Booked our 1st ABD trip, Italy June 2018

[2-pointdoe]

I am so excited and it will be hard to wait a whole year. DD will be 10 when we take this so I guess she has time to study up on Italian art and history.

I haven't quite figured out how the meetup groups work over here but I guess I have time.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

Congrats! You're going to love Italy with ABD!

 

[jackienut]

I am so excited and it will be hard to wait a whole year. DD will be 10 when we take this so I guess she has time to study up on Italian art and history.

I haven't quite figured out how the meetup groups work over here but I guess I have time.

My husband and I also booked Italy 2018. 2nd time for us, but the 2018 trip we will add our 2 children and 3 grandchildren. When are you going? We go on the June 22-29 Adventure.

 

[2-pointdoe]

My husband and I also booked Italy 2018. 2nd time for us, but the 2018 trip we will add our 2 children and 3 grandchildren. When are you going? We go on the June 22-29 Adventure.

That's the one we are on. Our kids are 34, 31, 28, and 9, and we have 2 grand kids that are almost 9 and almost 1. (no those aren't typos, LOL) We are only bringing the 9 year old daughter. How old are your grandkids?

 

[Minniedoc]

Just booked my first ABD too - Italy June 5-12, 2018

Yippee!

 

[scottmel]

Hi which Italy trips are you doing? I am looking at June 2018 for the one that has the pasta makig...not the one in northern Italy. Have you purchased plane fare yet? ? How did you research who to fly etc?

 

[jackienut]

Hi which Italy trips are you doing? I am looking at June 2018 for the one that has the pasta makig...not the one in northern Italy. Have you purchased plane fare yet? ? How did you research who to fly etc?

scottmel, I'm not sure if you were asking a specific poster, but we are doing June 22-29, 2018--starting point of Adventure is Rome, then Tuscany, and ending in Venice.
There IS pasta making on this Adventure. We have a pre and post night booked. No airfare yet.

 

[scottmel]

scottmel, I'm not sure if you were asking a specific poster, but we are doing June 22-29, 2018--starting point of Adventure is Rome, then Tuscany, and ending in Venice.
There IS pasta making on this Adventure. We have a pre and post night booked. No airfare yet.

That's the one we are looking at too same week! I will assume you priced airfare through them? Are you watching a certain website to know when to get the airfare? We looked at united and American and delta.

 

[2-pointdoe]

Airfare can't be booked until august and I will be watching it some but I am just booking air through our TA through Disney. We will book our hotel pre nights after we arrange airfare, planning on arriving 2 days early but not planning on a post night.

You might try cheap o air or kayak where you can compare lots of flights and airlines. Don't forget to look at some of the foreign airlines too like iceland air, british airways etc.

My daughter really wants to see the leaning tower of Pisa and Pompeii so we trying to figure out if we can squeeze those in. Maybe pompeii on one of our pre stay days and pisa from florence on our own time time. I have time to work it out. LOL Anyone tried either of these senarios?

That's the one we are looking at too same week! I will assume you priced airfare through them? Are you watching a certain website to know when to get the airfare? We looked at united and American and delta.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

Airfare can't be booked until august and I will be watching it some but I am just booking air through our TA through Disney. We will book our hotel pre nights after we arrange airfare, planning on arriving 2 days early but not planning on a post night.

You might try cheap o air or kayak where you can compare lots of flights and airlines. Don't forget to look at some of the foreign airlines too like iceland air, british airways etc.

My daughter really wants to see the leaning tower of Pisa and Pompeii so we trying to figure out if we can squeeze those in. Maybe pompeii on one of our pre stay days and pisa from florence on our own time time. I have time to work it out. LOL Anyone tried either of these senarios?

We didn't do either of those on our time in Italy, BUT I know at least one person in our group arrived early and went to Pompeii before returning to Rome to start the trip. It sounded quite doable.

