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Mad Cow's Italy trip discussion thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mad Cow
- Start date
rockaction
Footballguy
No. Nothing definite yet except flight. Rome is four days, Florence is three.
eta* Any help is appreciated. Kind of going through the folks and brother/SIL on this one, though, so I may not be able to sway.
Also doing a week in Spain! Loving June of this year.
eta* Any help is appreciated. Kind of going through the folks and brother/SIL on this one, though, so I may not be able to sway.
Also doing a week in Spain! Loving June of this year.
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Chemical X
Footballguy
i am just gonna post some other random tips. here is one no one uses, but is worth the money. when flying to europe/italy, many flights arrive early morning. i’ve seen posters say they may not be able to check in to a hotel. what i have done is book the day before i arrive and pay for it. i.e., i arrive on the 5th at 8a, so i book the 4th in my hotel reservation. i inform the hotel i am doing so, so that when i arrive, maybe at 11a, my room is ready and i am not a nomad. if you rent a car, rent the wifi. i highly recommend autoeuropa.it NOT autoeurope. the wifi key is about 8- a day, allows up to 10 devices and is unlimited data. this is important, since i don’t roam data in italy due to how costly it can become. when in the car, you have wifi with the key and when you are out and about, bring it with you. invaluable IMO. always make dinner reservations. places fill up and dinner can take up to 3 hours, tables generally do not flip like here. do not eat in the hotel, even breakfast if included. go out and be a roman or florentine. breakfast in italy is a quick croissant or pastry and an espresso or two. you can get a table at a bar or hang at the counter. italian bars are not american bars, they are more like a combo of starbucks with full liquor options. many people take trenitalia when traveling, but ITALO is a private carrier with lower costs and nicer trains running the same tracks and routes.
also, want to add that i fly delta mostly to italy from NY. i find creative ways to use miles (and money) to fly first class often going, but i would recommend paying to get to comfort, just going. i think it’s about 129 pp. it allows for more legroom, you can almost sleep and get premium drink access. https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/onboard-experience/delta-comfort-plus.html
also, want to add that i fly delta mostly to italy from NY. i find creative ways to use miles (and money) to fly first class often going, but i would recommend paying to get to comfort, just going. i think it’s about 129 pp. it allows for more legroom, you can almost sleep and get premium drink access. https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/onboard-experience/delta-comfort-plus.html
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Chemical X
Footballguy
if i get your intinerary, i could offer suggestions. who is going, ages? hope you are hitting valencia. it you have a chance to hit mallorca, take it.
rockaction
Footballguy
I can do that. Seventy-two, seventy, fifty, forty-five (me). Rome for four days, Florence for three. Where do you suggest staying? I don't think we're doing we're doing Valencia or Mallorca in Spain. I think we're sticking with the basics. We're also staying in Malaga, IIRC. We're staying in Barcelona and Madrid (with a side trip to Toledo).
Chemical X
Footballguy
you are traveling with 2 seniors? you need to walk a lot in italy, is that an issue?
Kilgore Trout
Footballguy
Going to Rome two weeks from Friday. We have 7 days, and have booked the whole week in Rome in an inexpensive AirBnB in Trastevere. There is too much to see. Keeping an overnight in Florence in our back pocket, but also don't want a vacation that is "go go go" the whole time. Hitting the usual suspects in Rome, the Colosseum/Forum, the Vatican, the Borghese Musuem, and the other spots. Really looking forward to it. If we don't make Florence, we might make a daytrip to Orvieto.
rockaction
Footballguy
Yes. It is an issue. They're both training for the trip. Any advice you have will be welcome here.
jamny
Footballguy
I'm sure you'll be seeing the Spanish Steps to or from the Borghese Museum. Head a little north of the steps to Piazza del Popolo. Cool little Piazza with a couple churches. Head up the steps there back into the park (or come from there from the museum) for a great view of the Vatican and the city. Also worth walking down Via Vittorio Veneto, south of the park, to see the high end hotels and restaurants.
