OhioKid

Hi All

We are a couple going to Italy for 6 nights by end of September. This is our first Italy trip and we will go to Switzerland after Italy. We mostly want to cover the popular tourist spots/cities so our tentative plan is to spend 3 nights in Rome ( want to drive around the amalfi coast area one day) , 1 night in Florence and 2 nights in Venice.

Some questions:
1. Is this 3-1-2 night plan is advisable or should we consider any other alternate plans (like spending 2 nights in Rome and 1 extra night in Naples or Florence)?
2. Other than driving through the Amalfi Coast route, mostly thinking about taking train and city transport to explore the attraction. Is that a good idea?
3. For Rome to Florence and Florence to Venice train travel, should we just buy daily tickets or buy a train pass in advance?

Thanks in advance

PalenQ

3. For Rome to Florence and Florence to Venice train travel, should we just buy daily tickets or buy a train pass in advance?>

Neither - buy tickets NOW - at www.trenitalia.com or www.italotreno.com - two companies offering similar trains over same routes- check both sites for best price. Booking early can mean huge savings over just buying tickets on day of travel (always possible with sheer huge number of trains) which may be much higher. Check www.seat61.com for expert advice on booking your own tickets online and for a possible sweet discount; for general info Italian trains also www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Mo to any train pass with that few of trips -not even close.

bvlenci

The Amalfi Coast is not a good day trip from Rome, especially not by car. It's about a 4-hour drive to get there, and driving is bumper to bumper on the coast road.

You really have only five full days in Italy, and only two full days in Rome. Rome is a big city, with many crowded and time-consuming famous sights.

If you really plan to spend just one full day in Rome, I would suggest forgetting visits to the Colosseum or the Vatican Musems/Sistine Chapel. Just take a stroll around the city, admiring tjings from the outside if that's all the time you can spare.

PalenQ

Yup - day trip to Amalfi is extending way too much - and Rome can fill up that day very well.

A driving trip Amalfi would in any case be iffy once there - the main coastal road goes high above places like Positano where to drive into the town and find parking, etc a nightmare.

OhioKid

Thank you for those suggestions. I would probably not go to the Amalfi coast this time then. Does it make sense to go to Milan for a day instead of spending 2 days in Venice?

PalenQ

But you do not have two days in Venice because the train there will take up a half day - but if just want a quick look then Milan would be on way to Switzerland by train - staying there would break up long train ride. Or just break your train ride at Milan - where you ususally have to transfer anyway for a few hours and see the Duomo and few other major sights in city center. Put bags in station baggage check for a few hours.

greg

What "makes sense" depends on what one wants to accomplish within constraints. Do you think everyone else has the same interests and same constraints as you do?

If the sum of travel times and the overheads to go with them leaves you less than the time available to accomplish whatever you have not yet stated, it cannot be done.

For train travel, you can find out the travel time on your own at:

www.trenitalia.com official site, requires Italian spelling of city names
www.bahn.com easier to use, accepts English names for Italian cities

For car travel, you can estimate the driving time part not including rental overhead at:

www.viamichelin.com more realistic travel time.
www.google.com/maps too optimistic travel time.

StCirq

Are you talking about THIS September, as in just about now?

No, the Amalfi Coast is not a daytrip from Rome.

No, a day in Milan does not logically fit into your plans. I'm not sure what does, but you've certainly left it awfully late.

Forget a train pass, but for any lengthy train journeys buy your tickets now; you've already missed the cheap fares.

neckervd

Spend at least 3 FULL days at Rome, 2 FULL days at Florence and 2 FULL days at Venice. Count twice half a day for travel (door to door) between these places.
If you don't have 8 days, skip at least 1 Italian city or some places in Switzerland.

bvlenci

Tickets on Italian trains rarely run out. There are very frequent trains between Rome, Florence, and Venice, and if one should be sold out, the next will leave in less than an hour.

However, to get the best discounted prices, you have to buy early. But don't buy discounted tickets if you're not sure exactly when you want to travel, because the discounted tickets can't be changed.

PalenQ

and if by chance there is some football match in a town the train is going to and 2nd class sold out - bvlenci is an expert on this and if she says rarely sell out take it to the bank -but if 2nd class is full for say the time of day you want to leave first class will likely have seats - or more likely.

OhioKid

Just reviewed train schedules on those train websites. It seems fast direct trains available almost every 30-45 mins from major cities. Tickets are $32+ and first class $55+. I can see even tickets for tomorrow as available! Not sure if some people in this forum purposely trying to scare.

Thanks for all the suggestions anyway.

StCirq

I'm not clear at all on who might have been trying to scare you. You got practical information all around from people who know what they're talking about.

And prices for train tickets are in euros, not US dollars - there's a difference to your pocketbook.

You don't need 1st class tickets, IMO. 2nd class is not noticeably different.

bvlenci

I think OhioKid is referring to the guy who said train tickets for late September might already be sold out. He's pushing a driver/guide service. I triangled him, but he's still here.

greg

If you are quoting Roma-Firenze ticket prices denominated in Euro stated in www.trenitalia.com, they are the ECONOMY advance purchase prices. If you are traveling the same day, you pay the top row BASE prices. The ECONOMY tickets are quantity limited and the availability depends on the day of travel. Just because it is available tomorrow when looking at today does not mean it would be the same the day before your travel. For those with firm travel plan, they would go for even more quantity limited SUPER ECONOMY fares.

Even if the seats are "available", the high speed train seats are assigned and you don't necessarily get seats you want nor be able to sit together if your car is near capacity. If this happens to you, Single travelers are "usually" flexible about swapping similar seats with you.

vincenzo32951

Just a note about the Amalfi Coast idea.

I agree with other posters that it's a bad idea. The stretch between Sorrento and the AC is a miserable drive. However, a day trip to Sorrento might work. That's a fairly easy drive from Rome (+/- 3 hours), and while technically it's not the AC, it does have the flavor of it.

PalenQ

You don't need 1st class tickets, IMO. 2nd class is not noticeably different>

How about those solo seats - a single seat in a row - aisle and window seat together? No noticeable difference - big difference to me? But 2nd class is nice - first class nicer but for short train rides I'd save the $25 or so difference you see.

bvlenci

You have an option to choose your seats on the Trenitalia web site. Of course, it's possible that you won't find two seats together, but it's never happened to me.

isabel

It's easy to understand how someone could look at a map and think that the Amalfi Coast could be a day trip from Rome but as others have told you, it's really too far to be at all enjoyable. The amount of time in transit vs time there is just not worth while.

In terms of the rest of your time, 6 days for those three cities is absolute minimum. But you can look at it as getting a taste to see if you want more on a future trip. I recently took a friend to Italy - to those three cities - and we essentially had a day and a half really in each city after you subtract transit time. Way too fast to come close to 'covering' each city, but it can be enjoyable. I talk about the trip in this blog - http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/blog

But you really don't have time for anything else. So don't complicate things by trying to add in Milan or anywhere else.

PalenQ

You have an option to choose your seats on the Trenitalia web site. Of course, it's possible that you won't find two seats together, but it's never happened to me.>

Another reason to really book ASAP - bvlenci or other Italian train experts - which seats are most desirable - I heard those at ends of cars are less desirable for some reason?

If one has wide choice of seats where should they sit - I always like being near an exit and if stowing bags on sheves near entrances always being able to keep an eye on them.