Italy Travel Tips Wanted

[take8easy]

Hi Fellow Perberts.

I am planning a trip to Italy in some time in Spring and I have never been there. The plan is to fly to Rome, stay there two or three days, go to Pisa and or Florence for a day or so and then go to Venice for two three days till the end of the trip. This is what I have found or concluded so far.

In Rome, stay near Termini Roma because there are plenty of hotels and shops close by. The hotels are cheaper as compared to the sight seeing area. It would easy to catch the train to Pisa or Florence. There is plenty of transportation available esp the hop on hop off bus and the main sites are not too far.

We were thinking of catching a train to Pisa and or Florence. Then catch a train to Venice.

Venice- Now, this is where I have no clue. It seems to have a pretty unusual layout. Seems like there are very few autos and mostly it is waterways. The airport is on the mainland but the train station is on the island. So, where do we stay for about two nights? I dont wanna be too far from the airport and or train station. I was reading on a travel website that one has to walk a lot over bridges with baggage!!!! Obviously we dont want to be within all the sites as well. Most of the hotels seem to be smaller hotels in older classic buildings. Any recommendations?

Any other trips in general? Seems like there are plenty of signs in English or even the signs in Italians are not really too hard to decode. As much as we enjoy eating in Italian restaurants, I am sure there would be some fast food joints for young ones.

I have done a lot of research, but I want to hear tips based on your experiences. So, please help me! Whatever pinters you can give.

Thanks in advance.........or should I say Grazie (Thank you Google translate).

T8E

 

[burcs]

Venice is small. You should be able to do loop around Venice on foot in less than an hour (I think 45 mins?). Stay on the island as everything that you will want to see or do will be there. From where the shuttle bus drops you off, I figure you have to walk anywhere between 5-20 minutes depending on where you stay. I personally don't think it's a big deal unless you've got a ton of luggage. Also wheels on luggage won't be great on their cobblestone roads.

Wasn't a fan of Rome, Vatican City is interesting. Pisa you can spend a half day there and be done with. Noticed you didn't list Cinque Terre there. Don't expect you to hike it, but it's probably still worth it for the spectacular views, or if you're up for it maybe one of the shorter legs of the hike. IMO the gems are in the countryside, usually smaller towns that are maybe an hour away from the city. You can find some excellent food and culture untainted by commercialization in those areas. Do a quick search for festivals and such along your travel route.

 

[PoorGuy]

Pickpockets!

Always be aware, especially in major tourist centres like Venice.

 

[Chef99]

I did a trip to Italy about 14 years ago. At the time we had just over a week (so relatively limited) and didn't really know where to start. There are so many choices in terms of focus - wine, food, history, culture,... We decided to hit Rome, Florence, and Venice to get a taste of the countries history and culture and hoped to come back some time in the future for a focus on wine and food (never did that). To help put an itinerary together we used a vacation planning company that tailored vacations specifically to you. So we discussed with them what we wanted, they provided suggestions, and eventually we settled on an agenda. The basic format was private tours in the morning and then the afternoons free to explore. It worked extremely well. The tour guides they arranged were excellent - local knowledgeable people that met with us for a few hours, we paid in cash. Don't remember the company, I think they (she) was based out of San Francisco but they appeared to be very similar to http://www.roadtoitaly.com/

 

[wetnose]

Spent 2 weeks in Italy and even then it wasn't enough. I highly recommend spending more time in Florence. It has much more sights than Venice and more inexpensive too. You could easily spend at least 3 days in Florence. You can also use it as a base to explore Pisa, Siena and Cinque Terra. I also recommend picking up some documentaries about the art/history/culture of Renaissance and Roman times because it'll give you more context about Italy.

 

[Cock Throppled]

Venice is small, but it's still easy to get lost, but who cares, eventually you'll find the right way to go (there are signs with arrows pointing to major sites up on the walls in the small square directing you), and you'll probably find some charming sight or small gallery or church in the meantime.

There are plenty of hotels near the train/bus station, but it is a noisy, crowded area.

Don't stay just in Veniice proper. Take a boat or two out to some of the cute islands - Murano or Burano are good choices.

Second the choice of Florence over Pisa. There are smaller, more interesting medeival towns that might be a better stopover.

 

[qfscqfsc]

Rome, Florence, and Venice are definitely the top places to visit if you've never been to Italy. Also the most crowded most times of the year.

