Italy help needed!

[Tinkerbelle32]

Hi all! We have decided to either go to Rome or Venice while we are in London during spring break. We haven't been to either. Please give me your thoughts on both, good and bad please. I guess I should let you all know it will be hubby, myself and two daughters aged 7 and 9. Thanks for all the help! Jenn

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Hi all! We have decided to either go to Rome or Venice while we are in London during spring break. We haven't been to either. Please give me your thoughts on both, good and bad please. I guess I should let you all know it will be hubby, myself and two daughters aged 7 and 9. Thanks for all the help! Jenn

My old advice is that Rome is a lot of walking. Are your girls interested in the history behind it? I love Rome but i was exhausted after leaving there. In Europe in general, there is a lot of theft. So never let your girls carry their own money. Oh and warn them that American "Italian" food is not what you will find in the restaurants

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

We love walking so that will not be a problem. The girls love Germany and Paris so far. Silly question, but does pizza taste the same?

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Choose Rome. Venice was lovely, but it went onto my list of "Cities you can see in a day." Seriously, all the neat historical stuff is pretty much within a 4 block radius. Rome, however, would take longer than a week to see everything. The Vatican itself is a day long excursion. Plus, Rome is a short train ride from both Florence (which should not be missed) and Sorrento (the gateway to Pompeii). Personally, I cannot wait to go back to Rome, it is possibly the most fascinating city I have ever been to.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Thanks for your help guys. We would be in Venice or Rome for 3 nights. Do you still think Rome is the way to go?

 

[java]

Well I LOVED Venice and went during that time frame. It was lovely and tons of fun. BUT I was only there for 3 days- I don't know if I could be entertained for a week there. and it is out in the middle of nowhere land kind of.

Rome is well it's Rome! There's the Vatican which is amazing in and of itself. Then all of the fountains. The shopping. Being closer to other cities too for mini trips. Florence is a great city too. Plus I think it is about 2 and a half hours to get to Naples to catch a little hydroplane boat thingie over to Capri! Ah Capri! Anacapri! Now that to me is ITALY!

OK so sounds like my vote would be home base it at Rome but travel around.

Oh wait I just saw the 3 day thing VENICE!!! is my vote!

 

[SueInBoston]

DIS is amazing, i was just coming on here to ask a question and lo and behold, a thread on Italy already

Can anyone recommend a tour company? flight & hotel & walking tours? My friend's son is studying abroad in Italy and we (me and 2 other GFs) just decided to do a quick trip to visit her son. We want to do a tour because we want to go in beginning of Nov, not a whole lot of time to plan and research.

TIA

Sue

 

[TLSnell1981]

Choose Rome. Venice was lovely, but it went onto my list of "Cities you can see in a day." Seriously, all the neat historical stuff is pretty much within a 4 block radius. Rome, however, would take longer than a week to see everything. The Vatican itself is a day long excursion. Plus, Rome is a short train ride from both Florence (which should not be missed) and Sorrento (the gateway to Pompeii). Personally, I cannot wait to go back to Rome, it is possibly the most fascinating city I have ever been to.

I agree. There is much more to see and do in Rome. The Vatican is a must see. Absolutely amazing. Also, Venice is very expensive....not just expensive but, way overpriced. It was beyond ridiculous. I think Venice is an overnight trip at the most. We spent two nights and it was more than enough.

 

[Briarmom]

You must go to Rome. MUST.

And to answer your other question, no, pizza doesn't taste the same. It tastes so much better. I don't think I'll be able to eat American pizza ever again.

 

[brasswillow]

Hi all! We have decided to either go to Rome or Venice while we are in London during spring break. We haven't been to either. Please give me your thoughts on both, good and bad please. I guess I should let you all know it will be hubby, myself and two daughters aged 7 and 9. Thanks for all the help! Jenn

This summer my friend and I spent 6 weeks backpacking Europe. We spent about a week spent about a week in Italy, and 3 days in Rome (well actually we stayed outside of Rome in Ostia, a town about an hours train ride from Rome). We stayed in a hostel that was as nice as any hotel that had views of the beach and ocean. I loved it!

All this to say, I would vote Rome. A fun day trip is Cinque Terre.

