Italy trip report/advice
Jan 1st, 2007, 03:56 PM
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Italy trip report/advice
My boyfriend Robert and I had an amazing two-week vacation in Italy last May. I have been meaning to post a trip report for the longest time. Robert ended up beating me to it with the following email he sent to a friend who is similarly planning a trip to Italy for the first time. I hope this helps trip planners as the many people on these forums have helped me 
We visited Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi coast during our Italy vacation, an excellent cross-section of the country.
VENICE
You'll find it hard or impossible to get a direct flight from Boston to Venice. NYC has some direct flights to Venice, but they're very expensive. Jess and I had a small layover in Milan on our way to Venice. Be warned, budget at LEAST 1.5 hours for that layover, and RUN to your connecting gate as soon as you get off the plane. We almost missed our flight to Venice because the Milan airport is insane.
You'll need get transportation from the airport to the island of Venice. There are three ways to do this: 1.) Private water taxi (200+ euros or more), 2.) Public water bus (Vaporetto) for about 100 EUR, or 3.) the land bus. #1 and #2 are kinda cool, but very expensive and actually kinda slow. #3 is free with a VeniceCard and fast. I highly recommend getting a VeniceCard (we got the "blue" version) since as long as you're staying in Venice for more than 2 days you'll save far more than you spent on it due to the fact you ride the Grand Canal's Vaporetto for free. The bus stop is right in front of the airport exit.
Jess and I stayed at Hotel Bernardi (see our itinerary at the end of the e-mail). It was very inexpensive (<100 EUR a night), and the people who run it are great. But if you stay there you *must* get a room in the Annex. (Just request it when you make your reservations.) otherwise you'll be in the main building which is kind of a dump. The location is very good (about a 5 minute walk from the Rialto bridge), but honestly the location of your hotel doesn't matter too much as you'll be walking a lot no matter what.
For our restaurant guide, we used a wonderful book called "Great Eats Italy" by Sandra Gustafson. If there is one restaurant you must eat at while in Venice it's Da Fiore. It's the fanciest and probably most expensive restaurant in Venice, but well worth it. Be careful because there are several "Da Fiore's" in Venice, and all but one are terrible. The correct one is: http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...erty_id=161601 Make reservations here at least one month in advance or you won't get them. The phone number is (041) 721-308. Another great place was Enoteca San Marco. (On Calle de Frezzieria.) Also, there is a *great* wine bar in Venice call Cavatappi. It's *really* hard to find, but worth the trek. (See: http://www.travelandleisure.com/rest...-venice-veneto)
You'll want to do a gondola ride, but beware as there are scam artists who will try and get >100 EUR for a 20 minute ride. Don't pay more than 80 EUR and make sure the ride is nice and long. Also, visit the outdoor Rialto fish market... it's quiet the experience
We used trains to get between cities, and it worked out very well. (You can make reservations online here: http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html) I recommend getting reservations ahead of time whenever possible.
FLORENCE
In Florence, we stayed at Hotel Rex, which wasn't the best. Broken A/C, an absolutely horrible bathroom, kinda dirty... and not cheap. I recommend using Venere.com to find a good Florence hotel.
You'll need to go see the Uffizi and Accademia museums. Be sure to go online and get tickets ahead of time. Usually a day or two is fine (use one of the many computer cafes in Venice to get these tickets), but if you don't you'll end up waiting for hours in huge lines. I also highly recommend taking the Hop On / Hop Off bus tours. (It's a big red bus with the words "City Sightseeing" on the side.) They go all around the city and only cost 20 EUR. You can get on or off at any stop and your tickets are valid for 48 hours. The give you headphones and you can listen (in English) to a guide talk about the various sites. I recommend doing this not just on Florence, but also in Rome.
Since Florence is in the heart of Tuscany, we did an incredible private wine tour. It costs 200 EUR (plus you'll want to give a hefty tip since it will be awesome, and it's worth every penny. You'll spend the entire day being driven from winery to winery, drinking wine, and eating great local foods. All the info you need can be found here: http://www.viaggidambra.com/ They will tailor the wine tour to your tastes.
