Critique my 14-NIGHT ITALY trip (1 Viewer)

[Rick James]

Later this month my wife and I will be taking our first trip to Italy. We will be over there for 14 nights-- we're jokingly telling ourselves that this is our last big hurrah before we settle down and have kids, so we want to really go all out here. I've got a pretty thorough itinerary setup so far. I was wondering if you would be so kind and give it a look and let me know what you think. I've listed some questions at the end.

Edit- we're doing Rome (6), Florence (6), and Venice (2) while taking some day trips from Rome and Florence. I'm not into touring a whole country in 2 weeks. We would rather sink our teeth into a city and blow right through it.

SAT May 23 ROME - arrive @ FCO around 11:00am. take cab to hotel and maybe take a nap if we're exhausted. Booked a B&B in Trastevere for 6 nights. If we're up for it, walk around the streets of Trastevere and soak it in for a while. I booked two things that evening, after we've rested. (1) a 7:00pm quick tour [30min] of the Pantheon with a local guide, and (2) an 8:45pm tour of Ancient Rome & The Colosseum after dark. This will end around 11:30 and we'll probably be dead by the end. Pass out at our B&B.

SUN May 24 ROME - 13:00pm tour of the other side of Ancient Rome not covered in last night's tour...Capitoline Hill, Circus Maximus, etc. Just a quick, cheap 2 hr guided tour. Rest of day is OPEN. Thinking about taking bikes down the Appian Way b/c I heard cars are banned on sundays and it's a cool bike ride. Maybe see the catacombs. Head back to the city and just walk around.

MON May 25 ROME - 10:45am Testaccio Food Tour for a few hours, then I was thinking of hitting up the Villa Borghese and the museum there. if we don't ride bikes on the 24th, I'll probably rent some bikes and ride around the Villa Borghese. Our evening will be free here. check out some bars and the night life. stay up late.

TUE May 26 ROME - head to the Campo dei Fiori around 10:00am and just wander around that general area. Signed up for a Vatican tour @ 13:00 so we'll be in the area. Vatican tour ends @ 17:00 so again we'll have the evening free. This is actually our anniversary so I'm looking for a really nice meal here. Any suggestions for a romantic meal? Not too worried about price, just quality.

WED May 27 ROME - Still in Rome. Open day right now. This might be a perfect to visit Ostia Antiqua. I heard it's just as cool as Pompei but with considerably less tourists. I'd book a guided tour for this.

THR May 28 ROME - last night in Rome. I've left this open in case I've totally missed something. Opera, pub crawl, nice meal...not sure yet.

FRI May 29 FLORENCE - check out of hotel. go to car rental place @ Termini. Visit Decugnano dei Barbi in Orvieto @ 10:00am. I haven't actually booked this but I've sent an email to the staff. Not sure how long the tour and wine/food tastings will last but I'm guessing probably 2-3 hours, if that. Get back in car and depart around 13:00-14:00. Headed towards Florence, but I think I want to make another stop along the way. Local agriturismo, same sort of thing as in Orvieto but maybe focused on olives/cheese/meat. Haven't had much luck. Ultimitely I need to drop off the car at the Florence airport @ 21:00 so I think I have plenty of time. Take a cab to hotel. Check into Hotel.

SAT May 30 FLORENCE - wake up early and start exploring Florence. Probably go to Uffizi this day and the Academia the next. Eat a lot of food, drink a lot of wine. Lay back after traveling and doing a lot of stuff yesterday. Hotel has a rooftop pool and bar, so that's happening.

SUN May 31 FLORENCE - maybe something active in the city (bike tour, vespa tour, something...) and then hit up the Academia (or whichever one we didn't do on the 30th). Walking, walking, eating, stopping, drinking, etc. Spa maybe.

MON Jun 01 FLORENCE - After spending two full days in Florence, I think we'll book a day trip here. Maybe do one of those bike tours that visits Sienna, and other parts of Chianti.

TUE Jun 02 FLORENCE - check out of downtown Florence hotel and check into slightly more remote (cheaper) florence hotel. I've already booked a full day trip for this day. FULL day hike, lunch, swim, etc. in Cinque Terre. We'll be brought back to our hotel around 8:30. Maybe pass out, maybe just walk around the grounds of the villa.

WED Jun 03 FLORENCE - If we don't do a day trip on the 1st, we'll do one here. If we did go out of the city on the 1st, we'll stay local to Florence probably. Spend another day in the city. Cooking class. Relax. Spa day possibly.