One more thing! When you go to Rome and the Vatican, make sure to stop off at The Old Bridge for gelato, HUGE scoops. Gelato in Rome tastes so much better than anywhere else in the world.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Choose Rome. Venice was lovely, but it went onto my list of "Cities you can see in a day." Seriously, all the neat historical stuff is pretty much within a 4 block radius. Rome, however, would take longer than a week to see everything. The Vatican itself is a day long excursion. Plus, Rome is a short train ride from both Florence (which should not be missed) and Sorrento (the gateway to Pompeii). Personally, I cannot wait to go back to Rome, it is possibly the most fascinating city I have ever been to.

I agree. There is much more to see and do in Rome. The Vatican is a must see. Absolutely amazing. Also, Venice is very expensive....not just expensive but, way overpriced. It was beyond ridiculous. I think Venice is an overnight trip at the most. We spent two nights and it was more than enough.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

We love walking so that will not be a problem. The girls love Germany and Paris so far. Silly question, but does pizza taste the same?

I don't know what pizza tastes like in Kansas but probably no! We have an Italian section here in Boston (North End) which sells similar pizza to Italy but it doesn't take like the pizza you would get in your regular mom & pop pizza place. Basically, it doesn't have NEARLY as much topping.

 

[figment52]

DIS is amazing, i was just coming on here to ask a question and lo and behold, a thread on Italy already

Can anyone recommend a tour company? flight & hotel & walking tours? My friend's son is studying abroad in Italy and we (me and 2 other GFs) just decided to do a quick trip to visit her son. We want to do a tour because we want to go in beginning of Nov, not a whole lot of time to plan and research.

TIA

Sue

Ask this question over on the cruise board. People found some great tour companies when the Magic was there in 2007.

There is a hop on hop off touring bus in Rome and Ancient Rome is rather easy to navigate on foot if you have a good street map and are good with directions. The metro line is easy to navigate as well if you are at all familiar with those.

We did a self guided tour, we had maps and a list of what we wanted to seee and off we went. I can't wait to go back to Rome. I loved it.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I recommended Vatican Tours.. I believe that is their name to google to friends recently and they used them this past month, we used them last March. It was a private walking tour, bypassing the lines into the Vatican, which if you are planning on going, this is the way to do it. You have headphones, they take you through the Museum, St. Peter's, and the Sistine Chapel, it was amazing.

I did not go to Venice.. now if you were going to Sorrento.. I would pm you with a wonderful tourguide.. I love Italy.

 

[shortbun]

DIS is amazing, i was just coming on here to ask a question and lo and behold, a thread on Italy already

Can anyone recommend a tour company? flight & hotel & walking tours? My friend's son is studying abroad in Italy and we (me and 2 other GFs) just decided to do a quick trip to visit her son. We want to do a tour because we want to go in beginning of Nov, not a whole lot of time to plan and research.

TIA

Sue

Perillo may have tours in November. It's not exactly tour month.

Oh and OP: Rome would win hands down for a three day side trip with children

 

[MM27]

I'll go against the majority here and say I loved Venice so much more than Rome.

 

[Carpenters]

My son (17 at the time) went to Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome with his uncle in July, and Rome was his favorite by far. They booked one of the Vatican tours as well, and it helped bypass some huge lines.

 

[MoniqueU]

I vote rome as well, I have been to both rome and venice twice and I think there is more interesting stuff in Rome and that Venice is more of a couples romantic city. Even though the cobblestones in Rome KILL my feet.

Oh and if your girls like fettucini alfredo, the spaghetti carbonara in rome is even better. We stayed at the intcontinental de la ville at the top of the spanish steps. Very nice hotel and in a good location if you ask me. I felt very safe there, no problems for me even though I have heard all the pick pocket stories, I have never had a problem. I think the area directly around the vatican is kind of not my cup of tea as far as places to stay so you may want to check into that. And congrats on taking your girls, that is great. I can never talk my husband into taking our kids because the cost of 2 hotel rooms is prohibitive with a famiy of five and he doesn't think they will get it so so far they have only been to the caribbean and mexico.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Wow, thanks for all of the honest answers. My hubby's vote is for Rome, and mine was for Venice. I'm starting to lean towards Rome. I just hope 3 days will be enough. I'll keep you all posted!

 

[TLSnell1981]

Actually, Florence is my favorite place in the world to visit.