I suggest spending most of your time on the tour in the Chianti Classico region. If possible you should go to a winery called San Donatino. Our tourguide
Christian was great.
While in Florence there are tons of great places to eat. (It was the best food of the trip.) The best steak you'll ever have will be a Coco Lezzone. (http://www.frommers.com/destinations...ce/D53850.html) You must call ahead for their Bistecca ala Florentina. Just typing this is making my mouth water. Another great restaurant is Trattoria Garga.
ROME
Rome is, of course, a must see. We stayed at Hotel Duca D'Alba, which was very good for the price. (~175 EUR/night.) The location wasn't great, but you'll play 3x as much for a similar hotel near the Spanish Steps
The food in Rome was good, especially in the Jewish Ghetto. (Fried sweetbreads as far as the eye can see. There is one place in particular in the Jewish Ghetto called Ristorante Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia. It was excellent. There is an awesome wine bar on Cavour street called Cavour 313. Great selection, good prices, very good food, and a great atmosphere. It's very close to the hotel and to the Coliseum.
Again, try and get as many tickets ahead of time as possible. The sites are always packed with tourists. Also, beware of the Vatican's schedules. Look them up before you make the trip to Vatican City. The Sistine Chapel isn't always open and you'll want to make sure it is when you go. Also, be sure to take the trip to the top of St. Peter's Basilica. It's very exhausting (350+ steps), but worth it for the view.
AMALFI
We took the train from Rome to Naples and then had a private limo take us from Naples to Amalfi. This is absolutely vital as you will die if you try and drive it yourself. (The Amalfi Drive is known for its beauty and its deadliness.) We used Benvenuto Limos ((334) 307-8342 or (089) 87 - 4024), and while it cost 110 EUR each way it was well worth the money. The drivers all speak English and are very professional. You'll want to book both the trip to Amalfi and the trip from Amalfi to the Naples airport well ahead of time. You can also make reservations on their web site here: http://www.benvenutolimos.com/
Amalfi was incredible. It was one of the highlights of the trip. We stayed at the Hotel Amalfi. Very cheap, very comfortable, and a perfect location. You may consider staying in Positano (very popular), but Jess and I really liked the small-town feel of Amalfi. It's very easy to take day trips to Positano, Capri, or Salerno via the hydrofoils and ferries that stop at the port of Amalfi. They leave quite often and are fairly cheap.
While in Amalfi you must go to Trattoria da Gemma. It's in the middle of town (hard to miss) and we had one of the best meals of our trip there. Positano has many great (and expensive) places to eat. Chez Black was excellent and we highly recommend it.
There will be many people offering private boat tours. Jess and I didn't go on one, but we kinda wish we did. They're not cheap, but it might be worth it... especially if you're planning on going to Capri. The tours that leave from Capri aren't very good. (Like the ones that go to the Azure Grotto.)
Some general tips:
-Avoid sitting down at tables in cafes. They'll charge you 2x or more what they charge if you just stand at the bar. So if you're just getting capuccino don't sit down. -Be sure to have a secure travel wallet that is attached to you in some way. There are LOTS of pick pockets (mostly in Rome, especially near the Vatican), and they're very, very good at what they do.
-Get a phone card and use it with your hotel room phone. You can get them at most tobaconists. (Look for the sign that says Tabbaci on it.)
-Mid to late May was the perfect time for us to go. The weather was incredibe (75 every day, not a drop of rain. Great breeze. Etc.), and the crowds were less than they would be a month later.
Here was our itinerary:
Italy 2006 (May 15th - 30th)
Venice (3 Days)
Hotel Bernardi (041) 522 - 7257
SS.apostoli, 4363-66 30121
Florence (5 Days)
The Hotel Rex
Rome (4 Days)
Hotel Duca DAlba (06) 484 471
Via Leonina, 14 00184
Amalfi (5 Days)
Hotel Amalfi (089) 872-250
Via dei Pastai 3, 84011
We visited Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi coast during our Italy vacation, an excellent cross-section of the country.