THR Jun 04 VENICE - check out of our Florence hotel and travel to Venice. We'll either take a train, or look for a day trip from Florence to Venice, and just "hop off" in Venice when the tour or whatever is done. I have not booked a hotel here. Working on that now.

FRI Jun 05 VENICE - the only thing we have scheduled is a dinner @ 9:30. Rest of day is free.

SAT Jun 06 - Fly back home

1) ROME -Do you have any restaurant recommendations here, or any nightlife (bars, clubs, jazz (is there jazz in italy? lol) etc)) options. Our first 4 days in Rome are pretty full w/ guided tours but there is a lot of down time in the late afternoon/evenings most days.

2) ROME-If you had a free day in ROME what would you do? We really like to spend quality time in a city when we travel. Where others like to hit as many cities as possible we want to get to know the places we visit. Our last 2 days in Rome are open.

3) FLORENCE - As you'll see our ROME trip is packed with activities but the FLORENCE trip is sparse without the day trips. Any recomendations here besides the main attractions? Maybe a cool park in the city, or something like that.

4) VENICE - this is the only spot I haven't booked a hotel for. I think by the time we get here we'll be just about exhausted. I want this to be a very relaxing final two days. With that in mind, any recommendations?

 

[Scoresman]

Later this month my wife and I will be taking our first trip to Italy. We will be over there for 14 nights-- we're jokingly telling ourselves that this is our last big hurrah before we settle down and have kids, so we want to really go all out here. I've got a pretty thorough itinerary setup so far. I was wondering if you would be so kind and give it a look and let me know what you think. I've listed some questions at the end.

Edit- we're doing Rome (6), Florence (6), and Venice (2) while taking some day trips from Rome and Florence. I'm not into touring a whole country in 2 weeks. We would rather sink our teeth into a city and blow right through it.

SAT May 23 ROME - arrive @ FCO around 11:00am. take cab to hotel and maybe take a nap if we're exhausted. Booked a B&B in Trastevere for 6 nights. If we're up for it, walk around the streets of Trastevere and soak it in for a while. I booked two things that evening, after we've rested. (1) a 7:00pm quick tour [30min] of the Pantheon with a local guide, and (2) an 8:45pm tour of Ancient Rome & The Colosseum after dark. This will end around 11:30 and we'll probably be dead by the end. Pass out at our B&B.

SUN May 24 ROME - 9:00am tour of the other side of Ancient Rome not covered in last night's tour...Capitoline Hill, Circus Maximus, etc. Just a quick, cheap 2 hr guided tour. Rest of day is OPEN. Thinking about taking bikes down the Appian Way b/c I heard cars are banned on sundays and it's a cool bike ride. Maybe see the catacombs. Head back to the city and just walk around.

MON May 25 ROME - 10:45am Testaccio Food Tour for a few hours, then I was thinking of hitting up the Villa Borghese and the museum there. if we don't ride bikes on the 24th, I'll probably rent some bikes and ride around the Villa Borghese. Our evening will be free here. check out some bars and the night life. stay up late.

TUE May 26 ROME - head to the Campo dei Fiori around 10:00am and just wander around that general area. Signed up for a Vatican tour @ 13:00 so we'll be in the area. Vatican tour ends @ 17:00 so again we'll have the evening free. This is actually our anniversary so I'm looking for a really nice meal here. Any suggestions for a romantic meal? Not too worried about price, just quality.

WED May 27 ROME - Still in Rome. Open day right now. This might be a perfect to visit Ostia Antiqua. I heard it's just as cool as Pompei but with considerably less tourists. I'd book a guided tour for this.

THR May 28 ROME - last night in Rome. I've left this open in case I've totally missed something. Opera, pub crawl, nice meal...not sure yet.

FRI May 29 FLORENCE - check out of hotel. go to car rental place @ Termini. Visit Decugnano dei Barbi in Orvieto @ 10:00am. I haven't actually booked this but I've sent an email to the staff. Not sure how long the tour and wine/food tastings will last but I'm guessing probably 2-3 hours, if that. Get back in car and depart around 13:00-14:00. Headed towards Florence, but I think I want to make another stop along the way. Local agriturismo, same sort of thing as in Orvieto but maybe focused on olives/cheese/meat. Haven't had much luck. Ultimitely I need to drop off the car at the Florence airport @ 21:00 so I think I have plenty of time. Take a cab to hotel. Check into Hotel.

SAT May 30 FLORENCE - wake up early and start exploring Florence. Probably go to Uffizi this day and the Academia the next. Eat a lot of food, drink a lot of wine. Lay back after traveling and doing a lot of stuff yesterday. Hotel has a rooftop pool and bar, so that's happening.

