Rome and Florence

I'll be traveling to Rome and Florence within the month and am looking for suggestions for things not to miss; restaurants, etc.

Also, safety issues - what type of handbag is best to carry? Across the body? Small backpack?

Anything else I need to know? I've read I need to have change for public restrooms and bring my own toilet paper?

thanks!

you don't need to bring your own TP! Come on! sometimes you get to places in which it has not been replaced yet, but Italy is a country where people use it...

A bag across the body is fine. A backpack is fine, 2, but keep it in front when you're in public transportation. a fanny pack does the job, 2.

An inside pocket always makes you feel safer. You would keep passport, CCs and most of your cash and carry a wallet with just a few euros inside.

Just observe the same caution you would anywhere else in the world. Don't wander alone around isolated places, especially at night (major touristy sites are ok). When you get to a city, ask your hotel about areas you should avoid going alone.

Yeah, look it's really safe other than a couple of around train stations etc. as cresti says, just do what you's do anywhere else. Forget about that and concentrate of having fun!

I lived in Florence for a while. Make sure you book ahead by phone for the Uffizi 055 294883 (bizarre that people still queue for hours). Definitely see the Massacio frescos in the Brancacci chapel and walk up to San Miniato al Monte for the sunset - brilliant view fo the city and young italians having fun on Piazza Michaelangelo. The Medici chapels are impressive in a totally over the top waste of money kind of way and you can link that up with a wander around the market and lunch at one of the pasta joints there. Good restaurant (if it's still there) is Aqua al Due (http://www.acquaal2.it/restyle/indexfirenze.html)<BR><BR>

Another Florence recommendation: Vivoli Gelato. If you have anything resembling a sweet tooth, it's not to be missed.

Just make sure you wear a money belt or some under-clothing pouch, in which to keep your passport, money and credit cards. This applies to all countries; not necessarily because they're unsafe, but because it is really inconvenient to lose those things, and you never know when you might get pick-pocketed.

Watch your valuables on the tubes in Rome. I know this can apply to any city or most places in the world nowaways but my hubby got his nicked. Mind you, it was in his trouser zip pocket and I'd warned him about this! The woman that nicked it was very well dressed, we realised straight away but she got off at the station before we could grab her. Like other replies, keep it in an inside pocket and if you've a small bag keep it close to your front, not your back. Rome and Florence are fabulous cities. A bus to Fiesole from Florence is a nice short bus trip up into the hills.

The toilet paper thing is also mentioned in the guidebook I had, but in reality tp was in every facility I used, throughout Tuscany and Rome. I discovered that the subway trains in Rome stop running 9:30 at night, but the stations aren't necessarily closed right away, so took a surreal, long walk searching for an open platform before giving up and exiting the station, to find the guards were just getting around to locking the gates (I was not the only thwarted passenger wandering through the station, so the subway closing time is not well known among tourists). Busses may run later, but just be aware that if you are staying out at night you may need a taxi. Florence is a place you must see, but I would also have to say it was the least pleasant place to stay in, just so overwhelmingly crowded with people day and late into the night, and lots of people on the street hawking things for sale. The Medici palaces are somewhat less crowded than the art galleries, and really interesting to see renaissance art in context. My number one "not to miss" in Florence is Michaelangel's David, and also his "slave" sculptures in the Academia. I also like the church in Santa Croce, and Fra Angelico's frescos (decorating the individual prayer cells) was for me the most moving religous art that I saw. Again this church was relatively uncrowded compared to the other sites in Florence. I would also recommend a day trip (at least) to Sienna, which is a fun city to walk around and compare architecture with that of Florence; to me the public spiritedness of Sienna is much more expressive in the architecture, even though Florence is the more beautiful city.

If you need a break from the city while in Rome, I recommend a daytrip to Tivoli, especially Villa D'este, which is at once tranquil and breathtaking. I also hiked a bit through the natural park on the other end of town; beautiful natural landscape with waterfalls. I left Rome feeling deep gratitude for the ancient city planners who designed and installed water fountains throughout the city, as the weather was quite hot during my stay and I refilled my water bottle many times during the day.
One safety issue I was not prepared for in Rome or Florence was the traffic; specifically the fact that cars, pedestrians, motorcycles and bikes all use the same pathways, with almost no regulation in the form of traffic lights. In Florence, there are so many people and cars that everything moves at about the same speed, so somehow collisions don't happen, but in Rome the cars are a lot faster and drivers more agressive, so you either wait a long time to cross the street or run accross on the coattails of braver native Romans who take the initiative to start crossing in the path of oncoming cars.