Perfect 11-day itinerary, featuring highlights of the Puglia region, Materia and Salerno.

When people dream of traveling to Italy, they often picture pastel-colored villages perched on cliffs above the sparkling Mediterranean. For some, this bucket-list vision points to Cinque Terre in northern Italy; for others, it’s the Amalfi Coast in the south. In choosing between the two, we have a clear winner!

Lucca is a perfectly sized small city in Tuscany - perched close to but not quite on the Ligurian sea, a short drive or train ride from both Pisa and Florence, its well-preserved historic walls circle the historic city center, piazzas, and cobblestone streets. Puccini, the great opera composer was born here - as were pesto, focaccia, and panzanella. Nowhere near as touristy as other parts of Italy, Lucca is definitely worth a day trip from Florence, Pisa, or the Cinque Terre

We were fortunate to escape to Italy for 11-day in this past spring. It was SO WONDERFUL to be able to travel again. No, the pandemic is...