Also, for any cat lovers, there's a little Roman ruins outdoor square, Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary that has hundreds of cats walking around. I didn't go inside but I think there are facilities where volunteers care for the cats that you can visit. You can see plenty of them though outside. It was also where Ceasar was assassinated. It's easy to miss if you aren't looking for it.
Chemical X
Footballguy
you don’t have to overnight in florence, the high speed train runs often and is only 1 hour roughly. i would recommend arriving in florence around 11a. go to mercato centrale to look around and eat lunch upstairs. we have had our guide meet us at the market around 2p. tour for about 3 hours and leave us at ponte vecchio around 5p. grab a gelato and enjoy the bridge and arno. have a 7 or 7.30p reservation for dinner (baldovino for me, near santa croce). then grab a train home, just check schedule. at the opposite end of santa croce is a taxi stand for quit trip back to train station. i’ve done this several times.
Chemical X
Footballguy
build in a lot of down time and see what they may want to pass on seeing. be realistic. golf cart tours are available in rome and florence. a bit pricey, but the more people, the more worth it. i did one in rome, was around 450 or 150 pp. maybe stick to a location for a period of time rather than hopping all around. break for lunch, coffee, gelato, window shopping, anything that will give them a break. big green neon cross is the pharmacy or farmacia. they will dispense anything without prescription, for the most part. ospedale is the hospital.
Keerock
Footballguy
rockaction
Footballguy
Thanks, Keerock; will check it out for sure.Just returned from a really nice trip to Italy (Rome/Florence). This was a make-a-wish trip for my son. He is struggling a little getting around (wearing a boot) which made things a bit difficult. We really couldn't just "walk" places we wanted to go very easily, so needed taxis often (which were not cheap or, many times, easy to find). That being said, we really did do a lot!
Happy to answer any questions, but highlights are:
Rome:
- So many cool, historical things to see. Some of the things we enjoyed most:
Vatican. Unreal. We did the breakfast tour which I would highly recommend. Seeing everything is tough enough, but having a guide that can throw in info and other tidbits made it that much better. Breakfast was also quite good... an "American" breakfast.
My son got a special blessing from a priest in the Sistine Chapel.
- We also stayed after the nearly 3 hour tour to visit the crypts and my two oldest boys and I climbed to the top of San Pietro (St Peters)... 500+ steps
[*]Trevi Fountain
Impressive both in daylight and lit up at night
- Go early morning to avoid crowds, but be aware it gets cleaned MWF from 8-9am
[*]Spanish Steps
Missed it at night (lit up), but still cool during the day.
- Chestnut vendor had massive nuts
[*]Pantheon
Amazing that this building still stands today.
[*]Coliseum
We did the night tour, which I would highly recommend. All lit up and basically empty - no tourists.
- Tour also included Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill, Piazza Venezia and Trajan's Column
[*]Our hotel (apartment) was arranged and paid for by the wish organization, so we had no say in it.
Unfortunately it was not ideal for several reasons
It was in the San Pietro area which is pretty well removed from everything except the Vatican
- On a one-way street which was under construction. Made driving, let alone walking, very difficult
- Not a clean or new place by any stretch
- Hotel staff was awesome, though!
- Next time, we will try to stay around either the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps if possible.
[*]Food
So very many restaurants in and around Rome... especially near the more "touristy" areas. We avoided the places that had waiters out front trying to lure you in. We tried to go off the beaten path to eat, found some nice places and some great food. Spent nearly €1200 on food and drinks for 5 people for 7 days (including in Florence... see below). Not cheap, but we went ALL OUT!
- Some of the highlights
Il Duca In Trastevere - Really good food. Fresh pasta and gnocchi. Bruschetta and deserts were fabulous
- Melo at Piazza Venezia - Best meal and experience we had. Veal and pasta were to die for. Owner took an instant liking to my boys (and my wife
). Put a bottle of Sicilian desert wine and a bottle of Lemoncello on the table and didn't charge us for either. Probably the best cannoli I've ever had in my life.
