northern italy and southern france itinerary
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. 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. We enjoy walking, dining, exploring, and just being at places that takes you away from it all. Hopefully all these options make clearer what is at the top of your northern Italy bucket list! Generally speaking, I recommend skipping Milan at least on your first trip. The drive across the Alps via the Col de Larche/Colle della Maddalena is pretty, unless you're the sort of person who gets very annoyed if stuck behind trucks for long periods, while the drive along the Riviera coast offers good sea views from many high viaducts once you're past Menton. We really took it easy here, walking in the town, shopping at the small market, swimming in the pool at our accommodation, and we went out for a really nice dinner where we had local wine, great food, and ate outside with views of the vineyards. It is housed in a building typical for this region, a so-called mas. Its no secret Lake Como is one of the most luxurious destinations in Italy and its exclusivity, plus the incredible views of villas and alpine peaks, makes it an intimate retreat. We spent time also at the Mas, which was lovely, where we barbecued our dinners and we swam in the pool and enjoyed the relaxed setting. 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. 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. Nice to Venice by train: About 7.5 hours. Find a detailed review about it in the time to come on my blog. Do you think 2 weeks will be sufficient enoug? I considered this northern Italian spot as the ideal one to start our trip. 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. I would love do my shopping at the outlets -which should I visit for the outlets? Because at this point going to the Lago di Como is a little out of the way from the rest of your itinerary. More details follow in a separate blogpost (stay at Villa Crespi). We walked back down and went to the municipal beach where we enjoyed a swim in Lac DAnnecy. Unless you are starting from elsewhere in Europe, youll want to carefully choose which airport to fly into. 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. There are also bus tours from Florence that take you all the way there, but those come with the slowness of large-group travel. No itinerary in Northern Italy should not leave unvisited One of the most popular seaside towns in the area is Alassio with a 4 km/2.5 mi long stretch of beach. WebThis itinerary takes you to the following destinations in Italy and Switzerland: Day 1: Zurich, Switzerland. September there should be nice as well. Of the 5 towns, Vernazza is probably best for a short visit and its definitely the most scenic. Its true that you cant just all of France by just visiting Paris on your first trip, but its still not a bad idea because this city is the center of almost everything and even the areas surrounding it are filled with great sights, amazing histories, and plenty of things to do. Just a couple of comments - we LOVED this trip, we enjoyed each of the places we went. To reachSorrentoyoull take a train to Naples and then change for a one-hour local train (known as the Circumvesuviana) to its final stop. Probably the most efficient first trip to France along with Italy is to spend a few days in Paris and then head to Nice (see below) to explore the French Riviera, but if the beach scene doesnt interest you, or if you are coming in the cool months (the beach areas are pretty dead from November through March) you might instead stop in the Provence region. As we have not seen the sea for more than one and a half years, my husband and I set off for an Italian beach town. I love creating free resources for your travels and personally responding to your questions over chat and email. Ive yet to do one myself, but Ive heard good things. When getting here, I absolutely fell in love with this unique building in Moorish style. Here are some foods to try in every region on this itinerary: Starting in Piemonte, the speciality is one of the most expensive and luxurious foods in the world: truffles! We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The other dish I ordered at every restaurant in Liguria: Trofie al Pesto. I hope this helps and Im happy to answer other questions if you have them. Do you have any suggestions? by Patrick Henriroux, a two Michelin starred chef. Thank you. Its quite different from the rest of Italy so it will feel a bit more exotic, and the weather is milder during most of the year as well. WebItaly has Europe's richest, craziest culture. Thank you both for the suggestions, tradeform and Planner. Ok, I will plan for 3-4 hrs from the arrival time at CDG to the time for the departure w 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. We also visited a small town called St-Quentin-de-la-Poterie. Your email address will not be published. In the time to come, you will find reviews of the luxury hotels we stayed and the Michelin (starred) restaurants we dined. Head east and end your itinerary in Venice. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You cant take a romantic trip to Italy without enjoying the swoon-worthy, picturesque atmosphere of Venice. That could be another option. I prefer nearby la Morra, and there are other nice villages too. Starting from Moustiers-Ste-Marie and the Gorge du Verdon for example. Northern Italy is, however, partially composed of the Italian Alps which presents a challenge for train travel. Its filled with famous castles and palaces where the rich used to live outside of the city, and many are available for tours. 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. Comment* Yes, extremely helpful! which months would you recommend? Otherwise, I would just stay put in France. 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. The main city is Arles and that is probably the best base, although Avignon (where the Popes lived) is also very tourist friendly and could be a good choice. Play with the http://www.viamichelin.com chosing prefered route and discovery route and see what it offers you. Im trying to plan a graduation trip for my family of 5 for our daughters graduation. If you have only two weeks total then the above minimums will also pretty much be your maximums, give or take a day. On site there is also a sister hotel where you find the Restaurant Nancy Bourguignon. 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 choice fell on Alassio, a Ligurian seaside resort west of Genoa. Our first stop was the Lake Orta region Since they are very concentrated in northern Italy, I would suggest flying roundtrip in and out of Milan. Not only on this thread, but also having read so many other conversations on this forum, I came across many helpful tips. Finally, my husband and managed to do a longer trip abroad after a forced break due to Corona of more than one and a half year. The entire area is made up of the Western Alps. 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 We used flight credits from previously canceled trips (during pandemic) for the flights to and from Paris. Train to Venice 4 nights And of course I will also let you know how it is staying and dining at Chteau Saint-Martin. Pompeii really IS an amazing place that is worth going out of your way. Also, I would like to catch some nice beach weather, how is the weather in June or early September in France and Italy? 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. It is located near Alba, the truffle capital. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, but its small, cascading hillside towns make the atmosphere intimate. 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. Bergamo 2 Nights. The trick is to stay at least one night, if not two,on the main island itself. My experience in Italy is that some people with limited English speak good French, so you might be able to use your French there. I have been to Ba You can pretty much walk into any bakery in Liguria and get an amazing piece of focaccia. In fact, Nice used to be a winter resort because the weather is mild compared to the other big cities. Especially for the days where you will have long drives. 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. 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. Northern Italy is a diverse landscape: mountains, sea, lakes, floating cities, metropolitan centers, food-rich countrysides. Having said that, it may happen that there are certain establishments beingon my wish list a long time. Read about all the best towns on Lake Garda. Let me know if you have any other questions. We are thinking at least 2 to 3 weeks and it would be for April or May of 2024. Buses are usually the cheapest option for getting around, as Flixbus tickets are as low as $5. more, Reply to: Rough Itinerary: Southern France, Northern Italy. Hi Michela, I would love some suggestions on a 14 day itinerary to Northern Italy.