Help: First time travelers to Italy - 2 week itinerary

Only you can decide what a "must" is since it varies from person to person. I would be careful about doing too much. All locations are easily reached via train and that is what I would recommend. You could easily do three, four days in Rome, on to Florence for a couple, from there duck into the CT area for another three or four days and finally a big jump to Venice to finish. Sorrento is in the wrong direction. Save it for the next trip.

Have you purchased your air tickets yet? If not, consider flying into Venice and out of Rome. Then reverse the itinerary that fmpden gives you.

Flights out of Venice back to the US leave very early in the morning. Flights out of Rome leave later (afternoon).

Also this way, you will be traveling from the north to south so will get better weather when heading south. Heading north at the end of your trip "could" provide cooler and rainy weather. But, no guarantees on the weather!

We loved our time in Tuscany. If you get the chance to see Siena -- GO! We spent two glorious days in Siena and wish we had more. Every night we were in Castellina in Chianti -- out in the country of Tuscany. Absolutely beautiful! Can't say enough good things. We took 2 weeks to see Germany and Italy and were somewhat disappointed in that we wanted to stay in each city for at least a week! And we only stayed 2 nights in each. Definitely do less and stay longer in each city -- you'll be glad you did! We're planning another trip back to Europe and are shaving our itinerary to just two places! Happy travels! (We, too, were travel virgins!)

Thank you for your quick replies! I'm starting to re-think going south of Rome. Unfortunately, we do have our tickets into Rome and out of Venice. The flight out of Venice is at 12:30pm so we won't be able to do anything out last day - just up and go!

We're thinking of this high level itinerary, does it sound good?
Rome: 4 days (day 1 we would arrive early from a red eye; looking for a low key day)
Tuscany: 4 days (includes trip to Florence, wine tour(s))
CT: 2 days
Venice: 3 days + departure day

Is it better to stay in the middle of Tuscany or Florence as a travel hub? I keep seeing that a car is key for the Tuscan region but am a little nervous about how/where to rent a car in Tuscany.

Thanks again, we REALLY appreciate your help!
Emily

A 12:30pm flight out of Venice is good! I thought you were on that ghastly 6:30am (or there abouts) flight!

If visiting the CT, you won't need to see Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast so you're good there. If you really want to see the AC, do it on another trip. But the CT and AC are much the same.

Itinerary looks good to me.

Driving in Tuscany is not a problem. I did it on a solo trip a couple years ago. But, you could base in Florence and take a day trip or two via bus or train. I loved San Gim and Sienna (stayed 2 nights there). Did a day trip to Lucca and then onto Pisa by train from Florence.

Nice trip---that will work.
You will want a car for Tuscany and keep it as far as La Spezia just before the CT. I would get it in Orvieto--a short train ride from Rome. Here are driving tips:


DRIVING IN ITALY & SOUTHERN EUROPE

Q. SHOULD WE DRIVE IN ITALY?
A. Of course you should if your driving skill & confidence would allow you to drive a rental car in Vermont, Colorado or California. But, be advised of these tips:
* Avoid driving in the major cities except for picking up or dropping cars
* Have good maps—study them in advance—and have a GOOD NAVIGATOR.
* Stay in the right lane except when passing and use your rear view mirrors

Q. WHAT CAR SHOULD I GET AND WHERE DO I GET IT?
A. It is best to rent your car before you leave for Europe. The best source we have found is www.autoeurope.com [800-223-5555] who is a broker for several car vendors. They will quote you prices to include the variables that are often omitted by others, such as unlimited mileage, mandatory insurance coverage with some deductibles, and VAT taxes. It is wise to compare prices and coverage with their sister company at www.kemwel.com. Autoeurope will match any comparable quote, and are famous for their customer satisfaction if problems do arise with the vendor. The best model will depend on your needs, but for best value we suggest you select a compact car with manual transmission. Automatics are available but will cost you about 30% more and may limit your model options & pick up locations.

Q. ARE ITALIAN DRIVERS AS CRAZY AS I HAVE HEARD?
A. Yes & no! They are certainly aggressive, but they are also more skilled than many USA drivers—both are a function of necessity. Italy is one of the most crowded countries in the world and the drivers have evolved these characteristics
* They are notorious tailgaters. If that bothers you, pull over and let them past.
* On the AUTOSTRADE they will drive fast, but will stay in the right lane except when passing and will use their blinkers when passing—YOU SHOULD TOO !
* They will often pass on 2-lane roads with traffic coming. Frankly, they expect you, and the oncoming car, to adjust to the shoulder and make 3 lanes of traffic.

