15 days, First trip to Italy

Old Oct 28th, 2011, 11:45 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
15 days, First trip to Italy

Hi

My sister and I are taking our first trip to Italy in May 2012 and have roughly mapped out the following locations:
Rome
Siena
Florence (taking in Chianti as well hopefully)
Cinque Terre
Venice

We plan to fly out from Venice to London, spending a week there before heading home to New Zealand.

We're both nervous about driving on the 'wrong' side of the road and have heard the Italian rail system is pretty reliable and cost effective - any hints here?

We're thinking Rome is a great place to start, before heading north to see Siena, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice. How would you recommend we split our time (10 days) between these places? Hotel hints? transport recommendations? Must see's? etc etc

Would love your suggestions!
rachmaggie is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2011, 12:19 PM
  #2  
RJD
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 663
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Several Ideas:
Not enough time for you itinerary. Cut Siena and the Cinque Terre. Go to Rome take train to Florence and then Venice.

You need a good guide book.

Italian rail system is fine. See http://www.trenitalia.com/
RJD is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2011, 12:19 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you want to see all five

Rome 3 nights
Florence 3 nights - including one day day tripping to nearby Siena, by bus in about an hour and for a few euros - one less base to relocate to
Cinque Terre 2 nights
Venice 2 nights

I would ditch the Cinque Terre and put an extra day in Venice as with travel time there you have about only a day.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2011, 12:23 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Oh and taking the train between Rome, Florence and Venice is IMO the only way to go - cars are liabilities in cities - totally - can't even drive them many places nowadays. For lots on the Italian train system check out these excellent IMO sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

And there is an Italy Railpass but you are probably not traveling enough to make it a great deal - compare regular fares at www.trenitalia.com to pass prices - and online at this site you can book some discounted tickets in advance - but they can be hard or impossible to change so be sure of your dates and times - it is always easy IME to book train tickets as you go - have no fear of trains selling out, etc.

IME first class is well worth the extra price for the average traveler on the trip of a lifetime - seats bigger - many more empty seats, easier storing luggage, etc. IME well worth it.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2011, 04:21 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You really cannot see all those places in just 10 days. Of course you can actually get from one to another and sleep in a hotel in each one. But you will have very limited time seeing sights versus that finding and checking in and out of hotels, getting to trains stations, sorting out tickets and then traveling and doing the hotel thing all over again.

I think you need to make some hard choices. I would make a list of your must sees, list how long they take (michelin guide book would tell you that) and then figure out how long you have to stay where to see the basics. IMHO you need 3 full days (4 nights) in Rome. 3 full days (4 nights) in Florence to see the city and spend a day in Tuscany and 3 days (4 nights) in Venice. So you're already over your 10 days.

Yo don;t say what you want to do - and if you want to do a lot of hiking - then cut back on the cities - but if you want to see the major sights you need to allow time for it.
nytraveler is offline  
Old Nov 5th, 2011, 01:06 PM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks so much for your help - we actually have 12 days in Italy and are SUPER keen to spend time in Cinque Terre, but not as much time in Venice.

We were thinking
Rome: 5 Days
Venice: 1 day
Cinque Terre: 3 days
Tuscany: 3 days

Does that sound reasonable?
rachmaggie is offline  
Old Nov 5th, 2011, 02:05 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 24,834
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
You need to factor in the travel time between destinations.

It's about 5 hours from hotel door to hotel door between Rome and Venice, so your one day in Venice isn't even one day. If you spend the 5th day in Rome and take an evening train to Venice, the last reasonable option departs at about 7:30 pm most days.

From your Venice hotel to your, say, Vernazza hotel would take about 7.5 hours. The latest you could depart Venice is about 5:30 pm.

Considering your less than enthusiastic interest in Venice, I'd drop it from this trip. You'd spend less time sitting on trains and more time actually sightseeing without Venice in the mix.

A few Tuscan towns are very accessible using public trans from Florence, and that might make more sense than renting a car for 2-3 days. But that depends on your level of interest in Florence (and thus basing there) and what you wanted/hoped to see in Tuscany. Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pisa, Montecatini Terme, Arezzo or Cortona are easy; Chianti and southern Tuscany not.
Jean is offline  
Old Nov 5th, 2011, 02:20 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Really one day/2 nights is plenty for the Cinque Terre. You spend that one day walking between the towns. After that, there isn't much to do. And, as a great fan of Venice, I think you're gravely underestimating its appeal.

What does 3 days in Tuscany mean? 4 nights in Florence with a daytrip or two? Siena is best visited by bus from Florence. (The bus drops you in the center of old Siena whereas the train station is at a distance outside the town walls. And/or you could take a train into Chianti to Arezzo.

