Early July, North Italy for a few days, a week tops. What is worth checking out?

[Tamas]

I'll be switching roles within my company, and it'll mean the first two weeks of July being a lull between the two. I figured its all for the better, so I am going to take that time out for vacation.

I also figured it would be nice going to a roadtrip with my sister and her fiancé.

Trying to come up with Things We Haven't Seen And Are Realistic Targets With A Car, I have come to consider Italy. I am looking for recommendations along these lines:

-reachable from Hungary (think a bit west of Budapest) in a day. Maybe two, but I drove through Northern Italy once and finding overnight accomodation is a BITCH. I'd be the only one with a driving license
-would be great to avoid the summer tourist rush
-when I am on holiday I burn my money like there is no tomorrow, but my travelling friends are more cost-conscious. Too expensive places are out. If they weren't, I would show them Cortina!
-I think best would be to set up camp somewhere and either spend the time in that city/town or venture into its neighborhood

I guess that's all. Thank you for your time.

[The Larch]

If you have such a short time to visit places I'd stick to Venice and the Veneto. Don't sleep in Venice, though, much better to stay in Mestre, just across the lagoon.

[katmai]

How does Italy feel about the Roma

[Razgovory]

How does Italy feel about the Roma

Something like 68% want them expelled.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/17/italy

[katmai]

Sorry Tamas

[Tamas]

Sorry Tamas

From the two of us, it wouldn't be me mistaken for a gypsy there

[Barrister]

Before meeting you guys in Cortina Tracy and I stayed a night in the South Tyrol.  It seemed like a nice region - the combination of German and Italian food and language was kind of interesting.  We went to the Iceman museum in Bolzano and that was really interesting.

http://www.iceman.it

Venice is, of course, outstanding, but you have to watch your pennies there.

[Jaron]

Political asylum

[Razgovory]

Venice has a bad smell.

[alfred russel]

Ideas that aren't major cities that might appeal to history nerds (like probably all of us are, maybe not your sister):

Aquileia (Roman ruins)
Rock Drawings in Valcamonica
Ravenna

Out of curiousity, have you done a roadtrip through the Balkans? (is something I've wanted to do for a while)

[Tamas]

thanks for the tips guys!


I haven't road tripped the Balkans, and have no intention to do that, especially with a Hungarian license plate and not speaking any slavic languages

[Richard Hakluyt]

If you are going to camp then there are some campsites at Cortina that are ok. They are of the crowded but sociable type. Going in July the walking routes up in the mountains will all be open, assuming that there haven't been any recent incidents where you have injured your legs 

With two weeks off I think you should consider exploring Tuscany and Umbria, Tuscany has more stuff but Umbria is quieter (or used to be  ). Florence is great but might be overly crowded in July, visiting the second string places might be better 

[Maladict]

Avoid Venice and the lakes like the plague.

You might want to consider Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It's closest to you and relatively quiet.
Beautiful scenery and lots of interesting places to explore: Trieste, Miramare, Aquileia, Grado, Udine, Cividale, Palmanova, the huge cave near Villa Opicina, the WW1 battlefields and enormous cemetery near Redipuglia.

[Admiral Yi]

I haven't road tripped the Balkans, and have no intention to do that, especially with a Hungarian license plate and not speaking any slavic languages

You poor guys sure did get shat on in the linguistic lottery.

I speak Hungarian so I can sort of understand....nothing.

[Josquius]

Oh wow, didn't see this thread