Mad Cow's Italy trip discussion thread (1 Viewer)

[Chemical X]

bump for st louis slob

 

[Rick James]

We decided against the Firenze Card because we were there for a week and the 72 hour thing didn't work for us. Instead went with the Friends of the Uffizi program. Annual pass - still cheaper for our family of 5..

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/florence/uffizi_membership.htm

And if you don't go get butter chicken at Sostanza I'll never read your sunglass posts again. Also - Walkabout Tours - Tuscany. Do it. And bring money to buy lots of ties. Ridiculous prices for great quality. Gusta pizza when you head over to Pitti Palace. Florentine Steak at 'Tito. Man - I'm jealous. Want to go back.

Dot

Took the judges advice and ate at Sostanza. So damn good.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

bump for st louis slob

bd

 

[Chemical X]

beginning to plot a 3 week sojourn in May that will include around 7-8 nights at our place first, then heading down to Civitavecchia to grab maybe a 7 night cruise on msc that hits sicily, malta, Mallorca, Valencia, Marseilles, genoa and back to Civitavecchia, then we'll hang 3-4 nights in rome, maybe near campo de' fiori (thinking locanda navona).

if anyone has taken msc in the Mediterranean, would love to hear some thoughts.

figured I would keep this in this thread as spring travel season starts up again.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

my .02..... i would take driving out of the equation on this trip. you would indeed need to acquire an international driving permit for 15-, which is good for 1 year from acquisition. you can save money by bringing your pics to an AAA office. FCO is an easy airport to access, with a quick express train from terminal 3 to city centre. my suggestion remains to work with RTI on a private tour. give them your wants and needs and be specific, but with a language barrier, it will be difficult for you to realistically navigate all you need to do. basic information is not so easy when you don't speak or read the language. I am intermediate and the cultural nuisances are tough. things we take for granted here are not as they seem there. heck, you don't want to share a bathroom at a hotel or get stuck without AC. these can occur. let the pro help the first time, then get some experience. make sure you build in down time....do not bite off more than you can chew. you can get overwhelmed quickly and wind up losing time and sights. I would fly to Milan and home from FCO. from Milan I would stay in Lake Como for 1-2 notes. use the first nite to get down to Milan to see the last supper, maybe the opera. spend the next full day on the lake. then head to Venice for 2 nites, but grab a bottle for the train trip, maybe some cheese. Venice is not my favorite, but people like st marks, gondolas, bridge of sighs. from Venice head to Florence for 2. set up a wine taste, get tickets to uffici and accadamia. maybe pitti palace. hang on the ponte vecchio. the duomo is epic. wander...... head thru chianti, stop at vineyards, stay in the area at a castle. the less you need to drive the more you can enjoy drinking. head to Rome for 4 nights. Vatican, other sights, maybe the necropolis. day trip to Pompeii. perhaps a train to Amalfi if you want to extend. Naples to me blows. don't dare drive Amalfi coast, you have a 50/50 of cliff diving. bring euros. act like you are in a big city. be alert. I can offer a multitude of other tips for restaurants, hotels and non touristy stuff if you like. I'm mr meeseeks look at me.

How many Euros should I get? Obviously knowing the language would be beneficial but how much should I know? Any other MAJOR tips for somebody that has never been to the EU?

Thanks GB

 

[Chemical X]

piles of tips I need to post in a bit, but 1) make sure your US credit cards have no foreign service charges and 2) it depends on how much you want to charge (like meals, shopping, etc.) I usually assume 100euros a day.

 

[Mad Cow]

We decided against the Firenze Card because we were there for a week and the 72 hour thing didn't work for us. Instead went with the Friends of the Uffizi program. Annual pass - still cheaper for our family of 5..

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/florence/uffizi_membership.htm

And if you don't go get butter chicken at Sostanza I'll never read your sunglass posts again. Also - Walkabout Tours - Tuscany. Do it. And bring money to buy lots of ties. Ridiculous prices for great quality. Gusta pizza when you head over to Pitti Palace. Florentine Steak at 'Tito. Man - I'm jealous. Want to go back.

Dot

Took the judges advice and ate at Sostanza. So damn good.

I so wish Sostanza had been open when we were there. We walked that way once, did not find it. Went back after we understood how addresses work in Firenze only to see they were on holiday until the day after we left for Sorrento. That was not a short walk to do twice from the Ponte Veccio area.

