Going to Itlay, need advice

[MyGoofy26]

I can't wait to go to Italy. I too have cousins there MyGoofy26, and they have been here numerous times and always ask when we are going to come visit them. I tell them we have to probably wait a good 7 years for the kids to become teenagers and hopefully appreciate the country before we plan our trip. But several members of my family have gone to Italy and just loved it, and the pictures I have seen, just beautiful. What my family always raved about was the bread and cheese. Have fun OP

It's so convenient having family there - my cousin is AF and was stationed there up until the end of last summer. She's here til this summer and goes to Australia so at least we have a new vacation spot!

And yeah, the bread and cheese. . . my mouth's watering. LOL!

I'm ready to bust into the Limoncello in the freezer!

 

[rparmfamily]

You guys are really making me miss Italia!! We lived in southern Italy for 3 years. LOVED IT! Venice is one of my favorite cities and Roma is incredible as well. Make sure to take the elevator to the top of St Peter's Basillica and then climb the stairs into the dome. The view from the very top of the dome is amazing, you can see all of Rome. When we went to Venice, we actually stayed right outside Venice in a nice Holiday Inn!! It was near the train, so we just would hop the train to the island (Venice) and daytrip all day. Both Rome and Venice are easy to walk. Buy a travel pouch to put under your clothes (around your waist) to store your money/passport.

In Venice, make sure to go down the less traveled streets too, you'll find better pizza.

If you are good w/a map and friendly, I'd go by yourself too. No rush, and it's fun planning what to do. As long as you are around major Italian cities, people will speak English. Try some italian first though!

 

[luvdisney81]

I was there this time last year and it is amazing!! Ok so I'm a college student, meaning broke and I don't want someone telling me what to do all the time. The school used EFTours. We had wonderful little hotels, breakfast was always wonderful and included. The dinner's were the only thing I wished had been better. It was great tasting food, just once or twice in the 8day time frame, it was a little bland, felt like "feeding the army" instead of charming. We did go to a restaurant and made our own pizza, old world style!! The guide was wonderful, excited to share her knowledge, but never once pushy. She didn't yake away the bus ride to Pompeii, a beautiful trip. We also had a seperate guide for St. Peters, and Pompeii, and our original tour guide stuck with us. We had a ALOT of free time too if we wanted, never pressured to stay with the group. Times were given out for everything and you made the choice. We did everything in Rome, and it is very easy to get around there so do not be nervous navigating. The Subway is SIMPLE, and our tour guide gave us all the tips. She told us the meaning behind Italian sayings, how men will flirt, how woment should respond, and what you do in sticky situations. They had little side day trips to Florence and the Catacombs for a small amount. She even got us tickets to a Tarantella (traditional Italian musical). OK that is alot of info, sorry I just get so excited, short version EFTOURS EFTOURS

 

[PURTYPAT1]

Hi Everyone,

What "great" advice. I am going to look into, all of the above.

Now, I am really excited. I have some first hand experience travelers helping us, & steering us in the right direction.

We are going probably (Jersey week) Nov 2007. We have 2 tickets from American Airlines, for 600.00 each. We just need the hotels, & tours and food.

Has anyone gone in early Nov???? Is it too cold this time of year?

Thanks everyone, I love all of your reports & advice.

Patricia

 

[harleyquinn]

Great thread Patricia!!

Don't mean to hijack, but would anyone mind giving us an idea of what you spent, how long you stayed, and whether you went with a tour group or not?

I've been trying to plan our last no-kids vacation before DH and I start our family, but I thought going over to Europe would be crazy expensive!

Thanks!!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Our tour with Globus lasted 14 days. It began in Rome, and then we went to Pisa, Florence, Milan, Lake Maggiore, Lugano (Switzerland), Venice, Ravenna, Assisi, Sorento, Capri and back to Rome.

Our first night in any city included dinner with the tour group. Breakfast was included each day and was a modified American breakfast (more than a continental breakfast). Lunch was on our own unless we signed up for an additional excursion that also included the meal.

The cost was $2099 per person, double occupancy. Travel protection was an additional $99 per person. We arranged our own airfare at an additional cost of $1044 each via British Airways. Tipping the tourguides, bus driver and local guides was expected. Tipping in restaurants is not.

I think that I have more info on the cost of excursions tucked away with my tourbooks. The actual planning folder was right by my computer. It was not a cheap trip by any stretch of the imagination, but DH had promised me before we were married (20+ years ago) that we would go to Italy someday.

 

[BobsGirl]

I highly recommend Go Ahead Tours. I am not sure how they compare to other tour companies but I really like them. There web address is goaheadtours.com

 

[MyGoofy26]

The weather in November. . . not completely sure, but I know my cousin would call and say it was nice out. Really depends on where you are in Italy at the time, obviously, but the weather and seasons (given my cousin's updates, LOL) seemed to fall in line with what you'd expect from the Carolinas. Not sure if that helps.

