Hi everyone! My sister and I are in the midst of planning our first trip abroad will be spending 11 days touring Italy. We will be starting in Venice, spending a few days in Naples, and will finish with a big tour of Rome.
We've booked plane tickets, and are working on picking good/affordable hotels, and have nailed down some of the sites that we want to see (Doge's Palace in Venice, Pompeii, St. Peter's, Roman Forum, and Villa Borghese), but we need some help after that.
Logistically, what do you do when your plane gets in at 10 and you can't check into the hotel until 2? I've been told to carry nothing larger than a carry-on, but should we be dragging our luggage around the city during the day? We hear that the train system is great for getting around Italy, but can you buy tickets when you get to the station, or do you have to purchase them in advance? If so how?
What should we see while we're in Naples? We don't know much about that area. Which of the tourist staples aren't actually worth it in Rome?
I'll be buying a phrase dictionary, but some people have told us that if you look confused, the locals will switch to English. Is this true? Or do we need to brush up on a language that neither my sister nor didn't learned in school?
Any advice for a travel newbie? What questions have I not thought to ask? Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
First Trip Abroad: Logistics and Advice - Italy
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No matter what time your plane gets in, most hotels will keep your luggage for you until check-in time.
You can purchase train tickets in advance from www.trenitalia.com, but it may or may not save you much money. Point-to-point tickets in Italy are often very reasonably priced.
<<some people have told us that if you look confused, the locals will switch to English. Is this true?>>
Not if they don't actually speak English! And even if they do, this is an impossible generalization. I'd spend some time learning some basic Italian, if only to be polite. A phrase book is fine, but go online and find someplace you can actually hear the language, so you have some sense of proper pronunciation.
What should you do in Naples? Hard to say without knowing why you are choosing to go there. Read up about it in guidebooks and on the internet to see what catches your fancy.
I'll try my best to answer some of them:
Plane gets in at 10? By the time you go through customs, get out of the airport, and arrange transportation to your hotel in Venice, you can bet it'll be darn close to 2. (How are you getting to your hotel, BTW?) If you're there early, the hotel will hold your luggage and maybe guide you to a neighborhood place where you can catch a bite till the room is ready. In any case, it'll be no big deal.
Train tickets: For the kind of travel you're talking about, I've always just bought the tix at the station, but you should have some idea of what the schedule is beforehand so you can plan ahead.
Have spend limited time in Naples, so I'll defer to others on that (but go to El Presidente for pizza and antipasto).
Rome. It's a matter of your preferences and interests. I would recommend: Borghese, St. Peter's and Sistine Chapel, Collisseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi, Pantheon. Yes, they're touristy, but, heck, you ARE a tourist. If you really like art, spend some time in the Vatican Museum before visiting the Sistine.
Language. English is pretty standard in Rome and Venice. There may be a few spots in Naples where a little Italian will come in handy, but I really wouldn't worry about it.
If you don't know what to see in Naples, why did you choose to go there? What are your interests? What time of year are you going?
If there was one tourist spot in Rome that wasn't worth it for me, it was the Spanish Steps.
Make sure you get tickets ahead of time for sites like the Galleria Borghese, Doge's Palace secret itinerary tour, Scavi,etc. that require reservations.
Definitely try and pick up a little Italian. It is helpful, and the Italians like it.
Try calling/emailing your hotel to see if you can get early check in. We did once, and left the rest of our tour group in the lobby.
Every hotel will hold your luggage. If your hotel has rooms ready when you turn up they will let you check in early. I would not ask in advance - since they are likely to suggest you book the room from the night before to be sure it's ready -and you don;t need to waste the money.
As far as Naples - not sure what your interests are.
Major sight is archeo museum and you will definitely want to visit Pompeii (Plan at least 4 or 5 hours - it's a while town of ruins).
Definitely learn the basic polite phrases and the names of key foods - and bring an Italian menu reader with you. You do NOT want to go to restaurants near major sights that have menus in many languages, or - god forbid - pictures of food. They are sure to be very expensive and have sub-par food. Instead go for the places locals do - which may well not have menus in English (although the advantage is that the names of Italian foods are they same here and there).
Re the train: you can buy your ticket when you go to the station, or pick it up the day before if you don't want to worry about waiting in line.
You can buy a regular unreserved ticket, or pay a little more for a reserved seat on a specific train. If the former, you don't have a guaranteed seat, but its never been a problem in my experience.
If you do buy the unreserved ticket, you have to validate (timestamp) it by punching it in the yellow box near the track, before boarding your train. That's how they know you won't use the same ticket twice.
There are different seating classes on some trains --second class is probably fine for you (are you flying coach or first class to Italy?)
Try to get some sleep on the flight over, even though you'll be too excited to sleep.
You know the best way to get Euros is to use an ATM when you get there, right?
You've gotten some great advice so far.
If you haven't booked a hotel how do you know you can't check in until 2:00? If there's a room available you can check in right away. Otherwise the hotel will store your bags as stated above.
<< I've been told to carry nothing larger than a carry-on >>
It's up to you. I usually check my bag. I carry on anything that may be stolen or is fragile (netbook, cameras, ipod, etc.). Everyone has their own thoughts on this.
<< What should we see while we're in Naples >>
Since you'll be visiting Pompeii I would definitely see the Archeological Museum. Why did you choose Naples if you don't know what is there and you'll be there for several days.
<< Which of the tourist staples aren't actually worth it in Rome >>
Not sure what this means. If you mean which sights are not worthwhile then it is your decision based on your interests. My favorites are the exquisite churches, Borghese Gallery, Vatican Museums.
<< Any advice for a travel newbie >>
1. Learn how to cross a Roman street. First rule is don't be afraid of the traffic. Second rule is once you start crossing do not stop - stopping or hesitating will confuse the drivers. If you're in a cross walk the cars/bikes will stop for you. If you're not in a cross walk they will go around you.
2. You don't have much time for 3 cities so read about the places you're going, take notes, and plan for opening times/days. It's very important to be prepared when you're traveling for such a short time.
3. You need to prebook Borghese tickets. Each ticket is a 2 hour time slot and you will be told to leave at the end of 2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before your time slot so you have time to check everything you have with you.
4. Do the secret itinerary tour of the doge's palace.
5. Practically every guide book gives travel tips in the introductory section. Get a couple of books from the library and do some reading.
6. Buy all of your train tickets at one time when you first arrive.
7. The ticket from Naples to Pompeii is purchased at the Naples station, not in advance, since it's a commuter train. The trains run about every 30 minutes. You want the train that goes to Pompeii Scavi, not the town of Pompeii.