 

[Rick James]

my .02..... i would take driving out of the equation on this trip. you would indeed need to acquire an international driving permit for 15-, which is good for 1 year from acquisition. you can save money by bringing your pics to an AAA office. FCO is an easy airport to access, with a quick express train from terminal 3 to city centre. my suggestion remains to work with RTI on a private tour. give them your wants and needs and be specific, but with a language barrier, it will be difficult for you to realistically navigate all you need to do. basic information is not so easy when you don't speak or read the language. I am intermediate and the cultural nuisances are tough. things we take for granted here are not as they seem there. heck, you don't want to share a bathroom at a hotel or get stuck without AC. these can occur. let the pro help the first time, then get some experience. make sure you build in down time....do not bite off more than you can chew. you can get overwhelmed quickly and wind up losing time and sights. I would fly to Milan and home from FCO. from Milan I would stay in Lake Como for 1-2 notes. use the first nite to get down to Milan to see the last supper, maybe the opera. spend the next full day on the lake. then head to Venice for 2 nites, but grab a bottle for the train trip, maybe some cheese. Venice is not my favorite, but people like st marks, gondolas, bridge of sighs. from Venice head to Florence for 2. set up a wine taste, get tickets to uffici and accadamia. maybe pitti palace. hang on the ponte vecchio. the duomo is epic. wander...... head thru chianti, stop at vineyards, stay in the area at a castle. the less you need to drive the more you can enjoy drinking. head to Rome for 4 nights. Vatican, other sights, maybe the necropolis. day trip to Pompeii. perhaps a train to Amalfi if you want to extend. Naples to me blows. don't dare drive Amalfi coast, you have a 50/50 of cliff diving. bring euros. act like you are in a big city. be alert. I can offer a multitude of other tips for restaurants, hotels and non touristy stuff if you like. I'm mr meeseeks look at me.

How many Euros should I get? Obviously knowing the language would be beneficial but how much should I know? Any other MAJOR tips for somebody that has never been to the EU?

Thanks GB

-I didn't know ANY italian and got around fine for 14 days. It obviously helps but isn't required, especially in places like Rome, Florence, etc. If you go to a small town you may have trouble communicating though.

-eat gelato twice a day. skip the neon-colored stuff that's piled high. If it looks like this, it's fake. Authentic gelato is very dense so it won't naturally sit high above the pan like that. Authentic gelato also uses natural fruits and flavors. So a banana flavor would look tan/brown-ish and not bright yellow. You get the idea. It should look like this.

-If you decide to rent a car and tour the countryside, definitely get a GPS from the agency. We would have never found our way out of Rome without it.

-Follow up point- Romans drive like maniacs compared to USA drivers.There is a method to the madness and they all kinda work together like a school of fish, but it takes a couple hours to get used to it. I rented a VESPA and rode around the city and had an absolute blast, but I'm not gonna lie it was scary sometimes. Biking or scooter-ing around Florence would be much easier since it is on a grid system.

-Check w/ your bank to see if they have any fees for foreign ATM withdrawals. Some don't. Ours were very low, so we didn't worry about bringing a ton of money with us. Just used ATMs.

READ THIS THREAD. There is a ton of useful info here. I used this thread and direct messages w/ Chemical X to plan my trip. Had a blast.

 

[Chemical X]

I think I mentioned the excavations below the Vatican.........here is the link on how to make reservations:

http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en.html

a little claustrophobic, but amazingly historic.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

piles of tips I need to post in a bit, but 1) make sure your US credit cards have no foreign service charges and 2) it depends on how much you want to charge (like meals, shopping, etc.) I usually assume 100euros a day.

Thanks GB.

Not even looking for "see this or that" just don't want to look like a %^&*@!, get murdered or run out of money.

I understand that men wear dress pants so I'm cool there. Is it ever appropriate to wear shorts?

 

[St. Louis Bob]