SUN May 31 FLORENCE - maybe something active in the city (bike tour, vespa tour, something...) and then hit up the Academia (or whichever one we didn't do on the 30th). Walking, walking, eating, stopping, drinking, etc. Spa maybe.

MON Jun 01 FLORENCE - After spending two full days in Florence, I think we'll book a day trip here. Maybe do one of those bike tours that visits Sienna, and other parts of Chianti.

TUE Jun 02 FLORENCE - check out of downtown Florence hotel and check into slightly more remote (cheaper) florence hotel. I've already booked a full day trip for this day. FULL day hike, lunch, swim, etc. in Cinque Terre. We'll be brought back to our hotel around 8:30. Maybe pass out, maybe just walk around the grounds of the villa.

WED Jun 03 FLORENCE - If we don't do a day trip on the 1st, we'll do one here. If we did go out of the city on the 1st, we'll stay local to Florence probably. Spend another day in the city. Cooking class. Relax. Spa day possibly.

THR Jun 04 VENICE - check out of our Florence hotel and travel to Venice. We'll either take a train, or look for a day trip from Florence to Venice, and just "hop off" in Venice when the tour or whatever is done. I have not booked a hotel here. Working on that now.

FRI Jun 05 VENICE - the only thing we have scheduled is a dinner @ 9:30. Rest of day is free.

SAT Jun 06 - Fly back home

1) ROME -Do you have any restaurant recommendations here, or any nightlife (bars, clubs, jazz (is there jazz in italy? lol) etc)) options. Our first 4 days in Rome are pretty full w/ guided tours but there is a lot of down time in the late afternoon/evenings most days.

2) ROME-If you had a free day in ROME what would you do? We really like to spend quality time in a city when we travel. Where others like to hit as many cities as possible we want to get to know the places we visit. Our last 2 days in Rome are open.

3) FLORENCE - As you'll see our ROME trip is packed with activities but the FLORENCE trip is sparse without the day trips. Any recomendations here besides the main attractions? Maybe a cool park in the city, or something like that.

4) VENICE - this is the only spot I haven't booked a hotel for. I think by the time we get here we'll be just about exhausted. I want this to be a very relaxing final two days. With that in mind, any recommendations?

Seems like you have Florence well covered. Fit the Duomo in on your walking around day.

In Venice, we stayed here and it was pretty darn great and very well located. Venice is great just to walk around and get lost in. No need to book any major activities here.

 

[Rick James]

Thanks, yeah by the time we get to Venice I'm pretty sure we'll be exhausted. So we'll spend those two nights just strolling around the city and doing whatever.

 

[Sweet Love]

Looks good - not a fan of Venice, but if you have never been, you should go (just not twice).

Florence - for your day trip, I would highly recommend hitting Lucca http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca

Lucca is a beautiful city (I believe 45 minutes by train from Florence...but check on that) in the Tuscan countryside. It is a medevil city that is not overpopulated by tourists (I went three years ago in April), with a 30 foot wall surrounding the city. You can rent bikes and pedal on the paths on top of the wall and get a great view of the entire city. It has that feel where you can just lay back and relax and enjoy people watching. The regional food it is known for is boar. Honestly, I would love to retire there.

 

[SkyRattlers]

Highlights of my Rome trip 5 years ago were:

1) Borghese Museum. It's a respectable size, ie not massive and overwhelming but plenty to see. It also restricts access to a limited number of people every 2 hours so you won't have to force your way through crowds.

2) We took one of the double decker tour buses to the catacombs south of the city. They were awesome. But while we were out there we enjoyed a picnic. Out that far from the city is almost like being in subburbs. We found a small store near where we got off the bus. The gentleman inside couldn't speak a word of english and we knew virtually no italian. But he was very friendly and through a strange mix of pointing, nodding and other rough communication he understood we wanted a picnic. He gathered up salami, olives, cheese, wine and some other things and point us in a direction of a protected park nearby with some ancient ruins of an old house. This day we really felt like we were getting an Italian experience and not a tourist trap.

I loved Venice so much I'm not sure I'd have been satisfied with only two days.

1) Gondala rides...expensive...but ya have to do it.

2) We also really enjoyed visiting nearby islands of Murano and Burano. The same water taxi ride can get you to both.

 

[(HULK)]

I've been in Italy on 3 separate trips and I've still never been to Rome or Venice.

My critique would be to see some other parts of Italy. The Riveria is worth making time for imo.

