Rick James
Footballguy
Avignonesi was one of the highlights of our two week trip. We did the orchard tour followed with a private lunch on an outside patio overlooking the estate. Tough to beat this view.
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Mad Cow's Italy trip discussion thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mad Cow
- Start date
Chemical X
Footballguy
been there 4 times, never gets old. did the cooking class last year before the lunch and was lots of fun.
Chemical X
Footballguy
last night in florence. some observations and tips.
-high waisted daisy dukes are in here, especially on 17 yr olds.
-hyper tattooed filthy fine chicks abound. they like showing boob and skin.
-a Bra may be a top now.
-bring powder.
-hope you like coldplay, they do.
-if you buy anything anywhere, haggle. everything is negotiable.
-if you go to la fraschetta di castel Sant'Angelo, tell the boss you know Michael.
-dont be afraid to skip italian food one evening. only so much pasta one can have. we are eating chinese tonite. you know it has to be good.
-no matter where you go or what you do, give yourself an extra 15-30 mins. traffic is brutal and they move at glacial paces.
-give yourself time to use your hotel bathroom after a meal if possible....if you get caught at a public toilette, good luck. likely filthy, likely no toilette seat.
-your bidet can be used to clean your feet.
-porchetta is always your friend.
-meal order is appetizer, pasta, meat/fish, salad, dessert, espresso, grappa.
-aperol spritz.
-high waisted daisy dukes are in here, especially on 17 yr olds.
-hyper tattooed filthy fine chicks abound. they like showing boob and skin.
-a Bra may be a top now.
-bring powder.
-hope you like coldplay, they do.
-if you buy anything anywhere, haggle. everything is negotiable.
-if you go to la fraschetta di castel Sant'Angelo, tell the boss you know Michael.
-dont be afraid to skip italian food one evening. only so much pasta one can have. we are eating chinese tonite. you know it has to be good.
-no matter where you go or what you do, give yourself an extra 15-30 mins. traffic is brutal and they move at glacial paces.
-give yourself time to use your hotel bathroom after a meal if possible....if you get caught at a public toilette, good luck. likely filthy, likely no toilette seat.
-your bidet can be used to clean your feet.
-porchetta is always your friend.
-meal order is appetizer, pasta, meat/fish, salad, dessert, espresso, grappa.
-aperol spritz.
Chemical X
Footballguy
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
leaving in the morning for rome! 
St. Louis Bob
Footballguy
I miss Florence so much. I can't wait to go back.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
I will put together a little report in the next week or so. Still working on the whole time change thing. And weeding. And looking at mail. And and and and
Chemical X
Footballguy
Brony
Footballguy
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Sitting at a sidewalk bistro drinking peroni and eating charcuterie and mixed shellfish. Things are looking up
Chemical X
Footballguy
got ####ed by Air France at FLR....they never sent our only bags after forcing me to check carry on.....longer story to follow, but we are 2 nites into Paris with nothing.....went shopping at H&M this morning to find temp wardrobes.
=Smackdown=
Footballguy
Will be in Italy with wife August 2018.
Can anyone recommend a place to stay on the Amalfi coast?
TIA
Can anyone recommend a place to stay on the Amalfi coast?
TIA
Judge Smails
Footballguy
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
That blows. When the wife and I went to France our luggage didn't make it to Paris until nearly 2 days later. Forcing us to go on our private tour at Vueve Cliquot in whatever we wore on the plane. Thank god my wife looks good in yoga pants!
We packed incredibly light this time and carried it all on.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Chemical X
Footballguy
our bags Made it to CDG, hoping for 7p hotel delivery. AF claims they will give us 100$ per day per bag up to 5 days to buy stuff and they will reimburse. they have lied to us for 3 days, so this is gonna be a struggle.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Update on breakfast at the vatican:
I can not recommend this highly enough. The breakfast itself is whatever. Decent enough food, basically a fancy continental breakfast. We anticipated that there would be 100's of people having breakfast with us. There were about 30 of us in the first wave, which was at 7:15. We scarfed our food down, thinking there would be hordes of people arriving at any moment...they never came. I had another coffee at my leisure and then we set out to explore the museums on our own.
There was not a single soul in the Egyptian or the Etruscan wings with us. Just me and my wife. I have a picture as we are walking down the long hallway towards the Sistine chapel, there are exactly 2 people in the picture, some hot mom and her little boy. Every once in a while a tour group would clog up an area, but they were easy to dodge or move around. We were having so much fun messing about by ourselves that we got to the Sistine chapel a little "late", it was the only place in the entire journey that was busy. It still wasn't insanely packed and we found a seat quickly. We exited with a tour group out the back right to go straight into St. Peter's, worked like a charm.
