Italy Itinerary HELP with 3 kids. 12 nights
Jul 17th, 2012, 05:48 AM
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Italy Itinerary HELP with 3 kids. 12 nights
We are a fairly well traveled family with 3 kids ages 13, 9 and 6. We have decided on Italy for our 2013 spring break trip. Because we are using FF Miles, we are stuck with going into Venice and out of Milan. We typically move at a quick pace and manage to see a ton and get a taste of everything when we travel. We have very little down time, which is how we tend to roll. That being said and wanting to visit several areas of Italy as first timers, We are looking at 2 nights in Venice, 4 nights in Rome, and either 5 nights in Tuscany area making day trips to Cinque Terre, Pisa, etc or 3 nights in Tuscany and 2 in Cinque Terre. Our last night (Easter Sunday) will probably be spent at a hotel near the airport in Milan, taking a late train out.(suggestions on this?) Is this an insane itinerary for a family like ours, doable? I'll take any suggestions as we have plenty of time to get this planned out. We typically try to find apts when possible as with 3 kids it is so much more comfortable and the same price or cheaper than 2 rooms. I'm open to suggestions on anything.
Jul 17th, 2012, 06:35 AM
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How many nites do you sleep in Italy---10, 11, or 12?
Day one will be a loss, giving you 1 day in Venice--not good.
MXP is 30 miles west of Milan so plan accordingly. I would drop the CT and and divide your time with 3 destinations---Venice[3], Rome[4] and Tuscany[4] with the last nite near Milan. You will want a car for Tuscany, so keep it and drive to MXP for your last nite---stopping on the coast for lunch.
Day one will be a loss, giving you 1 day in Venice--not good.
MXP is 30 miles west of Milan so plan accordingly. I would drop the CT and and divide your time with 3 destinations---Venice[3], Rome[4] and Tuscany[4] with the last nite near Milan. You will want a car for Tuscany, so keep it and drive to MXP for your last nite---stopping on the coast for lunch.
Jul 17th, 2012, 12:47 PM
#3
Yes, how many nights altogether? Even 12 nights means only 11 full days to try to see everything on your list.
I would consider not renting a car, staying in Florence rather than in a smaller Tuscan town. Since your trip is in the 3rd and 4th weeks of March, the weather could be cool and rainy, and there is more to see/do in a larger city when the weather is poor. You can make day trips from Florence to Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pisa, Arezzo and Bologna using public trans. The CT would be an all-day day trip from Florence by train.
Also because of the timing of your trip, I'd made reservations to climb the Leaning Tower.
If you do rent a car for Tuscany, don't stay in Florence unless you find lodging well outside the limited traffic zone. South of the Arno would be good. You'll need a larger vehicle to carry five people plus luggage. Try to limit luggage to one piece per person.
Someone might know about Rome over the Good Friday/Palm Sunday weekend, but I suspect you should find your lodging there ASAP.
I would consider not renting a car, staying in Florence rather than in a smaller Tuscan town. Since your trip is in the 3rd and 4th weeks of March, the weather could be cool and rainy, and there is more to see/do in a larger city when the weather is poor. You can make day trips from Florence to Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pisa, Arezzo and Bologna using public trans. The CT would be an all-day day trip from Florence by train.
Also because of the timing of your trip, I'd made reservations to climb the Leaning Tower.
If you do rent a car for Tuscany, don't stay in Florence unless you find lodging well outside the limited traffic zone. South of the Arno would be good. You'll need a larger vehicle to carry five people plus luggage. Try to limit luggage to one piece per person.
Someone might know about Rome over the Good Friday/Palm Sunday weekend, but I suspect you should find your lodging there ASAP.
Jul 17th, 2012, 01:34 PM
#4
We typically move at a quick pace and manage to see a ton and get a taste of everything when we travel. We have very little down time, which is how we tend to roll.>>
does this mean that you view time spend on trains and in cars as a waste?
in which case, you want to limit the number of times you use them to get from one place to another!
honestly, you will not run out of things to do in how every many days it is that you have in Italy. venice is crammed with more than enough things to do in 2-3 days, and as Jean says, should you get bored with Florence you can take any number of day trips.
by the time you've added in Pisa [which you could do as a day trip from florence] and your night at Milan prior to going home, you don't need to be racing around in order to find things to do.
Depending on exactly how many nights you have, i would stay for 3 nights minimum in Venice, the last night in Milan, and the rest in Florence in an apartment reasonably near the station [which is where the bus station is too] to make day trips simple.
does this mean that you view time spend on trains and in cars as a waste?
in which case, you want to limit the number of times you use them to get from one place to another!
honestly, you will not run out of things to do in how every many days it is that you have in Italy. venice is crammed with more than enough things to do in 2-3 days, and as Jean says, should you get bored with Florence you can take any number of day trips.
by the time you've added in Pisa [which you could do as a day trip from florence] and your night at Milan prior to going home, you don't need to be racing around in order to find things to do.
