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 You could either go independently on trains, or book a bus trip that covers them both. Obviously youll want to visit Paris, and it makes sense to either start or end your whole journey here. We have a total of 12 nights. And it brought us to northern Italy (Piedmont and Liguria) as well us to southern France (Nice metropolis Cte dAzur and Provence). Unless you are starting from elsewhere in Europe, youll want to carefully choose which airport to fly into. Flying around in France and Italy doesnt make much sense. The Statue of David in Florence: A Simple Guide to Planning Your , Where to Stay in Florence, Italy for First-Timers: Best Neighborhoods & Accommodations, Mid-range price compared to bus and rental car travel, Well-connected between cities and towns (regional trains), Can be super cheap & is overall less expensive, Takes time to understand routes of regional or city buses. Dive deeper into the Val Brembana to the north of Bergamo to visit the villages of Branzi and Cornello dei Tasso. Im jealous! If you only have two weeks per year it would take a lifetime of trips to explore even half of Europe at the slow pace, so it makes sense for newer travelers to move at a good clip. And as a second step, we check out the accommodations and the restaurant scene. Come back later to learn a bit more about Vienne and its flagship hotel and restaurant. For your itineray it won't be a real problem as most will be in nice surrondings. Also is it a good time to go to Nice, etc other places beside Paris while I am there until January 8. 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! Its also the cheapest city on this list so lingering here will be more affordable in addition to relaxing. Then we crossed the nearby border to France. 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. Coming back to Santo Stefano Belbo, you find here the hotel of our choice not far from it. I recommend for anyone visiting the Italian Alps either rent a car or plan to book a tour that handles transportation throughout the days activities. Im glad you have enjoyed the site and Ill try to help. 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. 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. Any advises you can share- I appreciate it. Ideally, a robust northern Italy itinerary falls somewhere between 10 and 14 days. ): Piedmont: at least 2 nights (Piedmont is a large region, so depending on how much you want to see, you could easily extend this a couple of nights) Lake Como: at least 1 night Bologna: at least 1 night Florence: at least 2 nights Verona: at least 1 night Lake Garda: at least 1 night (or even a day trip from Verona & you stay in Verona 2 nights) Dolomites: at least 2-3 nights. Thanks sooo much for the above itinerary you have created! You could probably do all three of those things on a guided trip from Rome. Nice itself is quite nice, but there are dozens of small towns to choose from including Cannes, Antibes, or even Saint Tropez. Hopefully all these options make clearer what is at the top of your northern Italy bucket list! However, yes, the mas is not far (in Rognonas - Mas Saint Antoine) so we may consider getting a car same evening and heading there the same day, if its available. Its 45 minutes away by highspeed rail and the town has a lot more to see including a major cathedral. Required fields are marked *. 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. With fewer than 400,000 residents,Florencefeels more like a small town than the others, even though its much larger than Venice. If you can afford another 3-4 days, then the plan looks much more sensible. An Epic Northern Italy Itinerary (10 Days) - Every Steph If its your first stop you should add at least one extra day to help deal with jet lag, but you should plan on staying as long as possible because the French capital is one of the worlds great (and most beautiful) cities by any definition. My friend mentioned it is better to go with inclusive package and I feel that will be too expensive. We were very relaxed on this trip, which is what we wanted. If you were to be spending all 2 or 3 weeks in Italy and saving France for another trip, then youd want to considering spending at least a day and perhaps a night in this stunning little group of 5 towns perched on rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. 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. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112592618', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car right after a long flight. 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. I hope this helps a bit and let me know if you have any questions. Your email address will not be published. The ferry from Sorrento only takes 20 minutes each way and leaves hourly most of the day. We also visited a small town called St-Quentin-de-la-Poterie. Italian Riviera 2 nights. Generally speaking, I recommend skipping Milan at least on your first trip. Let me know if you have any other questions and Ill be happy to try to help. I usually use Rentalcars.com to compare prices for a rental car and book the best deal. I considered this northern Italian spot as the ideal one to start our trip. From the views, to the quiet harbor, to the unreal swimming spots like Lord Byrons Grotto and the untouched beaches of Palmeria Island, its a lovers paradise and exudes Italian charm. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Train from Annecy to Paris, stay in Paris (?what area) (1 nt), Sep 2 - flight leaves from Paris at 11:00 am. 