Hello everyone,
I have read many of the posts here and have seen that this community gives wonderful advice. My situation somewhat differs from many other posters, though, in that I am in the beginning of my trip planning and therefore I'm more flexible. My sister and I have dreamed of going to Europe, Italy in particular, for many years and so we have decided to make it happen. Of course, the US dollar is barely worth the paper it's printed on these days compared to European currency so we need suggestions that are as cheap as possible without sacrificing too much quality. Likewise, we are planning on surprising our mother with the trip as an early Christmas gift. So in all we are three young ladies ranging in age from 57 to 31. We were thinking of traveling in September or October but certainly are open to other times if they are better. Essentially our goal is to see as much as possible. I have to admit, though, that the tourist hot spots are on our "must see" list as we know this is probably a once in a lifetime thing for us. The goal is to go from Rome to Milan with perhaps Florence and Venice in between. Now from reading it doesn't seem that Milan is one of those "must see" places so I'm wondering is it even worth making the trip there? We are debating between doing an escorted tour or just riding the trains on our own. I am wondering which would be better for us considering none of us speak a word of any other language except English. How easy is it to get to and from the trains? I live in New York City so I know all about subway maps and such but I have no idea if this is the same as that? Now we would like our trip to be no more than 14 days and as action packed as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, in that time frame could we possibly squeeze another country in say Spain, France, or Greece? Thanks
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<hr>Also, in that time frame could we possibly squeeze another country in say Spain, France, or Greece? <hr></blockquote>
The answer to this is clearly no, you do not have time to queeze another country.
In 14 days you should concentrate on Italy. I suggest Rome, Florence and Venise adding Verone between Florence and Venise and if you want more, then plan to go south to see Pompeï and Sorento.
Take your time and enjoy to the fullest what you see.
Have a nice trip.
Another suggestion that should be fun: go to a public library and get 6 to 9 books on Italy and share the duty to read them with your 2 partners; then buy a bottle of Chianti and start discussing your plan. Your travel plan should naturally flow from the bottle, "In Vino Veritas" as Jules Cesar would say (or was it Al Capone?)
September will be the best one,while October is a little cold at night (I'm talking about Rome, naturally).
Don't forget to buy a Roma-pass for the monuments of Rome. The cost is 20 euros and you have the two first visits for free
(Colosseum: 11 euros and Catacombs on the Appian Way: 5 euros).
Here for any question,"babies" (57 to 31 ! lol )
Given your time frame, stick to the Rome-Florence-Venice trajectory (Milan doesn't really compare). It would be a good idea to add in a smaller town or two in between for the variety and contrast, eg Siena, Verona ... many to choose from.
Taking trains is easy enough. Do it on your own. It will be a lot more fun, even with the odd slip-up or moment of confusion. Venice is a walking city anyway. And a moderate bit of pre-planning will help you figure out the bus systems of the other cities, to the limited extent that you would need them.
Here's a listing of inexpensive hotels that you can browse for ideas.
September-October is a good time. With all respect, #4 might be sounding too pessimistic about the evening temperatures in October. Maybe 'cold' from a local perspective, but have a sweater for the evenings and it should be OK. I'd have thought mid-september to early october gets you past the summer peak and still with the good weather.
You should manage OK with English. It will depend somewhat on exactly where you go. And it won't hurt to try out a few words and phrases of Italian, just for the fun of it.
One other bit of advice: plan in some time to rest and assimilate what you have experienced. Very often a bit less is a lot more. Perhaps a couple of key attractions per day, interspersed liberally with street wandering and sitting at cafes in the piazzas...people-watching and absorbing the atmosphere is also a 'must-do'.
Skip Milan; "must see" are Rome, Florence and Venice but if you want to see something else than cities, visit the Amalfi coast (Amalfi, Ravello, Positano, SOrrento, Capri) that is wonderful. It's easy to get to train stations as they are in the centre of the city and as these cities are so full of tourist at the ticket offices they speak english and you will not have problems to have information (you don't need an escorted tour). About trains you have to know that there are different kind of trains : Eurostar (the fastest one and most expensive), Intercity (fast, less expensive than Eurostar), Espresso (fast, maybe less expensive than Intercity), Interregionale or regionale (cheap but slow).
I agree with the general thrust of all the posters above. My advice too would be not to do so much that you are constantly "on the road" and thus never give yourself the time to chill out and take in the real Italy .... which is often found off the beaten track. Some of my greatest pleasures in travelling to Italy over the past 20 years have been sitting in cafes and people watching!
I spent 22 days in Italy (just got back) and still didn't get to see and do everything I wanted to. I spent 5 days in Rome and all of the rest of the time in Tuscany, Umbria and Cinque Terre. Like you, this was my first trip, so did a lot of the touristy, "must-see" stuff. I would recommend that you try to spend at least some time in the Tuscan or Umbrian hills, and if you go in September you would be able to experience harvest activities at the wineries.
Since there are three of you, renting a small apartment in Rome might be the best way to save a bit of money on lodging costs, especially if you get one with a kitchen and so don't have to depend on cafes for everything you eat and drink. In restaurants, there is almost always a service charge for the bread they bring you, I compensated for this by never ordering appetizers, desert or side dishes.
Milan was not on my "must see list" and would recommend that you drop it, but there have been some pro-con discussions on this board that you might want to check out.
I travelled on my own, no escorted tours, but did take an escorted day tour from Siena to the chianti region, which included visits to a small town, a wine tour and tasting, and the most spectacular scenery imaginable. Although 35 Euro per person is more than I would usually pay for a day trip, this was worth it as I don't drive and so got to experience aspects of the country I would not have seen on my own. If you are confident drivers, you may want to consider renting a car for a few days as the best way to see the countryside and small towns. I noticed that traffic was very light in both Tuscany and Umbria, once you got away from urban areas like Florence and Siena.
English speakers are everywhere in any area with tourist services, including Rome, Florence, Sienna and even wine country. Finally, as someone who falls in the middle of the age range of your group, definitely plan for some down time. You are going to be spending lots of time climbing hills and stairs (and there is always, always another flight of stairs to climb), so allow youself a half day every few days to just relax.
Buongiorno Jeriinitaly, I don't know where your flight will arrive and where you will depart to go back to the States. So I am just giving my suggestion: the last week of September and the first of October would be good for the price.( and less people).
Four days in Rome If you see www.rometurismo.it you will found what you have to see in 24/48 hours ( the site is in English too). Two days in Sorrento ( three hours from Rome by train) From there you can visit the gorgeous Amalfi coast ( Positano and Amalfi) and the island of Capri with its Blue Grotto. Further Pompei is only 30 minutes by train from Sorrento. Three days in Florence ( the fast train from Naples to Florence will takes three hours and half and will cost Euro 60 per person apx. Please keep the luggage next to you). From Florence you can do a day trip to Siena. From Florence you can reach Milan in three hours by train .Two days in Milan ( all other persons in the forum will argue, but .......sorry Milan is my city) where you can visit "The Last Supper " by Leonardo da Vinci ( you have to book in advance ) and making a day trip to the Lake Region ( Lago di Como and/or Lago Maggiore) . Two days in Venice ( from Milan you can reach Venice with the fast train in three hours=) You can do this itinerary all by train (excluding some one day trip). This is just to have an idea of what to see, if you need other detailed information write another message. Buon Viaggio Giancarlo (italyinexpensively.com)
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