Depending on exactly how many nights you have, i would stay for 3 nights minimum in Venice, the last night in Milan, and the rest in Florence in an apartment reasonably near the station [which is where the bus station is too] to make day trips simple.
Jul 17th, 2012, 01:53 PM
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I am assuming that you have 12 nights available (including the 1 night in Milan).
Then, considering your preferences, I would do 2 nights in Venice, 4 nights in Rome, 5 nights in the provence of Pisa, maybe just to the north of Pisa, where you can easily reach both the Cinque Terre, and also various towns and cities in Tuscany, like Pisa, Lucca and Florence, that way you would only need to find accomodation in one place. Last night would be at an airport hotel or B&B close to Milan airport. many even offer a free shuttle service to or from airport.
You might consider taking a low cost internal flight from Venice to Rome - check out low cost airlines Ryan Air and Easyjet. Then after your vacation in Rome, you might pick up a rental car from Rome airport or as many fodorites here suggest, Orvieto and drive up to Pisa area, spend your 5 nights visiting the CT and Tuscany, and on last day drive to airport hotel, depositing car at airport on day of departure.
Alternatively take another low cost flight from Rome to Pisa, and pick up car at Pisa airport, which is a nice small airport and very easy to pick up car (we dropped off our car in Pisa airport last December). If you book flights early you can get them for an extremely good fare - check them out on their website.
If flight back home from Milan leaves very early in the morning (usually car rental offices open at 7am - check this out) you can deposit car at airport rental office the evening prior to your departure, and arrange with the hotel to pick you up from airport and to transfer you back to airport in the morning. I would break the trip when driving from Pisa area to Milan by booking an Easter lunch at a nice restaurant with good reviews on Tripadvisor in a town on the route you would be taking.
I also travel with three kids, and it is always nice to stay in apartment hotels (preferably that also serve breakfast) When we book two rooms at a hotel/B&B etc, I email directly the hotel, and ask them if they can give me a special offer by booking two rooms for the family. You might even consider staying in a suite, or in connecting rooms, which sometimes come cheaper.
If it were me, I would rent a car for Tuscany/CT, especially since you would be travelling with 3 kids, it would be so much easier than having to catch trains to reach destinations like CI, and Tuscan towns and cities. Most of them have huge parking areas outside the city, as Jean mentioned you always need to park outside the limited traffic zone.
We always hire a mid size to full size car or small stationwagon, so that all of us are comfortable, and to fit in luggage and large pushchair for our disabled daughter. I am assuming that you need to be close to Milan airport on Easter weekend, so you would be missing the Easter celebrations in Rome. An idea might be that you might check out any Holy Week celebrations in Tuscany or CT, like some Good Friday procession. The Italians are very keen on Christams and Easter celebrations and traditions, so you might find something interesting or unusual for sure, probably even more so in Tuscany area in some of its towns and villages.
Enjoy planning your holiday - the more you research on places that interest you, the more well-planned your holiday will be. If you need any assistance or suggestions, I would be more than happy to help.
Then, considering your preferences, I would do 2 nights in Venice, 4 nights in Rome, 5 nights in the provence of Pisa, maybe just to the north of Pisa, where you can easily reach both the Cinque Terre, and also various towns and cities in Tuscany, like Pisa, Lucca and Florence, that way you would only need to find accomodation in one place. Last night would be at an airport hotel or B&B close to Milan airport. many even offer a free shuttle service to or from airport.
You might consider taking a low cost internal flight from Venice to Rome - check out low cost airlines Ryan Air and Easyjet. Then after your vacation in Rome, you might pick up a rental car from Rome airport or as many fodorites here suggest, Orvieto and drive up to Pisa area, spend your 5 nights visiting the CT and Tuscany, and on last day drive to airport hotel, depositing car at airport on day of departure.
Alternatively take another low cost flight from Rome to Pisa, and pick up car at Pisa airport, which is a nice small airport and very easy to pick up car (we dropped off our car in Pisa airport last December). If you book flights early you can get them for an extremely good fare - check them out on their website.
If flight back home from Milan leaves very early in the morning (usually car rental offices open at 7am - check this out) you can deposit car at airport rental office the evening prior to your departure, and arrange with the hotel to pick you up from airport and to transfer you back to airport in the morning. I would break the trip when driving from Pisa area to Milan by booking an Easter lunch at a nice restaurant with good reviews on Tripadvisor in a town on the route you would be taking.
I also travel with three kids, and it is always nice to stay in apartment hotels (preferably that also serve breakfast) When we book two rooms at a hotel/B&B etc, I email directly the hotel, and ask them if they can give me a special offer by booking two rooms for the family. You might even consider staying in a suite, or in connecting rooms, which sometimes come cheaper.
