Around Gare de Lyon can also be an option since it's one stop away from the RER B. WebThis itinerary takes you to the following destinations in Italy and Switzerland: Day 1: Zurich, Switzerland. The towns are all fairly similar and in April or May they will still be rather quiet, especially in April. Its about an hour by train or bus from Florence, so you can literally do it in half a day there and back. 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. Id consider basing yourselves in Sorrento, which youve probably been through on your way to Positano. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112570994', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Avignon from 13.00 onwards. Lake Como is a must stop also for mountain lovers: the peaks soaring above the lake are breathtaking. Its the traffic and general sense of chaos (multiplied by the summer heat) that wear on visitors. They have an excellent breakfast buffet as well, and plenty of amazing restaurants nearby. The flights on low-cost carriers can certainly be cheap, but most major cities are only 2 to 5 hours apart by train, so riding the rails is faster, more pleasant, and far more scenic. They had a shuttle bus that took us down to Eze). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My wife and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary next year. Nights 4, 5 in Saint-Roquette-sur-Siagne: We went hiking at Pont-du-Loup/Gorge du Loup. 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. I would love to hear your suggestions for an itinerary and how long to spend in each place. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112591753', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');plane and then the travel by train, by the time we make it as far as Avignon wed be exhausted and just want a bed to lie on! The cuisine here is, of course, world famous, and it can get even better and cheaper if you spend a day or two in one of the many scenic villages in this part of Italy. Let me know if you have any other questions. We enjoy walking, dining, exploring, and just being at places that takes you away from it all. Northern Italy is, however, partially composed of the Italian Alps which presents a challenge for train travel. Sometimes the one-way flights are exactly half the round-trip fare, sometimes a bit more than half, and other times they are double. It is known for its long sandy beaches. On our last day in Annecy, we took a bus/train combo back to Paris that left Annecy around mid afternoon. If youre hoping to visit many places that arent major cities or tourist spots, then I would absolutely recommend renting a car. On our way home, we made a stop south of Lyon (Vienne), too. France, on the other hand, has Paris, but beyond the capital it can be hard to know where you should go. 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. So I have gradually reduced the extent of the distances I travel. A Foodies Northern Italy Itinerary. This area is famously where Van Gogh was based and got his inspiration, and also home to a Papal Palace where 7 popes lived during the 1300s. Venice is also quite compact so seeing the main highlights in 24 hours isnt difficult. 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. 50miles, 1h40. Here you can have breakfast and dinner in this Michelin restaurant. But (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Whats more exciting than an Italy road trip? I have done it plenty of times for both personal and business trips. I will not go into it in this overview article. Comment* Were thinking Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, Sorrento and fly out of Naples. Stay in Avignon (1 nt), Aug 22-26 car rental Avignon, stay at a mas south of Avignon (booked) (4 nts), -explore some of the small towns around the Vaucluse region, Aug 26-28 drive to Piemonte region in Italy, stay in Barolo (2 nts), Aug 30-Sep 1 drive to Annecy, ?return rental car, stay in Annecy (2 nts), Sep 1 - ? Ill cut out the Lake Como part as you suggested Planner, and get there hopefully as part of a future trip to Italy. Tour the Villa Ephrussi, a mansion built by a member of the Rothschild banking family, and stroll through the villa gardens. and with a nice historic alleyway parallel to the sea. Sign me up for the newsletter & access to resources from The Travel Library! While the drive from (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Rough Itinerary: Southern France, Northern Italy, Re: Rough Itinerary: Southern France, Northern Italy, Get answers to your questions about France, Eiffel Tower tickets to the top smallest wait time. Generally speaking, I recommend skipping Milan at least on your first trip. Venice 2 Nights. I thought the areas we are driving through would have some nice scenery and a few stops would be possible along the way. This is not our first trip to Europe. Since they are very concentrated in northern Italy, I would suggest flying roundtrip in and out of Milan. Just one thing to consider. 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. The great thing is that even this itinerary is worthwhile for people who arent nature lovers but love the mountain landscape. We want to make this more of a romantic trip rather than a tour type trip. There isnt much else to see in Pisa. 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. France is a deceptively large country so travel will eat up some time unless you are flying or taking the bullet trains. Just a couple of comments - we LOVED this trip, we enjoyed each of the places we went. As with most things, the best answer probably lies somewhere in between. Will be Visiting a Hair Salon in Paris. People. However, there is a lot more to unpack when deciding which Italian region to visit. Fly back to Paris and do canal trip 5/6 nights (Dijon area or Midi?) You can go more off-the-beaten-path and deep dive into the culture, taking the slow travel route. I'm Michela, a travel photographer living in northern Italy with a passion for empowering wanderlusting women like you to travel fearlessly and start living their travel dream. The drive from Avignon to Barolo is very long - see http://www.viamichelin.com for itineraries, driving times and costs. I know you wanted to go to Italy. While it is part of the Piedmont, it is not necessarily known as an area where they grow vines. The whole Italy portion just seems too much like a stretch. 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 This was easy to do and we got off in Menthon-Saint-Bernard. Breakfast in Paris tends to be a small baguette, jam, butter, and coffee at some hotels, while other hotels have a nice buffet with eggs and meats as well. You could probably do all three of those things on a guided trip from Rome. Or I might just stick with France only on this trip. Its small and always crowded, especially from about 10 AM until 5 PM most days. 