my .02..... i would take driving out of the equation on this trip. you would indeed need to acquire an international driving permit for 15-, which is good for 1 year from acquisition. you can save money by bringing your pics to an AAA office. FCO is an easy airport to access, with a quick express train from terminal 3 to city centre. my suggestion remains to work with RTI on a private tour. give them your wants and needs and be specific, but with a language barrier, it will be difficult for you to realistically navigate all you need to do. basic information is not so easy when you don't speak or read the language. I am intermediate and the cultural nuisances are tough. things we take for granted here are not as they seem there. heck, you don't want to share a bathroom at a hotel or get stuck without AC. these can occur. let the pro help the first time, then get some experience. make sure you build in down time....do not bite off more than you can chew. you can get overwhelmed quickly and wind up losing time and sights. I would fly to Milan and home from FCO. from Milan I would stay in Lake Como for 1-2 notes. use the first nite to get down to Milan to see the last supper, maybe the opera. spend the next full day on the lake. then head to Venice for 2 nites, but grab a bottle for the train trip, maybe some cheese. Venice is not my favorite, but people like st marks, gondolas, bridge of sighs. from Venice head to Florence for 2. set up a wine taste, get tickets to uffici and accadamia. maybe pitti palace. hang on the ponte vecchio. the duomo is epic. wander...... head thru chianti, stop at vineyards, stay in the area at a castle. the less you need to drive the more you can enjoy drinking. head to Rome for 4 nights. Vatican, other sights, maybe the necropolis. day trip to Pompeii. perhaps a train to Amalfi if you want to extend. Naples to me blows. don't dare drive Amalfi coast, you have a 50/50 of cliff diving. bring euros. act like you are in a big city. be alert. I can offer a multitude of other tips for restaurants, hotels and non touristy stuff if you like. I'm mr meeseeks look at me.

How many Euros should I get? Obviously knowing the language would be beneficial but how much should I know? Any other MAJOR tips for somebody that has never been to the EU?

Thanks GB

-I didn't know ANY italian and got around fine for 14 days. It obviously helps but isn't required, especially in places like Rome, Florence, etc. If you go to a small town you may have trouble communicating though.

-eat gelato twice a day. skip the neon-colored stuff that's piled high. If it looks like this, it's fake. Authentic gelato is very dense so it won't naturally sit high above the pan like that. Authentic gelato also uses natural fruits and flavors. So a banana flavor would look tan/brown-ish and not bright yellow. You get the idea. It should look like this.

-If you decide to rent a car and tour the countryside, definitely get a GPS from the agency. We would have never found our way out of Rome without it.

-Follow up point- Romans drive like maniacs compared to USA drivers.There is a method to the madness and they all kinda work together like a school of fish, but it takes a couple hours to get used to it. I rented a VESPA and rode around the city and had an absolute blast, but I'm not gonna lie it was scary sometimes. Biking or scooter-ing around Florence would be much easier since it is on a grid system.

-Check w/ your bank to see if they have any fees for foreign ATM withdrawals. Some don't. Ours were very low, so we didn't worry about bringing a ton of money with us. Just used ATMs.

READ THIS THREAD. There is a ton of useful info here. I used this thread and direct messages w/ Chemical X to plan my trip. Had a blast.

My wife keeps hearing this too, why is better than the gelato in the U.S.? We have an Italian part of town and it's good. Not saying it isn't, but why is it better in Italy?

Good tip on the ATM fees

I started reading this thread, got about 5 pages in and it was all about people #####ing about the French.

 

[Rick James]

shorts during the day time is fine especially if you're going in spring/summer. You're never going to be mistaken for an Italian anyway, so don't worry about it. If you're going to visit churches, then you should ditch the shorts and your wife ditch the skirt for something more "dressy" but other than that don't worry about it.

most of the gelato in the USA tastes like ice cream to me-- fluffy, artificially sweet. italian gelato is dense and crammed with natural flavor-- so strawberries instead of "strawberry flavor."

 

[RUSF18]

my .02..... i would take driving out of the equation on this trip. you would indeed need to acquire an international driving permit for 15-, which is good for 1 year from acquisition. you can save money by bringing your pics to an AAA office. FCO is an easy airport to access, with a quick express train from terminal 3 to city centre. my suggestion remains to work with RTI on a private tour. give them your wants and needs and be specific, but with a language barrier, it will be difficult for you to realistically navigate all you need to do. basic information is not so easy when you don't speak or read the language. I am intermediate and the cultural nuisances are tough. things we take for granted here are not as they seem there. heck, you don't want to share a bathroom at a hotel or get stuck without AC. these can occur. let the pro help the first time, then get some experience. make sure you build in down time....do not bite off more than you can chew. you can get overwhelmed quickly and wind up losing time and sights. I would fly to Milan and home from FCO. from Milan I would stay in Lake Como for 1-2 notes. use the first nite to get down to Milan to see the last supper, maybe the opera. spend the next full day on the lake. then head to Venice for 2 nites, but grab a bottle for the train trip, maybe some cheese. Venice is not my favorite, but people like st marks, gondolas, bridge of sighs. from Venice head to Florence for 2. set up a wine taste, get tickets to uffici and accadamia. maybe pitti palace. hang on the ponte vecchio. the duomo is epic. wander...... head thru chianti, stop at vineyards, stay in the area at a castle. the less you need to drive the more you can enjoy drinking. head to Rome for 4 nights. Vatican, other sights, maybe the necropolis. day trip to Pompeii. perhaps a train to Amalfi if you want to extend. Naples to me blows. don't dare drive Amalfi coast, you have a 50/50 of cliff diving. bring euros. act like you are in a big city. be alert. I can offer a multitude of other tips for restaurants, hotels and non touristy stuff if you like. I'm mr meeseeks look at me.

