Planning a trip to Italy-any help would be great!!

[1disney25]

Hi!

My DH and I have started talking about taking two weeks this summer and touring Italy. We'd like to go to Rome, Venice and a few more areas, but don't know much about anything there! (How far apart places are, how long it takes to get to each place). If anyone has any hotel recommendations, or websites to go to that would be wonderful. Also, we don't want to rent a car, how is the train system? And where else should we go? Also, how many days should we spend in each location (I'm sure some places don't need as much time as others). Oh and most importantly, we are on a budget!!
And if you have photos you wouldn't mind posting, that would be great as well!!

Thank you so much in advance!!!

 

[chell]

Lucky you! I don't know a thing but I sure do hope you share your pictures and stories with us when you get back.

 

[escape]

My husband and I went to Italy last summer. We had a blast. We spent 5 days in Rome and 4 days in Florence.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to check out the Bed & Breakfasts in the areas you want to travel. They are usually cheaper and the service is incredible. I'm used to staying in 4 & 5 star hotels so I wasn't sure we would like this setup. However, we were very happy with the 2 we stayed in.

The one in Rome, Daphne Inn, is run by an American and her Italian husband. Elyssa provided the best "concierge service" and gave us many valuable tips in exploring Rome. Another thing I liked about the Daphne Inn is that they provide you with a cell phone the whole time you are staying there. This comes in handy in case you have an emergency or you need to call the Daphne Inn for directions or to make dinner reservations, etc. You are only charged for the calls you make and the price is very reasonable. My husband actually had a problem with a tooth and had to call his dentist in Arkansas. The call was very cheap. We ended up calling his parents 2 or 3 times while in Rome and the total cost of our phone bill was $8.00. Not bad!!!

The B&B we stayed at in Florence was nice too! It is run by a Canadian and her Italian husband. Gabrielle was very helpful and had lots of stories to tell. Plus, she had very good breakfast choices. So did Daphne Inn! The only problem with this B&B is that it is located on the third floor of a converted museum....with no elevator. That really wasn't a problem for us but I can see where that might not work for some folks. The work that Gabrielle and husband put into the B&B is incredible and the rooms are very comfortable...complete with a private bathroom. Plus, there is a terrace on the rooftop overlooking parts of Florence. Very nice!

If you need additional information on these B&Bs, just let me know.

As far as touring Italy, I'd limit it to 2 or 3 cities. There's so much to see and do....I'd hate to be packing and unpacking a lot. Besides, you can always plan another trip. Our next trip to Italy will be in the Northern part....Italian lakes area and maybe southern Switzerland. I can't wait!

 

[SwedishMeatball]

You could bring me along to help carry your bags and stuff.

 

[saucymb]

Be careful about when you plan to travel, as summer in Italy (and most of Europe) can be very crowded and at time downright unpleasant with the heat and tourists. Italy is especially hot during the summer. Also, in August many places close as locals tend to take their holidays at that time.

I agree with Escape, it's a good idea to limit your cities to 2-3 for that time period. At the most, 2 per week.

Train travel around Italy and Europe in general is relatively inexpensive and reliable. Check into getting an Italian rail pass, the prices are good and you wouldn't be bothered with buying individual tickets (though if you do go in the summer, you will want to be sure to make reservations which may carry an additional cost). Time-wise, travel between most cities should be less than a half day.

I used to be a travel agent for a budget travel company, and we constantly were helping people plan trips for people on tight budgets. If you would like information about that company, pm me. Especially if either you or your DH is a teacher or student.

 

[bekkiz]

In the summer of 2004 we travelled throughout the country. We began in Northen Italy (Milan etc) and ended as far south as Bari (which is pretty far south.) We travelled by car.

The two highlights: Florence and the Cinque Terre. I am not a fan of Rome, but I've been there twice, and it does have a lot of good sites to see. Venice is nice, but expensive.

Here is a full trip report and loads of pictures--feel free to look through, and I'm more then happy to answer any questions!

http://www.adamlyon.com/trips/italy2004/

Here's a couple of preview pictures:

The town we stayed in, just south of the Cinque Terre, called Portovenere

I don't know the name of this lake, but it's near the Swiss alps

 

[OhMari]

You got good advice about the B&B's. 11 years ago we stayed at the Hilton in Rome. We took the bullet train to Florence and we actually flew to Venice. If you are not strained for time, then I would travel by bus or car. There is a lot to see between, but it is a distance.