If it were me, I would rent a car for Tuscany/CT, especially since you would be travelling with 3 kids, it would be so much easier than having to catch trains to reach destinations like CI, and Tuscan towns and cities. Most of them have huge parking areas outside the city, as Jean mentioned you always need to park outside the limited traffic zone.
We always hire a mid size to full size car or small stationwagon, so that all of us are comfortable, and to fit in luggage and large pushchair for our disabled daughter. I am assuming that you need to be close to Milan airport on Easter weekend, so you would be missing the Easter celebrations in Rome. An idea might be that you might check out any Holy Week celebrations in Tuscany or CT, like some Good Friday procession. The Italians are very keen on Christams and Easter celebrations and traditions, so you might find something interesting or unusual for sure, probably even more so in Tuscany area in some of its towns and villages.
Enjoy planning your holiday - the more you research on places that interest you, the more well-planned your holiday will be. If you need any assistance or suggestions, I would be more than happy to help.
Jul 18th, 2012, 11:24 AM
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Fantastic tips. Yes, it is 12 nights total and we arrive early in Venice....the usual all night flight that requires some recovery time. I have had several people tell me that a night in Venice is more than enough, so I figured 2 (1 being recovery would work. We could add a third.
Spending time on trains and in cars is also part of the experience and sometimes a nice down time for the kids to read and relax. I find it enjoyable to pass through more rural areas and see countryside.
I had not thought about flying from Venice to ROme. Definitely worth checking out. Anna, it sounds like you understand what we are trying to accomplish. Your plan seems realistic.
I was considering getting a car outside Rome to drive to Tuscany, and was considering the day trip to Cinque Terre. It' really one of those places I've always wanted to visit. That's why it's a must, but visiting a Tuscan village can't be missed either. We are beach lovers, even in the winter months. Finding a good location for day trips seems very realistic.
I am looking at two rooms at the Holiday Inn Express by the airport and yes, we will be traveling Easter Sunday to get to the airport. Our flight home is around 10:30 am. Im having a hard time figuring out the logistics of that hotel and weather we are better off driving from our last stop, dropping off the car or take the train to the hotel.
Spending time on trains and in cars is also part of the experience and sometimes a nice down time for the kids to read and relax. I find it enjoyable to pass through more rural areas and see countryside.
I had not thought about flying from Venice to ROme. Definitely worth checking out. Anna, it sounds like you understand what we are trying to accomplish. Your plan seems realistic.
I was considering getting a car outside Rome to drive to Tuscany, and was considering the day trip to Cinque Terre. It' really one of those places I've always wanted to visit. That's why it's a must, but visiting a Tuscan village can't be missed either. We are beach lovers, even in the winter months. Finding a good location for day trips seems very realistic.
I am looking at two rooms at the Holiday Inn Express by the airport and yes, we will be traveling Easter Sunday to get to the airport. Our flight home is around 10:30 am. Im having a hard time figuring out the logistics of that hotel and weather we are better off driving from our last stop, dropping off the car or take the train to the hotel.
Jul 18th, 2012, 11:34 AM
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I love it!
Those that tell you 1 nite is enough in Venice no doubt saw Venice as day trippers--probaly from a ship. Experienced Italy travelers will tell you that a week is barely adequate.
We have been 5 times for a total of about 3 weeks and I would go back domani.
Those that tell you 1 nite is enough in Venice no doubt saw Venice as day trippers--probaly from a ship. Experienced Italy travelers will tell you that a week is barely adequate.
We have been 5 times for a total of about 3 weeks and I would go back domani.
Jul 19th, 2012, 01:21 AM
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Since your flight back home is at 10.30am, you can very easily drive to airport. We have driven to Malpensa airport quite a few times and it is very accessible and easy to drop off car. We always use Avis, but all car hire booking offices are easy to find and located near each other. It is so very convenient when you travel with a family to drive and deposit car at airport. If you arrive at airport at 8.30am it would give you more than enough ample time to return car at rental office and check-in at airport.
Regarding pick up of car near Rome, I would suggest you either take direct train or bus from central Rome, and pick it up from Fiumicino airport, or alternatively take train to Orvieto (as many Fodorites often suggest, and pick up car from there). We have picked up car from Fiumicino many times, and it is very easy to drive out of airport. Don't forget GPS, really really handy for driving on the autostrada (main toll roads), but it can also mislead you to reach some towns and villages, and give you a longer route, this gadget can be so hardheaded and keeps turning you round and round. Also irritates us when it leads us to a road that is closed for repairs etc - they should put in some intelligence in this thing, lol.
Alternatively, you can drop car in the evening, and arrange for pick up by hotel and again drop off in the morning. But you are departing at a decent time, so I do not see the need of that extra hassle of going twice to the airport, especially with kids.