But I definitely agree. For a trip mostly to cities and towns train is best. No need to find and pay for parking. No chance of happening into a ZTL, a locals-only-driving zone, and getting a ticket.

You also need to lay out your trip in nights, not days. 1 full day is 2 nights. And allow time for changing location. Checking out, getting yourself to the train station, making the train trip, then finding your way to your new hotel, checking in, then finding your way around this new town all takes at least half a day.
Mimar is offline  
Old Nov 5th, 2011, 02:37 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Also, be sure to get your hotel reservations in London soon.
This is the year of celebration for the queen and London is sure to be crowded. To the extent that you can obtain advance
reservations for your museums and historical sites of choice, do so. You don't have much time and these advanced reservations will be most vauable.

I really envy you-what a great trip.

Pat
wanttogo is offline  
Old Nov 6th, 2011, 05:11 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
venice 1 day and Cinque terre 3 days?

Well if you have already been to Venice Ok but if not reverse the number of days - Cinque Terre unless into often rigorous hiking can be boring to many folks.

WTHWUBD for 3 days in Cinque Terre? Could be fine if day tripping by train or car to other nearby sites like Portofino or Genoa but otherwise these are tiny towns with a paucity of individual sites but I guess if you like sitting and pondering the sea that could be cool!
PalenQ is offline  
Old Nov 6th, 2011, 05:25 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Vencie is not worth visiting unless you spend at least 3 days there. Only 1 day and you will hate it. Cinque Terre requires 3 nights. Florence, you can do in 2 nights. Rome in 4. You will find the train from Cinque Terre to Venice is about 5 1/2 hours and requires a couple connections. Also, Monterosso and Vernzazza have been nearly destroyed by mudslides and storms in the last 2 weeks... I would not go there at this time. So my suggestion would be 3-4 nights in Venice, 2-3 nights in Florence (add a day trip to Siena if you really want to see it), and 4-5 nights in Rome.
anothertravelinsong is offline  
Old Nov 7th, 2011, 08:00 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Want to call your attention to what anothertravelinsong said about the recent destruction in the Cinque Terre. You may not be able to walk between all the 5 towns now or even in May. Search this forum for more information.
Mimar is offline  
Old Nov 7th, 2011, 11:58 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree that the proposed itinerary has too many locations for the number of days, but I disagree that one day (two nights)in Cinque Terre would be enough. We stayed three nights in Levanto, which, of course allowed just 2 full days. We wished we had at least one more night, and maybe two. Of course, everyone travels differently, and with different priorities - that's just my take on it. Also, sadly, who knows how the repairs/ restorations will have come along by then?

I have not YET been to Venice, but I'm pretty certain one or two nights would not do it justice. This is going to be about choices - and starting a list of what to see next time!
hanabilly is offline  
Old Nov 7th, 2011, 12:02 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The choice being, I guess, EITHER Venice or Cinque Terre. I think either one would be a good choice, but squeezing them both in might bring down the enjoyment factor of both.
Happy travels whatever you choose.
hanabilly is offline  
Old Nov 7th, 2011, 05:05 PM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,380
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Greetings

Our first trip to Italy we had to choose between Venice and the C.T. We decided to do the C.T while we were still capable of hiking! If the weather is bad or the hike for some reason can't be done, hop the bus to Portofino - stunning scenery en route.

We did Venice as part of our trip to Austria ((Flew into Venice from London and out of Vienna to London, connecting the two countries by train Venice-Verona-Innsbruck....)

I'd skip Venice this trip and do this:

Fly into Rome. 1 night Orvieto (small, less hectic start.)
Train to Florence (2 nights).
Train to C.Terre (3 nights)
Train/bus to San Gimignano (1 night)
Bus Siena (2 nights)
Train Rome (3 nights)
Before anyone squawks, we actually did almost exactly this trip and had a great time. (We had 17 nights and so added 5 nights south of Naples to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast.)
Sue_xx_yy is offline  
Old Nov 8th, 2011, 05:04 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
keep abreast of the aftermath of flooding in some key Cinque Terre towns - assumedly will be all over by May but who knows - Vernazza was hit especially hard.
PalenQ is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
seeksocean
Europe
21
Jan 2nd, 2019 10:16 AM
DOUGIE_GORDON
Europe
14
Apr 24th, 2012 01:01 AM
DeFazio
Europe
7
Jan 2nd, 2011 06:33 PM
nwbniteowl
Europe
7
Jan 10th, 2008 04:51 PM
tog
Europe
13
Aug 9th, 2007 06:47 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -