Why Italy

Traveling to Venice, Italy this summer. Recommendations for other places to visit while in Italy?

I will will only have 3 weekends to travel, will be in class during the week. I plan on travelling outside of Italy after the program. Any advice on mode of transportation Train vs Plane is also appreciated!

Public Comments

1. Tuscany, Milan, Sienna are all in the north, Trieste is really nice too
2. rent a car in europe like on just married
3. Travel by bus. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Rome, Pisa, Florence, Padua, Milan, and even though I didn't have a chance to visit, Naples.
4. Use Train (get a Eurail pass). Cheaper and more convenient than planes or automobiles. Places in Italy: Rome: little of everything Florence: Museums (not much else) Milan: shopping Cinque Terre (Italian Riveria): Nice little towns on rocky coastline Outside Italy Interlakken, Switz: In middle of the Alps. Great if you like to hike or if you like small villages perched on 3000ft cliffs Gruyere, Switz: Fondue.......Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Montreaux, Switz: Smoke on the Water (and Fire in the Sky) Check out www.ricksteves.com. You can get his books at the library. Every place he recommends to eat is good.
5. First of all, don't go out of Italy. there is SO MUCH STUFF TO SEE JUST IN ITALY!! Make it an Italian experience, and screw Germany. It just hasn't been the same since the fire bombings... For the plane, I would go to Best Fares. There's a small annual membership fee, but the money you save will make up for it. USAir is a good airline for Venice, but they are really expensive. And it may be cheaper to take the flight to Milan and then take a train over. Also, if you're in Venice, definitely take the train over to Verona. The city is just beautiful to walk around. Ravenna is an extremely old Byzantine city. Milan is beautiful and convenient. Ferrara, Padova, Vicenza, Modena, Parma, and Mantua are also in spitting distance from Venice and they each have historic centers. Also, definitely go to Florence, spend at least two days there, and from there you need to take a day trip to Lucca and Pisa by train. 45 minutes from Florence on the inter-regionals. Then, take the bus the next day to Siena and San Gimignano. The expresses only take an hour. With the exception of Pisa, these towns are incredibly gorgeous and are frozen in time. Pisa's not bad either, but people mainly go there to see the tower, the baptistry, and the cathedral. On the west coast, hit Cinque Terre bewteen Genoa and La Spezia or go south and hit the Amalfi coast south of Naples. and of course, ROME!!!!! How could you go wrong in Rome?!? I have attached the Ferrovie website. That's the train. the bus info is really just good for Tuscany. Remember, no country is more beautiful than Italy!!!