I can perfectly understand you regarding your preferences in a holiday, as I always wanted to visit CT, and like you love and try and do everything in a holiday, I love culture, and I love the sea (and of course the majestic mountains), and I often try and fit in everything. In fact last December, we fitted in the city of Trento and the Dolomite mountains, some towns in Umbria, and Rimini, a seaside resort, of course literally empty in December on the coast of Emilia Romagna. We do not mind driving around at all, and love seeing scenary on the way as well, we are the wandering travellers type who like to make the most out of a holiday, but of course I also understand other Fodorites' opinions who like to relax and see the most of any particular place, or literally need a quiet holiday. Plus some do not enjoy the driving. It is a matter of taste and preferences. I always tell myself that my next holiday is going to be an easy-going relaxing one, and whilst planning it we just end up adding more and more. I always tell myself that I would never know whether I would be visiting that particular country or region again (even though I would probably be still returning to Italy the following year), from my experiences I found that life is too short and shouldn't be taken for granted, so I like to do my holiday like it were my last.
Maybe it stems from the fact that my youngest daughter is disabled, and my younger son had leukaemia quite a few years ago when he was 7 years old, thank God he is now fully recovered and is a young man who will be entering medical school soon. But I guess that had left some impact on us.
If you want, I will have a look for you regarding the express Holiday Inn in Malpensa, and if you are interested, at some accomodation on the coast close to Pisa and various towns in Tuscany and from where a day trip can be easily done at CT. You would have a bit of everything.
bobthenavigator - I would also go back domani to Venice - even just to experience again the wonder of being in the majestic square of Piazza San Marco in the evening with the orchestra music flowing around, so very beautiful, and also for the gondola ride around the street canals, and for the beautiful colourful reflecting lights on its waters, and to take pictures on the bridge and the narrow roads of Venice. Ever traveller should experience Venice in my opinion.
Enjoy it beachmum2.
Regarding pick up of car near Rome, I would suggest you either take direct train or bus from central Rome, and pick it up from Fiumicino airport, or alternatively take train to Orvieto (as many Fodorites often suggest, and pick up car from there). We have picked up car from Fiumicino many times, and it is very easy to drive out of airport. Don't forget GPS, really really handy for driving on the autostrada (main toll roads), but it can also mislead you to reach some towns and villages, and give you a longer route, this gadget can be so hardheaded and keeps turning you round and round. Also irritates us when it leads us to a road that is closed for repairs etc - they should put in some intelligence in this thing, lol.
Alternatively, you can drop car in the evening, and arrange for pick up by hotel and again drop off in the morning. But you are departing at a decent time, so I do not see the need of that extra hassle of going twice to the airport, especially with kids.
I can perfectly understand you regarding your preferences in a holiday, as I always wanted to visit CT, and like you love and try and do everything in a holiday, I love culture, and I love the sea (and of course the majestic mountains), and I often try and fit in everything. In fact last December, we fitted in the city of Trento and the Dolomite mountains, some towns in Umbria, and Rimini, a seaside resort, of course literally empty in December on the coast of Emilia Romagna. We do not mind driving around at all, and love seeing scenary on the way as well, we are the wandering travellers type who like to make the most out of a holiday, but of course I also understand other Fodorites' opinions who like to relax and see the most of any particular place, or literally need a quiet holiday. Plus some do not enjoy the driving. It is a matter of taste and preferences. I always tell myself that my next holiday is going to be an easy-going relaxing one, and whilst planning it we just end up adding more and more. I always tell myself that I would never know whether I would be visiting that particular country or region again (even though I would probably be still returning to Italy the following year), from my experiences I found that life is too short and shouldn't be taken for granted, so I like to do my holiday like it were my last.
Maybe it stems from the fact that my youngest daughter is disabled, and my younger son had leukaemia quite a few years ago when he was 7 years old, thank God he is now fully recovered and is a young man who will be entering medical school soon. But I guess that had left some impact on us.
If you want, I will have a look for you regarding the express Holiday Inn in Malpensa, and if you are interested, at some accomodation on the coast close to Pisa and various towns in Tuscany and from where a day trip can be easily done at CT. You would have a bit of everything.
bobthenavigator - I would also go back domani to Venice - even just to experience again the wonder of being in the majestic square of Piazza San Marco in the evening with the orchestra music flowing around, so very beautiful, and also for the gondola ride around the street canals, and for the beautiful colourful reflecting lights on its waters, and to take pictures on the bridge and the narrow roads of Venice. Ever traveller should experience Venice in my opinion.
Enjoy it beachmum2.
