Italy anyone?

G

Gayle

Cathlete
I'm doing some long range planning (1 year at least) on a trip to Italy...yeah, I tend to plan things to death. :eek:

Anyone have suggestions for a good one stop shop on air/hotel/rail? I'm thinking about 8-12 days, with 2-3 cities (depending on the # of days), traveling independently.

I've done some Google searches, but would like to hear from someone who's been there.

TIA! :)
 
Wish I could help! WHen we went, we took a military flight, so we didn't have to buy airfare. We did get a great deal on rail passes to get us around! We also stayed in hostels when we weren't sleeping on the train, so we didn't use regular hotels.

We did have an absolute blast, though!
 
DH and I take a lot of trips to Europe (been to Italy 2x). We are heading to Dublin this coming Wednesday, actually.
Our favorites for package deals are Priceline, Hotwire and Travelocity, in that order.
Flights to Europe right now aren't that cheap, just as an FYI, but certainly, they'll be least expensive AFTER September.

Typically, you have to book rail separately through their respective agencies directly (Eurostar, TrenItalia, etc...). If you're doing a railpass, remember to validate it the first day that you use it. Those passes can also be used to get you into various attractions like museums, etc...

If you're going to Rome, remember to take a tour of the scavi, underneath St. Pieter's Basilica. It's one of the coolest things we've done there. It's the excavations of the ancient necroplois directly underneath the Vatican. It takes months to get into the tour, and they don't tell you if you've been "accepted" until just before you arrive, but it's well worth it. If you have a few months before you're going, I highly recommend making that request, which can be done through the Vatican's website.

I know you've done a lot of research and I'm sure you'll get a ton of ideas from others out here. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about what/where/eats, etc...

Have fun!
 
I recommend you do the three key cities; fly into Venice, hop on train and do Florence, hop on train and do Rome. Fly home. Duration of each city is 3-4 days. This is the perfect simpler of the best of Italy has to offer.
I suggest you check out tripadvisor.com for sample itineraries and hotel reviews. Great tool and is what I used to plan my 2 week vacation to Italy.
 
Thanks everyone!

Melissa - I did some preliminary checking on airfare and was having some sticker shock. Fortunately, we won't be booking until after September. ;) Thanks for that info on the scavi!

Lorrayne - That's the itinerary I was thinking of. :) I'll definitely check out tripadvisor.com.
 
Gayle,

I'm busy today, but I'll get with you about the places in Florence and Venice that we stayed a couple of years ago. Good locations, inexpensive, and nice.
 
Gayle - We went a few years back and did Venice, Florence and Rome - I think that was a great way to do it our first time. Next time I think we will rent a villa somewhere and enjoy some R & R. Anyway, I used fodors.com a lot and I met a woman who sent me her very detailed notes on those 3 cities. I would be happy to send them to you if you'd like. The only hotel recommendation I have is for Venice - http://www.casamartini.it/ - at first we thought we made a mistake in location but realized very quickly it was heavenly. It's more in the neighborhood section of town and there are open air markets - a very homey feel. Happy planning - it's so much fun.

Susan.
 
I highly recommend you sign up with the Vatican for the scavi tour. You need to sign up months in advance to go. Do a google search to get a description.

I also suggest and recommend a tour with Rebecca of the tuscan region (see http://tuscan-wine-tours.com/) She'll pick you up in Florence and is a great value for the tour. She's from Holland and is easy to understand.
 
TeTe - I'd love to hear your rec's. :)

Susan - I'd be interested in seeing those notes. What a cool looking hotel that is! :)

Lorrayne - Thanks! I love the idea of a wine tour!!! :)
 
I lived in Italy for 17 years. I would highly recommend the wine tour suggested by Lorrayne. It will take you to some of the most beautiful places in Italy. I actually know the owner of one of the wineries on the tour - although he was more a friend of my ex (jerk) bf than mine.

In a way it's unfortunate that Rome, Florence, and Venice are must sees, but no matter how many times I suggest skipping at least one of them nobody ever does. There are so many other places I like better. Another fantastic off the beaten track (at least as far as American tourists go) are five little seaside villages called Le Cinque Terre. The whole area is now a national park. You can hike from one village to another, stopping for some of the best meals of your life along the way. Here's one site http://www.lecinqueterre.org/eng/ if you do a google search you'll find many more.
 
Gayle, my mom is an Italy buff. She planned so many trips for her and my dad, and she was very meticulous about it lol. Let me know if you want the info and I will have her email it to me and then send it over in a PM!

Have fun...hopefully one day I will get there :)
 
I'm going back to Italy (Naples) next month on business. Too bad it's only a week and not over a weekend to go siteseeing...

But, at least I get to eat some good Italian food and drink limoncello. :)
 
I suggest you learn basic Italian. Not everyone speaks English (even in the stores/restaurants). It really helped me get around Venice, Florence, and Rome.
 
Gabrielle - Thank you for that link! I've seen photos from Le Cinque Terre and it's beautiful! I'll keep this in mind, too. At this point, everything's negotiable. :)

Meliffy - Thanks for that info from your mom! I used Frommer's forums a lot when I planned our Costa Rica trip.

Thanks, again Lorrayne! I know some "cookbook Italian", but that's about it. I'll definitely try to learn some more. Have a good trip next month. :)
 
I loved Cinque Terre! We did a day trip there from Florence hiring a driver. It was awesome!!! Great workout and awesome scenery!!!
 
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