There is so much to see just alone in Rome.

 

[DisneyTarheel]

I would split your time between Venice, Florence and Rome. High speed (Eurostar) rail is available between all three cities. In fact, to get from Venice to Rome you would go through Florence, so the cities are well situated to hit in sequence. Don't bring too many bags if you plan to use the trains. Venice to Florence will take around 2 1/2 to 3 hours, Florence to Rome about 90 minutes to 2 hours.

 

[tiggerlover]

I don't have a lot of time at the moment, but wanted to reply. I lived in Italy for 8-1/2 years and would be happy to help any way that I can. First let me say that if you are planning a summer trip, DO NOT GO IN AUGUST! Most of Europe is on holiday in August and it is the worst time for an American to visit. If you can go before the 10th of July you will get cheaper rates as before that is still considered off season. Early to late June is a great time to visit. The Euro Rail system in Italy is wonderful and a great way to see the country at a decent price. Here is a link to the Euro Rail site: http://www.trenitaliaplus.com/index.html hopefully this will be of some help to you. If I were planning a trip to Italy I would spend a minimum of 10 days (due to jet lag and getting the best trip for your money). I would start in Rome and spend at least 3 days there (a decent hotel, right near the Vatican is Hotel Alimandi http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/...views-Hotel_Alimandi_Vaticano-Rome_Lazio.html, it is not posh, but it is clean, convenient and we had a very pleasant stay). If you have time to add to your trip I would make a side trip south to Sorrento for a night or two, from here you can not only tour Sorrento, but you can also hit the Isle of Capri and or Pompeii. If this isn't an added option I would head to Florence for a night or two (depending how into museums you are). I have been to Florence a couple of times, but it is not my favorite city. From Florence I would go to Venice for at least two nights, this is a wonderful city that has a lot of character and is fun to explore. From Venice I would head to Verona a quaint little city that is home to the outdoor opera, Romeo and Juliet's house and many other things of interest. A definite must from here is a 30 min. side trip to Lago di Garda. There is a great hotel here, but I would have to look up that information later. I could go on and on forever as I truly love Italy. I have some pictures somewhere around here, I have been posting them for years...however I can't find them in my search. Feel free to PM me and I will answer the best that I can.

Happy Planning!!

 

[tiggerlover]

Here is the hotel we stayed at on Lake Garda http://en.venere.com/hotels_bardolino/hotel_gardenia_villa_charme.html?ref=4423 it was a great hotel within walking distance of some fantastic restaurants and the lake. We spent around 4 or 5 nights here and it truly was memorable!

 

[skiwee1]

We lived in Italy for two years. That was about 23 months too long! When you plan your trip please make sure you know when things are open and closed. We lived in Brindisi but traveled around whenever we got the chance. We went up to Rome and saved the last day for the Colloseum. It was a Wednesday and we found out that it was closed on Wednesday! Who know they closed ruins one day a week! So please plan everything!

 

[Sleepy]

I agree with what the others have said. Also, keep in mind that things close REALLY early. If I remember correctly, the Sistine Chapel closed at 2:30pm. It takes a long time to get through. Get there really early as the line to get inside is VERY long and there is no shade where you have to wait. I would get there by catching a cab from the Vatican. It only costs a few bucks. Unless of course, you enjoy walking a long distance uphill. Everything else closes early too. Make sure you see everything during the day and also at night. Has a wonderful effect with the lights. If you are into Hard Rock Cafe's, there is one in Rome.

We did Florence in one afternoon. The touristy areas are all in about a 4 block location and easy to walk. Florence was not my fav city either. Not much to see, but we found one fab restaurant. It's called...."Buzzino" and it is on Via dei Leoni 8R. (not far from the Statue of David Piazza.) They are closed on Mondays. It;s a small family owned place and you can see "Mama" cooking. I recommend the spaghetti with mixed meats. Absolutely the best food I have ever eaten. Go ahead and order the caprese with mozzarella di Bufala......while this is a regional food of Naples (mozzarella), it was not that bad here. They have it brought in for their restaurant. Basically, it is a dish of sliced tomatoes and mozzarella with olive oil and basil. They make their own olive oil for the restaurant and it was so good we bought some to take home. Also have the house wine....very good. You can buy that too if you ask.

