Italy Vacation (1 Viewer)

[Don Quixote]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

My folks swear by Globus & have used them for a half-dozen Euro tours. I went with them once - my verrrry-Catholic Mom wanted family around her when she saw Fatima - and they were competent and thoughtful. There wasnt anyone under 55yo, though, and i got most of my jollies apeing an ol poop who walked from site to site like the Pied Piper of Metamucil.

 

[Furious Styles]

You couldn't pay me to take a tour through Italy. Pick up a Rick Steve's book on Italy, dedicate a few hours to mapping out your trip and you will be in good shape. Tours will be a lot of older folk and you will be subject to the tour's schedule.

 

[jamny]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

That's a lot to cover in only 11 days. We've been 3 times to Italy, heading to Rome for New Years, but never did a tour. We drove from Venice to Florence to Rome on one trip. We did Rome, Capri(stayed on the island), Naples and Amalfi Coast (didn't see Pompeii) on another and the last time we stayed in Milan (very underrated city) and day tripped to Verona, Cinque Terra, Lake Como area and Turin. You should try to bunch them a little tighter. The area you're looking to cover in 11 days is definitely stretching you too thin, imo.

 

[Don Quixote]

Thanks. Both in mid 30s, so I take it might be on the younger end of people on a tour. Is Italy easy to get around if we wanted to see all that by ourselves in 11 days? Or would it be kind of stressful, particularly given language issues and traveling in a place never been?

 

[LHUCKS]

been to Italy three times...I would cut down on the number of places you are visiting to something like Rome/Venice/Florence/+1 coastal city

If you do that you wont need an old person tour. If you want to ram through all of Italy in 11 days then you might need a tour, doesn't sound as fun to me though.

Recommended days in each city

Rome = 3 (Vatican, historical sites, likely your landing place so a day to get adjusted)

Venice = 2

Florence = 2 (although I could stay indefinitely, love this place)

Coastal Cities = 4 days

the language barrier is an issue once you get out of the major touristy areas/cities

have fun!

 

[Furious Styles]

Thanks. Both in mid 30s, so I take it might be on the younger end of people on a tour. Is Italy easy to get around if we wanted to see all that by ourselves in 11 days? Or would it be kind of stressful, particularly given language issues and traveling in a place never been?

I found the public transportation in Italy pretty easy to navigate but everyone is different. Do either you or your wife know Spanish? You can typically get by with it in Italy. I think a few hours of research on your part will really help you out, you will either feel confident you can manage the trip on your own or decide a tour is best. That decision will at least be an informed one.

 

[LHUCKS]

Thanks. Both in mid 30s, so I take it might be on the younger end of people on a tour. Is Italy easy to get around if we wanted to see all that by ourselves in 11 days? Or would it be kind of stressful, particularly given language issues and traveling in a place never been?

I found the public transportation in Italy pretty easy to navigate but everyone is different. Do either you or your wife know Spanish? You can typically get by with it in Italy. I think a few hours of research on your part will really help you out, you will either feel confident you can manage the trip on your own or decide a tour is best. That decision will at least be an informed one.

Right, the main source of revenue is tourism, they've obviously made the country English friendly enough.

 

[Don Quixote]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

That's a lot to cover in only 11 days. We've been 3 times to Italy, heading to Rome for New Years, but never did a tour. We drove from Venice to Florence to Rome on one trip. We did Rome, Capri(stayed on the island), Naples and Amalfi Coast (didn't see Pompeii) on another and the last time we stayed in Milan (very underrated city) and day tripped to Verona, Cinque Terra, Lake Como area and Turin. You should try to bunch them a little tighter. The area you're looking to cover in 11 days is definitely stretching you too thin, imo.

Yeah, I agree we are stretching it thin. That's in part why we were thinking of the tour. If we did it on our own, we'd probably knock out Capri and Pompeii.

 

[Battles]

Thanks. Both in mid 30s, so I take it might be on the younger end of people on a tour. Is Italy easy to get around if we wanted to see all that by ourselves in 11 days? Or would it be kind of stressful, particularly given language issues and traveling in a place never been?