We then went straight to climb to the top of St. Peter's dome. Again, no line. Maybe 10 people in front of us. We chose to not use the elevator, it's a hump, but the elevator only skips the really easy part. Save a few euros and just walk it all. After the elevator is no joke, but the views and experience of being above the central nave are awesome. When you come down, it lets you out right into the middle the church, perfect. ETA: as we left at around 1, the line to climb the dome was easily 100 people deep
Lastly, the scavi tour. Totally awesome. A bit tedious, as the guide dispenses a TON of info, but it's really really cool to be under St. Peter's and see the old family tombs, the ancient walls, the differing floor levels and all the ancient walls as they continuously built upon what was there, filling in tombs to make the current foundation for St. Peter's and all that came before. The reveal of St. Peter's tomb was right out of a Geraldo Rivera special, but the rest of it was really cool. Hot as balls down there though.
Solid day. Had a few beers, now it's time for a siesta. And then out for dinner for our anniversary tonight.
Ciao
I can not recommend this highly enough. The breakfast itself is whatever. Decent enough food, basically a fancy continental breakfast. We anticipated that there would be 100's of people having breakfast with us. There were about 30 of us in the first wave, which was at 7:15. We scarfed our food down, thinking there would be hordes of people arriving at any moment...they never came. I had another coffee at my leisure and then we set out to explore the museums on our own.
There was not a single soul in the Egyptian or the Etruscan wings with us. Just me and my wife. I have a picture as we are walking down the long hallway towards the Sistine chapel, there are exactly 2 people in the picture, some hot mom and her little boy. Every once in a while a tour group would clog up an area, but they were easy to dodge or move around. We were having so much fun messing about by ourselves that we got to the Sistine chapel a little "late", it was the only place in the entire journey that was busy. It still wasn't insanely packed and we found a seat quickly. We exited with a tour group out the back right to go straight into St. Peter's, worked like a charm.
We then went straight to climb to the top of St. Peter's dome. Again, no line. Maybe 10 people in front of us. We chose to not use the elevator, it's a hump, but the elevator only skips the really easy part. Save a few euros and just walk it all. After the elevator is no joke, but the views and experience of being above the central nave are awesome. When you come down, it lets you out right into the middle the church, perfect. ETA: as we left at around 1, the line to climb the dome was easily 100 people deep
Lastly, the scavi tour. Totally awesome. A bit tedious, as the guide dispenses a TON of info, but it's really really cool to be under St. Peter's and see the old family tombs, the ancient walls, the differing floor levels and all the ancient walls as they continuously built upon what was there, filling in tombs to make the current foundation for St. Peter's and all that came before. The reveal of St. Peter's tomb was right out of a Geraldo Rivera special, but the rest of it was really cool. Hot as balls down there though.
Solid day. Had a few beers, now it's time for a siesta. And then out for dinner for our anniversary tonight.
Ciao
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Chemical X
Footballguy
bags came at midnight last night. in time for my last day. paris blows. literally cigarette smoke everywhere and it reeks. way worse than italy. not an area for a private moment to enjoy a meal or anything. dont feel safe. gypsies, hobos, bums seemingly on every corner. no, i dont want to buy a rose for the 13th time.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Enjoying one of the best meals of my life in Positano. Ristorante da Vincenzo. After hiking 3 hours from agerlo to get here. The path of the gods was awesome and absolutely no joke. The stairs to Positano about crushed my knees.
Drinking house white by the liter. Things are outstanding.
Drinking house white by the liter. Things are outstanding.
Atomic Punk
Footballguy
Just booked flights for my wife and I, leaving September 21. Itinerary needs to be fleshed out a little but will go something like this:
Day 1-4 - Rome
Day 5-8 - Sicily, starting in Palermo and working our way to Catania (my mothers home town)
Day 9-11 - Naples, Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Pompeii (looks tight for time so may need to rethink this)
Day 12-15 - Florence, Siena, Pisa
Day 16-19 - Rapallo and Cinque Terra
Day 20 - Genoa
Day 21-22 - Venice
It is a bit of a whirlwind but there are a few stretches where we can chill out. I plan on filling in some details with all of the awesome advice from all of you. We are going to mix in some beach time and hiking (Etta or Stromboli) in Sicily and some hiking near Rapallo with all of the more touristy stuff everywhere else. Any more advice on must do's are certainly welcome.
Day 1-4 - Rome
Day 5-8 - Sicily, starting in Palermo and working our way to Catania (my mothers home town)
Day 9-11 - Naples, Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Pompeii (looks tight for time so may need to rethink this)
Day 12-15 - Florence, Siena, Pisa
Day 16-19 - Rapallo and Cinque Terra
Day 20 - Genoa
Day 21-22 - Venice
It is a bit of a whirlwind but there are a few stretches where we can chill out. I plan on filling in some details with all of the awesome advice from all of you. We are going to mix in some beach time and hiking (Etta or Stromboli) in Sicily and some hiking near Rapallo with all of the more touristy stuff everywhere else. Any more advice on must do's are certainly welcome.
jamny
Footballguy
That seems like way too much to me but to each his own. We spent 10 days in Sicily last year and it still didn't seem like enough. We never even got to see Catania. Not sure of your driving route but I'd recommend driving the coast heading east from Palermo and stopping in Cefalu and trying to fit Taormina in somehow. Not sure why you have Rapallo there. I haven't been and I'm sure it's nice but I would skip that and Genoa and fit in more Tuscany, maybe even seeing Verona on your way to Venice.