How many Euros should I get? Obviously knowing the language would be beneficial but how much should I know? Any other MAJOR tips for somebody that has never been to the EU?

Thanks GB

-I didn't know ANY italian and got around fine for 14 days. It obviously helps but isn't required, especially in places like Rome, Florence, etc. If you go to a small town you may have trouble communicating though.

-eat gelato twice a day. skip the neon-colored stuff that's piled high. If it looks like this, it's fake. Authentic gelato is very dense so it won't naturally sit high above the pan like that. Authentic gelato also uses natural fruits and flavors. So a banana flavor would look tan/brown-ish and not bright yellow. You get the idea. It should look like this.

-If you decide to rent a car and tour the countryside, definitely get a GPS from the agency. We would have never found our way out of Rome without it.

-Follow up point- Romans drive like maniacs compared to USA drivers.There is a method to the madness and they all kinda work together like a school of fish, but it takes a couple hours to get used to it. I rented a VESPA and rode around the city and had an absolute blast, but I'm not gonna lie it was scary sometimes. Biking or scooter-ing around Florence would be much easier since it is on a grid system.

-Check w/ your bank to see if they have any fees for foreign ATM withdrawals. Some don't. Ours were very low, so we didn't worry about bringing a ton of money with us. Just used ATMs.

READ THIS THREAD. There is a ton of useful info here. I used this thread and direct messages w/ Chemical X to plan my trip. Had a blast.

My wife keeps hearing this too, why is better than the gelato in the U.S.? We have an Italian part of town and it's good. Not saying it isn't, but why is it better in Italy?

Good tip on the ATM fees

I started reading this thread, got about 5 pages in and it was all about people #####ing about the French.

Probably the same reason pasta is better in Italy than it is in your Italian part of town.

 

[Rick James]

this thread starts to get useful around page 7, btw.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

shorts during the day time is fine especially if you're going in spring/summer. You're never going to be mistaken for an Italian anyway, so don't worry about it. If you're going to visit churches, then you should ditch the shorts and your wife ditch the skirt for something more "dressy" but other than that don't worry about it.

most of the gelato in the USA tastes like ice cream to me-- fluffy, artificially sweet. italian gelato is dense and crammed with natural flavor-- so strawberries instead of "strawberry flavor."

Thank you, that's what I was wondering.

this thread starts to get useful around page 7, btw.

Gotcha, thank you!

 

[St. Louis Bob]

my .02..... i would take driving out of the equation on this trip. you would indeed need to acquire an international driving permit for 15-, which is good for 1 year from acquisition. you can save money by bringing your pics to an AAA office. FCO is an easy airport to access, with a quick express train from terminal 3 to city centre. my suggestion remains to work with RTI on a private tour. give them your wants and needs and be specific, but with a language barrier, it will be difficult for you to realistically navigate all you need to do. basic information is not so easy when you don't speak or read the language. I am intermediate and the cultural nuisances are tough. things we take for granted here are not as they seem there. heck, you don't want to share a bathroom at a hotel or get stuck without AC. these can occur. let the pro help the first time, then get some experience. make sure you build in down time....do not bite off more than you can chew. you can get overwhelmed quickly and wind up losing time and sights. I would fly to Milan and home from FCO. from Milan I would stay in Lake Como for 1-2 notes. use the first nite to get down to Milan to see the last supper, maybe the opera. spend the next full day on the lake. then head to Venice for 2 nites, but grab a bottle for the train trip, maybe some cheese. Venice is not my favorite, but people like st marks, gondolas, bridge of sighs. from Venice head to Florence for 2. set up a wine taste, get tickets to uffici and accadamia. maybe pitti palace. hang on the ponte vecchio. the duomo is epic. wander...... head thru chianti, stop at vineyards, stay in the area at a castle. the less you need to drive the more you can enjoy drinking. head to Rome for 4 nights. Vatican, other sights, maybe the necropolis. day trip to Pompeii. perhaps a train to Amalfi if you want to extend. Naples to me blows. don't dare drive Amalfi coast, you have a 50/50 of cliff diving. bring euros. act like you are in a big city. be alert. I can offer a multitude of other tips for restaurants, hotels and non touristy stuff if you like. I'm mr meeseeks look at me.

