Help with Itinerary, choosing Florence and Venice over Chianti area
Mar 29th, 2015, 04:59 AM
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Help with Itinerary, choosing Florence and Venice over Chianti area
So our tickets to Rome are finally booked. I have to book hotels / B&Bs in this week. so please help with this itinerary-
Fly into Rome on 29 May by 1 pm
Train to Florence, get a feel of the city
Explore Florence on 30th and 31st
(Question 1: is taking a wine tour to chianti area on one day and just spending one full day in Florence too rushed? Would you chuck the wine tour and just explore Florence for 2 days?)
Train to Venice on 1st
Explore Venice on 1st evening
Trip to Burano on 2nd
More of Venice on 3rd
Train to Naples on 4th, then ferry or private taxi to positano or amalfi
Explore AC on 4, 5, 6,7
Journey to Rome on 8th
(Q2: we are travelling with our 4 yr old daughter, so is a trip to Pompeii on the way back from AC to Rome too hectic? We can do a day trip to Pompeii on 8th instead or just not do it)
Reach Rome on 8th night or 9th morning depending on Pompeii trip
Spend 9, 10, 11 in Rome
Early morning flight on 12th back home
The alternative to this which had been thought of was to rent a car and explore chianti region, after 2 days in Florence. Stay at a wine estate on 1,2,3 and not do Venice at all. Then move to amalfi and Rome.
Fly into Rome on 29 May by 1 pm
Train to Florence, get a feel of the city
Explore Florence on 30th and 31st
(Question 1: is taking a wine tour to chianti area on one day and just spending one full day in Florence too rushed? Would you chuck the wine tour and just explore Florence for 2 days?)
Train to Venice on 1st
Explore Venice on 1st evening
Trip to Burano on 2nd
More of Venice on 3rd
Train to Naples on 4th, then ferry or private taxi to positano or amalfi
Explore AC on 4, 5, 6,7
Journey to Rome on 8th
(Q2: we are travelling with our 4 yr old daughter, so is a trip to Pompeii on the way back from AC to Rome too hectic? We can do a day trip to Pompeii on 8th instead or just not do it)
Reach Rome on 8th night or 9th morning depending on Pompeii trip
Spend 9, 10, 11 in Rome
Early morning flight on 12th back home
The alternative to this which had been thought of was to rent a car and explore chianti region, after 2 days in Florence. Stay at a wine estate on 1,2,3 and not do Venice at all. Then move to amalfi and Rome.
Mar 29th, 2015, 05:17 AM
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I would go directly to Venice rather than Florence. Yes, it will be a bit longer, but you can rest on the train and your trip to Positano via Naples will be shorter departing from Florence instead of Venice.
Mar 29th, 2015, 05:31 AM
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Some of it I think depends on how much of a happy camper your 4 year old will be relocating a lot and dealing with all the stairs of Vence and the Amalfi. I do think Pompei is too much for a 4 year old. (If she does get a sense of what the place is all about, it might even frighten her.)
Personally, I might consider doing the trip in the reverse order of what you are proposing. Arrive in Rome, take a train to Naples, private transfer to the Amalfi. After several days there, pick up a car in Sorrento and go to rural Tuscany. Eventually drop off the car at Florence airport, take a taxi or bus to the Florence train station and -- if you want -- put your luggage in train station storage room and spend some time walking around Florence and having lunch. Your 4-year-old is too little to go into museums and churches. There are crushed with so many people she will not see a thing. Get your luggage from the train station and take the fast train to Rome.
No matter which way you do it, the drive between Chianti and Sorrento is a long one. You might consider breaking it up with a night on a farm somewhere, with animals for your daughter.
Personally, I might consider doing the trip in the reverse order of what you are proposing. Arrive in Rome, take a train to Naples, private transfer to the Amalfi. After several days there, pick up a car in Sorrento and go to rural Tuscany. Eventually drop off the car at Florence airport, take a taxi or bus to the Florence train station and -- if you want -- put your luggage in train station storage room and spend some time walking around Florence and having lunch. Your 4-year-old is too little to go into museums and churches. There are crushed with so many people she will not see a thing. Get your luggage from the train station and take the fast train to Rome.
No matter which way you do it, the drive between Chianti and Sorrento is a long one. You might consider breaking it up with a night on a farm somewhere, with animals for your daughter.
