Trip in April and May in Italy - by train: what itinerary suggestions?

Hello, We’re heading to Italy for five weeks next spring. It’ll be our first trip there. We’d love to see some must-see spots and beautiful countryside regions. Our main transport will be trains, and sometimes buses to reach smaller villages. We’re less interested in the mountains and lakes in the north. We’ll try to stay 4–5 days in some places and explore the surrounding area by train or bus. Any suggestions for planning our trip? Itineraries and must-sees! Thanks

Hello, It's really hard to answer your question. Don’t you have a specific region in mind? We’ve been to Italy several times (and we have family who lives there), but each region is so rich in discoveries that maybe you could tell us more about what you’re looking for. Personally, we’ve visited: part of Piedmont and part of Veneto The Italian lakes in the North The Dolomites Tuscany and Umbria Florence Rome and we just got back from Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Each time, we stayed for at least two weeks and had our car. I haven’t been much help, but I’ll say it again: tell us what you’re interested in…

Good evening, I’ll give you two suggestions for historic cities with "beautiful countryside regions" nearby where you can stay for 4 to 7 days while exploring the surrounding area. This is in central Italy;

1- Siena (Tuscany). To the south, you have the 'Crete Senesi' and, a little further away, the 'Val d'Orcia'. Tuscany bus lines (not exclusive) Line 109: Siena - San Giovanni d'Asso. The stretch from Taverne d'Arbia to Asciano (an interesting small town) and then to San Giovanni d'Asso is scenic for almost its entire length—these are the 'Crete Senesi'.

Line 112: Siena - Buonconvento - Pienza (then Montepulciano). I believe this is the only line that travels through San Quirico d'Orcia to Pienza in the heart of the Val d'Orcia.

I hope you’re aware that a bus won’t stop where you find the countryside particularly beautiful, and that a car or a mountain bike (for small loops of 10 to 20 km) are better ways to get around these rural areas than trains or buses. In the travel journal I published on Tuscany, there’s a section on the surroundings of Siena (the last week or so); it might give you an idea of the landscapes of the 'Crete Senesi', among other things.

2- Perugia (Umbria). To the east, you have the city of Assisi and its site on the slopes of Monte Subasio, and to the west, Lake Trasimeno. Busitalia Umbria bus lines

Line E007 for Assisi.

Lines E016, E017, E018, and E020 to reach Lake Trasimeno. There, you’ll find the towns or villages of Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro sul Trasimeno, Castiglione del Lago, Tavernelle da Panicale, and Panicale. Some of them are part of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia" (Italy’s most beautiful villages) club, while others are departure (or arrival) points for boat lines on the lake to the islands.

Still in central Italy, there are "beautiful countryside regions" around the cities of Urbino and Ascoli Piceno, both in the Marche region. However, these are smaller cities, the countryside areas aren’t as well-known as the ones mentioned above, and I have no idea about the extra-urban bus lines around these towns.

Hi there, with a base of 4-5 days by train, I’d consider: Rome, then Umbria (Orvieto or Spoleto), Florence or Siena for Tuscany, Bologna for the food, and a finale in Naples or Puglia. April-May is perfect for the countryside. Just remember to book early around Easter and the May holidays. Are you arriving and departing from Rome?

Thanks so much, Michel, for these suggestions.

Hello, Thanks for your reply. I think we’ll be arriving or departing from Rome. I need to check the flight prices from Canada first. I’d prefer to arrive and depart from another city if that’s possible.

It's often possible, and without a huge extra cost: look for "multi-destination" (open jaw) tickets instead of a round-trip. For example, you could arrive in Rome or Naples and leave from Venice or Milan, which lets you travel up the country by train without backtracking: Naples, Rome, Umbria (Orvieto, or Perugia as Valmichel86 suggests), Siena or Florence, Bologna, then Venice. Compare both options on the same dates before deciding. Good luck with your search! Laetitia