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. And we came upon Hotel and Restaurant La Pyramide. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. 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. We cooked our dinners at our accommodation and swam in the pool. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. This is our second trip. by Patrick Henriroux, a two Michelin starred chef. 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. 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. No itinerary in Northern Italy should not leave unvisited Love planes & trains so both total options! Also take advantage of the linked posts within this article to discover individual destinations in depth and ultimately allow you to plan your trip better. complete with the Restaurant Guido da Costigliole, a Michelin star dining-spot. Days 9 10: Bernina Express and Milan, Italy. 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 Northern Italy is a diverse landscape: mountains, sea, lakes, floating cities, metropolitan centers, food-rich countrysides. As to your itinerary, I wouldn't do so much driving in such a short time either. Between wine, fairytale villages, and intimate vistas, youll be feeling the Italian romance. The car was our chosen mode of transport. 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 Before I go any further, Id love to hear whether you feel any parts of this potential plan do not make sense! One of the most popular seaside towns in the area is Alassio with a 4 km/2.5 mi long stretch of beach. We walked back down and went to the municipal beach where we enjoyed a swim in Lac DAnnecy. We do like road trips and are accustomed to doing very long distance drives (in North America). 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 interests in Naples and Sorrento, you could spend one more day in Rome and do a day trip to Naples and/or Pompeii from there. 3 hours is the the recommended time to allow 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. I have been to Barolo town only once and on a day trip. 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. It will probably also be too cool for sunbathing until May or so, in case that matters. Not sure if buying a package or just make our plan since we have budgets to meet. Great website. We returned the rental car on arrival and walked to our accommodation which was very close by. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. 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. 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. Likely would still plan to go to the Piemonte area. There aremany reasons why fast travel might be your best option, but only up to a point. Dive deeper into the Val Brembana to the north of Bergamo to visit the villages of Branzi and Cornello dei Tasso. 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 ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112612320', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Europe again in a few years, so I will resist the urge to try to cover too large a geographical area! 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. This was so helpful. This is a very nice small town on the Portofino peninsula and I loved the relaxed atmosphere and the views of the sea. Yet it was such a great experience after so many Switzerland staycations! 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. After that its probably easiest to fly from Nice to Rome or Naples and book a transfer from either of those airports to the Amalfi Coast town of your choice. While youll easily be able to get from city to city and even towns using regional trains, going through the mountains will mean there are less stops and train options, or there may just be no option at all. 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. in northern Italy also love their local ingredients. While my husband and I have already traveled Liguria east of Genoa (Riviera di Levante, highly recommended, see our hotel here), we have never been to the Riviera di Ponente, the coastal stretch west of Genoa. Any advises you can share- I appreciate it. Kind regardsCraig (NZ). Not far from Franciacorta is the region of Veneto, wherein the next half of the itinerary lies. My experience in Italy is that some people with limited English speak good French, so you might be able to use your French there. Your email address will not be published. Also visited the hilltop town of Gourdon which was beautiful and we relaxed there and had snacks and lemonade at a cafe, wandered the streets and the shops. On a quick visit you can hop on the local bus in Sorrento that takes you through Positano and Amalfi to Salerno. Yes, extremely helpful! And long road trips are indeed possible. Do you have any suggestions? If so, what would you recommend we eliminate? The other main nearby attraction is the famous tourist island of Capri, which is best known for its Blue Grotto attraction. In fact, Nice used to be a winter resort because the weather is mild compared to the other big cities. 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. ): 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. 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. The itineraries here take you to some major attractions and some charming off-the-beaten-track towns. All of your tips are very helpful. We had checked out the high-end accommodations directly by the sea, but we came to the conclusion that they are not worth the super high prices. Renting a car in Italy is the most flexible yet most expensive option for traveling around northern Italy. 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. If you have longer, great! 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. Something like this might be better for a second or third trip to France unless youve got weeks to spend here. Day 8: Italian Riviera via Monaco. As you probably know, Florence is the capital of Tuscany and definitely the best place to base yourself. 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. 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary Breakdown. Don't get too stuck on Barolo. Train travel in Italy is the perfect way to get between all of the locations in this Northern Italy travel itinerary. Consider? Before going into details about the places we visited, here is the itinerary of our trip. Paris is always great, but for Lake Como it really depends on the time of year. 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 On our way home, we made a stopover south of Lyon, Frances third largest city. 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. 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. We have already done Positano and loved itnot sure if we should do Capri insteadTrying to do a lot however we have already done Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome and Positano last time.