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 On our way home, we made a stop south of Lyon (Vienne), too. Curious for more ideas? If youre planning on taking a train around northern Italy, read all my Italy train travel tips so you know exactly how to prepare. When I have looked in the past, there have been few Airbnbs with really good locations in Paris or most other large European cities. For the last night, yes, I will plan for a hotel at the airport. So one option could be to leave Italy for another trip to be able to give it the time it deserves. Of course there are many ways to travel. Nights 4, 5 in Saint-Roquette-sur-Siagne: We went hiking at Pont-du-Loup/Gorge du Loup. And you find here also the one Michelin starred Nove Restaurant. That is a minimum of 9 nights or it could be 12 nights if you went at a more leisurely pace. Your insight is so much appreciated! Discover more specific destinations for loved-up travelers on the map: Italian food is in a league of its own, but youll soon find out when visiting northern Italy that the traditional dishes are not pasta and pizza. Another thing to know is that many highways are not really scenic and are quite expensive. I would love do my shopping at the outlets -which should I visit for the outlets? And long road trips are indeed possible. When arriving, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that this town overflows with Roman history. Ive yet to make it there myself and I imagine itll be somewhat quiet in December, but Im sure there will still be tastings and tours and such. -Roger. The point is, Venice is very frustrating during those hours, so to appreciate the city its important to work around them at least a bit. The big 3 in Italy are Rome, Florence, and Venice, and if you have time for only 3 cities those are the obvious ones to choose. Southern France and Northern Spain itinerary - Road Its the traffic and general sense of chaos (multiplied by the summer heat) that wear on visitors. Theres not much I need to explain as to why Venice is a good city-break: the uniqueness of its landscape and how it affects every aspect of life from transportation to food. You can pretty much walk into any bakery in Liguria and get an amazing piece of focaccia. 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 would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. To reachSorrentoyoull take a train to Naples and then change for a one-hour local train (known as the Circumvesuviana) to its final stop. We only had one night available and had not planned to do longer activities in town. Or you could fly down to Sicily for a few days. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. 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. Aug 21 Arrive in Paris 10:00 am. We stayed in the old town in Annecy and really liked it here a lot. In fact, Nice used to be a winter resort because the weather is mild compared to the other big cities. Suggested route: Toulouse Narbonne Arles Camargue Aix-en-Provence Cassis Cannes Nice. We had not checked out the town of Vienne, where this establishment is located, in detail. 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. Suggestions? complete with the Restaurant Guido da Costigliole, a Michelin star dining-spot. Hi Michela, I would love some suggestions on a 14 day itinerary to Northern Italy. Kind regardsCraig (NZ). Verona 2 Nights. -Roger. This is the enchantingVilla della Pergola, located a bit above town in a gorgeous botanical garden. And last but not least, there is a luxury hotel with gourmet restaurant here that caught my attention. Tour du Mont Blanc - Day Hike Recommendations. It is a fascinating medieval village, enveloped by woodland and backed by mountains. All of Italys regions offer something unique and in this guide, the spotlight is on the north. 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. When getting here, I absolutely fell in love with this unique building in Moorish style. As a plus, you can walk to it from our hotel in Vence! You do not need a Eurail pass for your 2 weeks in Northern Italy. Sometimes just putting 2 destinations will give you more options then putting the entire itinerary at once. The ticket machines are in English and easy to navigate. 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. I wouldn't tell you not to do it but you need to be careful. Sign me up for the newsletter & access to resources from The Travel Library! Find here my Google Map of our journey. And Ill be happy to help. 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 With only a few exceptions, 3 nights per city is a good minimum even for those wishing to see as much as possible, or 2 nights in the smaller cities. Hire car and stay in a village near Siena 4 nights (day trips in the car) As the largest and most central city in Tuscany, Florence is a cultural capital filled with famous museums, cathedrals, and other sights, but its also the ideal jumping off point for day or overnight trips into some of the nearby hill towns. havent decided. 11 days itinerary for Southern France and Italy Itinerary to explore Barcelona, Southern France and a little of Italy in just 11 days is now live on the blog. Ill be recommending the stops on the itineraries in a certain order, but not necessarily saying you should be spending one day here and two days there. Night 12 - Hotel at Paris CDG airport. If the round-trips are much cheaper then your best option is to buy one of those as well as a one-way flight between the cities (for around US$100) for just before you fly home. The areas you are planning to visit are all obviously very well established and there arent many pitfalls to worry about if you plan it yourself. From metropolitan Milan to the medieval hilltop city of Bergamo, the major cities in Italy all offer a different landscape to be explored. So we had decided to opt for a luxury hotel a bit further away from the sea but with views of it. We can speak French but not Italian. Having said that, it may happen that there are certain establishments beingon my wish list a long time. If you are fine with this, then no problem. 