10 day trip itinerary to Italy

Old Mar 15th, 2008, 04:37 AM
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10 day trip itinerary to Italy

We are planning a 10 day trip to Italy. We are two adults and 2 children (actually one is nearly an adult 17yrs & 11yrs. Our tentative itinerary is as follows:
- Jun 21st -arrive (fm US) Rome in the morning. Stay 21st and 22nd in Rome
- Jun 22nd -lv for venice by overnight train. Stay 23rd and 24th night in Venice.
- Jun 25th - Lv for Florence by train. Stay 25th and 26th in Florence
- Jun 27th - Move to a farmhouse in Tuscany and rent a car. Stay 27th, 28th and 29th in Tuscany.
-Jun 29th evening leave for Rome. Stay Jun 30th in Rome.
- Jul 1 Depart to US (cannot do openjaw!)
Our interests are to see Italian history and to feel the culture. I love Italian wines.
I am wondering if this itinerary is good or would there be any comments to improve on it. Also I would like recommendation on budget places to stay.

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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 04:58 AM
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Hi Aj,

oh my goodness, you are certainly packing it in - you'll need another holiday to recover!

from my experience of travelling with my kids, now 20 and 17 [and we must be doing something right as they are still coming on holiday with us! or is that something wrong??] - they prefer to stay in fewer places and have a proper base, rather than tour round all the time. Our DS, then 14, loved to be able to go out in the morning to "our" Roman cafe to buy the breakfast, to go to "our" gelateria, "our" bar etc. etc. and the same when we spent a week in florence.

This is what i would do - spend first 5 nights in Rome. then move to the amalfi coast and rent an apartment for the rest of the time.

or vice versa. [that might make more sense as you are ariving early on Day 1, but travelling with jetlag might not be too much fun].

remember, every time you move, you will lose at least half a day and given that you are tied to Rome for your flights, i would suggest making that most of that and leaving Venice etc. to another time.

of course, you could do what you've said, but IMO you are trying to pack 3 weeks into 10 days, and 2 into 1 doesn't go. by the time you get back to Rome you will have no idea what you've seen where, it'll all be a blur and the kids will be ratty as hell.

regards, ann

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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 05:05 AM
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I agree with anhig. You're spending way too much time traveling, and moving in and out of hotels is depressing and exhausting. My own inclination would be to spend more time in Rome and less in Tuscany.
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 05:23 AM
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If you didn't stay in Rome when you arrived, but stayed in Tuscany or Florence the first night, you could eliminate one change of hotels.
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 06:20 AM
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Something's got to give on your itinerary in my opinion or you are going to be frazzled and have a hard time remembering what you did when and where. We did a similar trip but took almost three weeks to do it.

Given the ages of your children I would suggest:

Fly into Rome and stay 3 full days.

Take overnight train to Venice and stay 2 full days.

Take train to Florence, rent an apartment and spend 5 days. Take a day trip or two using the bus or train and visit Siena and/or a couple of the Tuscan hilltowns.

Take train back to Rome and stay at a hotel close to the airport.

As sublime as it is to rent a farmhouse in Tuscany and explore the area...you really need longer than you can give it this trip.
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 06:23 AM
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Hi Aj,

I absolutely agree with the others, that you are trying to do WAY too much. I'm especially concerned about how the trip begins!

You will really only have 1.5 days in Rome and not even a full day without travel involved. The first arrival day, you will probably get settled into your hotel and sightseeing no earlier than noon. The second day you have to be packed and checked out of your hotel, arrange with the hotel to keep your luggage, do some sightseeing and still remember in the back of your mind to get to the hotel to pick up luggage and get to the train station. No time to relax and enjoy where you actually ARE! You'll be jetlagged and stressed out.

Then you are going to get on an overnight train, hope to get a little sleep and start the same routine in Venice. You'll be so tired everyone will be cranky!

I think you will have a MUCH better time if you eliminate Venice, sorry to say. I just doesn't make sense for this trip.

Something like:

arrive in Rome, go straight to Florence

3 nts Florence

get your car and spend 3 nts Tuscan countryside

drop car and train to Rome

4 nts Rome

Buona fortuna, Aj!