Jul 19th, 2012, 05:13 AM
#9
>>>I had not thought about flying from Venice to ROme.<<<
Not a good idea. It's doubtful it would be cheaper and would likely take longer. The train is under 4 hours and takes you between the city centers. With children, you qualify for the family discount on Trenitalia.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
Not a good idea. It's doubtful it would be cheaper and would likely take longer. The train is under 4 hours and takes you between the city centers. With children, you qualify for the family discount on Trenitalia.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
Jul 19th, 2012, 06:30 AM
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kybourbon - I thought that flying from Venice to Rome might be a possible good option since OP would be at airport, so it would just be a transit flight (though I would still get luggage and check in again to be on safe side and ensure luggage does not get lost) - no need for the family to leave airport, and take a 4 hour train journey, - the flight would only take 30 minutes or so - although of course you would still have to spare about two hours for transit.
I do not think that there is a train direct from Venice airport to Rome, the OP and family, if they use train transport, would probably have to first go to Venice central station, wait for next train available, and then take the 4 hour train journey to Rome. So it would take more time than the 4 hours for sure. An advantage regarding this choice is that train leaves you at Rome Termini central station, wheras OP and family would have to take train (or bus) to Rome central station after arrival at airport.
If you manage to get a good fare, low cost flights, if booked in advance may be as cheap as 20 Euro per person or even less. I was checking out some flights for myself - for a holiday in this same year and fares were only 20 euros one way per person (and this was not for an internal flight) - sometimes they can even go as low as 9.99 euro or 12.99 Euro. However, Ryan air does charge a further 10 euro per person as booking fee, and also charges for checked-in luggage. So if I were the OP I would check whether cheap fares are still available on the required days in the same airport that they arrive in (there are two airports in Venice - Treviso (a small airport and easy to roam around - we landed there last December) and Marco Polo), and how much the flight would cost for the whole family. If however, it is not feasible, or find that more time would be lost, then I would opt for train transport to Rome as kybourbon might prefer.
Beachbum2 - I have checked out some coastal towns in northern Tuscany, they are all close to each other and look really nice - from where you can easily reach the CT (less than an hour's drive) and various towns and cities in Tuscany like Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Volterra and even San Gimignano (from less than an hours' drive to less than two hours' drive), - maybe even combining two towns in one day, and at the same time enjoying a stay at a coastal town. You are making me want to go to one of these towns now lol.
You might be interested in having a look at some accommodations in these coastal towns. There are so many apartment complexes/hotels that you might choose from that would be open in March/April.
Have a look at these towns:
Viareggio
Forte dei Marmi
Lido di Camaiore
Lido di Massa
I had a look at express Holiday Inn Malpensa, and it looks like a nice good hotel, and is given good reviews on Tripadvisor. It also offers free shuttle service to/from Airport. I would not hesitate in booking it for the last night prior to catching plane back home. I would email them directly and check if they would give you a special offer if you book two rooms or connecting rooms for the night - some hotels do give a special family discount when you ask for it, lol - others don't, but it is worth a try.
I do not think that there is a train direct from Venice airport to Rome, the OP and family, if they use train transport, would probably have to first go to Venice central station, wait for next train available, and then take the 4 hour train journey to Rome. So it would take more time than the 4 hours for sure. An advantage regarding this choice is that train leaves you at Rome Termini central station, wheras OP and family would have to take train (or bus) to Rome central station after arrival at airport.
If you manage to get a good fare, low cost flights, if booked in advance may be as cheap as 20 Euro per person or even less. I was checking out some flights for myself - for a holiday in this same year and fares were only 20 euros one way per person (and this was not for an internal flight) - sometimes they can even go as low as 9.99 euro or 12.99 Euro. However, Ryan air does charge a further 10 euro per person as booking fee, and also charges for checked-in luggage. So if I were the OP I would check whether cheap fares are still available on the required days in the same airport that they arrive in (there are two airports in Venice - Treviso (a small airport and easy to roam around - we landed there last December) and Marco Polo), and how much the flight would cost for the whole family. If however, it is not feasible, or find that more time would be lost, then I would opt for train transport to Rome as kybourbon might prefer.
Beachbum2 - I have checked out some coastal towns in northern Tuscany, they are all close to each other and look really nice - from where you can easily reach the CT (less than an hour's drive) and various towns and cities in Tuscany like Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Volterra and even San Gimignano (from less than an hours' drive to less than two hours' drive), - maybe even combining two towns in one day, and at the same time enjoying a stay at a coastal town. You are making me want to go to one of these towns now lol.
You might be interested in having a look at some accommodations in these coastal towns. There are so many apartment complexes/hotels that you might choose from that would be open in March/April.
Have a look at these towns:
Viareggio
Forte dei Marmi
Lido di Camaiore
Lido di Massa
I had a look at express Holiday Inn Malpensa, and it looks like a nice good hotel, and is given good reviews on Tripadvisor. It also offers free shuttle service to/from Airport. I would not hesitate in booking it for the last night prior to catching plane back home. I would email them directly and check if they would give you a special offer if you book two rooms or connecting rooms for the night - some hotels do give a special family discount when you ask for it, lol - others don't, but it is worth a try.