Rome is large but easy to walk or bus around. Staying closer to the train station is a good idea but you will be on the opposite side from Vatican City. Watch out while walking in crowded areas for pickpockets, they are at all the tourist places. Also watch out for bats around dusk, crazy swarms of them flying around near the river. You'll see the locals ducking for cover at that time, with good reason. Rome has a wide range of historical architecture to enjoy and the Collesuim is something quite amazing to see in person.

Florence is amazing. My favorite city of the three. Beautiful and lovely to walk. Plenty of nice restaurants and shopping. Recommend you spend time in Florence rather than Pisa, as we found Pisa to be very limited in sights and activities except for the tower. Not worth the trip if I could go to Florence instead.

Venice is a place I think everyone should see, but you don't need more than a couple of days. It's small and easy to get around, you either walk everywhere or take some sort of water transport. The gondola is expensive but maybe romantic to justify the price. You generally don't use them as a taxi though, but there are other boats that offer taxi service from most points to most other points. The public ferry on the Grand Canal is like the bus service here, and works pretty well but only gets you to specific stops. If you decide to walk take a map, Very easy to get lost for your first few hours walking around the streets. And yes, you will likely end up carrying luggage around at some point. You can get a water taxi to and from the airport to most hotels.

We rented a car for a week and drove around the small hilltop towns of Tuscany. Easy to get around with a GPS and was reasonably priced. Hotels are easy to find with Trip Advisor and we found everyone either spoke English or were used to the game of pantomime if you don't speak Italian (we don't). We preferred most small towns to the big cities, but it's a ymmv sort of thing for sure. Sienna was lovely and we really liked Montepulciano the most.

Trip Advisor was also good for restaurants. You can spend as much or as little as you want on food and wine, and we found their app was very helpful nearly everywhere. Apps like Yelp and Open Table didn't really cover places as well.

Hope that was useful.

- qq

 

[rlock]

Hi Fellow Perberts.

I am planning a trip to Italy in some time in Spring and I have never been there. The plan is to fly to Rome, stay there two or three days, go to Pisa and or Florence for a day or so and then go to Venice for two three days till the end of the trip. This is what I have found or concluded so far.

In Rome, stay near Termini Roma because there are plenty of hotels and shops close by. The hotels are cheaper as compared to the sight seeing area. It would easy to catch the train to Pisa or Florence. There is plenty of transportation available esp the hop on hop off bus and the main sites are not too far.

We were thinking of catching a train to Pisa and or Florence. Then catch a train to Venice.

Venice- Now, this is where I have no clue. It seems to have a pretty unusual layout. Seems like there are very few autos and mostly it is waterways. The airport is on the mainland but the train station is on the island. So, where do we stay for about two nights? I dont wanna be too far from the airport and or train station. I was reading on a travel website that one has to walk a lot over bridges with baggage!!!! Obviously we dont want to be within all the sites as well. Most of the hotels seem to be smaller hotels in older classic buildings. Any recommendations?

Any other trips in general? Seems like there are plenty of signs in English or even the signs in Italians are not really too hard to decode. As much as we enjoy eating in Italian restaurants, I am sure there would be some fast food joints for young ones.

I have done a lot of research, but I want to hear tips based on your experiences. So, please help me! Whatever pinters you can give.

Thanks in advance.........or should I say Grazie (Thank you Google translate).

I spent a few weeks in the Venice area, and a couple other places in Italy.

For Venice, here's some advice:
1) Venice is actually small and a tourist trap through and through. Are you on a budget? You might save some $ by staying in the nearby town of Mestre and then catching the bus each day into old Venice. (By population, it's more like Venice is a suburb of Mestre.)

2) Once you are in Venice, you can walk around most of the places. It's tiny, not like Vancouver where everything is too far. A few times you will have to take a boat to cross the water, so take the ordinary water taxis / small ferries. Don't take the gondolas unless you specifically want that experience, as they are too expensive.

3) The pickpockets danger in Europe is for real, and also snatch-and-run thieves. They are skilled in ways a Vancouverite can't imagine. Always carry your passport with you preferably somewhere you can feel it at all times (front pants pocket is a good idea). Same goes for your money and cards. Beware of standing among crowds of closely-pressing people. If you stop to tie your shoes or adjust your stuff, do it in a corner with your back to the wall so you can see anyone approaching. Don't flash your money around or your tourist gear. Do not assume your lodgings (hotel) are secure for valuables. Basically, don't be an easy target; have some healthy paranoia. (And yes, some of the pickpockets are just little kids - often working in groups where one bumps you and the other steals while you're distracted.) You are most likely to run into trouble at the train and bus stations.