How many Euros should I get? Obviously knowing the language would be beneficial but how much should I know? Any other MAJOR tips for somebody that has never been to the EU?

Thanks GB

-I didn't know ANY italian and got around fine for 14 days. It obviously helps but isn't required, especially in places like Rome, Florence, etc. If you go to a small town you may have trouble communicating though.

-eat gelato twice a day. skip the neon-colored stuff that's piled high. If it looks like this, it's fake. Authentic gelato is very dense so it won't naturally sit high above the pan like that. Authentic gelato also uses natural fruits and flavors. So a banana flavor would look tan/brown-ish and not bright yellow. You get the idea. It should look like this.

-If you decide to rent a car and tour the countryside, definitely get a GPS from the agency. We would have never found our way out of Rome without it.

-Follow up point- Romans drive like maniacs compared to USA drivers.There is a method to the madness and they all kinda work together like a school of fish, but it takes a couple hours to get used to it. I rented a VESPA and rode around the city and had an absolute blast, but I'm not gonna lie it was scary sometimes. Biking or scooter-ing around Florence would be much easier since it is on a grid system.

-Check w/ your bank to see if they have any fees for foreign ATM withdrawals. Some don't. Ours were very low, so we didn't worry about bringing a ton of money with us. Just used ATMs.

READ THIS THREAD. There is a ton of useful info here. I used this thread and direct messages w/ Chemical X to plan my trip. Had a blast.

My wife keeps hearing this too, why is better than the gelato in the U.S.? We have an Italian part of town and it's good. Not saying it isn't, but why is it better in Italy?

Good tip on the ATM fees

I started reading this thread, got about 5 pages in and it was all about people #####ing about the French.

Probably the same reason pasta is better in Italy than it is in your Italian part of town.

You realize I'm not talking about Olive Garden right?

Thanks again Rick James.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Just read the entire thread. Have a request in to Sergio as well to tour the necropolis.

We're in Florence 5 days/nights. Think we should get Sergio more than one day?

 

[Chemical X]

when will you be there? where exactly?

 

[Mad Cow]

When in Rome, I'd suggest a morning or afternoon at the Borghese. A couple of hours there, and I really recommend the audio tour, and then an hour or 2 in the surrounding park. We got those 2 man pedal carts and had a great time.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

when will you be there? where exactly?

We arrive in Venice April 9th, staying at Westin Europa & Regina Venice.

We leave on 4/11 via

Venice Santa Lucia to Florence Santa Maria Novella - First ClassSpacious reclining seats feature generous leg room. Cars are air-conditioned. A coffee bar offers sandwiches, snacks, desserts, and hot and cold drinks. Luggage is placed on the racks above your seat or at the end of each car. Each car features a public restroom.

to Florence.

We are staying at Firenze Porta Rossa in Florence for 5 nights. I contacted Sergio and have his services reserved on 4/12 & 4/14. Thanks!

We leave on 4/16 for Rome via same rail accommodations. We are staying at Hotel Ariston until 4/19. I sent an e-mail about the Necropolis tour but it's closed when we are there. :(

 

[Chemical X]

here is some random advise;

bring converters and adapters. you need to convert the current and use an adapter. both northern and southern Italy types may be required. what we do is bring a small US power strip, plug it into a converter and adapter, then you can charge everything.

bring a glade plug in oil or something like that for the hotel room, Italians are a smoky bunch.

make 1 or 2 good copies of your passports and carry those at all times when you go out. leave the real guys at the hotel safe.

no cappuccino after breakfast ever.

buy a couple of those .99 rain ponchos at Walmart and carry them......they have saved us many a time.

tipping is not expected and if you do, it's not like the states. you can add up to the next whole number usually and it's much appreciated. for instance, a if you spend 63, leaving 5 is fine or going to 65 or 70 works too.

tobacchi stores and stands sell metro tickets for public transport, but they all close at 7.30.

tourist areas stores generally have orari continuato (continuous hours), but some places still do the siesta thing, you may find stores hours to be 9.30-1.00 and 4-7.30, especially banks.