Mar 29th, 2015, 06:22 AM
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Sassafrass - I looked into train timings from Rome to Venice / Florence, Florence / Venice to Naples and your suggestion on going to Venice first makes sense. But my brother in law is flying from London for the first 3 days of our trip to meet us. So excited!!
It would be convenient for him to meet us in Florence rather than Venice. Going to Naples from Venice would add 2.5 hrs to our journey compared to Florence, but I have written off 4th June anyway as a travelling day.
Sandralist - crossed Pompeii off the list. You are right, just simpler to not do it.
The reason to move away from taking the car is 1. My daughter prefers a train ride anyday over a long car ride. 2. We need international driving license with our indian diving license to be able to rent a car. Not very certain if we will take the time out to get the IDL before the holiday.
She is quite ok moving around and walking.
We are looking into staying at a more flatter part of AC. Not sure if we should stay in Capri instead of positano / amalfi / atrani.
It would be convenient for him to meet us in Florence rather than Venice. Going to Naples from Venice would add 2.5 hrs to our journey compared to Florence, but I have written off 4th June anyway as a travelling day.
Sandralist - crossed Pompeii off the list. You are right, just simpler to not do it.
The reason to move away from taking the car is 1. My daughter prefers a train ride anyday over a long car ride. 2. We need international driving license with our indian diving license to be able to rent a car. Not very certain if we will take the time out to get the IDL before the holiday.
She is quite ok moving around and walking.
We are looking into staying at a more flatter part of AC. Not sure if we should stay in Capri instead of positano / amalfi / atrani.
Mar 29th, 2015, 06:41 AM
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I think your daughter would enjoy Venice. Much more than Florence. The bridges over the canals in Venice have stairs but they're very low shallow ones, easy for a 4-year-old to climb. There are no cars or trucks in Venice, just walkways and the canals plied by waterbuses and gondolas and water taxi/speedboats and garbage scows and so on. To experience Venice it's best to stay in Venice proper, not on the mainland in Mestre and not on the Lido (though your daughter would like the beach).
Whereas the sights in Florence are mostly churches and museums.
Your daughter would like an agriturismo with animals, but that really requires a car and driving.
Whereas the sights in Florence are mostly churches and museums.
Your daughter would like an agriturismo with animals, but that really requires a car and driving.
Mar 29th, 2015, 07:28 AM
#6
Before dropping or adding I would try to figure out the chances of being back in Italy within the next several years.
I agree with dropping Pompeii.
I would also consider dropping Burano.
Considering a 4 year old I would allow more time for naps, playing in the park (wherever), etc.
I agree with dropping Pompeii.
I would also consider dropping Burano.
Considering a 4 year old I would allow more time for naps, playing in the park (wherever), etc.
Mar 29th, 2015, 08:46 AM
#7
Agree about dropping Pompeii [you've decided that anyway] but don't decide now to drop Burano. you can see how you feel on the day but IMO a trip out on the lagoon is an integral part of a visit to Venice. It would also enable you to go to Torcello and see the 1000+ year old Basilica with the mosaics - a real highlight for everyone i know who's done it .
on the way back you could take the boat that stops at Giardino and let your little one have a run in the park there.
on the way back you could take the boat that stops at Giardino and let your little one have a run in the park there.
Mar 29th, 2015, 10:42 AM
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All that makes sense, and train travel is fun. I would be tempted to skip the wine tour and instead consider a day trip to Lucca if you decide to stay in Florence. Lucca is completely flat and almost 100 percent car-free. So you can really relax about letting your daughter run around. Some people rent bicycles (they come with seats for small children) and ride around the tops of the walls, which are now a park. Also, if you don't feel like doing any day trips from Florence, then you don't have to cancel anything you pre-booked.
Just havn't got an opinion about whether Venice or Florence or both works best for you. I think you might Amalfi hasn't got as many staircases as Positano.
Just havn't got an opinion about whether Venice or Florence or both works best for you. I think you might Amalfi hasn't got as many staircases as Positano.
Mar 29th, 2015, 11:25 PM
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Annhig - I am going to keep the option for burano and torcello open. Do you just go to the docks and hop into the next available ferry or book a tour with some operator?
I am quite excited about venice, despite the crazy cost it adds to the trip. I visited the city about 16 years ago with my parents, and I can still visualise the san marco square and the beautiful church.