Jul 19th, 2012, 06:32 AM
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Just my 2 cents, we took 3 of our children and my Mom to Italy a few years ago. They LOVED Venice. I have been back twice myself since then. It is truly a magical city. For the record there is a beach on the Lido so you can see that as well. They loved taking the boat to the outer island Murano,Burano etc. That was a whole day by itself. Don't shortchange your time there! In Rome we hired a private guide for a full day tour of ancient sites. It was money and time well spent, they learned so much more than if I had been reading to them from guidebook. Happy travels...
Jul 25th, 2012, 07:44 AM
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Anna, thank you so much for your help and advice.... I think we will add a day to Venice and look for an agrotourismo in one of the areas you suggested. We can choose where we want to go for the day and see cinque Terre too. We have a lot in common which is probably why we share a similar travel mindset... My husband is lymphoma survivor. We know there is a chance it could return and hope if it douse, he can get through it again, so we travel as if we may not return. Life is short and we enjoy it to the fullest. I will call and book the holiday inn and check about the towns. Any suggestions for which area to stay in Rome? Apartment hunting now. I may also have more Venice options with 3 nights vs 2. Thanks for all the help. I love this forum.
Jul 25th, 2012, 10:30 AM
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beachbum2 - We have traveled to Italy three times with our kids. Our first trip was at the same time of year - spring break, and we flew home the day before Easter. Glad you are adding a day to Venice as that is one of their favorite places. Sounds like you have the Holiday Inn Express as your choice, but just in case, we did a similar thing (spent night at MXP before flying out the next morning) and spent the night at First Hotel(http://www.firsthotel.it/en/index.php) and were happy with that.
When we were in Tuscany we stayed at Fattoria Tregole (http://www.fattoria-tregole.com/) in their Aia apt/villa. It had two bedrooms and plenty of room for the four of us.
Here is a link to my blog which has my detailed trip reports as well as pictures:
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...eflorence2005/
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...-tuscany-rome/
When we were in Tuscany we stayed at Fattoria Tregole (http://www.fattoria-tregole.com/) in their Aia apt/villa. It had two bedrooms and plenty of room for the four of us.
Here is a link to my blog which has my detailed trip reports as well as pictures:
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...eflorence2005/
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...-tuscany-rome/
Jul 25th, 2012, 01:26 PM
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beachbum2 - Yes, I totally agree with you that one should make an effort to enjoy life as much as possible - and also try and encourage my family to look at it with a positive and optimistic attitude, whatever the circumstances.
I am glad you managed to add another day to your vacation, I am sure you will enjoy an extra day in Venice.
We last visited major attractions of the city of Rome 4 years ago, and in December 2010 we just used Rome Fiumicino airport to land and hire a car to travel to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast.
We had stayed at a hotel called Hotel Crosti, which is very close to Rome's Termini Station. We had hired a car, and were brave enough to venture into the very centre of Rome by car. But we have the Blue Sticker for the disabled, and we always take our daughter with us, so that helps with the parking and entering restricted zones. Although we did walk it once in the evening from hotel to the very core centre of Rome, it took roughly over half an hour each way, so the Crosti is not in the very centre of Rome, but ideally located if you prefer to stay near Termini Station.
In 2010 we were thinking of spending our last night in Rome, prior to catching flight back home, but decided to drive from Amalfi Coast and catch flight on same day. I had done some research and found a B&B that I really liked called Relais Maddalena which had raving reviews - I just looked it up again now and it has even more great reviews. Although we did not stay there, I had asked for his suggestions regarding parking facilities for the disabled, and other information, and he seemed to be a really nice helpful person. Maybe you can look this B&B up.
The Navona Garden Suites also looked nice and were an option for us. They are owned by an American dentist, who even sometimes does walking tours with his guests!!
I personally like the Piazza Navona area, there are many nice apartments in that area, just google "apartment near Piazza Navona" and you will get plenty to choose from, always check reviews of sites you like (preferably not in the square itself as it might be too noisy) - the area is so very central to all the best attractions of central Rome. It is a short stroll to the Spanish Steps, the lovely streets with famous shops like Via Condotti, the Fontana dei Trevi, (don't forget to buy an ice-cream at the gelateria in this square, in my opinion the best in the whole of Italy, plus of course dropping a coin at the fountain - they say that if you drop a coin there you will return again to Rome, and also walkable to the Vatican.
You can take an open bus tour around the whole city of Rome, stopping and boarding again wherever you want. We went on one for a couple of hours to give my husband a rest from the chaotic driving in Rome, we had parked near the Vatican, there is a stop close by of these open buses.
If you need any advice/suggestions, I would be more than willing to help out.
I am glad you managed to add another day to your vacation, I am sure you will enjoy an extra day in Venice.