Italian eateries are generally osteria, trattoria, ristorante, with ristorante being most expensive. they do not seek to turn tables, so dinner is sometimes 3 hours......relax and enjoy the pace. sides rarely come with meals, usually they are served ala carte. salad is served after meals, not before. primi are usually pastas and secondi the meats......don't feel compelled to get both, either one is fine for me for a meal. sometimes we each get pasta dishes and split a meat. coffee and dessert are separate. grappa after meals a must! if they offer or have grappa, find one flavored, maybe con miele (honey). make reservations if you see something you like. some don't start dinner service until 7.30p.

they use the 24hr clock. get ready for 20.00 dinner reservations......no tip here, but after 12p, take their number and subtract 12 for the time.......17-12 is 5p, etc.

while it may be nice to sit outside and eat, many places still allow outdoor smoking, check the location before committing.

eateries charge cover charges of around 1.50 pp, this is for table cloth and bread and standard.

public toilets are not easy to find, may actually be coin operated, can be filthy and some don't have toilet seats........try to use your hotel facilities as much as possible.

wine........while it's nice to order bottles of local wines, with prices being much more reasonable that the states, I highly recommend you try some house wine if you are not fancying things up too much. house red and white are pretty equivalent IMO to $10- bottles of US stuff, but will cost under 5euro. you can also get half bottles of house.

get the viber app and start inviting your contacts......free texts internationally is cool.

contact your CC companies and let them know you will overseas and to unlock your card.....find out which ones do and don't charge a foreign transaction fee.

contact your cell carrier and alter your calling plan and texting plans for international.......turn off your roaming!!!! use free wifi only.

carry some sunscreen when siteseeing.

Italian is a rough language, but a tip on vowels is that they are always pronounced and always the same sound;

a - ah
e - ehy (from the back of the throat, no tongue)
i - ee
o - oh
u - oo

 

[St. Louis Bob]

here is some random advise;

bring converters and adapters. you need to convert the current and use an adapter. both northern and southern Italy types may be required. what we do is bring a small US power strip, plug it into a converter and adapter, then you can charge everything.

bring a glade plug in oil or something like that for the hotel room, Italians are a smoky bunch.

make 1 or 2 good copies of your passports and carry those at all times when you go out. leave the real guys at the hotel safe.

no cappuccino after breakfast ever.

buy a couple of those .99 rain ponchos at Walmart and carry them......they have saved us many a time.

tipping is not expected and if you do, it's not like the states. you can add up to the next whole number usually and it's much appreciated. for instance, a if you spend 63, leaving 5 is fine or going to 65 or 70 works too.

tobacchi stores and stands sell metro tickets for public transport, but they all close at 7.30.

tourist areas stores generally have orari continuato (continuous hours), but some places still do the siesta thing, you may find stores hours to be 9.30-1.00 and 4-7.30, especially banks.

Italian eateries are generally osteria, trattoria, ristorante, with ristorante being most expensive. they do not seek to turn tables, so dinner is sometimes 3 hours......relax and enjoy the pace. sides rarely come with meals, usually they are served ala carte. salad is served after meals, not before. primi are usually pastas and secondi the meats......don't feel compelled to get both, either one is fine for me for a meal. sometimes we each get pasta dishes and split a meat. coffee and dessert are separate. grappa after meals a must! if they offer or have grappa, find one flavored, maybe con miele (honey). make reservations if you see something you like. some don't start dinner service until 7.30p.

they use the 24hr clock. get ready for 20.00 dinner reservations......no tip here, but after 12p, take their number and subtract 12 for the time.......17-12 is 5p, etc.

while it may be nice to sit outside and eat, many places still allow outdoor smoking, check the location before committing.

eateries charge cover charges of around 1.50 pp, this is for table cloth and bread and standard.

public toilets are not easy to find, may actually be coin operated, can be filthy and some don't have toilet seats........try to use your hotel facilities as much as possible.

wine........while it's nice to order bottles of local wines, with prices being much more reasonable that the states, I highly recommend you try some house wine if you are not fancying things up too much. house red and white are pretty equivalent IMO to $10- bottles of US stuff, but will cost under 5euro. you can also get half bottles of house.

get the viber app and start inviting your contacts......free texts internationally is cool.

contact your CC companies and let them know you will overseas and to unlock your card.....find out which ones do and don't charge a foreign transaction fee.

contact your cell carrier and alter your calling plan and texting plans for international.......turn off your roaming!!!! use free wifi only.

carry some sunscreen when siteseeing.