It's easy. Just take trains if you're going to see big attractions. From the station take a taxi to the hotel. From the hotel just walk. Everything in Florence is walkable. In Venice you can walk or take a public transport boat (forego the gondolas for moving around). In Rome you can get dropped off at nearly every major attraction by the subway. The other towns listed are all walking towns.I'd cut out Pisa. Not worth the trip over in the time frame you have unless it's just on the route. All that's really there is the tower. Not that exciting in the scope of what else you'll be seeing. It's just a sinking little tower.I'd do Venice, Florence, maybe a overnight in a Tuscan town like Siena, Rome, Pompei (not my cup of tea, but you can do it in a 1/2 day on the way to the coast) and Amalfi or Capri.

 

[bierfiend]

I've been several times and never felt the need for a guided tour (prefer doing things on my own anyway). I agree with some of the other posters:

- What you have listed seems like a lot for 11 days. I think you will burn yourself out and enjoy the trip less if you went that route. Cut it down to 4-3 areas to explore.

- Guide books are helpful (we also have used Rick Steves' material). You have a decent amount of time to plan this.

- Transportation is pretty good. No need to rent a car unless you will be doing a lot in the countryside.

- Grab either a used Basic Italian text book or phrase book.... or cd's and learn some basic Italian.

- I think Venice is a must visit. I don't love Rome, but appreciate it's historic significance and why people go there.

- I enjoy picking a spot (often not in the big cities) and doing day trips in (ie: staying in sienna and taking the bus into florence).

- It is not a small country. takes a little time to from e-w, n-s.

edit: night trains (sleeper cars)!!.... can help you maximize your time touring and save you on some lodging.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

The main benefit I see from taking the tour is seeing the Sistine Chapel. Getting in there can be a bear. Another option may be to pre-book a couple of day tours to Pompeii or the Sistine Chapel. (A tour that covers Pompeii and Sorento would work.) I would also skip Pisa. It's really nice but just not important compared to the other places.

Language shouldn't be a big problem. Get a phrase book and practice. Learn to point. That should get you through. Driving in Italy can be an adventure. The tour might benefit you there if you are not confident or good navigators.

Have fun.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

I did 9 days/nights in Italy this summer. We stayed in Rome and Capri. From Capri we did a day trip to Positano, and on our way back to Rome (where we flew out of) we stopped in Pompeii for a few hours. The 9 days and nights were not enough for these places. We did private tours of the Colloseum and Pompeii. Everything else, including the Vatican, we did on our own. We had a few books to go from, including Rick Steves (who we were not impressed with), but mostly we found things on the internet and from asking our hotel and locals.

 

[Don Quixote]

I'm tempted by the idea of two full days in Florence and cutting out Pisa. I may have to see if I can convince my wife on that one. It is a bit out of the way for a tourist trap.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

That's a lot to cover in only 11 days. We've been 3 times to Italy, heading to Rome for New Years, but never did a tour. We drove from Venice to Florence to Rome on one trip. We did Rome, Capri(stayed on the island), Naples and Amalfi Coast (didn't see Pompeii) on another and the last time we stayed in Milan (very underrated city) and day tripped to Verona, Cinque Terra, Lake Como area and Turin. You should try to bunch them a little tighter. The area you're looking to cover in 11 days is definitely stretching you too thin, imo.

Yeah, I agree we are stretching it thin. That's in part why we were thinking of the tour. If we did it on our own, we'd probably knock out Capri and Pompeii.

If you are into nature, you cannot knock out Capri. The people who say it's only good for a day trip or a night or two are crazy. The restaurants are great, there is a lot to see and do. I loved Capri and thought Pompeii was one of the most interesting places I saw. Cut out Pisa.

 

[Don Quixote]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

That's a lot to cover in only 11 days. We've been 3 times to Italy, heading to Rome for New Years, but never did a tour. We drove from Venice to Florence to Rome on one trip. We did Rome, Capri(stayed on the island), Naples and Amalfi Coast (didn't see Pompeii) on another and the last time we stayed in Milan (very underrated city) and day tripped to Verona, Cinque Terra, Lake Como area and Turin. You should try to bunch them a little tighter. The area you're looking to cover in 11 days is definitely stretching you too thin, imo.

