Tuscany is a region of undulating fields, vineyards, walled hill towns with narrow cobbled streets and pretty squares. Rent a cottage or a palazzo apartment near one of the hill towns such as San Gimignano, and you will be close enough to Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa for cultural day trips.
Stock up on freshly baked focaccia and local preserves and honey for breakfast. Visit open air markets to buy lunch, and then explore nearby trattorias for cozy dinners. October is a good time to visit, when the weather is not too warm and there are fewer people. Pisa is the best airport for this area.
Fly to Paris, and then take the Orient Express to Venice. Book into the Hotel Cipriani for a luxurious stay in one of the most romantic cities in the world. You can walk everywhere in Venice, so pack comfortable shoes.
Take a gondola, look out over the city from the top of the Campanile, buy some exquisite Venetian glass, and then cool down with a gelato. The Venice Carnival, an extravaganza of masks and celebrations, happens over the 10 days before Mardi Gras. For more peace and quiet, avoid Venice during the Carnival and the months of July and August.
Picturesque Lake Orta lies west of Lake Maggiore, and has fewer tourists than some of the other Italian lakes. Stay at the Hotel Giardinetto in Pettenasco and take a boat trip over to the car-free monastery island of San Giulio.
Climb up to the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso to see spectacular views of Lake Orta below. Water skiing and kayaking are also available on the lake, as is fishing for the less energetic. Milan is close by for shopping and culture, and it is also the closest airport.
The Ligurian coast does not have the glitz of Amalfi, nor the backpacker and budget appeal of the Cinque Terre, but it does have a lot of quiet, unspoiled beauty for the honeymooner. Portovenere was the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Venus, Roman goddess of love, and the town was a favorite of the English poets Byron and Shelley.
Stay at the Hotel Paradiso and take a boat trip out to see the colorful buildings of the Cinque Terre or the grottoes and ruins of Isola Palmaria. You can also soak up the sun on the pretty beach. The closest airport to Portovenere is Genoa.