I also recommend Sorrento. You can shop for hours and hours. Just keep in mind shops close in the early afternoon and open again around 4ish.

Haggle on the souvies. Never pay the price they ask for. If they say no, walk away. They will probably chase after you

 

[escape]

Personally, I don't think a half a day in Florence is enough. There is so much to see and do in the area ... even to see the typical tourist traps takes more time than that.

One good reason to stay in Florence for a few days is that you can use it as a base to see surrounding Tuscany towns. My husband and I took a day trip to visit Sienna (too crowded for me but seems to be a favorite for a lot of tourists) and San Gimignano (loved it!). For lunch, we stopped at a working farm/winery in the Tuscanny countryside that caters to small groups of tourists. It was wonderful! My husband said that was the best meal he had during our whole trip....and we ate a lot of good food! From Florence, you can also take side trips to Lucca, Pisa, and the Chianti area.

 

[cuterlt]

How wonderful!!! I was lucky enough to go to Europe back in 1995. I'm sure some of my info is outdated, but it was the trip of a lifetime. I had a dear friend whose DH was stationed in Ansbach, Germany. I took 2-1/2 weeks off of work, and flew into Frankfurt. We bought Eurail passes (I think they were 21 day passes). We only went to their home once during the trip for a couple days to rest, do laundry, and visit the sights in Germany.
Our trip was pretty loose - the Eurail passes came with a schedule of stops and maps. There were several places I wanted to see, so we did a lot in a very short period of time. I don't remember *everywhere* we went, but we started in Frankfurt, went to Venice, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Paris, Nice, Monaco, Amsterdam (for the Van Gogh Museum - wonderful!), Neuschwanstein (sp?) castle, some other places in Germany. I'm sure I'm missing some places we went....
When we arrived at each train station, we went to the visitor's office (I don't remember what it was called) and asked for a hotel room close to the train station, and walked to the hotel from the train station. I think the only time we took a cab was to our room in Florence.
Most rooms were under $30, with the most expensive room being about $120 or so in Amsterdam.
My favorite place was Venice.
Make sure you take luggage with rollers. And pack light! You do NOT want to have to carry stuff. On the first day of my trip at the Frankfurt airport, one of the rollers on my luggage broke! that part of the trip was a pain!
Most of the places we ate were like cafeterias - so you could see what you were ordering before you ordered it. My friend had a minimal knowledge of the language and we took a little translation book just in case. I would get at least a minimal knowledge of the language in the country you're visiting... A very helpful question - "where is the bathroom?"

I loved the Eurail - pretty clean overall, and it was pretty empty when we went. The trains were always on time and felt very safe. We only had one stop that was wierd - and had to go through customs, even though we crossed countries a few times.
My memory is that there was pretty good public transit in the major cities. I remember being able to use our Eurail pass in Paris and Rome? I think that's right.....
What a wonderful trip!

 

[PrincessDeb]

I've never been to Italy yet but I am always planning at trip (just like Disney)! I can't wait to go. One website that I have really enjoyed is ricksteves.com. His company runs tours but even if you're not interested in that, they have a wealth of info on the website (alot on the train system) and also some very good books for sale with guides to each city.
I enjoy reading the trip reports that people post on his site. Thanks to the person who posted the link to theirs on this thread!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Personally, I prefer Florence to Rome. It's been over 10 years since I was there, but I just remember it as cleaner, prettier, not as hectic, with better shopping. Don't miss the Galleria dell'Accademia, where the David statue is housed. (You'll see copies of the David statue all over the place, but realize the real one is indoors in the Galleria dell'Accademia.) The Uffizi Gallery is wonderful, as well, with many works by famous artists such as Michaelangelo, da Vinci, Botticelli, etc, (and who's the other Ninja Turtle? )

I love shopping on the beautiful and quaint Ponte Vecchio (a bridge covered with shops). Il Duomo and Campanile di Giotto are also beautiful to see and if you climb to the top, you get beautiful views of the city.