- Papa Rex in San Pietro - Almost didn't go because of 1) the name and 2) it was 300 yard from our apartment... but very glad we did. Food was amazing and our waiter was excellent.
- Ponte e Parione near Piazza Navona - Best pizza of the whole trip, and we had a LOT! Waiter was also very good... loved us when he found out we were from Detroit because M&M is his favorite artist
- Frigidarium - Best gelato in Rome
[*]There were some clunkers too for sure, but we won't talk about those
Florence:
- Took the train to Florence for 2 days. Sooo glad we did. If/when we go back to Italy, we'll switch it up and do 5 days in Florence and 2 in Rome. Really loved Florence... the vibe was very cool.
- Architecture and history are amazing
Duomo is just beautiful as are the many other churches, basilicas
- The general architecture of the buildings lining the street are so cool... exactly how you'd picture Italy
- Ponte Vecchio (and other bridges) is really cool. Even if you don't like shopping.
- The view from the Piazzale Michelangelo is breathtaking. Do it early before the crowds. Highlight of the trip.
[*]Hotel
We stayed in a Hilton... no big whoop.
[*]Food
Like Rome, a crapload of places to eat, but a few of our favorites:
Trattoria Antellesi - Recommended by my son's boss and did not disappoint. Fresh pasta, steak and potatoes were awesome. Tiramisu and cheescake were the best deserts we had on the trip.
- Ristorante Il Boccale - Kindof a hole in the wall, but the pizza and pasta were really good.
- Gelateria Santa Trinita - Outstanding gelato
Like I said... happy to answer any questions. Enjoy!
ETA: One of the funnest things we tried to do was speak the language. Consistently asked "Come se dice" (how do you say...) words or phrases and people LOVED that we were trying to communicate with them in Italian. Made it fun when we screwed it up too... which I did on a regular basis. The places where we had the most fun were the places the waiters/cab drivers/locals engaged with us to help us learn to speak some Italian.
eta* I truly, truly hope your son is well. Been following in the other thread. :kind of puts heads down, sends TPWs:
Really.
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Chemical X
Footballguy
you need to be organized and have a game plan. you can’t waste time thinking about what you want to do.
Keerock
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
We're thinking about an italy trip not this summer, but next (2020...jfc...bizarre writing that out). First time for the kids, and we were thinking about Sardinia on top of usual Rome/ Florence.
In a search, I see you've mentioned it a couple times. Do you have other info it?
Chemical X
Footballguy
actually, i can get you more info about sardinia after this may. my friend and electrician, plumber over there vacations every year in sardinia, i know he has b & b and other info i can share. he takes a ferry.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
Took a family trip to Italy two summers ago (https://forums.footballguys.com/forum/topic/707346-mad-cows-italy-trip-discussion-thread/?do=findComment&comment=20686114) Thinking of going back summer 2020. Anyone spent time in Puglia? Taken the ferry to Croatia?
El Floppo
Footballguy
love that idea, and been wanting to do the same. but dunno that it's the best time for a turkey visit- I'll defer to other more knowledgeable politico/current events guys when they chime in.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
Looks like there has been a travel warning on for awhile, maybe a couple of years, but people are still heading there. I am afraid to let my wife know, she is much more skittish than I am.
Chemical X
Footballguy
one of the sights i am on the mailer list sent me this;
https://www.wanderingitaly.com/maps/sardinia.html
Chemical X
Footballguy
2020 is getting dangerously close. my permanent move is july 2020. maybe you become my first FBG B&B guest. if i buy that type of property. i may have my old house to rent too. use code Black Eyed Joe for a discount.
Chemical X
Footballguy
so, i know a bunch of us are heading out this year. i am over 5/12-6/5, looking for our new forever home. i finish the last 3 nights in rome. we have a property list of about 55 and a sweet spot of about 275€. pretty xcited to tour houses and eat like crazy. i discovered something called Porchettiamo May 17-19 in San Terenziano and this is actually on our list, as it’s about 1 hour away from us.