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. However, coach bus companies like Flixbus operate throughout the country and Europe, so you could travel between regions using their service. Staying & dining in style at Villa Crespi on Lake Orta/Italy, staying and dining at Chteau Saint-Martin. A view of the village of Manarola from the Cinque Terre hiking trail 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. Depending on your budget, spend one or two nights on the main island and youll be quite satisfied by the time you leave. Im glad this has been helpful. Love planes & trains so both total options! Youll be sick of the crowds by then anyway. I have a few questions. Not only on this thread, but also having read so many other conversations on this forum, I came across many helpful tips. Consider? -Roger. But if the price is better in Rome, you could always take a train to a major northern Italian city or find a cheap flight with RyanAir, for example. I would only use the bus option if you are opting for a slow travel itinerary and have lots of time to spend in Italy, this way you save money but arent wasting half your vacation trying to figure out the buses. 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. I highly suggest taking a look at the embedded maps to discover places worth adding to your itinerary based on the amount of time you have available. These two countries contain several of what I consider to be the best cities in Europe to visit for anyone, so its just a matter of narrowing down where to go and how much time to spend in each place. I was thinking of flying into Rome due to convenience and cost and flying out of Milan mostly due to convenience. Days 5 6: Zermatt, Switzerland. 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! Avignon to Nice by train: About 3 hours. Before taking the ferry back to Camogli, we stopped for a drink and a snack at a tiny little place right near the ferry stop that was so laid back and friendly, with tables outside and music playing. 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. But you wont get bored, and if you do you are probably doing it wrong. Then youll head to Venice, from which you can do a day trip to the Dolomites. On the other hand, youve got the time it seems so it could be a good place to slow down for a bit. Those in a hurry can spend half a day in Naples and a couple hours seeing Pompeii and be safely back in Sorrento for an unforgettable dinner. I have been to Barolo town only once and on a day trip. It will probably also be too cool for sunbathing until May or so, in case that matters. And we wanted to stay and dine in style. 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. That is up to you and the flexibility of your travel dates! It should be a nice change of pace between the city visits. Im planning a 2 and half (possibly 3 weeks) week trip for next summer (or September); based off of your Itinerary, I basically would be going to all the cities except Provence, Milan, and Cirque Terre. 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. ?time to Avignon. Day trips 1) Arles and Le Baux; (2) Avignon and Pont du Gard. 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. 3 hours is the the recommended time to allow The water was beautiful and warm and we spent a couple of hours out there going in and out of the water. Where would be most logical place to insert? You can go more off-the-beaten-path and deep dive into the culture, taking the slow travel route. which months would you recommend? Curious about more spots to hit? The best time to visit is in the fall, also when the White Truffle Festival takes place in Alba. Venice 2 Nights. Find a detailed review about it in the time to come on my blog. 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 taking the RER I would probably opt for an hotel close to one RER B line station. Our first stop was the Lake Orta region not far from the Swiss border to Italy. 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! We took a bus that goes around to the small towns around the lake. Its filled with famous castles and palaces where the rich used to live outside of the city, and many are available for tours. 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. Its about an hour by train or bus from Florence, so you can literally do it in half a day there and back. 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. There aremany reasons why fast travel might be your best option, but only up to a point. Again, it makes the most sense to start and end your visit in Paris and Rome, and if you are starting inRomeyou should add an extra day just to get your footing. Milan 2 Nights. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112592926', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Europe and France in particular has such a concentration of things to see and do that every 15 - 30 km you will find a new village, town, castle, abbey, a natural beauty of some sort. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Perfect France, Spain And Portugal Road Trip We walked whenever possible according to the motto Only where you were walking, you have really been (Wolfgang von Goethe). Have you already been to Nice and other places on the cote d'azur? Thank you! Start as far west as possible in Courmayeur to visit Mont Blanc and the Val Ferret. Driving in France is such a pleasure. (Psst! 