adding days to these cities or adding new cities altogether. 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. Hit the 5 major areas on everyones northern Italy bucket list. If you need to be at the airport by 8h00 and it takes around 1h to get there, being such an early departure, you should chose your last hotel in accordance. Next was a typical Piedmont destination, a resort near Santo Stefano Belbo. Total distance: 751 Km, 8.5 hours drive in total. The great thing is that even this itinerary is worthwhile for people who arent nature lovers but love the mountain landscape. Or I might just stick with France only on this trip. 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. 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! I thought maybe with not sleeping much on the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? 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 Whether you like hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter, the mountains are paradise. Notwithstanding that, I have never seen a more beautiful vineyard landscape on my Piedmont trips than here in the Langhe wine-growing region east of Alba. Also is it a good time to go to Nice, etc other places beside Paris while I am there until January 8. From Florence to Rome its only around 90 minutes by train, so another easy and pleasant travel day. My favorite hotel in Paris is called the Hotel Cler, which is on a small market street called Rue Cler, just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. Sometimes the one-way flights are exactly half the round-trip fare, sometimes a bit more than half, and other times they are double. Similar to Paris, Rome is crammed with amazing sights too numerous to mention, but unlike Paris, Rome can be a frustrating place to visit. I think we made the perfect choice, and this with ChteauSaint-Martin in Vence. Or you could fly down to Sicily for a few days. Suggested Itineraries in France I think Id do that and fly out of Rome. Paris4 nights 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. In Paris, however, youd probably only consider doing this for breakfast, and even then it might not be ideal. 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. The drive from Avignon to Barolo is very long - see http://www.viamichelin.com for itineraries, driving times and costs. Northern Italy Itinerary 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. Night 12 - Hotel at Paris CDG airport. Required fields are marked *. Thank you! Driving time: 2 hours (190 km/118 miles) from If you are fine with this, then no problem. I will do some more internet research before deciding, thank you all again for your suggestions. 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. Lots of time and effort goes on behind the scenes to keep the free resources coming, so, if you have found my website or personal help useful and want to support me. If you are coming through in between fairs and events, hotels can actually be unusually cheap, so its worth checking rates if you are considering stopping. And you find here also the one Michelin starred Nove Restaurant. Especially for the days where you will have long drives. WebIf youre looking for a 4-day France road trip itinerary, check out this post. The Eternal City is also quite expensive, especially by Italian standards, which is another reason to save only a few days there rather than a full week. It used to be that Paris was one of the cheapest, and its still competitive, but it doesnt rank high on the list ofEuropean cities that are cheapest to fly into. 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. You could either go independently on trains, or book a bus trip that covers them both. In these two months you get the best weather, the very beginning or the tail end of the busy summer tourist season, and if you book ahead, you can get great deals on reservations for rental cars and accommodation. This is a hilltop stone village below the ruins of an old castle. Provence is also known for its cuisine, as it stands out even within a country where the food is amazing virtually everywhere you go. WebFrance is so treasure-filled that you could barely do more than skim the surface in a week. Northern Italy/Southern France/Switzerland Itinerary We are thinking at least 2 to 3 weeks and it would be for April or May of 2024. 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 The coast is also called Italian Riviera. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, but its small, cascading hillside towns make the atmosphere intimate. Nights 8-9: La Morra, Italy - in Piemonte region. I would love to hear your suggestions for an itinerary and how long to spend in each place. But I will inform about other options to travel around, too. 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 As for Capri, I havent been there yet myself, but I do know its quite small and since its not far from Positano, its going to be pretty similar. Visit Sirmione for its enchanting castle and Limone sul Garda for its quiet charm. Either option is great for a road trip of Italy. Before coming to it, there is one more thing to add. That could be another option. 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). 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The big question when planning a trip is always: how long you should spend in northern Italy? If you don't go to Italy on this trip, do you know where you will spend that time? 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. The girls really want to spend time on the coast, maybe rent a boat one day. Worst of all, accommodation in Milan can be insanely expensive if there is a trade fair or event in town. Milan 2 Nights. Find a detailed review about it in the time to come on my blog. Your email address will not be published. Great website. I cant begin to thank you enough for your input and detailed info with links. All of your tips are very helpful. Im going to re-think the middle We were very relaxed on this trip, which is what we wanted. Train from Annecy to Paris, stay in Paris (?what area) (1 nt), Sep 2 - flight leaves from Paris at 11:00 am. Just one thing to consider. So I have gradually reduced the extent of the distances I travel. As to that, learn about things to do in the area in my blogpost to follow. 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. havent decided. Northern Italy is the most developed part of the country, so transportation is easy-to-access and can take you just about anywhere. Train travel in Italy is the perfect way to get between all of the locations in this Northern Italy travel itinerary. I havent had a chance yet to delve into the details of the trip yet, but have a rough itinerary. When I have looked in the past, there have been few Airbnbs with really good locations in Paris or most other large European cities. Play with the http://www.viamichelin.com chosing prefered route and discovery route and see what it offers you. Then take a train to Rome for 3 or 4 nights and fly back to Paris and then home or straight back home if you can get a cheap enough ticket that way. Nights 4, 5 in Saint-Roquette-sur-Siagne: We went hiking at Pont-du-Loup/Gorge du Loup. Its the traffic and general sense of chaos (multiplied by the summer heat) that wear on visitors. Now to some information about the individual places visited on our northern Italy and southern France journey and where to stay and dine in style. But in those evening hours as well as the morning hours on the following day, the place can feel magical and like a fairy tale destination.