Yeah, I agree we are stretching it thin. That's in part why we were thinking of the tour. If we did it on our own, we'd probably knock out Capri and Pompeii.

If you are into nature, you cannot knock out Capri. The people who say it's only good for a day trip or a night or two are crazy. The restaurants are great, there is a lot to see and do. I loved Capri and thought Pompeii was one of the most interesting places I saw. Cut out Pisa.

Thanks. Definitely want to keep Capri and Pompeii in then. Love nature, and we are both kind of history nerds, which is why Pompeii is our list of places to see.The reason I was thinking of dropping that it is a bit out of the way, since need to get back and forth to Rome (whereas Pisa is a bit closer to Florence), and maybe that's another trip in 10 years when we are ready to go back to Italy.

If I keep Capri/Pompeii and kick out Pisa (while adding an extra day in Florence), am I still stretching myself too thin for 11 days?

 

[LHUCKS]

Regardless of whether or not you are doing the tour, get the "DK Eyewitness" Italy book.

I'll get you the Amazon link if you can't find it.

 

[Battles]

I'm tempted by the idea of two full days in Florence and cutting out Pisa. I may have to see if I can convince my wife on that one. It is a bit out of the way for a tourist trap.

You'll want at least two days in Florence imo. Anything less and you're not doing it justice.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

To each their own, but I would never do a tour. Part of the fun in visiting Europe is how laid back it is. Take your time, stroll around, grab a pastry or a glass of wine and hang out in a square, etc. We got to see all the major sites on our trip but our favorite time was the time we spent hanging out. I don't see Italy as a "cram everything in and rush rush rush" kind of place.

I don't think you'll need a tour regardless of which route you go. Just do your homework ahead of time and have your routes fairly planned out. As others have mentioned, the language won't be a problem except in very rural areas. In the cities, tons of people speak English and lots of the signage is in English.

FWIW, here was how we divided up our trip there a few years ago.

Day 1: Arrive in Venice (late)

Day 2: Venice

Day 3: Venice, train from Venice to Florence mid-day, Drive from Florence to cottage in Tuscany

Day 4: Tuscany

Day 5: Drive to Florence, spend rest of day in Florence

Day 6: Florence

Day 7: Train to Rome in morning, rest of day in Rome

Day 8: Rome

Day 9: Rome (Vatican for most of the day)

Day 10: Fly home

It was a pretty good mix of seeing the major sites and having enough time to hang out and enjoy ourselves. I highly recommend Tuscany, that was probably our favorite part of the trip. However, I would pick 3-5 locations and enjoy them. You listed a possible max of 8. That's too many and you won't enjoy them as much. One thing that we had to come to terms with when researching it is that Italy is really 3-4 separate vacations. You can't do it all in one trip.

 

[lakerstan]

Do you all fly directly to Rome, or do you do a layover in London or other? My wife is really interested in going to Positano (because of some movie, apparently).

 

[Battles]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

That's a lot to cover in only 11 days. We've been 3 times to Italy, heading to Rome for New Years, but never did a tour. We drove from Venice to Florence to Rome on one trip. We did Rome, Capri(stayed on the island), Naples and Amalfi Coast (didn't see Pompeii) on another and the last time we stayed in Milan (very underrated city) and day tripped to Verona, Cinque Terra, Lake Como area and Turin. You should try to bunch them a little tighter. The area you're looking to cover in 11 days is definitely stretching you too thin, imo.

Yeah, I agree we are stretching it thin. That's in part why we were thinking of the tour. If we did it on our own, we'd probably knock out Capri and Pompeii.

If you are into nature, you cannot knock out Capri. The people who say it's only good for a day trip or a night or two are crazy. The restaurants are great, there is a lot to see and do. I loved Capri and thought Pompeii was one of the most interesting places I saw. Cut out Pisa.