Bill Brasky
Footballguy
go Avs!
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Chemical X
Footballguy
i mentioned to dd and all you guys renting cars, the car agencies rent out wi if keys, which i highly recommend.
rockaction
Footballguy
Wow. We go later in June. I'll be reading this thread frequently to figure out some stuff pertaining to the trip. We've already got a converter for charging phones and other helpful suggestions mentioned in the thread.
3 hour lunch
Footballguy
Would you choose Piazzale Michaelangelo over the Duomo dome climb if you had only time for one?
Also, are taxis pretty readily available in Florence? We ended up booking Hotel Glance, which is close to a lot, but not Piazzale or Ponte Vecchio or some of the cool looking restaurants by the river....
Also, are taxis pretty readily available in Florence? We ended up booking Hotel Glance, which is close to a lot, but not Piazzale or Ponte Vecchio or some of the cool looking restaurants by the river....
gianmarco
Footballguy
I would do Piazzale Michaelangelo, however, it is much further out of the way. If time is limited, not sure if that's a good choice.
Florence is very walkable. There are taxis available but usually not that necessary.
Chemical X
Footballguy
duomo......here is a link to a site i recommend for taxis. florence is taxi stands, you can’t hail a taxi. think your hotel is near the main train station, which obviously has a stand. also, you are very near the mercato centrale. you must visit the 2nd floor for lunch, just be careful of pickpockets especially in that area.
https://www.visitflorence.com/moving-around-florence/by-taxi.html
gianmarco
Footballguy
With taxis, most places where you are can call one for you (your hotel or your restaurant, etc).
Just saw where your hotel is, unless you are limited or really hate walking, you can get most anywhere by foot where you are. Ponte Vecchio, for example, is less than a 15 minute walk away.
Chemical X
Footballguy
Nigel
Footballguy
I agree with @Chemical X, Duomo climb if one or the other but Piazzelle Michalangelo isn’t nearly the time commitment. Just shoot up there in a taxi for sunset, have a cocktail, take pics and get out of there...hour to 90 min round trip, go back to hotel and freshen up before dinner. Duomo is more of a sightseeing project/tour thing to knock out during the day.
3 hour lunch
Footballguy
Thanks all. I had looked up some distances and thought things were a bit further but good to know. We should be able to walk everywhere except maybe for dinner when we are dressed up, wife has heels on or whatever. By the way, do many restaurants have dress codes in either Florence or Positano? Hoping dressy jeans and a polo are enough most places? Here’s our basic itinerary! We will do more than what I list if course but want a bit of time to explore as well.
Day 1- land in Rome, train to Florence
Day 2- Duomo, Ponte Vecchio
Day 3- Accademia/Uffizi 4 hour tour
Day 4- train to Naples and car to Positano
Day 5- Capri
Day 6- Path of Gods
Day 7- Pizza making class
Day 8- to Rome, Colliseum night tour
Day 9- Vatican breakfast
Day 10- home
St. Louis Bob
Footballguy
It has been 3 years and every day all we can think about is getting back to Italy.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
For Florence, I really loved Santa Croce if you have time for that time too — burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Rossini.
Keerock
Footballguy
FWIW, I much preferred the trip up to Piazzelle Michalangelo to the Duomo. And don't take a cab up. Take a cab to a spot at the bottom, grab a coffee and then walk up. The view is amazing. Have lunch/drinks at the restaurant up there. This was one of the highlights of our trip.
I'll be in Italy (Rome and Tuscany) for 8 days soon. Will report back with tips. One tip I got is that the Google Translate app (which is free) does live translation using the camera. Been playing around with it, and seems super-useful for menus and road signs. Accuracy is just good enough to be useful and just bad enough to provide endless entertainment with errors.