 

[Rubi]

Wife and I went to Italy a year ago this week. We're both retired and have been fortunate to be able to travel quite a bit,especially in the past 2 years. Italy is hands down the most amazing and unforgettable trip we've ever taken. If you want a good restaurant in any of the major cities,take a stroll down a few side streets and stop anywhere. The food at any family owned place is awesome. Drink the wine,everywhere,wine is local throughout Italy and different in every region,but the taste is incredible,fresh and because there's no chemicals it doesn't leave an aftertaste or a headache! I agree with a post above about Venice,take a walk and get lost,best way to see the city,the corners of the buildings are all marked with signs on how to get back to the main tourist areas. If you can find some time try to see the Umbrian valley north of Rome,a place like Assisi or any of the villages that dot the area are special. Most of all enjoy the people and the culture,after a few days I realized what they say about "La Dolce Vita",the good life,Italians know how to enjoy their free time. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Rick James]

Any ideas for the ride from Rome to Florence? I've booked a rental car so we can stop along the way.

 

[Don Quixote]

I stopped at Orvieto on my way from Rome to Florence. It was all right; nothing special. Lots of touristy shops. If you want a bit of a longer/somewhat indirect drive, you could stop at Assisi. The Basilica of St. Francis is a pretty incredible place to visit (you can see the tomb of St. Francis). One of the highlights of my trip to Italy.

For extra time in Florence, I recommend the Basilica of Santa Croce -- tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini, and others.

(I'm not sure why both my recommendations involve tombs.)

 

[Clifford]

Later this month my wife and I will be taking our first trip to Italy. We will be over there for 14 nights-- we're jokingly telling ourselves that this is our last big hurrah before we settle down and have kids, so we want to really go all out here. I've got a pretty thorough itinerary setup so far. I was wondering if you would be so kind and give it a look and let me know what you think. I've listed some questions at the end.



Edit- we're doing Rome (6), Florence (6), and Venice (2) while taking some day trips from Rome and Florence. I'm not into touring a whole country in 2 weeks. We would rather sink our teeth into a city and blow right through it.







SAT May 23 ROME - arrive @ FCO around 11:00am. take cab to hotel and maybe take a nap if we're exhausted. Booked a B&B in Trastevere for 6 nights. If we're up for it, walk around the streets of Trastevere and soak it in for a while. I booked two things that evening, after we've rested. (1) a 7:00pm quick tour [30min] of the Pantheon with a local guide, and (2) an 8:45pm tour of Ancient Rome & The Colosseum after dark. This will end around 11:30 and we'll probably be dead by the end. Pass out at our B&B.

SUN May 24 ROME - 9:00am tour of the other side of Ancient Rome not covered in last night's tour...Capitoline Hill, Circus Maximus, etc. Just a quick, cheap 2 hr guided tour. Rest of day is OPEN. Thinking about taking bikes down the Appian Way b/c I heard cars are banned on sundays and it's a cool bike ride. Maybe see the catacombs. Head back to the city and just walk around.

MON May 25 ROME - 10:45am Testaccio Food Tour for a few hours, then I was thinking of hitting up the Villa Borghese and the museum there. if we don't ride bikes on the 24th, I'll probably rent some bikes and ride around the Villa Borghese. Our evening will be free here. check out some bars and the night life. stay up late.

TUE May 26 ROME - head to the Campo dei Fiori around 10:00am and just wander around that general area. Signed up for a Vatican tour @ 13:00 so we'll be in the area. Vatican tour ends @ 17:00 so again we'll have the evening free. This is actually our anniversary so I'm looking for a really nice meal here. Any suggestions for a romantic meal? Not too worried about price, just quality.

WED May 27 ROME - Still in Rome. Open day right now. This might be a perfect to visit Ostia Antiqua. I heard it's just as cool as Pompei but with considerably less tourists. I'd book a guided tour for this.

THR May 28 ROME - last night in Rome. I've left this open in case I've totally missed something. Opera, pub crawl, nice meal...not sure yet.

FRI May 29 FLORENCE - check out of hotel. go to car rental place @ Termini. Visit Decugnano dei Barbi in Orvieto @ 10:00am. I haven't actually booked this but I've sent an email to the staff. Not sure how long the tour and wine/food tastings will last but I'm guessing probably 2-3 hours, if that. Get back in car and depart around 13:00-14:00. Headed towards Florence, but I think I want to make another stop along the way. Local agriturismo, same sort of thing as in Orvieto but maybe focused on olives/cheese/meat. Haven't had much luck. Ultimitely I need to drop off the car at the Florence airport @ 21:00 so I think I have plenty of time. Take a cab to hotel. Check into Hotel.