We last visited major attractions of the city of Rome 4 years ago, and in December 2010 we just used Rome Fiumicino airport to land and hire a car to travel to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast.
We had stayed at a hotel called Hotel Crosti, which is very close to Rome's Termini Station. We had hired a car, and were brave enough to venture into the very centre of Rome by car. But we have the Blue Sticker for the disabled, and we always take our daughter with us, so that helps with the parking and entering restricted zones. Although we did walk it once in the evening from hotel to the very core centre of Rome, it took roughly over half an hour each way, so the Crosti is not in the very centre of Rome, but ideally located if you prefer to stay near Termini Station.
In 2010 we were thinking of spending our last night in Rome, prior to catching flight back home, but decided to drive from Amalfi Coast and catch flight on same day. I had done some research and found a B&B that I really liked called Relais Maddalena which had raving reviews - I just looked it up again now and it has even more great reviews. Although we did not stay there, I had asked for his suggestions regarding parking facilities for the disabled, and other information, and he seemed to be a really nice helpful person. Maybe you can look this B&B up.
The Navona Garden Suites also looked nice and were an option for us. They are owned by an American dentist, who even sometimes does walking tours with his guests!!
I personally like the Piazza Navona area, there are many nice apartments in that area, just google "apartment near Piazza Navona" and you will get plenty to choose from, always check reviews of sites you like (preferably not in the square itself as it might be too noisy) - the area is so very central to all the best attractions of central Rome. It is a short stroll to the Spanish Steps, the lovely streets with famous shops like Via Condotti, the Fontana dei Trevi, (don't forget to buy an ice-cream at the gelateria in this square, in my opinion the best in the whole of Italy, plus of course dropping a coin at the fountain - they say that if you drop a coin there you will return again to Rome, and also walkable to the Vatican.
You can take an open bus tour around the whole city of Rome, stopping and boarding again wherever you want. We went on one for a couple of hours to give my husband a rest from the chaotic driving in Rome, we had parked near the Vatican, there is a stop close by of these open buses.
If you need any advice/suggestions, I would be more than willing to help out.
Sep 20th, 2012, 01:38 PM
#15
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I booked our apartments for Venice and Rome, and am now completely overwhelmed with where to go in Tuscany. As I said before, we are such beach people that I would love to see Cinque Terre. After being in 2 large cities, I do not need to spend more than a day in Florence this trip. I know I will want to return for a longer trip in the future, but really want to see many areas this time. I have found several Agritourismos near Lucca and San Gimignano. Am I crazy to think about spending 3 nights there, then head to CT for 2 nights? I'm going to spend 4 hours of driving 1 day to see it anyway, shouldn't I just spend a night or 2 there and be within reasonable driving distance to see Tuscan towns? Anna, I would love to get more advice from you as you travel the way we do and have some experience with Tuscany. Are there places to park a car outside Florence or better yet to leave our luggage at in the train station? When coming from Rome, we could potentially spend the day in Florence before getting a rental car to head to the Agritourismo......this part is where it all gets confusing.
Sep 20th, 2012, 03:06 PM
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If you are going to le Cinque Terre, get rid of your car in La Spezia before you arrive and finally take the train to Milan.
Or do it this way: Take the 4 hour train ride from Rome to le CInque Terre, spend two nights, then pick up a car in La Spezia and drive to your Tuscan agriturismo. On the morning of your last day at the agriturismo, drive to Lucca, see it, then drive to Pisa, see the tower, the drop off the car and take the train to Florence. Spend the night in Florence. Take the train from there to Milan.
If you no longer are using a car by the time you get to Milan, there is really no advantage to spending the night in an airport hotel. It's actually harder in someways than just getting a hotel in Milan and using the excellent public transportation to whisk you to the terminal the next morning.
If you decide to throw le Cinque Terre into the mix, everybody has to be prepared for the fact that it could rain the one day you are there. I suggest you book a hotel with a very good 24 hour cancellation policy, and watch the weather forecast right up until the last moment. If you see rain, in the forecast, book Pisa instead. From there you can day trip to Lucca, and then have more time for just enjoying your agristurismo. Change your car drop off to Florence airport if you've already seen Pisa.
Hope that isn't too complicated.
Or do it this way: Take the 4 hour train ride from Rome to le CInque Terre, spend two nights, then pick up a car in La Spezia and drive to your Tuscan agriturismo. On the morning of your last day at the agriturismo, drive to Lucca, see it, then drive to Pisa, see the tower, the drop off the car and take the train to Florence. Spend the night in Florence. Take the train from there to Milan.
If you no longer are using a car by the time you get to Milan, there is really no advantage to spending the night in an airport hotel. It's actually harder in someways than just getting a hotel in Milan and using the excellent public transportation to whisk you to the terminal the next morning.