Good luck...have fun. Great time of year to be going!
Atomic Punk
Footballguy
Yeah I realize it seems a little much. We are open to changes and weren't even sure if we were going to book all of our accommodations ahead of time so if we are having a good time somewhere we would just extend our time there. I'm just not sure if that is a good idea or not. I think we might be okay winging it given the time of year but was hoping you guys would steer me in the right direction.
Sicily was originally 7 days, then 5 and now 4. My plan was to fly into Palermo and head to Cefalu right away (haven't heard much to speak of in Palermo), then on to Messina, Taormina and then Catania. Then fly to Naples from Catania.
Rapallo caught our eye on Neverending Voyage website. There is some great hiking and a few day trips that we can do from there. But we are considering reducing that by a day and extending Tuscany.
Sicily was originally 7 days, then 5 and now 4. My plan was to fly into Palermo and head to Cefalu right away (haven't heard much to speak of in Palermo), then on to Messina, Taormina and then Catania. Then fly to Naples from Catania.
Rapallo caught our eye on Neverending Voyage website. There is some great hiking and a few day trips that we can do from there. But we are considering reducing that by a day and extending Tuscany.
jamny
Footballguy
We never even saw the city of Palermo, although we did plan to. We stayed by the water and did a day trip to Cefalu the first day. We were going to venture into the city the following day but it was kinda rainy so we decided to hit the road early and did a western scenic route, stopping at the mountain top village of Erice for lunch before our next hotel on a beach near Sciacca on the south shore. Really fun drive. We didn't get to see Messina either since it was a bit out of the way. If you plan on staying in Taormina, there are some good options up the hill from the city and you can hike down the Salita Castello trail into town. Amazing views. One of the best meals we had in Sicily, and still the best calamari I've ever had, was Osteria Nero D'Avola. Off the main strip and in a quiet area. We just loved Sicily as a whole. Definitely hope to get back there some day.
We stayed on Capri for I think 4 or 5 days and while beautiful, it might be something you should consider skipping given your time limit. Naples wasn't anything special. Probably better to spend more time in the Amalfi area and hit Pompeii if time allows. We never managed to get there on our Capri trip but definitely plan on it next year on our Amalfi trip. And again, I don't see needing to go to Genoa. You will have seen plenty of port cities by then.
Chemical X
Footballguy
106 degrees across much of italy this entire week....
waiver wire
Footballguy
after doing research and hearing other stories about the temperature in the summer , is why I try to get to Europe in april/may or sept/oct
I enjoy coming back into this thread as it brings back all my memories of my trip this year, so far Italy has been my favorite country (only been to 13 others so not a huge list to compare to yet )
Chemical X
Footballguy
i have a lengthy post about my travels.....but I am too lazy to do it right now. instead, just wanted to mention some crazy flight deals out there. we had such a great time in Italy (leave france out of this) that I got an Alitalia email about flight specials and took a look. sadly, you gotta fly from boston-milan or Miami- rome. I expanded the search from jfk-rome and saw some RT flights in the 400-450 range thru 3/31/2018, which is crazy. I am not a fan of Alitalia's fleet, but I know they partner with delta alot. I prefer to fly delta operated flights, which appear at Alitalia's site. flights were still in this price range. after air france screwed us in Florence, they left us with AF-KLM vouchers totaling $250- euros. so, since AF-KLM-DL are all skyteam, I decided to hit the AF-KLM site for the DL flights, knowing I could use those vouchers there. So, I actually just booked an 8 night trip, 3/20-3/29 for $470-pp USD. my vouchers were worth $146- USD each, so I got 2 RT tix for $940 USD less $292 USD................basically $650 for 2 people. my flights were booked on the KLM website, but are Delta operated flights and planes.
This is a totally spur of the moment booking, but why not at that price? I will likely hit Delta later to upgrade those seats to comfort.
Oddity though, if you travelers don't know, we turn our clocks forward 2 weeks earlier than Europe in March. we turn 3/11/2018, they move 3/25/2018.........so at least we get a couple of extra days there of an extra hour of daylight. I also believe we fall back 1 week later as well. return flight leaves at 12.30p from rome, so we can enjoy a normal breakfast and head to the airport at a reasonable time, not like 5a.
Will post more when I am at work and have nothing to do.
This is a totally spur of the moment booking, but why not at that price? I will likely hit Delta later to upgrade those seats to comfort.
Oddity though, if you travelers don't know, we turn our clocks forward 2 weeks earlier than Europe in March. we turn 3/11/2018, they move 3/25/2018.........so at least we get a couple of extra days there of an extra hour of daylight. I also believe we fall back 1 week later as well. return flight leaves at 12.30p from rome, so we can enjoy a normal breakfast and head to the airport at a reasonable time, not like 5a.
Will post more when I am at work and have nothing to do.