Thanks. Definitely want to keep Capri and Pompeii in then. Love nature, and we are both kind of history nerds, which is why Pompeii is our list of places to see.The reason I was thinking of dropping that it is a bit out of the way, since need to get back and forth to Rome (whereas Pisa is a bit closer to Florence), and maybe that's another trip in 10 years when we are ready to go back to Italy.

If I keep Capri/Pompeii and kick out Pisa (while adding an extra day in Florence), am I still stretching myself too thin for 11 days?

Totally depends on how you like to vacation. If you're trying to see all the historical sites you'll have very full days and not a lot of kicking back and letting it soak in. Some people like to totally relax and others like to fill every minute. You're definitely headed towards the latter group. Now that you have towns down, you need to make a list of what you want to see in each city.

 

[bierfiend]

my trips have included other countries. one i flew into frankfurt and out of munich (1st part of the trip was in germany, second in italy).

train from rome to venice is about 4-6 hrs.

munich to venice: 8-10

milan to venice: 2-3

guess it all depends where you want to start

 

[Don Quixote]

Totally depends on how you like to vacation. If you're trying to see all the historical sites you'll have very full days and not a lot of kicking back and letting it soak in. Some people like to totally relax and others like to fill every minute. You're definitely headed towards the latter group.Now that you have towns down, you need to make a list of what you want to see in each city.

I'm definitely in the latter group. My wife is probably the former. However, she's the bigger proponent of a tour group than me; I think because she thinks it would create a bit more discipline to get out of bed.

 

[jamny]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

That's a lot to cover in only 11 days. We've been 3 times to Italy, heading to Rome for New Years, but never did a tour. We drove from Venice to Florence to Rome on one trip. We did Rome, Capri(stayed on the island), Naples and Amalfi Coast (didn't see Pompeii) on another and the last time we stayed in Milan (very underrated city) and day tripped to Verona, Cinque Terra, Lake Como area and Turin. You should try to bunch them a little tighter. The area you're looking to cover in 11 days is definitely stretching you too thin, imo.

Yeah, I agree we are stretching it thin. That's in part why we were thinking of the tour. If we did it on our own, we'd probably knock out Capri and Pompeii.

If you are into nature, you cannot knock out Capri. The people who say it's only good for a day trip or a night or two are crazy. The restaurants are great, there is a lot to see and do. I loved Capri and thought Pompeii was one of the most interesting places I saw. Cut out Pisa.

How great is it on Capri once all the day trippers leave. Just amazing, especially around sunset and at night. Definitely one of our highlights from Italy. Although getting on that ferry multiple times wasn't the most fun.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Pretty simple, actually - if you & the mrs. think you could be the type who hops the pond most years, Italy is a three-trip (Turin-Milan-Lakes-Venice; Cinqueterra-Florence-Rome; Napoli-Capri-Sicily) country, at the very least. Go to Rome the 1st time, get used to Italia, trains or rental car up to Tuscany & Cinqueterra. If this is it for you, Mrs Q & Italy, put yourself in the hands of people who can get you to the most spots comfortably.

 

[jamny]

Do you all fly directly to Rome, or do you do a layover in London or other? My wife is really interested in going to Positano (because of some movie, apparently).

We fly American Airlines and usually have to stop over in London. Positano is a tough one because from Rome you'll probably be taking a train down to Naples and a ferry (or taxi) to Positano. That's what our Capri trip was like. Very tiring, long trip.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

My link

My link

Some good info in those two threads.

 

[cstu]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

You really need two separate trips (or a much longer one) to see north and south Italy. IMO renting a car is the best way to go and just spend some time exploring on your own.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Planning a vacation to Italy next spring with the wife. I've never done a tour group before, but thinking about signing up for this Globus tour. We've never been to Italy, and hoping to see as much as possible in the time that we will be there, without wasting too much time trying to figure our way around, so a guided tour seems the best option. Looked at some other guided tours, but either a bit longer than we'd like (14 days), or shorter and leaves out a bunch of stuff.

Am I just throwing money away if I do the tour? Or am I right that it is the best way to see all of the main sights in the ~11 days that we have to work with? Anybody take Globus? Hotels look only so-so, but I guess that's the same with all of them, unless take a higher-end tour such as Tauck.