Of course, Rome and Venice are wonderful, too. You couldn't go wrong visiting either one of those, either. I also loved Capri and the famous Blue Grotto. Haven't been to the Cinque Terre, but hear it's fabulous.

I will echo the suggestion to avoid August because of the heat and crowds.

Have fun!

 

[1disney25]

Thank you so much for all of this wonderful information (feel free to keep it coming ). I can't wait to start looking up all of these places and areas.

Again, THANK YOU for your help!!!

 

[Sleepy]

Personally, I don't think a half a day in Florence is enough. There is so much to see and do in the area ... even to see the typical tourist traps takes more time than that.

It depends on how much time a person gets caught up in those touristy traps. Everyone has their own preference. One person might think getting a snapshot of a building is enough and another thinks walking inside and gazing for 30 minutes is very important. Some find shopping important and others not. One might be satisfied with a slice of pizza and others need the 2 hour full experience of dining. All I was saying is that for the person who is severely limited on amount of touring time in ALL of Italy, inner Florence COULD be done in an afternoon if they only hit the high spots. In 6 hours, we were able to see all the high spots, eat a full dinner, take a carriage ride and spend time along the river. The average person has no desire to visit Naples. I could tell you the quick tour would take part of a day but if you want the full experience of all of Naples AND see what the entire surrounding area has to offer, it would take a few weeks. Personally, there is more to see and do in the Naples area than in Florence.

 

[escape]

..... All I was saying is that for the person who is severely limited on amount of touring time in ALL of Italy, inner Florence COULD be done in an afternoon if they only hit the high spots.

I agree with that. If someone is wanting to tour all of Italy in a short period of time, then you can see highlights of Florence in less than a day and then move on. And, I'm sure that there is a lot to do in the Naples area. Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii and Herculaneum, Amalfi Coast, Mt. Vesuvius.....just to name a few. I can't wait to visit there! But, I want to do it justice....I don't just want to visit one day and move on and I'll bet a lot of people do just that! They don't really get to know the area and its hidden treasures.

Like you said, it really boils down to what you want out of your trip. I've done it both ways. I've experienced the whirlwind trips....those that you visit a few hours here, a few hours there....just to get a snapshot view of the different areas. This can be good in that you can determine which areas you would like to spend more time in on a future trip. The bad thing with this is that you might overlook something in a particular area that had you known about, you would have definitely included it in your future plans.

For me now, I like to take in an area and get to know it a little better. And, I'm not one for 2 hour lunches or a lot of shopping. I like to hustle, hustle, hustle on a trip. I want to see it all....until my feet and body decide otherwise.

The next time I go to Italy, I will probably either go to the Italian lakes area and Southern Switzerland or visit Naples and the Southern region of Italy. Will you be my tour guide in Naples? Or, maybe you can give me some good advice as to what to see and what to avoid.

 

[Sleepy]

escape, Anytime you need some advice about Naples, let me know. I will do what I can to help you out. I spend several hours downtown everyday while my son is in dance class at the San Carlo. I'm all about people watching and noticing what is going on around me.....from the begger man that makes his rounds in one of the train stations to the man who walks his dogs every evening on the same route and that crazy lady on the bus who gets into arguments is a hoot! One thing I enjoyed was running into some American tourists in a small meat shop. They were in on a cruise and just looking. I had the shop owner give them a few samples of cheese and then some prosciutto. One of the ladies said "OMG! Look at the amount of fat in that ham!" I said yes, and you are on vacation and should enjoy it because you may never have this opportunity again. We run into Americans now and then and it is always nice to give them tips even if it is how to save time on public transportation (which I am an expert on now) . I think the funniest experience was the man who (I forget what nationality) saw me in front of the San Carlo and asked me why I was there. I explained. He asked me if I liked Naples and I said Yes, I do. He then said.....it's ok to look at, but not the best place to live. He said "Naples is like a salad without the salt." Interesting way to put it.

While doing the tours of Italy at a very slow pace in order to see those not so touristy things is great, nothing beats living here. Imagine walking into a vegetable shop for your weekly eggs, potatoes (10 lbs for 1Euro), onions and tomatoes and getting free fresh basil....just because...oh, and because you only got 2 tomatoes, they will throw those in free as well.