4) That being said, Venice is a fun place to go, and generally safe even if you're alone. Explore the little islands outside of the main parts. You can even find some quiet corners away from the main square to just chill out for a bit.

5) Train travel is a great way to go from city to city, but of course, compare prices in light of how often you plan to bounce from place to place.

Aside from Venice, when I was in Italy I went to Rome and Florence (Firenze). If you go to Rome, aside from the Coliseum and such, also check out the Vatican.

When I went, it was the height of summer so it was very hot, but I have no idea what spring is like there. Probably not half as crowded.

 

[Atticus]

Can't go wrong with Rome, Florence or Venice. If you have time Cinque Terre is a little awkward getting to but well worth it. Another city worth spending a day in is Verona, easy to walk around and the architecture is amazing.

 

[ddcanz]

My 2 cents?
Rome and the Vatican are great- for a couple of days. Depends if you are into hectic big cities- but of course there is a ton of history and sights to see.
Florence?- a day.
Cinque Terre is pretty cool but off the beaten path.
Venice?- never been but to me NBD.
Now I would recommend the Amalfi Coast area. Stay in Sorrento as a base- easy hour or so to Pompeii, 1 1/2 hours to Naples for some great pizza; a hydrofoil over to Capri for the day (or 2) and of course Positano, Amalfi etc. down the coast- incredible. Fresh lemons and other citrus permeating the air- indescribable!
Very budget friendly, great people without all the hubbub. Open air evening meals- brings back a flood of memories.
Rome is fucking crazy! Double parking? That is for the weak and timid- try triple and quadruple parking- in Rome it is a competitive sport and they take it seriously.
But I will agree with some earlier comments- beware the pickpockets and thieves. These guys will scope you out dining at the larger piazzas and then zoom in to nab your CCard or cash as soon as you lay it on the table- and be gone in the crowd- seen it first hand. They don't fuck around. Just be cautious and you will be OK.
You really can't go wrong though- after all, you ARE going to Italy!
Have fun- once you've been you will probably want to return again and again.

 

[take8easy]

Thank you PERB !!! I Owe you guys another one.

Came back a few days ago after a fabulous time in Italy. We were just able to be in Rome for 4 days, caught a train to Venice and stay there for about day and a half.

Based on my trip here are the points that I will make (in no specific order):

Italy is fabulous, both in terms of history AND culture.

I was expecting Italian pizza to be better than here, .......... well, its different, but IMO, not better tasting.

Smoking at public places, store fronts, side walks, IN RESTAURANTS, is much more acceptable than what we N. Americans are used to. (ewww )

You walk a lot.... but it's fun!

People seemed to be dressed nicer, in the sense, more............... formal. Very few, if any, people seemed to be in shorts and T shirts !!!!!!!!!!!

Rome and Venice are full of 1. restaurants, 2. gift shops, 3. peddlers.

Venice: Recommend: Yessss. Repeat : Most likely.

Pickpockets: Be warned, although we never fell victim to it but we were warned repeatedly.

Rome is very vibrant and throbbing.

Spring seemed to be the best time in terms of weather and crowds.


Thanks again for all the tips everyone. It just proves that PERB is more than just a site for exchange of escort reviews.

T8E

Edit: Women seemed to have a more ................... how should I put this... more natural look to them. For example, the hair seem to have the natural curl and bounce as opposed to straightened-and hair sprayed-everyone-has-straight-hair.
Also, Italians seemed to talk a bit ............. louder. They just seem to use more hand gestures.

 

[JonnyBoi]

Oh man,

I wish I have seen this earlier. I've been to Capri, Venice, Florence, Napoli, Positano, Rome and Mykonos!

I really enjoyed their pizza - it's not heavy flavoured or just focuses on "smashing as much cheese on the darn thing as possible". It's more about the natural ingredients, fresh dough, and some few spices/slices of pear/cheese. I must say I do not enjoy the Margarita Pizza but some others have made their way into my memory banks.

I also enjoy their pasta and seafood. They drench everything in olive oil and basalmic vinegar.. It's like the Aussie's with ketchup.

I chuckled about Rome being "throbbing", I hope you didn't get the receiving end of the Greek treatment?

 

[PoorGuy]

Also, Italians seemed to talk a bit ............. louder. They just seem to use more hand gestures.

http://www.keepcalmandtravel.com/top-15-italian-gestures-including-the-rude-ones/

 

[take8easy]

http://www.keepcalmandtravel.com/top-15-italian-gestures-including-the-rude-ones/

I wonder what the gesture is for: "I want this girl in the pictures making all the gestures."!!!!!!!