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). But they are small villages and I think 2 nights might be enough there. Venice is another interesting one. Do you have any suggestions? I know you wanted to go to Italy. For a 4-day Switzerland road trip itinerary, check out this post. Let me know if you have any other questions. WebThe plan would be to fly into Venice for 3 nights, then Courmayeur for 2 nights, then proceed with the original trip (2 nights in Manarola, 4 nights in the Tuscany area, then 3 Italy does not have a national bus line, so most buses are only regional or city. Especially since you only have 2 nights stays after Provence. We did not stay directly by the sea, but headed to the hills high above Nice, to the picturesque village of Vence in the region of the Mtropole Nice Cte dAzur. 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. 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. They are all just so filled with Europeans during July and August that it can be frustrating, so going just before or after those months is ideal. Check out more in-depth locations for the perfect city-break itinerary to northern Italy on the map: Its no secret Italy is one of the most romantic countries in the world to visit, so Ive also curated a North Italy itinerary perfect for couples, whether on honeymoon, anniversary, or simply a romantic trip. The towns are all fairly similar and in April or May they will still be rather quiet, especially in April. 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. WebThis 10-day itinerary is the perfect quick trip through Southern Europe that hits all the hotspots and popular cities. But I do have a couple of questions for a future trip that I am planning. 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. Do I need an international driver's licence for car hire? The drive from Avignon to Barolo is very long - see http://www.viamichelin.com for itineraries, driving times and costs. 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. 7 days in Italy Option 1: the Northern Italy itinerary bucket list destinations First stop: 2 nights in Venice. 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. Its a really nice uncrowded town with an amazing location. Naplesis a large and gritty city that has an unfortunate reputation for pickpockets and other street crime. You definitely need to consider it for your next trip. Comment*interested in this itinerary however I would like to include 1-2 nights in Tuscany? I havent had a chance yet to delve into the details of the trip yet, but have a rough itinerary. Then probably your return transfer from your hotel to the Rome or Naples airport and then probably a flight to Paris and then a flight home. 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. After all, this nation is the cradle of European civilization established by the Roman Empire and carried on by the Roman Catholic Church. As announced, my husband and I attach much value to staying and dining in style. Naples is also famously the birthplace of pizza and home to one of the worlds best archaeology museums so its worth a day trip for sure. When planning your itinerary, I highly suggest planning at least 2.5 days at Lake Garda. 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. I start my first trips doing road trips. Perhaps surprisingly, Venice shuts down early, with most restaurants and bars closed by around 10pm. Then either take trains or fly (flying is faster because the trains in that area are fairly slow) to Venice for 2 nights or even 1 night (spending 24 hours in Venice is plenty for many people because its so small and so crowded). Read my guides to Italy in Summer, Italy in Fall, and Italy in Winter to dive deeper into which season may be a better fit for you. Newer travelers always assume that more is better and overly-seasoned travelers always preach that virtually any city anywhere deserves at least a week. Those beaches should be great in June and September. The other dish I ordered at every restaurant in Liguria: Trofie al Pesto. This means if you make a purchase through that link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to 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! Hi there! I found it hard to narrow down the areas that we want to go to. The entire area is made up of the Western Alps. 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. I love creating free resources for your travels and personally responding to your questions over chat and email. Your email address will not be published. The beach weather in southern Italy usually goes into early October or so. Youll see all the famous and amazing Amalfi Coast views, and you can return either by bus or boat for an ideal day out. I thought the areas we are driving through would have some nice scenery and a few stops would be possible along the way. Between wine, fairytale villages, and intimate vistas, youll be feeling the Italian romance. Provence is also known for its cuisine, as it stands out even within a country where the food is amazing virtually everywhere you go. -Roger, Hi Roger. Then take a train to Florence for 3 nights and you can visit Pisa as a half-day trip. In other words, you can spend a whole day on Capri and then have many other options on other days. Northern Italy/Southern France/Switzerland Itinerary Yes, extremely helpful! Hello, my husband and I are planning a 2 week trip to Paris and then work our way to Rome in June of 2023. Thank you. Northern Italy is a diverse landscape: mountains, sea, lakes, floating cities, metropolitan centers, food-rich countrysides. Here youll find two specialties: polenta and pizzoccheri. France to Italy, an epic South European roadtrip Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I had wanted to also visit the Portofino peninsula area and even Cinque Terre, but quickly realized I had too many places and not enough days of vacation!! So I have gradually reduced the extent of the distances I travel.