Italian is a rough language, but a tip on vowels is that they are always pronounced and always the same sound;

a - ah

e - ehy (from the back of the throat, no tongue)

i - ee

o - oh

u - oo

Awesome. THANK YOU

Wife and I both downloaded Viber last night. I'm a casual smoker so that won't bother me.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Chem X, why no cappuccino after breakfast?  Also, are designer shoes, clothes, cheaper there than in the States?  Thanks GB

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Chem X, why no cappuccino after breakfast?  Also, are designer shoes, clothes, cheaper there than in the States?  Thanks GB

bump

 

[St. Louis Bob]

bump for st louis slob

Went on the wine and olive oil  tasting tour with Sergio today, thanks GB, great reccomendation.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Our luggage was lost on the way over too. Here's another tip: it (was) impossible to rent a car or find a shop that sells women's underwear on a Sunday in Florence.

Did this which is good because our luggage didn't show up until the next day. 

I am NOT a power napper. I take naps rarely, but when I do, I nap hard. I will try to get an hour or so in Amsterdam or on the flight to Florence and then hit it hard.

Still need to get butter chicken but we have 4 more nights here in Florence 

 

[Mad Cow]

Have an awesome time!  There is a trattoria called Trattoria Ponte Vecchio near the bridge.  Favorite place my wife ate whole trip.  They have this cheese and pear ravioli that was just amazing.  Check it out.  Hope you can rent a car and hit some of the surrounding area.  We loved Volterra. Cool small walled town and we never heard a word of English the 3 hours we walked around.  Just avoid the fine zones!

 

[Chemical X]

we love a restaurant in Florence called Ristorante Accademia.  my favorite church is santa croce.............the have some great tombs located within (Gallileo, Machiavelli, Michelangelo).  well worth the time.

check out how high the flood waters were in 1966, they have a line of remembrance.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Have an awesome time!  There is a trattoria called Trattoria Ponte Vecchio near the bridge.  Favorite place my wife ate whole trip.  They have this cheese and pear ravioli that was just amazing.  Check it out.  Hope you can rent a car and hit some of the surrounding area.  We loved Volterra. Cool small walled town and we never heard a word of English the 3 hours we walked around.  Just avoid the fine zones!

We actually ate there already. We had two nights in Venice before coming here. Spent all day today in Tuscany.  On Thursday we are going to Pisa and Lucca.  We leave for Rome on Saturday. 

we love a restaurant in Florence called Ristorante Accademia.  my favorite church is santa croce.............the have some great tombs located within (Gallileo, Machiavelli, Michelangelo).  well worth the time.

check out how high the flood waters were in 1966, they have a line of remembrance.

 Hitting the church tomorrow sure and will try Ristorante Accademia one night too.  Sergio showed us where the flood waters were. Crazy 

 

[El Floppo]

PICKPOCCKETS!

 

[Rick James]

Bob- if you're out late at night in Florence and want to get a reminder of Americana-- go to Uncle Jimmy's bar. Seems like every American in Florence gravitates there in the wee hours of the night. After 10 days in Italy I found it pretty refreshing to get to speak English with a bunch of people 

 

[Rick James]

Florence-- across the river there is Piazza Santo Spirito. Not to be that guy, but it is literally where the locals hang out. Tons of great places to eat and drink and check out the local life. The church in the square (Basilica Santo Spirito) has a piece by Michelangelo (very early in his career). Here's what wikipedia says about it:

Michelangelo Buonarroti, when he was seventeen years old, was allowed to make anatomical studies on the corpses coming from the convent's hospital; in exchange, he sculpted a wooden crucifix which was placed over the high altar. Today the crucifix is in the octagonal sacristy that can be reached from the west aisle of the church.

 

[Mad Cow]

If you run, there is a fantastic loop I did that gets all of the major sites in in about 6 miles.  Did it and was able to see everything and take phone selfies with zero crowds.

 

[Shutout]

I spent some time in Rome and the Tuscany country and. of course, it is awesome. One of the coolest places I found that isn't always one of the places mentioned is Viterbo in the Tuscany area.  You want to feel like you're back in the Roman empire  in the OLD world, go there.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

If you run, there is a fantastic loop I did that gets all of the major sites in in about 6 miles.  Did it and was able to see everything and take phone selfies with zero crowds.

My knees gave our a long time ago GB.  Only wish I could run.  Been a walker, 4-8 miles a day depending on how much time I have for a couple decades now.. Which is good because you have to be in pretty good shape for all of the site seeing.  Hell, despite seemingly constant eating I'm down two notches on my belt. 

Good news is we got 9pm reservations tonight at Sostanzu.  Hello butter chicken! 

Going to Academia tomorrow night for dinner. 

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Florence-- across the river there is Piazza Santo Spirito. Not to be that guy, but it is literally where the locals hang out. Tons of great places to eat and drink and check out the local life. The church in the square (Basilica Santo Spirito) has a piece by Michelangelo (very early in his career). Here's what wikipedia says about it:

Thanks for the tip GB but couldn't remember the name. Had lunch over there today and went through the Basilica. 