If you decide to throw le Cinque Terre into the mix, everybody has to be prepared for the fact that it could rain the one day you are there. I suggest you book a hotel with a very good 24 hour cancellation policy, and watch the weather forecast right up until the last moment. If you see rain, in the forecast, book Pisa instead. From there you can day trip to Lucca, and then have more time for just enjoying your agristurismo. Change your car drop off to Florence airport if you've already seen Pisa.
Hope that isn't too complicated.
Sep 20th, 2012, 03:12 PM
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By the way, you will be seeing plenty of Renaissance art, architecture, painting and Michaelangelo's work in Rome, and if your family hasn't got an already well-developed interest in Italain painting and Renaissance history, you might want to skip Florence completely.
The family might find Pisa very informative and unique, plus the Duomo and Galleria in Milan -- easy sights to see -- are often kid-friendly fun (you can climb on the roof of the Duomo, and it doesn't look like any other church where you will have been).
The family might find Pisa very informative and unique, plus the Duomo and Galleria in Milan -- easy sights to see -- are often kid-friendly fun (you can climb on the roof of the Duomo, and it doesn't look like any other church where you will have been).
Sep 20th, 2012, 03:18 PM
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In case my rainy day strategy wasn't clear:
If you end up needing to cancel your reservations in le Cinque Terre, book Pisa for two night and use that time to see both Pisa and Luccal. Then pick up a rental car in Pisa (the rental company will let you switch the pick-up) and head to your agriturismo. After your agriturismo stint, drop off the car at the Florence airport, take a taxi into town, spend a night in Florence. Next day head up to Milan by train.
If you end up needing to cancel your reservations in le Cinque Terre, book Pisa for two night and use that time to see both Pisa and Luccal. Then pick up a rental car in Pisa (the rental company will let you switch the pick-up) and head to your agriturismo. After your agriturismo stint, drop off the car at the Florence airport, take a taxi into town, spend a night in Florence. Next day head up to Milan by train.
Sep 20th, 2012, 06:35 PM
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Great thought! I had not thought about switching it up and doing CT first, then the agri or actually heading into Milan for the last night vs airport hotel. I had always heard it really wasn't worth it ......My worry with heading to Milan in the am for the flight out of Florence is our flight leaves at 10:30 am on Easter Monday, needing us at the airport by 8:30. I figured we would have Easter Sunday to see a few things and could stay very late before heading to Milan. The whole where to pick up the car, drop, what area of Tuscany to stay in with the kids is killing me. (such problems to have) lol.
Sep 21st, 2012, 12:43 AM
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You do need to be in Milan the night before your flight. I didn't mean to imply otherwise.
Almost everything you might want to see and do in Florence will be closed on Easter Sunday.
Something you could consider is to see Florence en-route to Rome from Venice. Get off the train, stow your luggage in the station, tour the town, get back on. How well that works for your family depends on how early in the morning you can be on the train from Venice, and how flexible your Rome apartment landlord is about when you arrive at the apartment.
Personally, I would see Florence as day trip during your agriturismo stay. You canget plenty of detailed directions on the Slow Travel message boards about how to drive to the edge of Florence and park without inadvertantly breaking any laws, depending on where you're staying in Tuscany.
If you are really nervous about driving into Florence, you can park your car in San Gimignano or Poggibonsi and take a one hour bus to Florence. Likewise, you could park you car at the Lucca train station or one of the towns on that train line and take the train to Florence.
Since almost nothing will be open in Milan on Easter Sunday either, maybe the best ordering of your trip is:
Venice
Rome
Tuscany (including the option of a daytrip to Florence)
Drive car to La Spezia for drop off, go to Le Cinque by train
Train to Milan late in day from le Cinque Terre to spend final night in Milan
Almost everything you might want to see and do in Florence will be closed on Easter Sunday.
Something you could consider is to see Florence en-route to Rome from Venice. Get off the train, stow your luggage in the station, tour the town, get back on. How well that works for your family depends on how early in the morning you can be on the train from Venice, and how flexible your Rome apartment landlord is about when you arrive at the apartment.
Personally, I would see Florence as day trip during your agriturismo stay. You canget plenty of detailed directions on the Slow Travel message boards about how to drive to the edge of Florence and park without inadvertantly breaking any laws, depending on where you're staying in Tuscany.
If you are really nervous about driving into Florence, you can park your car in San Gimignano or Poggibonsi and take a one hour bus to Florence. Likewise, you could park you car at the Lucca train station or one of the towns on that train line and take the train to Florence.
Since almost nothing will be open in Milan on Easter Sunday either, maybe the best ordering of your trip is:
Venice
Rome
Tuscany (including the option of a daytrip to Florence)
Drive car to La Spezia for drop off, go to Le Cinque by train
Train to Milan late in day from le Cinque Terre to spend final night in Milan