We'd like to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, and Capri. I'd like to see Lakes Como and Maggiore too, but that will probably have to wait until a future vacation. We almost took a trip to Switzerland this year and would have seen those too (I even started a thread while planning that one), but we bought a house instead.

That's a lot to cover in only 11 days. We've been 3 times to Italy, heading to Rome for New Years, but never did a tour. We drove from Venice to Florence to Rome on one trip. We did Rome, Capri(stayed on the island), Naples and Amalfi Coast (didn't see Pompeii) on another and the last time we stayed in Milan (very underrated city) and day tripped to Verona, Cinque Terra, Lake Como area and Turin. You should try to bunch them a little tighter. The area you're looking to cover in 11 days is definitely stretching you too thin, imo.

Yeah, I agree we are stretching it thin. That's in part why we were thinking of the tour. If we did it on our own, we'd probably knock out Capri and Pompeii.

If you are into nature, you cannot knock out Capri. The people who say it's only good for a day trip or a night or two are crazy. The restaurants are great, there is a lot to see and do. I loved Capri and thought Pompeii was one of the most interesting places I saw. Cut out Pisa.

How great is it on Capri once all the day trippers leave. Just amazing, especially around sunset and at night. Definitely one of our highlights from Italy. Although getting on that ferry multiple times wasn't the most fun.

Exactly! We always found something to do during the day that took us away from most of the day trippers. We did a private boat tour around the island (We did go in the blue grotto though), took a day trip to Positano, spent a day over at Ana Capri and ate at restaurant near a high point of the island that had its own vineyard overlooking the Mediterranean. They served homemade organic wine. Plus we did an entire day of walking and hiking the island, checking out some of the natural features and also Villa Fersen (a 1920s era villa) and Villa Jovis (Ancient Roman palace and Caesar Augustus's vacation home and where Caesar Tiberius ruled from for 10 years). I have over 1000 pics on facebook I think.

 

[cstu]

Do you all fly directly to Rome, or do you do a layover in London or other? My wife is really interested in going to Positano (because of some movie, apparently).

We fly American Airlines and usually have to stop over in London. Positano is a tough one because from Rome you'll probably be taking a train down to Naples and a ferry (or taxi) to Positano. That's what our Capri trip was like. Very tiring, long trip.

That's why I prefer to drive and take my time getting places. Rome to Positano is about 3 hours by car and you can spend the day sightseeing along the way.

 

[Chemical X]

i have some experience and will post my help shortly.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Do you all fly directly to Rome, or do you do a layover in London or other? My wife is really interested in going to Positano (because of some movie, apparently).

If you want to go to the Amalfi Coast I would suggest looking at anything and everything on the coast and not just Positano. Ravello, Amalfi (my favorite), Atrani, or Maiori are all terrific and really the same sort of views and feel. I would suggest spring, especially May. You have to drive so if you are going to Rome for example, spend time there and then take a three day jaunt down to Amalfi. But you have to drive, no tours. If you are staying for a week on the Amalfi coast you can drive it every day, and that is really half the fun. When I lived in Naples I used to go at least once a month, it is really one of the most beautiful places on earth and I've seen a lot of the earth.Capri and Sorrento are very close, Pompei, Herculaneum and Vesuvio are within a relative distance. I always preferred the island of Ischia over Capri because it is so much cheaper and most of the tourists are Italian. Capri is a paradise and thus overpriced. I'm sure you can get a good meal there but mostly it is tourist fodder unless you want to pay a ransom; you have to remember you are within 30 miles of the culinary capital of Italy (Napoli) and Capri simply falls short. Sorrento same, on Amalfi you'll find better food for lower prices but I still suggest at least one trip into Naples for the original thing (I can recommend some places). I would suggest Amalfi/Capri/Sorrento for a honeymoon, second honeymoon or for a favorite mistress if you make Chet bank. Very relaxing and beautiful and the weather is much like SoCal except hotter in the summer months.

 

[jamny]

Do you all fly directly to Rome, or do you do a layover in London or other? My wife is really interested in going to Positano (because of some movie, apparently).

