La Dolce Vita

In just a little over 60 days we'll be taking a 16 day/15 night vacation to Italy!! I can hardly believe it's true myself. We've been talking about taking this trip for at least 3 years, and we figured now is as good of a time as any!


We went back and forth a LOT on our itinerary. In the beginning we wanted to visit an additional country(ies) in addition to Italy and we considered France, Spain and Greece all as possible options. But in the end, we decided just to focus this trip on Italy alone since there are so many places that we are dying to see within Italy. Even with spending 16 days in the country, we're not nearly getting to go all of the places that we'd like to but we're happy with the itinerary that we've come up with. So, with that said,  may I present to you.....[drumrollllllllllll].....


An Introduction to La Dolce Vita in Italia:


September 17th - Leave Birmingham around Noon
September 18th - Arrive in Venice around 9am

September 18th & 19th - Venice
September 20th - leave for Lake Garda (we're staying in Malcesine)
September 20th, 21st, 22nd - Lake Garda

September 23rd - leave for Cinque Terre
September 23rd and 24th - Cinque Terre (we're staying in Manarola)

September 25th - Train to Pisa to pick up Rental Car along w/ a quick sightseeing stop to see the Leaning Tower ; continue drive to Tuscany
September 25th, 26th, 27th - Tuscany (we're staying at an agriturismo [farmhouse] outside of a town called Poggibonsi near San Gimignano

September 28th - Leave early morning for the 1 hour drive to Florence
September 28th - Spend day & night in Florence

September 29th - Spend day in Florence then take evening train to Rome
September 29th - Evening in Rome
September 30th, October 1st and 2nd - Rome

October 3rd - Fly Home - leave Rome around 1pm


...and in case you want the simple breakdown:
Venice – 1 full day, 1 half day, 2 nights
Lake Garda – 2 full days, 1 half day, 3 nights
Cinque  Terre – 1 full day, 1 half day, 2 nights
Pisa – couple hours on way to Tuscany
Tuscany – 2 full days, 1 half day, 3 nights
Florence –1 “full” day, 3/4 day(travel day), 1 night
Rome – 3 full days plus 1 evening, 4 nights 


We have alllllmost all of our accommodations booked (which has nearly driven me insane...we literally drew paper out of my hand for one of them! [please reference the name of the blog...]), as well as our flights and car rental. Next up, trying to loosely plan our activities. I say loosely because I have a tendency to overplan (naahhh....not me, right?!) and I don't want to do that here. Of course there are things we know we want to see and things we know we want to do (paragliding over Lake Garda? yes, please!), but what we want most out of this trip is to really see and experience the country and culture of Italy. I. Cannot. Freak'n. Wait. 


xo,
The Indecisive Wife