Trip to Italy- help me plan

[TLSnell1981]

Oh my goodness - thank you! Many things changed since I originally posted, and planning was put on pause for a long time until things settled a bit more. (my husband's stepdad's health was failing and he's been in and out of the hospital 4 times - via ambulance- since January.)

So, now, it's been decided we will only take our trip for 2 weeks, so that is anything DOES happen while we are gone, it will be a short enough trip to postpone any memorial plans.

So, that being said... the trip is much shorter than originally expected, so we are getting down to what we really want to do, although we already have a few days committed to family (more than I would like, but we're kind of stuck with it now.)

So, here's my current plan:
Sat 5/13-fly out
Sun 5/14- arrive in Rome in the morning (i hope) check in, get settled, explore. (Trevi Fountain? Spanish steps?)
Mon 5/15-Pompeii & Amalfi Coast day trip - 12 hr day!
Tues 5/16- Rome (colosseum tour)
Wed 5/17 Rome in morning (3-4 hr Vatican Tour?), then train to Beach house in Viareggio
Thurs 5/18- beach day in Viareggio
Fri 5/19- Beach (Pisa in morning?) and afternoon biking around Lucca
Sat 5/20 - Cinque Terre and Lemon Festival in Monterosso
Sun 5/21- Cinque Terre/ Portofino
Mon 5/22 - ?? Leave for farm in Grosetto (wedding is 3 miles from farm)
Tues 5/23- Explore Grosetto? wedding activities in evening.
Wed 5/24- Wedding
Thurs 5/25- Wedding
Fri 5/26 - Leave Grosetto and head to Florence
Sat 5/27 - Florence
Sun 5/28 - fly home from Florence


We are already ditching a day with family that I had previously committed to (5/26), but I really want to have more time in Florence. I wish we were doing more than beach days earlier in the trip, but I'm kind of stuck there- family commitments 5/17-5/27.... I'm more of a DO THINGS kind of vacationer, and i guess my sister is more a "lay on the beach" kind of vacationer.... We will see how this goes!

What do you think? Please make suggestions for alterations to my plans!

Personally I think you have a fairly aggressive itinerary planned for such a short trip. PP mentioned jet lag. It can put you down in a hurry. I change my sleeping schedule gradually the week before flying to help minimize the time change. I also make sure I sleep for most of the flight. You will likely be beat on arrival day and probably a bit of the next. Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast will be challenging. There is so much do and see in Rome and Florence.The Hop on off bus is a good way to visit the sights in Rome if you aren't familiar with the Metropolitana. Florence is much easier to walk. I am also a bit partial to Lucca...lots of little shops to visit too. Buca di Sant'Antonio is a nice restaurant near the Chiesa di San Michele It's one of the oldest restaurants in Lucca and specializes in regional dishes. It's open for lunch and dinner but you may need a reservation.

Most of all relax and soak up the ambiance. There is plenty in Italia!

PS
Nothing like an Italian wedding! They are amazing!

 

[RUDisney]

I have never had jet lag when traveling to Europe as long as I travel at night so I can sleep on the plane. When I've flown earlier, to arrive at 6:30 a.m., I am horribly jet lagged.

I try to fly out of Newark or JFK/LGA after 9 p.m. and then I don't have any issues being sleepy.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I have never had jet lag when traveling to Europe as long as I travel at night so I can sleep on the plane. When I've flown earlier, to arrive at 6:30 a.m., I am horribly jet lagged.

I try to fly out of Newark or JFK/LGA after 9 p.m. and then I don't have any issues being sleepy.

You are lucky. We fly overnight too. For me it’s a 10 hour flight to Europe….even longer if heading to Central or Eastern Europe.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Oh my goodness - thank you! Many things changed since I originally posted, and planning was put on pause for a long time until things settled a bit more. (my husband's stepdad's health was failing and he's been in and out of the hospital 4 times - via ambulance- since January.)

So, now, it's been decided we will only take our trip for 2 weeks, so that is anything DOES happen while we are gone, it will be a short enough trip to postpone any memorial plans.

So, that being said... the trip is much shorter than originally expected, so we are getting down to what we really want to do, although we already have a few days committed to family (more than I would like, but we're kind of stuck with it now.)

So, here's my current plan:
Sat 5/13-fly out
Sun 5/14- arrive in Rome in the morning (i hope) check in, get settled, explore. (Trevi Fountain? Spanish steps?)
Mon 5/15-Pompeii & Amalfi Coast day trip - 12 hr day!
Tues 5/16- Rome (colosseum tour)
Wed 5/17 Rome in morning (3-4 hr Vatican Tour?), then train to Beach house in Viareggio
Thurs 5/18- beach day in Viareggio
Fri 5/19- Beach (Pisa in morning?) and afternoon biking around Lucca
Sat 5/20 - Cinque Terre and Lemon Festival in Monterosso
Sun 5/21- Cinque Terre/ Portofino
Mon 5/22 - ?? Leave for farm in Grosetto (wedding is 3 miles from farm)
Tues 5/23- Explore Grosetto? wedding activities in evening.
Wed 5/24- Wedding
Thurs 5/25- Wedding
Fri 5/26 - Leave Grosetto and head to Florence
Sat 5/27 - Florence
Sun 5/28 - fly home from Florence


We are already ditching a day with family that I had previously committed to (5/26), but I really want to have more time in Florence. I wish we were doing more than beach days earlier in the trip, but I'm kind of stuck there- family commitments 5/17-5/27.... I'm more of a DO THINGS kind of vacationer, and i guess my sister is more a "lay on the beach" kind of vacationer.... We will see how this goes!

What do you think? Please make suggestions for alterations to my plans!

I still recommend you go to a soccer match for one of your fun days if your family would be open to it. The Italians have a special environment when it comes to “calcio”. If you don’t think your family would enjoy it, no hard feelings. I just wanted to put the suggestion out there one last time. Here is the list of Italian teams according to city/town, in case you did want to explore the option. I hope you have a great time. I have some Italian ancestry and hope to go there one day as well. Fai un buon viaggio!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_football_clubs_in_Italy

 

[sheilafri]

If you are overwhelmed at the planning I do not recommend renting a car. Even getting in and out of airports on the edge of town can be stressful. Don’t even try to drive into a city like Florence or Rome. For getting around Tuscany it should work. It will take two people—one to drive and one to navigate. Language probably won’t be a huge issue as most tourist-oriented businesses will have English speakers.

Rick Steves has guidebooks that do a pretty good job of identifying attractions that Americans like and explaining how to visit on the relatively cheap, and especially using public transportation. He does tend to overestimate how much you can get done in a day. I guess he has more stamina than I do.

I recommend a drink called a “shakerado”. It is an espresso, shaken with ice and sugar, served in a martini glass. Very refreshing picker-upper in the early afternoon. Sip one and people watch.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Hey there! Planning a trip to Italy sounds exciting!

To help you plan your adventure, research popular destinations like Rome, Florence, and Venice. Don't forget to include some hidden gems off the beaten path. Consider the duration of your trip, budget, and must-see attractions. It's also good to check out local cuisines and cultural experiences.

Oops wrong thread! Mi dispiace!