OTHER ROAD TIPS FOR YOUR DRIVING SANITY:
1. Learn the meaning of the sign “ SENSO UNICO” and take heed [ONE WAY ].
2. Be sure to get your ticket when you enter the AUTOSTADA system & be prepared to pay the toll when you exit it [ rule of thumb—300 km=15 Euro]. You can use your credit card in the VIA lane at the toll both, or buy a debit VIACARD in advance.
3. Do NOT attempt to follow road numbers—that will frustrate you. But, do pay attention to the directional signs that point to your destination [ TO MONTALCINO]. And, be aware if that road leads eventually to a larger city [ ROMA—SIENA ETC.]
4. Unless you have a diesel car, you will want to fill the tank with benzina from the green pump. Most stations will pump gas for you and will take credit cards.

NOTE: As of 2005, an International Drivers Permit[IDP] is required in Italy. You can obtain them from your local AAA office. You will need a valid US driver’s license, two passport photos, and $15. The photos can be taken at the AAA office.

Hi Emily,

It will be my first time in Italy too, but I will be going on the first two weeks of August and will be happy to give you tips when I come back. However, in preparing for my trip, I found the information on the italylogue site, especially the articles by Jessica Spiegel, especially useful (links below).

http://www.italylogue.com/

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/italy-itinerary-the-perfect-two-weeks.html

Hope you enjoy it.

Aline

If you are afraid of driving in Tuscany you could look into hiring a private, or doing a small group, tour for a day to visit some wineries. Then stay in a city with decent train connections Florence/Lucca (there are a ton of options).

We avoid driving because we love trains and don't want to worry about picking up a car and insurance.

Thanks for the tips! I think I feel comfortable driving in Tuscany. We would like to do some winery tours so we'll look into ones where we don't have to drive. Question: is it better to hop around Tuscany and stay in say, Florence and Sienna or should we stay 4 days in one location as a hub and travel around Tuscany from there?

Just wanted to give you a heads up. Wineries in Tuscany are not set up like in Napa or Sonoma that are open to the public with fancy tasting rooms and regular tours all day. With the exception of a few you need to set up appointments so its a good idea to do some research beforehand and ensure they are open for tours, open to tours of small numbers, and also make reservations. Perhaps your hotels in the area can also help you out!

Have a great trip!

With only 4 days and considering your short stops in other places, I would only pick one location to base from in Tuscany. If you are going to have a car, Siena and Florence might not be the best base for you because these cities have no-car zones and are a hike to available parking in some places. If you're dying to stay in these places, I think you might find traveling by train to be more convenient and cheaper. You can always rent a car for a day from Florence to drive around the wine country. There are frequent buses between Siena and Florence. I'd also suggest looking into going Venice-Florence-CT-Rome because the trip between Venice and CT is just so long.

We normally stay in Florence and travel to the countryside on day trips. Last fall we stayed in the Tuscan countryside and did a day trip to Florence.

Which way you do it depends a lot on what you want to see and do while in the area. If you want to visit museums, churches, etc., stay in Florence and take day trips to Siena, San Gimignano, etc. If you want some time in the country find a place in Chianti and base there.

We had a farmhouse between Greve and Panzano and loved the area. We traveled to Siena, Montepulciano, San Antimo, San Gimignano, and other small towns. he driving is not bad at all although if you stay in Florence, do not rent a car. Use trains and buses.

Your trip sounds like a great way to allocate your two weeks. Have a wonderful time.

How exciting! Like you, we did our first ever Europe trip to Italy (Venice, Florence/Tuscany, Rome) in late September and we still look back as it our best vacation ever, partly because it was all so new but partly because Italy is just so amazing. The only danger is once you go, you are hooked forever! (we moved from California to the UK 2 years ago for work so is a lot easier to get our Italian fix now!).