VENICE
You'll find it hard or impossible to get a direct flight from Boston to Venice. NYC has some direct flights to Venice, but they're very expensive. Jess and I had a small layover in Milan on our way to Venice. Be warned, budget at LEAST 1.5 hours for that layover, and RUN to your connecting gate as soon as you get off the plane. We almost missed our flight to Venice because the Milan airport is insane.
You'll need get transportation from the airport to the island of Venice. There are three ways to do this: 1.) Private water taxi (200+ euros or more), 2.) Public water bus (Vaporetto) for about 100 EUR, or 3.) the land bus. #1 and #2 are kinda cool, but very expensive and actually kinda slow. #3 is free with a VeniceCard and fast. I highly recommend getting a VeniceCard (we got the "blue" version) since as long as you're staying in Venice for more than 2 days you'll save far more than you spent on it due to the fact you ride the Grand Canal's Vaporetto for free. The bus stop is right in front of the airport exit.
Jess and I stayed at Hotel Bernardi (see our itinerary at the end of the e-mail). It was very inexpensive (<100 EUR a night), and the people who run it are great. But if you stay there you *must* get a room in the Annex. (Just request it when you make your reservations.) otherwise you'll be in the main building which is kind of a dump. The location is very good (about a 5 minute walk from the Rialto bridge), but honestly the location of your hotel doesn't matter too much as you'll be walking a lot no matter what.
For our restaurant guide, we used a wonderful book called "Great Eats Italy" by Sandra Gustafson. If there is one restaurant you must eat at while in Venice it's Da Fiore. It's the fanciest and probably most expensive restaurant in Venice, but well worth it. Be careful because there are several "Da Fiore's" in Venice, and all but one are terrible. The correct one is: http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...erty_id=161601 Make reservations here at least one month in advance or you won't get them. The phone number is (041) 721-308. Another great place was Enoteca San Marco. (On Calle de Frezzieria.) Also, there is a *great* wine bar in Venice call Cavatappi. It's *really* hard to find, but worth the trek. (See: http://www.travelandleisure.com/rest...-venice-veneto)
You'll want to do a gondola ride, but beware as there are scam artists who will try and get >100 EUR for a 20 minute ride. Don't pay more than 80 EUR and make sure the ride is nice and long. Also, visit the outdoor Rialto fish market... it's quiet the experience
We used trains to get between cities, and it worked out very well. (You can make reservations online here: http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html) I recommend getting reservations ahead of time whenever possible.
FLORENCE
In Florence, we stayed at Hotel Rex, which wasn't the best. Broken A/C, an absolutely horrible bathroom, kinda dirty... and not cheap. I recommend using Venere.com to find a good Florence hotel.
You'll need to go see the Uffizi and Accademia museums. Be sure to go online and get tickets ahead of time. Usually a day or two is fine (use one of the many computer cafes in Venice to get these tickets), but if you don't you'll end up waiting for hours in huge lines. I also highly recommend taking the Hop On / Hop Off bus tours. (It's a big red bus with the words "City Sightseeing" on the side.) They go all around the city and only cost 20 EUR. You can get on or off at any stop and your tickets are valid for 48 hours. The give you headphones and you can listen (in English) to a guide talk about the various sites. I recommend doing this not just on Florence, but also in Rome.
Since Florence is in the heart of Tuscany, we did an incredible private wine tour. It costs 200 EUR (plus you'll want to give a hefty tip since it will be awesome
, and it's worth every penny. You'll spend the entire day being driven from winery to winery, drinking wine, and eating great local foods. All the info you need can be found here: http://www.viaggidambra.com/ They will tailor the wine tour to your tastes.I suggest spending most of your time on the tour in the Chianti Classico region. If possible you should go to a winery called San Donatino. Our tourguide
Christian was great.
While in Florence there are tons of great places to eat. (It was the best food of the trip.) The best steak you'll ever have will be a Coco Lezzone. (http://www.frommers.com/destinations...ce/D53850.html) You must call ahead for their Bistecca ala Florentina. Just typing this is making my mouth water. Another great restaurant is Trattoria Garga.