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Atomic Punk
Footballguy
Plans are shaping up a bit. Now trying to decide which town on the Amalie coast to stay at as a base for 4-5 days. Sorrento, Praiano and Positano have all been mentioned but I am torn which to choose. I'm not on a tight budget but also not looking to break the bank. Any thoughts?
jamny
Footballguy
We're planning an Amalfi trip next year and that's what I'm still considering although admittedly I haven't done a lot of research yet.
I thought this was an interesting article At this point I'm think Amalfi, Ravello, Positano or Praiano but it's a long way off for us.
Atomic Punk
Footballguy
Great article and link, thanks! I'm leaning Praiano but this link is perfect to help my better half decide.
Atomic Punk
Footballguy
We locked up 3 nights at a great looking B&B in Praiano and now looking for options in or around Florence for a 5 night stay and the last 2 nights in Venice. If anyone has any recommendations for accommodations, I would love to hear them.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
Not lodging, but while on the Amalfi Coast you might want to look into renting a boat to go around Capri. We did that last month and it was the highlight of our trip. Just had to call the day before to reserve the boat. We spent a ton of time just letting the boat drift and jumping on and off. I have kids, 12 and 14, but it would have been awesome without them, too.
http://www.capri.net/en/c/capri-boat-banana-sport
Atomic Punk
Footballguy
Did you just get a boat or did you get a driver too? Looks like it will make my short list for my time in Praiano.
Chemical X
Footballguy
i cant recommend hotel degli orafi enough. not sure of pricing, but location and layout are top notch.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
No driver needed. I am not a boat guy, but it was super easy to navigate. They provide you a cooler with ice, too.
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Atomic Punk
Footballguy
Sounds good. My wife already has it for n the short list. Thanks!
Atomic Punk
Footballguy
Thanks, I'll check it out. If you have any new restaurant recommendations, please let me know.
jamny
Footballguy
waiver wire
Footballguy
im a sucker for Europe , there was a cheap seat sale 400$ return so headed back for 6 weeks
I fly in oct 13 and out nov 24 of Dublin. no set plan yet but my 2 ideas are : eurorail to all the major cities that I dream about or head south to morocco and Greece for the 6 weeks
I fly in oct 13 and out nov 24 of Dublin. no set plan yet but my 2 ideas are : eurorail to all the major cities that I dream about or head south to morocco and Greece for the 6 weeks
Chemical X
Footballguy
Chemical X
Footballguy
so, here is my odyssey from Italy (FLR) to Paris (CDG).
We had 10 great nights in Italy and an 11.05a flight from FLR to CDG. We arrived at the airport between 8.15a-8.30a and went straight to security since we only had carry ons, 1 each.
Bags are the 22 inch kind. Security will not let us pass, stating bags are too big and we need to check them. We don't check bags on these trips since we have enough clothing at our place and don't want to deal with baggage claim. The bags fit in the metal size checker, but the witch was adamant. So off to the main terminal desk we go. The tickets we bought on air france did not include bags, so we had to pay 35 euros per bag. Waited on line for 35 minutes and get to counter, which is where the fun begins. Guy at the counter tells us he cant take our bags yet, since the airport has windy weather, the flights are delayed and they are not sure how many passengers the plane can hold. He instructs us to stand on the side of his counter and wait for announcements. Some other people. mainly people headed to Amsterdam also get this treatment. No announcements are being made. People are getting frustrated as it becomes 9.30, 10a, 10.30a. We notice no one in this human collection area is from our flight. Anytime some of us side people try to ask questions of the agents they get snippy, ignore us or tell us to wait for announcements, that they haven't heard anything. 11a rolls around and 11.30a and my flight now says boarding/departed and I am quite pissed. So I try to get some answers and they nastily tell me I need to wait. I ask them what am I waiting for, my flight left. Now, the people on the 12p Amsterdam flights are getting angry. As the side people try to get answers, the people on the check in line are getting angry at us for trying to cut them. I calmly explain to one nasty Italian man who bodychecked a woman, that we have been on that line 3 times trying to get answers and if he does that again he'll lose his facial hair. He calms down. By 12p the next FLR-CDG leaving at 12.15p is fast approaching for me. The main line has dissipated and just the side people remain, a couple of which are some younger Americans travelling, including 2 college girls that are in tears. Apparently, they may have no flights for them, no place for them to stay and maybe they will be bussed to Pisa or Rome for a flight tomorrow. I get in front of an agent and I have had it.........it's a guy I spoke with around 9.30a who told me to wait for announcements 2x. He scolds me on my poor attitude, says he just got to the desk and why am I concerned, I am booked on the 12.15p flight now. I ask when this occurred, since my flight was 11.05a. No answer, but he begins a conversation with his nasty female colleague next to him. He is not understanding how we got on the 12.15p flight, then realizes we were bumped or moved. His colleague asks him in Italian "why did they show up so late for their flight?". We almost lost it at this comment. He now understands my angst, says we are on the 12.15p flight, it is delayed, gives us new bag tickets, but says he can't take our