I think I've changed my mind...please help

[misstravelbug]

Hi

we are off to Italy in 6 months and two days (who's counting...) with our 2 children aged 11 and 8.

Our itinerary has been pretty much set and booked but I am having second thoughts about a week in Santa Margherita Ligure in mid May. I have read that there is a very high chance of rain and wont be hot enough to swim, so I am wondering if you have any other thoughts on places you loved that would fit with our itinerary please. I am open to all suggestions and we will have a car.

Our itinerary:
Rome 9 nights
Assisi 7 nights (we pick up car from Rome)
Val d'Orcia Tuscany 7 nights
Lastra a Signa 3 nights

8 nights ?????? (was SML)

DH flies from MXP and the children and I meet up with family. (drop off car here)

I will include the rest of our itinerary here to avoid double up suggestions:

Verona 3 nights
Venice 7 nights
Florence 7 nights
Bologna 3 nights
Turin 7 nights
Milan 2 nights

Any further suggestions you may have regarding the entire itinerary are very welcome too.

Thanks,
MTB xo

 

[Alpinista]

We spent two months near Lucca this summer (mid-May through mid-July) and had three days of rain the entire time -- really impossible to guess what a single year's weather will be. We've had other years where we had water flowing over the tops of our shoes walking down the driveway to our car during the same months.

We use Lido di Camaiore (about 70 miles south of SML) for our beach trips and have had no problems with water temperature in May. It might be what you're used to (my wife is from Boston, so not the warmest water at the north shore beaches where she grew up; have Ocean City, MD, here and, again, not the warmest water -- if you're used to baking in Australian weather, I could see where the water temps might not be up to snuff). The air temperature can be cool, but it is usually fine for us (although the Italians do stay away in droves until it gets hotter).

If you are doing outdoors stuff, the walking trail from SML to Portofino and Rapallo should be fun days for your kids with plenty of treats at both terminus points for them and you -- sights, restaurants, shops, etc.. There are also water ferries and boat rentals available, so I don't see a lot of negatives for your choice there (anyhow, the weather is going to follow you wherever you go, unless you really extend your list of possible destinations).

 

[jan]

What about Lucca?
Walking the walls is wonderful and the town is full of great churches, museums and restaurants. Easy train or bus to the coast.

We really loved our 2 weeks in Lucca last year!

 

[Ian Sutton]

Plenty of options with the car.
- A smaller Emilian town/city such as Reggio or Parma
- Novara is a lovely under-touristed city, but also so good countryside around here (Parco Ticino perhaps). We love Ghemme and Il Cavenago agriturismo, but Gattinara would have wider appeal - there not much to see in Ghemme, but the agriturismo do have cycles to explore some really good cycle routes. I'd look for somewhere that has bicycles and offers a chance to break the city mentality, but still with the flexibility of the car
- Head a small distance further and explore Val Sesia to the North, or Lake Orta - or even Lake Maggiore. Both are still nicely close to Milano Malpensa and feel a nice option because they offer something recognisably different. Tourist traffic will be lower that time of year at Maggiore, whilst Orta I'm told doesn't suffer as badly.

Regards
Ian

 

[misstravelbug]

Thank you all. It's definitely a first world "problem" and I know that we will be happy anywhere in Italy really. I will explore your suggestions.
MTB xo

 

[Marlene]

How about somewhere in the Garfagnana, perhaps Barga? Of coarse, rain can spoil the mountains too. I like to travel in May because it "never rains in May", but one year we had rain for nearly the whole two weeks (it broke records where we were near Bologna).

 

[RachelP]

Hi there.... have you booked your Assisi accommodation yet? Just saying, Spello is an awesome base in that area and would be way easier with a car. Msg me if you want to talk further