 

[Minniedoc]

I am doing the June 5-12 2018 trip to Rome, Venice, Florence & Tuscany

 

[mapsd]

Airfare can't be booked until august and I will be watching it some but I am just booking air through our TA through Disney. We will book our hotel pre nights after we arrange airfare, planning on arriving 2 days early but not planning on a post night.

You might try cheap o air or kayak where you can compare lots of flights and airlines. Don't forget to look at some of the foreign airlines too like iceland air, british airways etc.

My daughter really wants to see the leaning tower of Pisa and Pompeii so we trying to figure out if we can squeeze those in. Maybe pompeii on one of our pre stay days and pisa from florence on our own time time. I have time to work it out. LOL Anyone tried either of these senarios?

On our Italy ABD, part of our group did a side-trip to Pisa during our free day in Tuscany (not worth it IMO for a quick photo-op, but understand that it's on kid's bucket list. We swam and did laundry!)

Highly recommend Pompeii/Amalfi Coast!
What we did:
-flew into Rome, dropped most bags @ ABD hotel for storage and took bullet train to Naples, local train to Sorrento. The train is a blast! 200+mph! Swam and battled jetlag.
-next morning, hired a local driver to take our family down the Amalfi Coast. It wound up being our favorite day of our trip!
-next morning took train back to Rome with a morning stop at Pompeii (they have a safe luggage storage at the station)

Hilton Sorrento Palace has family rooms, great included breakfast with views of the Med. Sea and Vesuvius, and a pool that beats many Magic Kingdom hotels.

I'd do it the same way again (unless flight into Naples is doable).

 

[2-pointdoe]

Fantastic. We plan on having 2 full days before our tour starts. I guess we will have to decide if we want to make it an overnight or just a day trip. hopefully our TA can take care of most of it.

We actually considered the Amalfi coast tour but as my daughter will be 10, I wanted to make sure she got to see the most 'big ticket' items that we could.

On our Italy ABD, part of our group did a side-trip to Pisa during our free day in Tuscany (not worth it IMO for a quick photo-op, but understand that it's on kid's bucket list. We swam and did laundry!)

Highly recommend Pompeii/Amalfi Coast!
What we did:
-flew into Rome, dropped most bags @ ABD hotel for storage and took bullet train to Naples, local train to Sorrento. The train is a blast! 200+mph! Swam and battled jetlag.
-next morning, hired a local driver to take our family down the Amalfi Coast. It wound up being our favorite day of our trip!
-next morning took train back to Rome with a morning stop at Pompeii (they have a safe luggage storage at the station)

Hilton Sorrento Palace has family rooms, great included breakfast with views of the Med. Sea and Vesuvius, and a pool that beats many Magic Kingdom hotels.

I'd do it the same way again (unless flight into Naples is doable).

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

We were still green on this ABD and came in the day it started! Never again! Jet Lag was awful. Felt Oh SO much better by Day 2!

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I think two days ahead of a trip like that is the perfect amount of time. You have one full day to do anything you like, and you're far more rested when the tour actually starts!

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

I think two days ahead of a trip like that is the perfect amount of time. You have one full day to do anything you like, and you're far more rested when the tour actually starts!

I agree. We came one day early to Central Europe and had the morning before the Tour to play. There was this Beer Spa in Prague...

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

We also went to Pisa during our time in Florence. While the tower itself was gorgeous and a fun photo op, it wasn't worth it IMHO. Other than the area immediately by the tower, it was a cheesy tourist trap. Should have enjoyed more time in Florence that day instead.

The trip is amazing! You will love it!!

Laurie

 

[2-pointdoe]

Getting closer to trip time!!!
So very excited.

 

[AllthingsDisMom]

Beer spa in Prague you say? Now I'm intrigued

I agree. We came one day early to Central Europe and had the morning before the Tour to play. There was this Beer Spa in Prague...

 

[tink1970]

Beer Spa Bernard is in the basement of Hotel Metamorphosis--it sounds like a lot of fun! I'm sure there are others- just read about this one over the weekend.