bags until we get cleared definitely for the flight. He instructs us to wait in a different human collection area. The Amsterdam girls are still there waiting to be called for a flight. Me and my wife agree that if we don't get on the flight, we go rent a car and drive back to our place and spend our 4 nights scheduled for Paris in Italy. She instructs me to offer the young girls to stay with us and I explain the situation and I promise not to kill them. Shortly thereafter, agent calls us, we check our bags and head to security (a cluster) and gate (a filthy mess) to find flight is delayed till 2p. Oh well, we have a 6p tour then dinner in Paris, so the later arrival won't kill us that much. We get to CDG and go to baggage claim. About 10 bags come off the carousel then the message reads all bags have been delivered. Ruh Roh. We go to baggage services and wait, I see what is going on and use a kiosk to file a claim. An agent calls us next, I explain we have no bags and she calmly says they are still in FLR and maybe we will get them Tuesday. Ruh Roh. I go ballistic to the point where my wife grabs me and says I do not want to go to jail.......I was that close. The agent wanted no part of me so her supervisor comes out. I ask what we do in Paris with no clothes and I realize I have no medication. Not life altering, but I would like to be alive on Tuesday. She explains that bags will be on a special flight the next day and delivered to our hotel. Then she says they will be on the next flight. So I say to her, if they are on the next flight, we will just wait for them at the airport. Then she says of course they can't come on the next flight, they need plane space and these bags cant come on the carousel, since no one will be to collect them. Multiple answers. She says to go buy what we need, air france will give us (if we make the proper claim and call the right number and call the right people or go to the right website) 100 euros per bag. We grudgingly get into a cab and head to hotel, but I am so out of it I actually leave my phone on the back seat of the cab and don't realize this till I get into the hotel room. As anyone will understand, pretty much everything is on the phone, including local tour guide and contact info. When we realize, we quickly head downstairs to lobby and use wife's phone to call mine. It just rings......I try again, then the cabby answers in French. I grab the desk clerk, explain the situation and he speaks to the cabby, but the conversation doesn't seem to be going well. Lots of ouis and head nods. After call clerk explains that cabby is heading back to CDG (50 minute drive) will queue again for another passenger and when he returns with that passenger, will drop phone off at hotel, but will charge 15 euros for a fare. I have no choice and leave the desk 15 euros. We run to pharmacy and grab basics, but nothing is open on Sunday. We take our 6p tour but I am in no mood....no bags, likely a lost phone. Around 8p we get back to hotel and our guide helps us staying in touch with cabby. Giving us updates every so often. We are so annoyed we basically say lets just bail on Paris and head home. We get our heads about us, decide to make the best of a bad situation and let's grab a nice dinner. We head to Le Procope, she has great musells, I have steak frites, we drink it away. Get to hotel at 11.30p and phone is back, so I am in a much better mood. The guide we had a tour with that evening we are scheduled to meet on Monday and Tuesday for 3 hour walking tours. Me and mrs. decide to scrap the Monday tour and see if our guide can stack it on Tuesday. Guide says she can meet us from 11-2 then 5-8. This leaves only a 3p Eiffel tour on Monday and gives the chance to shop Monday AM for stuff. In our area is an H & M and Gap. H & M saved our lives, I found a couple of shirts under 5-, a pair of shorts, 1- socks. Wife found decent stuff as well. Gap had almost underwear for me. A small supermarket had some better toiletries. I have been saving all receipts and calling air france for updates on bags.....nothing. Claim number at website is useless. I call US number and discover my claim will be handled by US reps thru Delta. They explain we are entitles to 100- a day per bag, but we need to submit receipts via website. Bags arrive midnight after Tuesday, so we have our stuff for Wednesday, our last day.
I get back to states do my claim stuff and submit everything, macaron receipts, dinner receipts, my Eiffel tour for 58- (I said we missed tour since we had no clothes), souvenirs like scarves, a new pair of walking sneakers for my wife, a longchamp bag, my 70- euro baggage charge. F these people. I cull my receipts and submit 564 in euros on 7/24. Get an auto reply thx, we'll be in touch. I hear nothing till yesterday when I get an email that I am being mailed a check for $585 US. Compensation cant make up for the missing bags really, but that just about covered our entire time in Paris.
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Phil Elliott
Footballguy
This may be my own honda, but for those of you heading out to Amalfi coast, an excellent place to eat is in Praiano at Vivaro. Small place, about 12 tables along main road. Owner asks you "red or white" and "meat or seafood" and produces a several coarse meal for you - everything fresh. About 80 Euro for two, including wine. We also stayed at the hotel Casa Angelina near Vivaro, and although higher priced, definitely worth it. Great views of the sea and Positano. Excellent breakfast buffet and limoncello spritz. They will arrange local private drivers or guide for Capri and have a shuttle that runs into Positano. We paid 200 Euro for a guide for a day at Capri. Met us at the hotel and we ended up dong a private boat tour around Capri for another 200, including entrance to the Blue Grotto and Faraglioni.
