Cpessagno

We are traveling to Italy in less than two weeks! We are looking for some last minutes tips on International Travel, Packing, Etc.

We are going to be driving (yes this is for sure- I have already did a forum on the whys). We will be doing Polensia Parma, Florence, Rome, Siena, Bologna, Venice and Lake Garda.


Any tips on really anything will be great. We have our trip pretty well planned - hotels, cars and museums pretty much all booked.

Jean

Seven destinations in 14 days... Take energy bars. You may need them.

Before you leave home, research the ZTLs (limited traffic zones) in Parma, Florence, Siena and Bologna so that you can hopefully avoid getting expensive traffic tickets. Before you leave home, figure out where you're going to park in each destination and how to reach it while avoiding the ZTLs. Take driving maps and/or pay extra for GPS in the rental cars. You can't afford to lose any time getting lost.

dulciusexasperis

Two weeks to go. Simply too late now to start asking questions.

bobthenavigator

My best advice is to drop at least 2 destinations.
The obvious to me would be Rome[it needs 5 days], and Bologna.

suze

Just go. Buy a guidebook and read it on the plane ride over. Pack light.

Debs

Pack light, casual clothes. And very comfortable shoes. You do have a packed agenda for 14 days. What exactly do you mean by tips on International travel? Remember to notify both your bank and credit card companies that you're traveling overseas. Scan a copy of the info pages of your passport in case it's lost/stolen. Have fun - you're going to be exhausted after this trip!

dfourh

You may know this already but you need a translation of your foreign language drivers license when driving in Italy. AAA can do this.

sandralist

Have a great trip but please do learn how to spell where you are going for your first stop before you leave the parking lot of the rental car office.

Cpessagno

Well, I really didnt want the negative comments.

I have already set everything in stone for hotels so no, we will not be changing things. We are only spending one day in Parma and 1 day in Bologna, everywhere else is 2-3 days/nights. Lake garda is just an afternoon stop on the way from Venice to Milan.

Thanks for those who did give us tips!

We have already planned or pre-paid our parking in all cities, it actually works out really well to park at our hotels for cheap and right outside the ZTL sones. In Rome we picked out and paid our parking and will take a short taxi to our apartment; Venice we will be parking at the base of the island and then we will be taking the vaperetto's to the Hilton.

We have an international driver permit and notified our banks and credit cards for international travel.

Tip wise I guess I am just looking for good little insights about travel. Like I saw a tip to bring an umbrella in the backup throughout the day in case it rains, and also take a wine bottle opener with you wherever you go.
Not sure what exactly I am looking for, I tried to be as planned and prepared as possible but we are packing this week and will be traveling soon. So any last minute recommendations or tips would help!

And I am sorry on the mis-spelling. I have it on the map and printed directions to there, just normally mention outside Parma for where we are going.

Cpessagno

And Fodors suggests 7 cities in 11 days. I think our days are budgeted well and we will never be driving more than 2 1/2 hours a day between destinations.

ekc

Unless you purchase one when you are in Italy, you cannot bring a wine opener with you unless you check your luggage, which goes against the "packing light" rule. With that much moving around you need to have as little luggage as possible. Not just so you don't have to haul it up/down bridges and on the boat in Venice, but up and down stairs in hotels, in/out of taxis in Rome, etc. Also, all of your luggage needs to fit in the trunk of your car while you are driving from location to location (i.e. Lake Garda) to avoid a car break-in.

Jean

We take small binoculars for looking at church ceilings and landscape scenery.

dulciusexasperis

As I said, too late now.

"I have already set everything in stone for hotels so no, we will not be changing things."

Why is it in this day age with all the access to information that the internet can provide, that people still continue to plan 'If this is Thursday, this must be Belgium' type trips?

Trying too cover too much in too little time and no doubt also making the second of the two commonest mistakes travellers make and packing too much.

annhig

trying to be positive, but also prudent, when you park, make sure that everything is out of sight in the boot [aka trunk if you're from North america] and then reverse into a parking space so that the rear door is hard up against a wall or tree and cannot be opened from the outside. THEN REMEMBER TO LOCK THE CAR!

it won't stop the most determined thieves, but it will deter the casual ones.

you've clearly thought carefully about the logistics of parking, including avoiding the dreaded ZLTs, which bodes well for the trip.

as for cramming too many places into the time you've got, as you say you have a number of 2-3 night stops and anyway you have already booked.Next time you may decide to stay longer in fewer places. for future reference some hotel consolidation sites [like booking.com] have pretty generous cancellation terms which can enable last minute plan changes - we took advantage of this on a recent trip and it was very convenient.

a final tip - make sure that you have some change [20c & 50c pieces] to put into the machines in churches that turn on the lights to illuminate the mosaics. it can be very frustrating trying to study them in the dark!