SAT May 30 FLORENCE - wake up early and start exploring Florence. Probably go to Uffizi this day and the Academia the next. Eat a lot of food, drink a lot of wine. Lay back after traveling and doing a lot of stuff yesterday. Hotel has a rooftop pool and bar, so that's happening.

SUN May 31 FLORENCE - maybe something active in the city (bike tour, vespa tour, something...) and then hit up the Academia (or whichever one we didn't do on the 30th). Walking, walking, eating, stopping, drinking, etc. Spa maybe.

MON Jun 01 FLORENCE - After spending two full days in Florence, I think we'll book a day trip here. Maybe do one of those bike tours that visits Sienna, and other parts of Chianti.

TUE Jun 02 FLORENCE - check out of downtown Florence hotel and check into slightly more remote (cheaper) florence hotel. I've already booked a full day trip for this day. FULL day hike, lunch, swim, etc. in Cinque Terre. We'll be brought back to our hotel around 8:30. Maybe pass out, maybe just walk around the grounds of the villa.

WED Jun 03 FLORENCE - If we don't do a day trip on the 1st, we'll do one here. If we did go out of the city on the 1st, we'll stay local to Florence probably. Spend another day in the city. Cooking class. Relax. Spa day possibly.

THR Jun 04 VENICE - check out of our Florence hotel and travel to Venice. We'll either take a train, or look for a day trip from Florence to Venice, and just "hop off" in Venice when the tour or whatever is done. I have not booked a hotel here. Working on that now.

FRI Jun 05 VENICE - the only thing we have scheduled is a dinner @ 9:30. Rest of day is free.

SAT Jun 06 - Fly back home



1) ROME -Do you have any restaurant recommendations here, or any nightlife (bars, clubs, jazz (is there jazz in italy? lol) etc)) options. Our first 4 days in Rome are pretty full w/ guided tours but there is a lot of down time in the late afternoon/evenings most days.

2) ROME-If you had a free day in ROME what would you do? We really like to spend quality time in a city when we travel. Where others like to hit as many cities as possible we want to get to know the places we visit. Our last 2 days in Rome are open.

3) FLORENCE - As you'll see our ROME trip is packed with activities but the FLORENCE trip is sparse without the day trips. Any recomendations here besides the main attractions? Maybe a cool park in the city, or something like that.

4) VENICE - this is the only spot I haven't booked a hotel for. I think by the time we get here we'll be just about exhausted. I want this to be a very relaxing final two days. With that in mind, any recommendations?

Less time in Rome and Florence. Add cinque terra and Perugia.

 

[The General]

Dot for later

 

[Willie Neslon]

Is that the official Pig-in-a-Poke itinerary?

 

[Rick James]

I don't follow

 

[Christo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PUA64rQbw4

 

[Ilov80s]

My one major critique is that you aren't taking me with you.

 

[Judge Smails]

For Venice - we stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky Hotel. Great to relax, rooftop pool, etc. Other than the Grand Canal at night I wasn't a huge fan of Venice.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187870-d613798-Reviews-Hilton_Molino_Stucky_Venice_Hotel-Venice_Veneto.html

In Florence - go to Trattoria Sostanza and get the Butter Chicken. Trust me. Life changing.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187895-d743678-Reviews-Trattoria_Sostanza_Il_Troia-Florence_Tuscany.html

For great, inexpensive pizza in Florence, go to Gusta Pizza. Across the Ponte Vecchio, near Pitti Palace. We went twice. So good.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187895-d1155597-Reviews-Gusta_Pizza-Florence_Tuscany.html

For great Florentine steak in Florence, go to 'Tito. Just don't have umpteen limoncello shots like I did with the owner..

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187895-d1908799-Reviews-Antica_Trattoria_da_Tito_dal_1913-Florence_Tuscany.html

For a day trip - highly recommend Walkabout tours. Fantastic.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187895-d1102599-Reviews-The_Best_of_Tuscany_Tour-Florence_Tuscany.html

We had a phenomenal sandwich at the Central Market in Florence

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187895-d195018-Reviews-Mercato_Centrale-Florence_Tuscany.html

I like your spots in Rome. Don't miss the Borghese. Don't see Trevi Fountain on your list but assume you're going. Can't speak to nightlife. Too wiped out from the daytime stuff in hot sun, food, wine. Usually had a gelato and called it a night.

The churches were amazing. We walked in as many as we could.

 

[The Football Freak]

Any ideas for the ride from Rome to Florence? I've booked a rental car so we can stop along the way.

My wife and I loved San Gimignano. It was a beautiful countryside, and a nice city to stroll around for a few hours. We had a lot of great wines there.

http://www.sangimignano.com/en/

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Take the train between Florence and Venice. Driving there is a pain.

Buy a Rick Steeves guide.

Take me with you.

 

[Rubi]

I stopped at Orvieto on my way from Rome to Florence. It was all right; nothing special. Lots of touristy shops. If you want a bit of a longer/somewhat indirect drive, you could stop at Assisi. The Basilica of St. Francis is a pretty incredible place to visit (you can see the tomb of St. Francis). One of the highlights of my trip to Italy.

For extra time in Florence, I recommend the Basilica of Santa Croce -- tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini, and others.

(I'm not sure why both my recommendations involve tombs.)

Agree! Assisi awesome and Santa Croce incredible

 

[Ditka Butkus]

Where are you going to be during the day?

 

[jamny]

I stopped at Orvieto on my way from Rome to Florence. It was all right; nothing special. Lots of touristy shops. If you want a bit of a longer/somewhat indirect drive, you could stop at Assisi. The Basilica of St. Francis is a pretty incredible place to visit (you can see the tomb of St. Francis). One of the highlights of my trip to Italy.

We did a day trip from Rome and started in Assisi. The Basilica is a must see, imo. Came back in through Perugia on our way to Siena. If you hit Siena going to Florence, make sure you take the The Chiantigiana (SR 222) Beautiful drive.

Sounds like a great trip. It's a bit too ambitious and planned for my tastes, I prefer to wing it a little more, but you'll have a great time.

 

[jamny]

Also, from Florence to Venice, Verona might be a little out of the way but is a great little city.

I hardly ever recommend restaurants, since you'll have a hard time finding a bad meal, but if you do go to Verona, check out La Fontanina Very unique food and atmosphere. We've been to Italy 4 times and we both agree it has stood out more than any other.

 

[Rick James]

There's actually not much planned stuff at least IMO. maybe one 2-4 hour block per day and the rest is open. It's definitely a balancing act. We went to Madrid last year and I didn't plan a single thing and we did have a great time but I would have liked some structure at least.

 

[Rick James]

Where are you going to be during the day?

What do you mean?

 

[jamny]

There's actually not much planned stuff at least IMO. maybe one 2-4 hour block per day and the rest is open. It's definitely a balancing act. We went to Madrid last year and I didn't plan a single thing and we did have a great time but I would have liked some structure at least.

We don't do tours so I guess you have to plan them in advance but I usually go with the plan of what we want to do, just not exactly when to do them. Don't like too much structure, especially in the mornings.

 

[MCguidance]

This theead comes at a great time since I'm honeymooning there in July. 12 nights for us in Tuscany, Rome, and the Amalfi coast.

 

[jamny]

In Venice we stayed at the Westin. Loved it, especially since we started our first trip to Italy in Venice and took a water taxi in from the airport right to the dock of the hotel. Still one of the greatest experiences of my life. Just incredible coming into the city that way.

 

[Ilov80s]

Outside of Florence are lots of beautiful Tuscan smsll towns in the mountains that are worth visits.

 

[Rick James]

There's actually not much planned stuff at least IMO. maybe one 2-4 hour block per day and the rest is open. It's definitely a balancing act. We went to Madrid last year and I didn't plan a single thing and we did have a great time but I would have liked some structure at least.

We don't do tours so I guess you have to plan them in advance but I usually go with the plan of what we want to do, just not exactly when to do them. Don't like too much structure, especially in the mornings.

Tour guides are crucial IMO at least for museums and stuff. I don't know enough about art and history to appreciate stuff like that on my own.

 

[jamny]

There's actually not much planned stuff at least IMO. maybe one 2-4 hour block per day and the rest is open. It's definitely a balancing act. We went to Madrid last year and I didn't plan a single thing and we did have a great time but I would have liked some structure at least.

We don't do tours so I guess you have to plan them in advance but I usually go with the plan of what we want to do, just not exactly when to do them. Don't like too much structure, especially in the mornings.

Tour guides are crucial IMO at least for museums and stuff. I don't know enough about art and history to appreciate stuff like that on my own.

I can dig it. For me, the few times we've done it, it becomes information overload in such a short timeframe. You forget more than you remember. I like to read up on things before hand and just soak it in while there without having to listen to someone or follow a group around. But we're also kinda loners on vacation. The one we did at the Tower of London was cool.

 

[Bucky86]

There's actually not much planned stuff at least IMO. maybe one 2-4 hour block per day and the rest is open. It's definitely a balancing act. We went to Madrid last year and I didn't plan a single thing and we did have a great time but I would have liked some structure at least.

We don't do tours so I guess you have to plan them in advance but I usually go with the plan of what we want to do, just not exactly when to do them. Don't like too much structure, especially in the mornings.

Tour guides are crucial IMO at least for museums and stuff. I don't know enough about art and history to appreciate stuff like that on my own.

I can dig it. For me, the few times we've done it, it becomes information overload in such a short timeframe. You forget more than you remember. I like to read up on things before hand and just soak it in while there without having to listen to someone or follow a group around. But we're also kinda loners on vacation. The one we did at the Tower of London was cool.

This is like me when I travel. Although, I'm cool with a private tour where our guide drives us around and we help set the itinerary.

 

[Christo]

There's actually not much planned stuff at least IMO. maybe one 2-4 hour block per day and the rest is open. It's definitely a balancing act. We went to Madrid last year and I didn't plan a single thing and we did have a great time but I would have liked some structure at least.

We don't do tours so I guess you have to plan them in advance but I usually go with the plan of what we want to do, just not exactly when to do them. Don't like too much structure, especially in the mornings.

Tour guides are crucial IMO at least for museums and stuff. I don't know enough about art and history to appreciate stuff like that on my own.

I can dig it. For me, the few times we've done it, it becomes information overload in such a short timeframe. You forget more than you remember. I like to read up on things before hand and just soak it in while there without having to listen to someone or follow a group around. But we're also kinda loners on vacation. The one we did at the Tower of London was cool.

Yep. I really don't think an explanation helps for art. It either strikes a chord or it doesn't. Find what you like. Examine it. If you don't like it, move on. There's going to be enough in any museum that you appreciate without someone telling you about it.

 

[Scoresman]

I only like taking tours when it gets you into places you otherwise couldn't get into. We did one in Bologna where you visited cheese, vinegar, and prosciutto factories and it was amazing. Stuff you couldnt do on your own.

 

[Ilov80s]

I avoid tours for the most part, but I've had some amazing tours that really made me appreciate things much more than I would have without and I have a history degree. It depends if you want to just take it all in or want the details.

 

[jamny]

There's actually not much planned stuff at least IMO. maybe one 2-4 hour block per day and the rest is open. It's definitely a balancing act. We went to Madrid last year and I didn't plan a single thing and we did have a great time but I would have liked some structure at least.

We don't do tours so I guess you have to plan them in advance but I usually go with the plan of what we want to do, just not exactly when to do them. Don't like too much structure, especially in the mornings.

Tour guides are crucial IMO at least for museums and stuff. I don't know enough about art and history to appreciate stuff like that on my own.

I can dig it. For me, the few times we've done it, it becomes information overload in such a short timeframe. You forget more than you remember. I like to read up on things before hand and just soak it in while there without having to listen to someone or follow a group around. But we're also kinda loners on vacation. The one we did at the Tower of London was cool.

Yep. I really don't think an explanation helps for art. It either strikes a chord or it doesn't. Find what you like. Examine it. If you don't like it, move on. There's going to be enough in any museum that you appreciate without someone telling you about it.

Especially an art museum. I love it and read a lot about it but have to drag my wife through a lot of them, especially the Renaissance art. There are only so many Madonna with Child even I can take.

 

[Ilov80s]

Good points, I like tours of castles and monasteries much more than art galleries/museums.

 

[jamny]

I avoid tours for the most part, but I've had some amazing tours that really made me appreciate things much more than I would have without and I have a history degree. It depends if you want to just take it all in or want the details.

A tour of the Forum would probably be good since it's hard to visualize with so little left.

 

[Rick James]

I mean I only have one tour booked for an art gallery. The other handful are either walking food tours (think pub crawl), winery visits/tours, or the colosseum thing where we totally skip the line.

 

[Don Quixote]

I did a guided tour of the Uffizi, and thought it was worth it. A lot of what I found interesting is how it fits into the development of the painter/era, and some things you would not know just looking at it. For example, they have some da Vinci's where he was just an apprentice and painted part of the painting, so the guide explained what part of the painting people think da Vinci did. Maybe some of that is on the plaque on the wall, but having the guide certainly helped.

(But I also don't mind guided tours as a general matter.)

 

[jamny]

While in Rome, if you do get to the Villa Borghese, walk down the Via Vittorio Veneto. All the high end hotels and restaurants. Great place to stop for a drink. Also, north of the Spanish Steps is the Piazza del Popolo. A bunch of places to eat between the steps and there too.