We fly American Airlines and usually have to stop over in London. Positano is a tough one because from Rome you'll probably be taking a train down to Naples and a ferry (or taxi) to Positano. That's what our Capri trip was like. Very tiring, long trip.

That's why I prefer to drive and take my time getting places. Rome to Positano is about 3 hours by car and you can spend the day sightseeing along the way.

Normally we'd drive but since we were going to Capri and didn't want to rent a car just for a couple of hours, we took the train. Once we got back to Rome we rented and drove around Tuscany for a few days. A good mixture of driving and using their excellent train system is the way to go, imo. Skip the tours, unless you're just into hanging with a bunch of people. We like to be on our own.

 

[The Z Machine]

Regardless of whether or not you are doing the tour, get the "DK Eyewitness" Italy book. I'll get you the Amazon link if you can't find it.

Those books are garbage.Also, don't do a tour.

 

[jamny]

I find the TimeOut and Fodor's books to usually be good.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I'll save you a trip to Pisa: That's it!

 

[LHUCKS]

Regardless of whether or not you are doing the tour, get the "DK Eyewitness" Italy book. I'll get you the Amazon link if you can't find it.

Those books are garbage.

False

 

[Don Quixote]

Pretty simple, actually - if you & the mrs. think you could be the type who hops the pond most years, Italy is a three-trip (Turin-Milan-Lakes-Venice; Cinqueterra-Florence-Rome; Napoli-Capri-Sicily) country, at the very least. Go to Rome the 1st time, get used to Italia, trains or rental car up to Tuscany & Cinqueterra. If this is it for you, Mrs Q & Italy, put yourself in the hands of people who can get you to the most spots comfortably.

Thanks; that's a pretty good summary. I think this will be "it", or at least "it" for the foreseeable future. This will actually be my first trip to Europe ever, so there's a lot more that I want to see. After this, I think a second trip to Italy will be down on the list until I knock out England, France, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, etc...

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Pretty simple, actually - if you & the mrs. think you could be the type who hops the pond most years, Italy is a three-trip (Turin-Milan-Lakes-Venice; Cinqueterra-Florence-Rome; Napoli-Capri-Sicily) country, at the very least. Go to Rome the 1st time, get used to Italia, trains or rental car up to Tuscany & Cinqueterra. If this is it for you, Mrs Q & Italy, put yourself in the hands of people who can get you to the most spots comfortably.

Thanks; that's a pretty good summary. I think this will be "it", or at least "it" for the foreseeable future. This will actually be my first trip to Europe ever, so there's a lot more that I want to see. After this, I think a second trip to Italy will be down on the list until I knock out England, France, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, etc...

This was my first trip to Europe as well. We spent a little extra being that it was our honeymoon, but I really wouldn't have done anything different other than diving into the Mediterranean from our private boat tour. The water was still cold and there were jellyfish, but I should have just dove in.

 

[Don Quixote]

My link

My link

Some good info in those two threads.

Thanks. I'll dive into those.

 

[cstu]

Do you all fly directly to Rome, or do you do a layover in London or other? My wife is really interested in going to Positano (because of some movie, apparently).

If you want to go to the Amalfi Coast I would suggest looking at anything and everything on the coast and not just Positano. Ravello, Amalfi (my favorite), Atrani, or Maiori are all terrific and really the same sort of views and feel. I would suggest spring, especially May. You have to drive so if you are going to Rome for example, spend time there and then take a three day jaunt down to Amalfi. But you have to drive, no tours. If you are staying for a week on the Amalfi coast you can drive it every day, and that is really half the fun. When I lived in Naples I used to go at least once a month, it is really one of the most beautiful places on earth and I've seen a lot of the earth.Capri and Sorrento are very close, Pompei, Herculaneum and Vesuvio are within a relative distance. I always preferred the island of Ischia over Capri because it is so much cheaper and most of the tourists are Italian. Capri is a paradise and thus overpriced. I'm sure you can get a good meal there but mostly it is tourist fodder unless you want to pay a ransom; you have to remember you are within 30 miles of the culinary capital of Italy (Napoli) and Capri simply falls short. Sorrento same, on Amalfi you'll find better food for lower prices but I still suggest at least one trip into Naples for the original thing (I can recommend some places). I would suggest Amalfi/Capri/Sorrento for a honeymoon, second honeymoon or for a favorite mistress if you make Chet bank. Very relaxing and beautiful and the weather is much like SoCal except hotter in the summer months.