ROME
Rome is, of course, a must see. We stayed at Hotel Duca D'Alba, which was very good for the price. (~175 EUR/night.) The location wasn't great, but you'll play 3x as much for a similar hotel near the Spanish Steps
The food in Rome was good, especially in the Jewish Ghetto. (Fried sweetbreads as far as the eye can see.
There is one place in particular in the Jewish Ghetto called Ristorante Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia. It was excellent. There is an awesome wine bar on Cavour street called Cavour 313. Great selection, good prices, very good food, and a great atmosphere. It's very close to the hotel and to the Coliseum.Again, try and get as many tickets ahead of time as possible. The sites are always packed with tourists. Also, beware of the Vatican's schedules. Look them up before you make the trip to Vatican City. The Sistine Chapel isn't always open and you'll want to make sure it is when you go. Also, be sure to take the trip to the top of St. Peter's Basilica. It's very exhausting (350+ steps), but worth it for the view.
AMALFI
We took the train from Rome to Naples and then had a private limo take us from Naples to Amalfi. This is absolutely vital as you will die if you try and drive it yourself. (The Amalfi Drive is known for its beauty and its deadliness.) We used Benvenuto Limos ((334) 307-8342 or (089) 87 - 4024), and while it cost 110 EUR each way it was well worth the money. The drivers all speak English and are very professional. You'll want to book both the trip to Amalfi and the trip from Amalfi to the Naples airport well ahead of time. You can also make reservations on their web site here: http://www.benvenutolimos.com/
Amalfi was incredible. It was one of the highlights of the trip. We stayed at the Hotel Amalfi. Very cheap, very comfortable, and a perfect location. You may consider staying in Positano (very popular), but Jess and I really liked the small-town feel of Amalfi. It's very easy to take day trips to Positano, Capri, or Salerno via the hydrofoils and ferries that stop at the port of Amalfi. They leave quite often and are fairly cheap.
While in Amalfi you must go to Trattoria da Gemma. It's in the middle of town (hard to miss) and we had one of the best meals of our trip there. Positano has many great (and expensive) places to eat. Chez Black was excellent and we highly recommend it.
There will be many people offering private boat tours. Jess and I didn't go on one, but we kinda wish we did. They're not cheap, but it might be worth it... especially if you're planning on going to Capri. The tours that leave from Capri aren't very good. (Like the ones that go to the Azure Grotto.)
Some general tips:
-Avoid sitting down at tables in cafes. They'll charge you 2x or more what they charge if you just stand at the bar. So if you're just getting capuccino don't sit down. -Be sure to have a secure travel wallet that is attached to you in some way. There are LOTS of pick pockets (mostly in Rome, especially near the Vatican), and they're very, very good at what they do.
-Get a phone card and use it with your hotel room phone. You can get them at most tobaconists. (Look for the sign that says Tabbaci on it.)
-Mid to late May was the perfect time for us to go. The weather was incredibe (75 every day, not a drop of rain. Great breeze. Etc.), and the crowds were less than they would be a month later.
Here was our itinerary:
Italy 2006 (May 15th - 30th)
Venice (3 Days)
Hotel Bernardi (041) 522 - 7257
SS.apostoli, 4363-66 30121
Florence (5 Days)
The Hotel Rex
Rome (4 Days)
Hotel Duca DAlba (06) 484 471
Via Leonina, 14 00184
Amalfi (5 Days)
Hotel Amalfi (089) 872-250
Via dei Pastai 3, 84011
Jan 1st, 2007, 04:48 PM
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and one more thing: I've so enjoyed looking through all the photos of trips that people link to on these forums. So here are mine
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/p...w2asSE/landing
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/p...w2asSE/landing
Jan 2nd, 2007, 01:27 PM
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Actually Holly, we're going to Paris! We're staying at the Westin from March 7 to 19 thanks to a good deal we got through American Express Travel for a total of $4,200 for two round trip tickets from Boston (we later found an even better deal on Priceline for $3,700. oh well). For anyone thinking about going to Paris, I would encourage you to check either site.
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