I do know my cousin said that it rarely ever gets REAL cold. . . they have a pretty short winter . . . it may be chilly for months, but not unbearably so. Just an extra layer or something and you can run around with no problems.

 

[MyGoofy26]

Great thread Patricia!!

Don't mean to hijack, but would anyone mind giving us an idea of what you spent, how long you stayed, and whether you went with a tour group or not?

I've been trying to plan our last no-kids vacation before DH and I start our family, but I thought going over to Europe would be crazy expensive!

Thanks!!

I've been twice for 2 1/2-3 weeks each time. I spent a lot less than most since, as mentioned, I spent most of the time staying with family. Our airfare the first time was around $500 round trip, the second time it was $393 round trip (with just one layover both times - best you can do from PIT) That $393 was even Easter week flying into Rome! There are PLENTY of airfare deals to be had, especially in the offseason - just have to watch them and be willing to move your dates up a day or two to catch a specific fare.

We did have a hotel when we went to Ischia and Capri - stayed on Ischia. I can't remember, I think it was $100-150 euro a night, somewhere in that range. When we stayed in Rome for a few days on our own so family didn't have to play tour guide yet again, we got a hotel a block from Via Veneto for 120 euros a night. That one we were lucky, we booked it on Thursday for Friday through Monday. . . then the Pope died on Saturday and every hotel jacked their rates WAY up.

Meals are pretty cheap. You can get a pizza for about 4 euro, more if you're in a touristy area. We paid 9 euro in Piazza Navona but it was SO worth the extra money to sit outside in the middle of the Piazza and soak it all in. If you go, this place is called Tucci - EXCELLENT pizza and bruschetta. Other meals, you can have find places to get huge, full meals for under 20 euro. It's a matter of walking 15 feet down a side street off of a highly travelled place. Everyone wants in the main piazzas and the restaurants make you pay for it. . . the ones in the streets leading to the piazza are MUCH cheaper.

Souvenirs . . . we didn't really buy a whole lot. Most of the things I got were little trinkets, or buying things in the market or in one of the piazzas so there's room to bargain. Wine and Limoncello are things you need to stock up on while you're there though, LOL. Gotta budget for that.

In reality, Italy wasn't NEARLY as expensive as I thought it would be. I plan to go back eventually, and since my cousin doens't live there I won't have the luxury of mostof my accomodations free, LOL, but there are still a lot of deals to be had. Unless you go all out and splurge of 5 star hotels the whole way and first class airfare and private transfers from place to place, it's really no more expensive than a Disney vacation.

 

[PURTYPAT1]

Great Advice MyGoofy26 thanks

 

[MyGoofy26]

You're welcome! Have a great time!

Oh, and if you need to get in the mood, PM me your email address. I have a handful of Disney songs in Italian, LOL! They're so funny to listen to. Especially when they had to change "Supercalfragilisticexpialidocious" - in Italian it's "Supercalifragilisticespiralidoso"

 

[PURTYPAT1]

Any more advice? Keep them coming!!!!

 

[MyGoofy26]

I just got my new Budget Travel magazine today and there's a big section on Italy - specifically nice hotels on the Amalfi coast for about $125 a night. I haven't had much of a chance to do more than skim through, but you might want to look for the magazine and flip through. It seems to not only cover the Amalfi coast, but Capri as well. There's a section on how to get around that region too.

Oh how I wanna go back!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Plan to spend more than a day in Capri. It is heaven on earth! Do not buy any meal plan as it is nice to find little out of the way places to eat. The pizza in Rome is the best!!! Take time to enjoy the live music in the town squares at night while having an expresso. Bring lots of film!!! Stand in the coliseum and close your eyes. You can almost feel what it was like when it was a real arena. Make a wish at the fountain of youth in the Tivoli gardens. Try to go to the Murano glass factory to watch the blow the glass. Don't buy anything there as you can get it cheaper everywhere else. Take a ride on a gondola. Sigh.......I love Italy .....I can't wait to go back!

 

[rparmfamily]

I can't really give you a good idea of price because we we took the train the whole time. I know we went before Italy used the Euro, and the Lira was undervalued to the Dollar, so things seemed dirt cheap to us. Not anymore, but Italy is a ONCE in a lifetime type trip, I'd pick it over Disney anyday of the year. I also live close to Disney now, so we are spoiled once again! Thanks military! LOL

I also like Rick Steves because we like to be off the beaten path. I bought some good tour books and read up on the history and didn't feel the need for a tour. We are do-it-yourself type travellers anyway.