Great info, DD.

 

[Gopher State]

make sure you go to the Blue Moon

Via dei Quattro Cantoni 53, Rome, Italy

They have the best nude dancers, and lap dances, in Italy

 

[butcher boy]

The wife and I went to Italy on our honeymoon and took the best tour I've ever been on.

If you are foodies, do yourself a favor and detour to Bologna to do this tour.

http://www.italiandays.it/

You get to go inside the parmagianno regiano and parma ham factories, tour a beautiful estate where they age the best balsamic vinegar in the world tasting everything along the way, and finally have a "lunch" at a remote italian village in the hills above bologna. There's no way you could see any of this stuff by yourself and if the culinary side of Italy interests you at all, it's a must do.

It was the highlight of our trip by far.

 

[The Z Machine]

Regardless of whether or not you are doing the tour, get the "DK Eyewitness" Italy book. I'll get you the Amazon link if you can't find it.

Those books are garbage.

False

Frommers is much better. You're just paying for pretty pictures and printing in the DK books.Also, don't do a tour and don't go to Pisa.

 

[Bobcat10]

.

 

[cstu]

Regardless of whether or not you are doing the tour, get the "DK Eyewitness" Italy book. I'll get you the Amazon link if you can't find it.

Those books are garbage.

False

Frommers is much better. You're just paying for pretty pictures and printing in the DK books.Also, don't do a tour and don't go to Pisa.

But, but, but...the tower is crooked!

 

[cstu]

The wife and I went to Italy on our honeymoon and took the best tour I've ever been on.

If you are foodies, do yourself a favor and detour to Bologna to do this tour.

http://www.italiandays.it/

You get to go inside the parmagianno regiano and parma ham factories, tour a beautiful estate where they age the best balsamic vinegar in the world tasting everything along the way, and finally have a "lunch" at a remote italian village in the hills above bologna. There's no way you could see any of this stuff by yourself and if the culinary side of Italy interests you at all, it's a must do.

It was the highlight of our trip by far.

I couldn't do it since we were staying to far away and the tours start at 8am, but you can schedule free tours to see PR being made.

 

[Chemical X]

oops

 

[Chemical X]

what i've been meaning to say is that a tour is a great way to experience italy, but i would avoid at all costs a group tour. we've had experience and have referred people to www.roadtoitaly.com and christina lee. you can create your own program and work with the to tailor a private experience. they set up hotels and transportation and work with you on an itinerary. just dont be too aggressive, build in time for walking around, grabbing a gelato and taking in the sites, so you are not exhausted. a key to remember is that most italian restaurants open at 7.30 pm for dinner and do not turn tables, so you are likely to spend 3 hours having a meal. plan evenings accordingly. i would not recommend venice, but this is my opinion. they have been suffering major flooding from alta acqua. location wise and logistically, trekking 2.30 east kills valuable time. the north lakes are fantastic and i would recommend 2 nites in milan with a day trip to como/bellagio etc. i'd head south to florence for 3 nites. in florence area you could go rogue and look up www.mytuscanbuddy.com sergio is a great guide and fantastic to travel with. from florence i'd pass thru tuscany and umbria, the val d'orcia and stay maybe 3 nites in different locales or in one space central and hit the great hill towns of orvieto, siena, san gimigagno, pienza, montepulciano, cortona, arezzo, etc. then 5 nites in rome with a day trip to pompeii or herculaneum (i prefer pompeii). i can help with other questions, restaurant recommendations, train info, etc. if need be. i am pretty familiar with hotels and the major train stations.

ciao e buon natale. ho dimenticato, per favore possiamo avere fotos della sua moglie? grazie.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

ho mi sono dimenticato, per favore possiamo avere fotos della sua moglie? grazie.

,niente