Sandralist - I thought the wine tour would get us out of the city, get us to take a sneak peak in the gorgeous chianti area which i have never been to. and my daughter can run around in the open space while we are drinking ourselves silly!(or atleast thats what i am hoping for). Got even more excited after i researched the walks of italy tour options.
We wont be going to the uffizi gallery, and it seems to me that one full day is enough to see the main attractions in Florence. We have booked an apartment near ponte vechchio and that should allow us to take breaks during the day, if we wish to.
For AC, noone has recommended (so far) a stay in capri and many have commented on the vertical geography of positano, so would look into stay options in amalfi / atrani.
I am quite excited about venice, despite the crazy cost it adds to the trip. I visited the city about 16 years ago with my parents, and I can still visualise the san marco square and the beautiful church.
Sandralist - I thought the wine tour would get us out of the city, get us to take a sneak peak in the gorgeous chianti area which i have never been to. and my daughter can run around in the open space while we are drinking ourselves silly!(or atleast thats what i am hoping for). Got even more excited after i researched the walks of italy tour options.
We wont be going to the uffizi gallery, and it seems to me that one full day is enough to see the main attractions in Florence. We have booked an apartment near ponte vechchio and that should allow us to take breaks during the day, if we wish to.
For AC, noone has recommended (so far) a stay in capri and many have commented on the vertical geography of positano, so would look into stay options in amalfi / atrani.
Mar 29th, 2015, 11:58 PM
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Another question - Do I book the train tickets from Roma Termini to Firenze or buy it once we reach there? Flight could be delayed, baggage may not arive in time, no idea how long it takes for immigration, etc.
I will pre-book the other train journeys though: Florence to Venice, Venice to Naples and Naples to Rome once all the stay bookings are done.
I will pre-book the other train journeys though: Florence to Venice, Venice to Naples and Naples to Rome once all the stay bookings are done.
Mar 30th, 2015, 01:25 PM
#12
Annhig - I am going to keep the option for burano and torcello open. Do you just go to the docks and hop into the next available ferry or book a tour with some operator?>>
the vaporetto for the islands goes from the Fondamente Nove - you can either walk there [depending on where you are staying] or get a vaporetto there and change. if you have a vaporetto pass, it will cover you for this trip, otherwise a day ticket might be better than buying an ordinary return as they are quite expensive. when you get to Burano, the boat for Torcello goes from the same place- probably the other side of the place where you docked. You definitely don't need to do a tour of any type - just hop on the boat as you say.
it's a toss up whether you book the tickets for Rome to Florence before you go - getting to Termini might take longer or shorter than you think, OTOH if you can get the cheapest tickets, it might be worth the risk. For example, at the moment it's possible to buy a super economy ticket for July for €17 as opposed to €43 for the regular fare. [this is on Trenitalia - the "normal" rail service that serves the vast majority of the country and rail network].
it's also possible to get a train straight from Fiumicino to Florence on the Italrail service - they also do discounted tickets but they are all "NON-REFUNDABLE" - here's the link:
https://cart.italiarail.com/tickets/...ITR&pd_id=4479
it might be worth exploring this option.
https://cart.italiarail.com/tickets/...ITR&pd_id=4479
the vaporetto for the islands goes from the Fondamente Nove - you can either walk there [depending on where you are staying] or get a vaporetto there and change. if you have a vaporetto pass, it will cover you for this trip, otherwise a day ticket might be better than buying an ordinary return as they are quite expensive. when you get to Burano, the boat for Torcello goes from the same place- probably the other side of the place where you docked. You definitely don't need to do a tour of any type - just hop on the boat as you say.
it's a toss up whether you book the tickets for Rome to Florence before you go - getting to Termini might take longer or shorter than you think, OTOH if you can get the cheapest tickets, it might be worth the risk. For example, at the moment it's possible to buy a super economy ticket for July for €17 as opposed to €43 for the regular fare. [this is on Trenitalia - the "normal" rail service that serves the vast majority of the country and rail network].
it's also possible to get a train straight from Fiumicino to Florence on the Italrail service - they also do discounted tickets but they are all "NON-REFUNDABLE" - here's the link:
https://cart.italiarail.com/tickets/...ITR&pd_id=4479
it might be worth exploring this option.
https://cart.italiarail.com/tickets/...ITR&pd_id=4479