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DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
probably should have waited in line. 
that crap woulda sent me over the edge as well.
gotta roll with the punches while traveling in europe. when we were leaving rome for amalfi, hop up and head downstairs to take the metro to termini, a 20 minute trip or so and find the doors to the metro closed with a sign in italian telling us to #### off. or it might have said something about the trials and tribulations of the oppressed metro employees that want a better life. one or the other, my italian isn't that great. stupid unions and their strikes.
soooooooooo...bus? taxi? i had allowed for about an hour and half to make the 20-30 minute trip. we decide on the bus as no taxis were anywhere in site. get bus tickets from the tabac shop and figure out which bus to take. 2, 3, 4, 6 busses go by, all the wrong ones. all PACKED to the gills as the metro is shut down. i'm starting to resign myself to the fact that we are going to miss the bullet train to naples and i'm going to have to deal with italian train bureaucracy
as we're waiting at the bus stop, i notice a perky young lass with a suitcase that is starting to look panicked. being the gentleman i am, i ask her if i can help. she is going to termini also, on her way to florence. she is from some slavic country and barely speaks english
time is becoming a serious issue. i manage to convey to her, that she can share a taxi with my wife and i and that we won't kill her. she agrees and i'm now trying to flag down cabs NYC style. they all ignore me or were full. bus finally shows up and we all jump on. as we do, slavic girl asks me where do i get a ticket for the bus. ruh oh. i tell her not to worry about it and we go in the back door of the bus and miraculously get the last row of seats. my wife and i tuck our new friend into the window seat and manage to communicate that we'll slip her one of our bus tickets if someone comes through. no one ever checked. but that bus ride was straight out of dante's 4th circle. slow, swelteringly hot. and PACKED beyond belief. i was standing and more less just got crushed back against the engine compartment, which made it even hotter. then some jack wad started smoking. i'm watching our train departure time come and go as the bus meanders thru the city center. we finally arrive and make a dash for our train and lo and behold, it's italy! everything is late. train is still there, we jump on and it's moving before we are even in our seats. voila! where the bar? didn't even say goodbye to our slavic friend...
tldr: europeans go on strike all the time, i rode a bus and made my train.
that crap woulda sent me over the edge as well.gotta roll with the punches while traveling in europe. when we were leaving rome for amalfi, hop up and head downstairs to take the metro to termini, a 20 minute trip or so and find the doors to the metro closed with a sign in italian telling us to #### off. or it might have said something about the trials and tribulations of the oppressed metro employees that want a better life. one or the other, my italian isn't that great. stupid unions and their strikes.
soooooooooo...bus? taxi? i had allowed for about an hour and half to make the 20-30 minute trip. we decide on the bus as no taxis were anywhere in site. get bus tickets from the tabac shop and figure out which bus to take. 2, 3, 4, 6 busses go by, all the wrong ones. all PACKED to the gills as the metro is shut down. i'm starting to resign myself to the fact that we are going to miss the bullet train to naples and i'm going to have to deal with italian train bureaucracy
as we're waiting at the bus stop, i notice a perky young lass with a suitcase that is starting to look panicked. being the gentleman i am, i ask her if i can help. she is going to termini also, on her way to florence. she is from some slavic country and barely speaks english
time is becoming a serious issue. i manage to convey to her, that she can share a taxi with my wife and i and that we won't kill her. she agrees and i'm now trying to flag down cabs NYC style. they all ignore me or were full. bus finally shows up and we all jump on. as we do, slavic girl asks me where do i get a ticket for the bus. ruh oh. i tell her not to worry about it and we go in the back door of the bus and miraculously get the last row of seats. my wife and i tuck our new friend into the window seat and manage to communicate that we'll slip her one of our bus tickets if someone comes through. no one ever checked. but that bus ride was straight out of dante's 4th circle. slow, swelteringly hot. and PACKED beyond belief. i was standing and more less just got crushed back against the engine compartment, which made it even hotter. then some jack wad started smoking. i'm watching our train departure time come and go as the bus meanders thru the city center. we finally arrive and make a dash for our train and lo and behold, it's italy! everything is late. train is still there, we jump on and it's moving before we are even in our seats. voila! where the bar? didn't even say goodbye to our slavic friend...tldr: europeans go on strike all the time, i rode a bus and made my train.
Chemical X
Footballguy
on of our key Italian words is sciopero.....strike.probably should have waited in line.
gotta roll with the punches while traveling in europe. when we were leaving rome for amalfi, hop up and head downstairs to take the metro to termini, a 20 minute trip or so and find the doors to the metro closed with a sign in italian telling us to #### off. or it might have said something about the trials and tribulations of the oppressed metro employees that want a better life. one or the other, my italian isn't that great. stupid unions and their strikes.
soooooooooo...bus? taxi? i had allowed for about an hour and half to make the 20-30 minute trip. we decide on the bus as no taxis were anywhere in site. get bus tickets from the tabac shop and figure out which bus to take. 2, 3, 4, 6 busses go by, all the wrong ones. all PACKED to the gills as the metro is shut down. i'm starting to resign myself to the fact that we are going to miss the bullet train to naples and i'm going to have to deal with italian train bureaucracy
as we're waiting at the bus stop, i notice a perky young lass with a suitcase that is starting to look panicked. being the gentleman i am, i ask her if i can help. she is going to termini also, on her way to florence. she is from some slavic country and barely speaks english
tldr: europeans go on strike all the time, i rode a bus and made my train.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
Hey everyone, thought I would give you a brief rundown of how the trip went, mostly through the eyes of my teenagers. Of the five places we went, the kids would rate them this way:
1. Amalfi Coast - by far their favorite place. We were in Rome just before and it was hot as hell and they really wanted to swim. This was my favorite place as well since it was relaxing, we weren't running around looking at sites and museums.
