Day 1: Saturday
Benvenuti! Welcome to your Italian home! Unpack, unwind, and get settled. Explore your local area to find grocery shops, restaurants, and the nearest coffee bar.

Day 2: Sunday
Mosey all the way around Lago di Bolsena stopping at Montefiascone, Marta, Capodimonte and Bolsena. Lunch lakeside at Ristorante Gino al Miralago for fresh, fresh fish (closed Tuesday), tel. 0761 870 910.

Day 3: Monday
Visit Tivoli Gardens and Hadrian's villa to the east of Rome. Relax around your pool in the late afternoon and dine al fresco at home.

Day 4: Tuesday
Explore Viterbo's old city - Pope's palace, palaces of the aristocratic families of Gatti, Farnese, Poscia and Mazzatosta. Visit the Museo Archeologico. Top restaurant - La Zaffera, piazza San Carluccio, 7, tel. 076 344 265. Reservations required for this 3 fork Michelin rated restaurant. If you love busy open-air markets, postpone Viterbo to Wednesday (market day), and visit Rome today instead.

Day 5: Wednesday
Rail to Rome from Orvieto or Orte for a full day of exploring the historical center on foot from the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona (lunch), via Condotti (designer shops), and Piazza di Spagna. Gelato stop outdoors near the Fontana di Trevi. If you stay in Rome for dinner, reserve at Vecchia Roma near Piazza Mattei (see our Restaurant Guide).

Day 6: Thursday
Head toward the coast to Tuscania to see the Etruscan artifacts in the municipal museum and also the memorable Romanesque churches (San Pietro and Santa Maria Maggiore). Lunch stop and then drive on to the beach in season and explore up the coast to Porto San Stefano and Port'Ercole on Orbetello.

Day 7: Friday
Orvieto (Umbria): See the Duomo (especially the chapel with Signorelli frescoes), the incredible St. Patrick's Well, and Subterranean Orvieto. See Doorways' Welcome to Umbria and Restaurant Guide for Umbria. Have lunch or dinner with reservations at our favorite, the intimate Antica Trattoria dell'Orso, Via della Misericordia, 18.20. Call ahead 0763 341 642.

Day 8: Saturday
Picnic at the Parco dei Mostri (Bomarzo Monster Park) with or without kids. On to the famous Italian gardens at Villa Lante in Bagnaia. Visit the Terme di Papa next to Viterbo.

Day 9: Sunday
Find tiny Ferento north of Viterbo on your map to see the small Roman theatre and site where the artifacts in the Viterbo museum were found (interesting even if closed). Drive on to Civita di Bagnoregio to see and walk up into the "vanishing village" and incredible wind-swept landscape. Catch your breath with a gelato stop in Civita di Bagnoregio. Return to your pool for the afternoon and step out for dinner in Montefiascone with Est!Est!Est! wine, perhaps at Dante's.

Day 10: Monday
Explore the beautiful area of southern Umbria today by driving along the Valley of the Upper Tiber (Tevere) River. Climb some favorite hill towns there, like Todi, Spoleto and Assisi or some of the lesser-known gems, like Norcia, Spello, Amelia and Narni.

Day 11: Tuesday
North to Cortona and Siena or Arezzo and (for shoppers) on northwards to the designer outlets in Montevarchi and San Giovanni di Valdarno.

Day 12: Wednesday
Morning at Tarquinia, famous Etruscan site near the coast. Spend the balance of the day vacationing at the beach. Out of season, explore instead the lovely Sabina Hills, breadbasket of ancient Rome.

Day 13: Thursday
Take a second full day in Rome to see the Vatican. Dinner in Rome or in Orvieto.

Day 14: Friday
Select a few of these to meander around - Abbadia Castle in VULCI, Lago di Vico and Caprarola, to see the Palazzo Farnese, a Mannerist villa and the gardens, Calcata, hometown to artists and Bassano in Tevernia. Be sure to allow time for packing, relaxing by your pool and returning to your favorite place for dinner.

Day 15: Saturday
Reflect on all you've done and save the rest for next time. Arrivederci!