22 Days in Italy
 |
Rick's favorite itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Milan, sleep in Milan
Day 2: Milan to Lake Como, sleep in Varenna
Day 3: Lake Como, sleep in Varenna
Day 4: Pick up car in Milan or Verona, then to Dolomites via Verona, sleep in Castelrotto
Day 5: Dolomites, sleep in Castelrotto
Day 6: To Venice, sleep in Venice
Day 7: Venice, sleep in Venice
Day 8: To Florence, sleep in Florence
Day 9: Florence, sleep in Florence
Day 10: To Cinque Terre, sleep in Vernazza
Day 11: Cinque Terre, sleep in Vernazza
Day 12: To Siena via Pisa, sleep in Siena
Day 13: Siena, sleep in Siena
Day 14: To Assisi, sleep in Assisi
Day 15: To Civita, sleep in Civita or Orvieto
Day 16: To Sorrento via Pompeii, sleep in Sorrento
Day 17: Sorrento, sleep in Sorrento
Day 18: To Paestum via Amalfi Coast, sleep in Sorrento
Day 19: To Rome, drop car, sleep in Rome
Day 20: Rome, sleep in Rome
Day 21: Rome, sleep in Rome
Day 22: Rome, fly home
For train travelers: This trip is designed to be done by car, but works fine by rail with a few modifications. An Italy Pass for Italian State Railways (four days in two months) can be convenient if you avoid trains that require reservations and pay out of pocket for short runs, such as Milan to Varenna, or the hops between villages in the Cinque Terre. In the Dolomites, consider basing yourself in Bolzano. From Venice, go directly to the Cinque Terre, then do Florence and Siena. A car is efficient in the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria, but a headache elsewhere. Sorrento is a good home base for Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Skip Paestum unless you love Greek ruins. To save Venice for last, start in Milan and see everything but Venice on the way south, then sleep through everything you've already seen by catching the night train from Naples or Rome to Venice. This saves you a day and gives you an early arrival in Venice.
Updated for 2008. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Italy guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in Italy.