2. Lucca - kids loved the "small" town, also more relaxing. We wished that we stayed a couple more days. Biking around the walls - they could do that on their own.
3. Venice - our first stop. We were so damn jet lagged even though we stayed up late that first day. it really took us 3 days to recover and by then it was time to go. We wish we had more time to explore.
4. Florence - what a beautiful place. my wife and I want to come back here alone. Kids liked it, especially seeing the David after I had gushed about it for weeks and weeks before we got there. Took a bike ride into the countryside, was a blast (Tuscany Bike Tours).
5. Rome - not a favorite, but it was hard because it was the last stop before Amalfi Coast and two weeks into our trip. It was really hot, mid 90's. We decided to bag the city one day and head out to the beach, but wouldn't you know it that it was a strike day. Colosseum was awesome, loved watching the vendors try to scam women with roses on the Spanish Steps and really enjoyed the Pantheon. Also paid for the early entrance to the Vatican/Sistine Chapel. That was so worth it.
I think that if we had started in Rome the kids would have liked it better. But when we talk about reconstructing the trip they said they would have cut Rome out completely.
I found that doing something active every 3 days was so important for my kids. They could only handle sightseeing so much. We did the bike trip, rented a boat for a day on Amalfi Coast (their #1 highlight), took the vaparettos all over Venice, went to a concert in Ravello. I did not realize the need then, but now I would have added more of these types of things to keep them moving. The beaches were great for them on Amalfi Coast. And of course we did eat lots of gelato, all the time. It was fun deciding where to eat gelato, after awhile my kids would pop into a store and come out and say, "no good, keep on moving."
It was such a fun trip, would do it again in a heart beat. Thank you all for your advice.
1. Amalfi Coast - by far their favorite place. We were in Rome just before and it was hot as hell and they really wanted to swim. This was my favorite place as well since it was relaxing, we weren't running around looking at sites and museums.
2. Lucca - kids loved the "small" town, also more relaxing. We wished that we stayed a couple more days. Biking around the walls - they could do that on their own.
3. Venice - our first stop. We were so damn jet lagged even though we stayed up late that first day. it really took us 3 days to recover and by then it was time to go. We wish we had more time to explore.
4. Florence - what a beautiful place. my wife and I want to come back here alone. Kids liked it, especially seeing the David after I had gushed about it for weeks and weeks before we got there. Took a bike ride into the countryside, was a blast (Tuscany Bike Tours).
5. Rome - not a favorite, but it was hard because it was the last stop before Amalfi Coast and two weeks into our trip. It was really hot, mid 90's. We decided to bag the city one day and head out to the beach, but wouldn't you know it that it was a strike day. Colosseum was awesome, loved watching the vendors try to scam women with roses on the Spanish Steps and really enjoyed the Pantheon. Also paid for the early entrance to the Vatican/Sistine Chapel. That was so worth it.
I think that if we had started in Rome the kids would have liked it better. But when we talk about reconstructing the trip they said they would have cut Rome out completely.
I found that doing something active every 3 days was so important for my kids. They could only handle sightseeing so much. We did the bike trip, rented a boat for a day on Amalfi Coast (their #1 highlight), took the vaparettos all over Venice, went to a concert in Ravello. I did not realize the need then, but now I would have added more of these types of things to keep them moving. The beaches were great for them on Amalfi Coast. And of course we did eat lots of gelato, all the time. It was fun deciding where to eat gelato, after awhile my kids would pop into a store and come out and say, "no good, keep on moving."
It was such a fun trip, would do it again in a heart beat. Thank you all for your advice.
Nigel
Footballguy
Wow, great info in here. Need to spend a couple of hours digesting it and taking notes.
Just booked flights for a trip this summer with wife and three kids (18 girl/15 boy/12 girl). Leaving Boston on 7/27, two nights in London to visit family (I'd prefer to skip this but battle was lost), fly to Rome on Mon 7/30, fly home from Venice on Sat 8/11. I know, it's going to be hot as balls but it's literally the only time of year where the kids' various sports schedules have a collective break that allows for a family vacation. So we'll make the best of it, and try to plan an itinerary that best mitigates the heat, if possible.