As others noted, your decision on staying in Florence vs Tuscany or splitting the time should consider your priorities between museums/churches and countryside. On that first trip, we spent 2 nights in Florence (Westin Excelsior) and 3 nights just outside of Siena (Villa Scacciapensieri which I highly recommend and our room overlooked Siena which was gorgeous). Looking back it worked ok for us to move twice as it was our first trip to Italy and we were packing every minute full but the stay in Florence was not nearly as satisfying as the stay near Siena since we are more into wine/touring the countryside than we are into museums/churches and we got plenty of museums/churches in Rome! With that said, we did get to experience having the nights in Florence and wake up to the bustling of the city (or shall I say the screaming of the thousands of Vespa's). I am biased also because we absolutely loved staying at Villa Scacciapensieri which felt so intimate and peaceful after the Westin in Florence.

The Villa outside of Siena was a great central location (our favorites were Montalcino, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, and Siena). We took a train from Venice to Florence (easy), picked up car on way out of Florence to use in Tuscany which was convenient and easy to drive in Tuscany and then were supposed to drop in Orvieto but missed drop off time and drove it into central Rome near our hotel (Albergo Del Senato next door to Pantheon which we also liked). Never again - I will drive in London 10 times over Rome. So in addition to the excellent driving tips by bobthenavigator, remember to check car rental shop opening/closing times as ours in Orvieto closed at 4pm!

Happy to provide other input on hotels, restaurants, tips in Rome/Venice where I've spent more time (have not been back to Florence since 2005 so no good to you there). Fodorites have helped me so much on so many trips (typically via my silent surfing of other posts)so I am trying to pay back kindness now by contributing!

Thank you! Than you!

NorCal_Jo, I would love some hotel recommendations in Rome and Venice. I work for Holiday Inn's corporate office and can get a hard-to-pass-up rate which is on Assisi Street which seems a little far from the sights. But I'm trying to decide if it's worth the $$ savings!

Emily, my husband and i are also doing a very similar itinerary around the same time! We are flying into naples and then going directly to sorrento for 4 days. Then we are heading into Rome for 3 days, then the CT for 3 days and then finally 4 days in Venice, we originally were flying into Rome but people on the boards convinced me to switch into Naples to save time. I was able to work my corporate travel to avoid any penalties on the change of arrival destinations. Although I think you are braver than I, as we are not attempting driving. I hope you all have a wonderful time.

Emily, I think I would skip staying on via Assisi in Rome, unless the budget issue will make or break your trip. It is too far from the center.

Just returned yesterday from a 2 week all car Italy trip where we put 2,500 km on our car (1550 miles). With a car it was best to stay in suburban hotels and use bus/metro into the larger cities Florence, Venice, Milan and Rome. We stuck to 4 star (Michelin) hotels and were not disappointed! Plus the prices outside city centers are much more reasonable. For Tuscany, we day tripped from Montecatini Terme and Florence but probably were stationed a little too far north. San Gim, Siena and the others mentioned were great places to visit but day trips were adequate for us. Had the best gelato of our trip in San Gim at Pluripremiata "Gelato World Champion 2006-07 / 2008-09". Highly recommend.

Also, tolls were much more than we budgeted but thats expected when car traveling exclusively.

Be aware in Rome. It was our first time and there seemed to be a scammer on every street corner. For example, at the Termini Train Station our metro line was shut down after 10pm for construction so cabs were in high demand. Some agressive guy quoted us a price of 35 Euros to our hotel. We finally agreed on 25 then he walks us off site to a private car! We said no thanks and after a long que for a legit marked cab the metered trip ended up costing only 13 Euros. The crowds/lines into the Vatican and again into the Sistine Chapel made Disneyland on Thanksgiving look positively vacant!! For this and other reasons Rome was not our favorite stop but it's still a must do!

In Venice we stayed at Hotel Tritone in Mastre which was very nice, right next to the Mastre Station with a 10 minute bus ride into the main Roma station where we caught the Grand Canal water bus from there. Parking was next door at a car rental lot (Avis or Hertz as I recall) costing about 12 euros daily. I highly recommend it.

In Rome we stayed at Hotel Area Roma, a nice hotel near the Marconi Metro stop, mostly business guests and about 10 min walk to Marconi and 15 min ride into the Termini.

Florence we stayed at Hotel Golden Tulip Mirage near the airport. We were most concerned with this hotel because one reviewer on a popluar website indicated they were robbed during the night. We had no problems and found it adequate but not great. Plus the room safes were not attached to the wall making them useless.

Cont'd. As for driving it is very doable but you do need a good navigator and just remember google maps doesn't always get it right, mostly but not always. Renting a car and driving around is much like the here in the US with a few European differences as explained by a previous poster. All good advice!

Happy travels!