 

[Bucky86]

I mean I only have one tour booked for an art gallery. The other handful are either walking food tours (think pub crawl), winery visits/tours, or the colosseum thing where we totally skip the line.

Food tours are a ton of fun.

 

[RUSF18]

Black dot for later.

 

[Chemical X]

i will PM this rainy weekend.....

 

[The Ref]

Work is "making" me go to Milan for 20 days in September. Unless I want a divorce my wife is flying out near the end of the trip and we are going to travel over to another city. We keep going back and forth between Florence and Venice. Most people we speak with say Florence hands down.

What say you?

 

[Chemical X]

so much to write, i really need time to research......but for the vatican, try to get Scavi access;

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/uffscavi/documents/rc_ic_uffscavi_doc_gen-information_20090216_en.html

that sunday in rome i highly suggest noon outdoor pope mass in st peters square.

i think you are too aggressive your first night with evening tours, you will be pooped,

on the 27th get to pompeii, ostia antica is not the same. down in that area is a great winery, mastroberardino. maybe you can get a tasting and tour.

more to follow.

 

[Chemical X]

Work is "making" me go to Milan for 20 days in September. Unless I want a divorce my wife is flying out near the end of the trip and we are going to travel over to another city. We keep going back and forth between Florence and Venice. Most people we speak with say Florence hands down.

What say you?

florence by frecciarosa hands down......but milan has the Expo going on thru 10/31. i am heading there, must see.

 

[jamny]

Work is "making" me go to Milan for 20 days in September. Unless I want a divorce my wife is flying out near the end of the trip and we are going to travel over to another city. We keep going back and forth between Florence and Venice. Most people we speak with say Florence hands down.

What say you?

I actually like Venice more than Florence but I know I'm in the minority. If it's a once in a lifetime trip, I would say Venice since it is so unique. If you may get back to Venice one day as part of a larger trip, I'd say to go to Florence now. Much more to see and do in Florence.

btw - Lots of people put down Milan too but we've been there twice and love it there.

 

[jamny]

so much to write, i really need time to research......but for the vatican, try to get Scavi access;

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/uffscavi/documents/rc_ic_uffscavi_doc_gen-information_20090216_en.html

that sunday in rome i highly suggest noon outdoor pope mass in st peters square.

i think you are too aggressive your first night with evening tours, you will be pooped,

on the 27th get to pompeii, ostia antica is not the same. down in that area is a great winery, mastroberardino. maybe you can get a tasting and tour.

more to follow.

Seeing the Pope on Sunday is a very cool experience. And I agree with that first night's agenda, especially when you also have a 9am plan the next day. Add in the time change and that's a rough way to start the trip.

 

[RUSF18]

Few Rome suggestions pulled from this post I had in one of the other Europe threads around here...

Highlights were dinner at Osteria il Sostegno, lunch at La Prosciutteria (literally stumbled on this one, later saw it was ranked #4 of 8600+ on Tripadvisor), dinner at La Scala (in Trastevere). Had gelato at Giolitti probably four times including twice at 1am...

That first one was one of those great places down an alley of a side street like you mentioned. It was recommended to us by a local woman my wife was talking with in a store for a while.

I searched like hell to try to find the name of the panini place near Piazza Navona that we went to a few times. 3 EUR for an awesome fresh sandwich. I didn't find the name but I'm 99% sure it's the second picture on this page if you can spot that menu as you're walking. The entire "restaurant" is literally just a 6 foot wide window with all the sandwiches stacked up waiting to be put into the fire by the guy behind, and there's a couple benches outside.

 

[Reaper]

My favorite stops were the smaller cities , also Sienna was one of my Favs... Montepuciano, Montelcino and Cortona...

Yeah, I was searching for the best wines ; )

We stayed outside of Sienna and found a Hot Springs / Spa, I think it was in Rapolono...

My favorite was just exploring smaller cities where they barely spoke english but, wouldn't let you leave until you were well fed!!

We didn't spend a lot of time in Rome - Felt like NYC to me... The food options were not nearly as good as what we found in the country... Of course there's a lot of Must see / must do things in Rome and Florence - I just loved the Hospitality of the country.

We would drive up to Vineyards thru Tuscany and they would be like "Help Yourself"... Go to dinner and they keep you there All Night like family and make you drink Grappa for hours ; ).... Go to dinner in Rome and it's more money, nothing friendly, less quality and Get out... Yeah, I'm generalizing - We hit a lot of the Restaurants on the main strips in Rome..