Buon giorno BarbaraS!
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 06:29 AM
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if you love Italian history - you will find it in Rome.
Agree with other posters:
too much moving around!
4-5 days in Rome, 4-5 day in Tuscany
would be a nice combo.
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 06:35 AM
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p.s.
travel time from Rome to Venice is under 4 hours - hardly overnight!
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 08:14 AM
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Actually there is an overnight train which leaves at 22.50 fm Rome and arrives Venice at 6AM, and it is direct!
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 08:22 AM
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As everyone says, this is way too much. Dayle gives a very good suggestion. If you go directly to Florence upon arrival, you cut out an extra hotel change. Or if Venice is an absolute must, continue on directly to Venice on arrival and stay 3 nights, then 3 nights in Florence with a daytrip to Tuscany, then 4 nights in Rome.
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 08:26 AM
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Folks, thank you for the guidance. I took back the forum's advise to my kids (they decide!). They still wanted to see Rome, Venice and Florence. So we are going to increase the days (and have to cut Tuscan countryside - my favorite!, maybe a day trip). Thanks!
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 08:29 AM
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Thx SusanP, I think my post and yours overlapped in time. That is what we are planning on doing!
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 08:33 AM
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OK, but you must get it by now. Too much for 10 days.

I assume this is a first trip to Italy. If so, I'd agree with Danon's suggestion of splitting the time between Rome and the countryside. I love Florence and Venice, but changing hotels two additional times in 10 days just sounds like a bad idea. From your Tuscany base, you can travel into Florence once or twice.

If Venice remains in your plans, I wouldn't do the overnight train. There just isn't enough time to get a good night's sleep.
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 08:38 AM
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Aj, I think you'll be much happier with your new plan. Have a great trip!
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Old Mar 15th, 2008, 06:07 PM
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If it were me, I would see if I could get a flight to Venice from Rome shortly after landing. You will already be at the airport. Then, spend three full days in Venice, train to Florence, spend most of three days in Florence (with day trip to Sienna), rest of time in Rome. If I couldn't get a flight, I would still start the trip by going directly to Venice. You will be tired anyway, and can rest some on the train. You would just arrive a little later in Venice on that first day.

June 21, Ar Venice around noon (or later by train) Settle in, take a walk, enjoy dinner.
June 22,23 & most of 24, Venice
June 24, Lv Venice late afternoon
Ar Florence evening, just in time for dinner
June 25,26 & most of 27,Florence with day trip to Sienna.
June 27, Lv Florence mid to late afternoon
AR Rome in time for dinner and walk
June 28, 29, 30 Rome
July 1, fly home.
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Old Mar 16th, 2008, 10:08 AM
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Thx Sassafras. we are planning something quite similar to what you recommended.
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Old Mar 16th, 2008, 04:07 PM
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You will have a great time. Glad you've got things worked out. I suggest the late trains so you begin major sight seeing in each place in the morning when you are rested after a night's sleep. Leaving late gives you the best part of the day in the first city and just when you are ready for a break, you get on the train, relax, make notes, review plans for the next day, etc. Your kids will love Venice and you will get back someday for Tuscany. I hope you do go to Siena. Have a wonderful time.
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Old Mar 16th, 2008, 05:35 PM
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I still don't get how one can have a restful sleep on a train while sitting in a compartment with 6 people?
What is your secret?
When you arrive to your destination early in the morning where do you go?
Most hotels will not let you check in until the afternoon.
Some hotels may keep one's luggage, but wondering the streets without even having a shower ( after a night on a train - in July!) seems rather unappetizing to me .

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Old Mar 16th, 2008, 09:08 PM
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Hi danon,

Not sure to whom you were posing the question about sleeping on the train. My suggestions of late afternoon trains is only for fairly short trips so you spend the night in the new city, not overnight on the train. I hope what I meant is clear to AjGupta. Though some folks do it, distances between major cities in Italy aren't far enough to warrent the overnight train, I think.
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Old Mar 17th, 2008, 06:46 AM
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I agree about the distances in Italy, although the OP found a train that takes 6 and a half hours over night . (Rome-Venice)
I am not sure who I was asking he question. It is just that
one often reads here about "overnight train" suggestions - so to spend more time in a city ( and , I guess, save on hotels) . It must be very stressful to have to leave a hotel at noon in one city, wander around until the night train, spend the night sitting on the train ,and arrive in another city first thing in the morning without a hotel room to go to.
Of course ,during the good old college days it was fun......

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