 

[Rick James]

If you're looking for a neat activity in Rome, you could do a walking food tour. We used "Eating Italy" (website here) for ours. We did the Testaccio food tour which was fantastic. I like doing these because it's a 2-birds-1-stone type of thing: learn about the history of the area while also learning about different types of local cuisine. 

I'm sure the Trastavere tours are just as good, but since we were staying in that neighborhood we chose the Testaccio one. 

 

[St. Louis Bob]

If you're looking for a neat activity in Rome, you could do a walking food tour. We used "Eating Italy" (website here) for ours. We did the Testaccio food tour which was fantastic. I like doing these because it's a 2-birds-1-stone type of thing: learn about the history of the area while also learning about different types of local cuisine. 

I'm sure the Trastavere tours are just as good, but since we were staying in that neighborhood we chose the Testaccio one. 

Appreciate the advice. I hired a guy though that was reccomended by Sergio, ChemEx friend here in Florence 

 

[Mad Cow]

We were eating dinner in NYC tonight in s trattoria and I remembered something really cool to do in Rome.  One of the lesser places to see is the Castel D'Angelo.  Go there towards the evening and you can go up on the top and have one of the most spectacular panoramic views of the entire city.  It's incredible.  Trust me. Worth it.  Had to come here to post it. 

 

[Judge Smails]

SLB - saw your note - you must get the butter chicken at Trattoria Sostanza.  4 days left.  Don't miss it.  Take it you've already had Florentine steak.  Good there, or at 'Tito

 

[Judge Smails]

Pisa - meh.  Just sayin'...

 

[St. Louis Bob]

SLB - saw your note - you must get the butter chicken at Trattoria Sostanza.  4 days left.  Don't miss it.  Take it you've already had Florentine steak.  Good there, or at 'Tito

Had it two nights ago,delicious.

Agree on Pisa but had to see it at least once. Nobody told me there isn't an elevator to the top though.  <_<

 

[PlayaHata]

I think I mentioned the excavations below the Vatican.........here is the link on how to make reservations:

http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en.html

a little claustrophobic, but amazingly historic.

Wanted to say thanks for posting this.  We're taking a Mediterranean cruise in July and will be visiting the Vatican during our day in Rome.  Just received confirmation that I've got this tour booked.  Sounds incredible!

 

[Chemical X]

Wanted to say thanks for posting this.  We're taking a Mediterranean cruise in July and will be visiting the Vatican during our day in Rome.  Just received confirmation that I've got this tour booked.  Sounds incredible!

enjoy!  which cruise are you taking?  I have an MSC 7 night Mediterranean coming in may.

 

[PlayaHata]

enjoy!  which cruise are you taking?  I have an MSC 7 night Mediterranean coming in may.

Norwegian Epic 7 nights out of Barcelona with Italy stops in Naples, Civitavecchia (Rome), and Livorno (Florence/Pisa).

 

[Chemical X]

Norwegian Epic 7 nights out of Barcelona with Italy stops in Naples, Civitavecchia (Rome), and Livorno (Florence/Pisa).

I did the royal 7 night med out of Barcelona......hope you have time in Barcelona to hit the boqueria.  I assume besides Italy you have a Marseilles/Nice stop?

 

[PlayaHata]

I did the royal 7 night med out of Barcelona......hope you have time in Barcelona to hit the boqueria.  I assume besides Italy you have a Marseilles/Nice stop?

I think we have 2 nights in Barcelona prior to the cruise and our hotel is only blocks from the boqueria.  Looking forward to that for sure as well as La Sagrada Familia.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Had dinner at at Ristorante Academia.  Best meal of my life. Had the rabbit,  couldn't remember if you reccomended anything  GB @Chemical X.  Just incredible. 

 

[Chemical X]

Had dinner at at Ristorante Academia.  Best meal of my life. Had the rabbit,  couldn't remember if you reccomended anything  GB @Chemical X.  Just incredible. 

i dont generally recommend dishes, personal tastes vary.  i love Italy and those areas in and around Umbria and We have been there so many times.....just glad i can share my one true passion besides magic sports.  are you heading to Rome?  obviously know some great eats.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

i dont generally recommend dishes, personal tastes vary.  i love Italy and those areas in and around Umbria and We have been there so many times.....just glad i can share my one true passion besides magic sports.  are you heading to Rome?  obviously know some great eats.

 In Rome now,  would love some recommendations.