First step is to knock out Rome right off the bat while we're fresh. My wife and I have been there before and seen most all of the sites but kids have not. To be honest I'm dreading Rome in the heat, but need to power through it with the kids. We've booked a hotel for three nights, two full days to get around. Three might be ideal but I think we'll be ready to move on.
The trip ends with two nights in Venice, that's already booked also. What we do in between is still up for debate. I know there's something to be said for hanging in one place for a while and not trying to do too much but we need to balance that with it possibly being our only shot at it. I assume heat-wise it is best to head north rather than south, so from Rome we'll almost certainly head to Florence for a couple days, maybe a day trip in the surrounding region. From there Cinque Terre and Lake Como are possibilities before ending in Venice.
About my family: We're beach people, all of our prior family vacations have been to beach locations. Running around to historical sites will be a new thing for the kids but I think they're old enough to appreciate it, just don't want to overdo it/force it to the point of misery. There has to be a good relax/grind ratio. We're overly obsessed with the pursuit good food - we spend way to much on eating out and buying good ingredients to cook for ourselves. Eating delicious food is a high priority and possibly what we're looking forward to the most. Shopping will be a priority for the ladies. We're all active but my knees are ####ed so very concerned about how I'm going to do with all the walking. Plan on getting cortisone shots in each a few weeks before we go and hoping for the best. I'm not against driving over there when renting a car makes sense, or hiring a driver for a day.
So given our profile any advice on how to best fill the 8 days between Rome and Venice is appreciated.
TIA
Just booked flights for a trip this summer with wife and three kids (18 girl/15 boy/12 girl). Leaving Boston on 7/27, two nights in London to visit family (I'd prefer to skip this but battle was lost), fly to Rome on Mon 7/30, fly home from Venice on Sat 8/11. I know, it's going to be hot as balls but it's literally the only time of year where the kids' various sports schedules have a collective break that allows for a family vacation. So we'll make the best of it, and try to plan an itinerary that best mitigates the heat, if possible.
First step is to knock out Rome right off the bat while we're fresh. My wife and I have been there before and seen most all of the sites but kids have not. To be honest I'm dreading Rome in the heat, but need to power through it with the kids. We've booked a hotel for three nights, two full days to get around. Three might be ideal but I think we'll be ready to move on.
The trip ends with two nights in Venice, that's already booked also. What we do in between is still up for debate. I know there's something to be said for hanging in one place for a while and not trying to do too much but we need to balance that with it possibly being our only shot at it. I assume heat-wise it is best to head north rather than south, so from Rome we'll almost certainly head to Florence for a couple days, maybe a day trip in the surrounding region. From there Cinque Terre and Lake Como are possibilities before ending in Venice.
About my family: We're beach people, all of our prior family vacations have been to beach locations. Running around to historical sites will be a new thing for the kids but I think they're old enough to appreciate it, just don't want to overdo it/force it to the point of misery. There has to be a good relax/grind ratio. We're overly obsessed with the pursuit good food - we spend way to much on eating out and buying good ingredients to cook for ourselves. Eating delicious food is a high priority and possibly what we're looking forward to the most. Shopping will be a priority for the ladies. We're all active but my knees are ####ed so very concerned about how I'm going to do with all the walking. Plan on getting cortisone shots in each a few weeks before we go and hoping for the best. I'm not against driving over there when renting a car makes sense, or hiring a driver for a day.
So given our profile any advice on how to best fill the 8 days between Rome and Venice is appreciated.
TIA
waiver wire
Footballguy
ill take a stab at this
I'm drinking beer in parma tonight and did 7 weeks in Italy last year
the big thing I take from your post is beaches were more important then historical sights in the past so that does take a lot of Italian towns out of this and I my opinion is from a single old guy who is a history and art buff that doesn't have to worry about entertaining kids
my trip last year was
rome - sienna - Florence -pisa - lucca - la spezia (used this for 2 days in cinque terra)-genoa- turin - milan - venice -como -san marino - naples - pompie -rome
this trip
rome - bologna - medona - reggio emilia - parma --> either going to como to visit a friend or Verona - turin
almost every city I listed is all about churches , galleries and historical sites except cinque terra and como
for you
I would do
rome 7/30 3 days/2 nights
Florence 3 days/2nights - you can stop off at pisa on the way to la spezia
la spezia 3 days/2nights - cinque terra
milan 3 days/2nights - day trip to como
venice 3 days/2nights
did my math work?
if you have any questions about those cites ask away and ill try to help
Nigel
Footballguy
Not sure the day/night math adds up exactly with all the 3 for 2s but it is directionally correct - appreciate the input!
I will no doubt have questions as I did into the details - thanks.
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Bob Sacamano
Footballguy
Damn there's a lot of info in here. Good stuff, though I'm definitely skimming.
Anyone have winery recommendations in Tuscany? Will probably take a day trip out somewhere random (unplanned currently) and one specifically to Montepulciano. Open to suggestions to the contrary, though.
Anyone have winery recommendations in Tuscany? Will probably take a day trip out somewhere random (unplanned currently) and one specifically to Montepulciano. Open to suggestions to the contrary, though.
