- Purpose: High School Graduation Celebration
- Description: Medium cost survey trip (staying in 3 star hotels) with private guided tours
- Group Profile: Six women (three generations of family members); Ages 18 – 66
- Activity Level: Moderate
- Related V&V Stories: Three Generations Celebrate a High School Graduation and Driving Rule #1: No U-turns on the Autostrada
- Planning Resource: Italy Planning Quick Facts & Itinerary Planning Template
- Itinerary Developed by: Village & Vine Travel
- Travel Booked by: Village & Vine Travel
- Private Tours Arranged by: IDI Travel (including airport and Venice ground transportation)
16-Day Itinerary: Rome, Pompeii, Orvieto, San Gimignano, Siena, Greve, Pisa, Portofino, Lucca, Venice, Lake Como (Argegno and Bellagio), Milan
| Day | Stops | Itinerary | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travel |
Depart from the US |
|
| 2 | Rome |
Arrive in Rome (population 2.87M) |
Hotel was centrally located – the interior was sparse but breakfast was good. There is no elevator – beware! Starting a 6-hour tour after arriving may be too much. |
| 3 | Rome |
Private guided tour of the Vatican, including the Vatican Museum |
The next morning when we jumped the Vatican Museum line I said, “It was worth whatever we paid IDI for our private guide.” |
| 4 | Pompeii |
Private guided tour of Pompeii, including a brief stop in Naples (population 22,039) |
|
| 5 | Orvieto |
Pick up rental car and drive (3hrs) to San Gimignano (population 7,780) with a brief stop in Orvieto (population 20,468) for pottery shopping at Ceramiche Bellocci |
We drove out of Rome on an early Sunday morning – I would NOT recommend this during a busy weekday. Rather, take the train to Orvieto or Chiusi and pick up a rental car there. |
Check In: La Cisterna in the Piazza della Cisterna |
|||
| 6 | Siena Greve |
Drive (43min) to Siena (population 53,772) for a self-guided walk on the way to Chianti |
Badia a Coltibuono is beautiful. Besides the restaurant they offer a small hotel. |
| 7 | Florence |
Private guided tour of Florence |
Our guide met us outside of Florence and drove us into the city. |
| 8 | Pisa Portofino Lucca |
Drive (1hr and 20min) to Pisa (population 90,488) for a quick photo op |
Portofino was out of the way – the day would have been shorter if we had gone to La Spezia, Forte dei Marne, or one of the Cinque Terre villages. |
| 9 | Venice |
Drive (1hr and 5min) to Florence (population 382,258) |
Entering Venice via the train station, the arriving/departing point for the Orient Express, and walking down to your private boat launch is the perfect way to experience arrival into this ancient city. The hotel was affordably nice but required the use of a large number of steps. Beware! |
| 10 | Venice |
Private tour of the Venitian highlights |
|
| 11 | Murano Burano |
On our own: |
|
| 12 | Argegno Lake Como |
Check In: Villa Belvedere |
At the time, it was a Cappelletti family-run hotel. |
| 13 | Bellagio |
Tour the Giardini di Villa Melzi in Bellagio |
|
| 14 | Milan |
Take the train from Como to Milan |
The major attractions of Milan can be easily seen in one day. |
| 15 | Milan |
On our own: Leonardo di Vinci’s Last Supper; La Scala Opera House; Galleria Vittorio; Sforzesco Castle |
|
| 16 | Travel |
Return Flight to the US |
Mary Beth I have a passion for creating and experiencing unforgettable moments and sharing those with others. I hope that this story has helped you experience one of those moments.