Chemical X
Footballguy
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
You may want to try the CityMaps2Go app. Sometimes the European cities can be confusing and it will show your position on the map and will give exact distances to next street. I think you get several free city maps downloads for free.
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Just another plug to consider the Firenze Pass in Florence. We were staying right next to the Duomo. Walked around it and guy saw our Firenze Passes and waved us into the Duomo. We thought we were just going into the lower level, but soon realized it was the side door to walk up the steps. We weren't planning to walk up as I was having a knee replacement surgery later in the year, but it was fine. There are a lot of steps but it will probably go pretty slow. If you are claustrophobic, you may want to reconsider. It is a rather narrow spiral staircase to the top. It is an amazing view at the top but it can also be crowded. We also walked up to Piazelle Michaelangelo and to the church up there. You can get some excellent panoramic views of the city! We then walked down and went to Santa Croce, which was a highlight. Yes it was good day's hike but you can do it. The city blocks are smaller in Europe and you will be amazed at how quickly you can walk to most places. If you are pressed for time, taxi's work well. Whether you pick either Duomo or Piazelle Michaelangelo, you do not need to have any regrets about going to the other. Great views at both.
lumpy19
Footballguy
I'm a project engineer and my company has a relationship with an Italian company that provides a handful of process equipment for us. I get to travel to Florence and do kickoff meetings and equipment sign off 1-2x a year. Can't wait to get back, going to try to fly to Rome next time and use the high speed train to get to Florence for meetings but stay in Rome to do some sightseeing.Chemical X said:
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Wouldn't hurt too check for any upcoming transportation strikes . They announce them well in advance but probably after you buy your tickets. Probably won't happen but better be safe since its a business trip.
Chemical X
Footballguy
waiver wire
Footballguy
this is the 1st spring in 3 years that I haven't been in Italy , man do I miss it
still my favorite country
im probably going back to Europe in September of 3/4 weeks but don't think it will include Italy
Does any hookups in munich for Oktoberfest?
still my favorite country
im probably going back to Europe in September of 3/4 weeks but don't think it will include Italy
Does any hookups in munich for Oktoberfest?
Question for anyone who has driven in Tuscany and knows some of the major routes.
Trying to figure out which route to drive from Rome to our hotel (near Buonconvento). Google Maps is showing both of these routes as almost exactly 3 hours. We won't take the third option of a slightly longer route through Orvieto, because we will do that on our return trip to Rome a few days later.
This will be during the afternoon after an overnight flight, so I expect we'll be tired and eager to get to the hotel. Probably won't be stopping to eat or do any sightseeing along the way, although pleasant scenery is always a plus. It'll also be my first driving in Italy (or anywhere other than US or Canada), so easy driving would be a plus.
Route #1 - E80 to Rusellae, then SS 223 and other local roads to our destination
Route #2 - E80 to Montalto di Castro then SR 312 to our destination
Anyone have any insight or suggestions which would be better? Or just do the Orvieto route (which is showing as 15 minutes longer), even though we'll be returning that way a few days later?
Trying to figure out which route to drive from Rome to our hotel (near Buonconvento). Google Maps is showing both of these routes as almost exactly 3 hours. We won't take the third option of a slightly longer route through Orvieto, because we will do that on our return trip to Rome a few days later.
This will be during the afternoon after an overnight flight, so I expect we'll be tired and eager to get to the hotel. Probably won't be stopping to eat or do any sightseeing along the way, although pleasant scenery is always a plus. It'll also be my first driving in Italy (or anywhere other than US or Canada), so easy driving would be a plus.
Route #1 - E80 to Rusellae, then SS 223 and other local roads to our destination
Route #2 - E80 to Montalto di Castro then SR 312 to our destination
Anyone have any insight or suggestions which would be better? Or just do the Orvieto route (which is showing as 15 minutes longer), even though we'll be returning that way a few days later?
JackReacher
Footballguy
Chemical X
Footballguy
can you clarify this? some of these roads i am unfamiliar with. your destination is somewhat south of siena?
