italy trip - skip venice?

I feel that Venice is overrun with tourists and some months can be really really hot and humid.(not the first of May) That being said I've taken more pictures there than anywhere. If it were my first trip to Italy I would go to Rome, Florence and Venice. Even if you are there for just one night. A great approach would be to fly into Rome and fly out of Venice or visa versa.

Amalfi is also beautiful, but probably should be saved for another trip.

You can't possibly see Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast, and Venice in 8 days. Impossible. Are you forgetting about travel time?

You could spend 10 days in Rome and still not see everything.

If I had only 8 days, I would stay in Rome for those 8 days and take a day trip to Florence from Termini.

What you have planned is an extremely hectic, stressful, and not very enjoyable itinerary.

Thin

The Amalfi Coast can also be overrun with tourists. Ditto Florence and Rome. And 8 days is not very much time.

I agree with jnjfraz about looking into open-jaw flight options but include Naples and Florence in your research. Your goal should be no back-tracking to catch a flight.

Assuming you'll be traveling by train between cities, you should also know the time needed to do this as you're developing your plan. Here's a link to the train timetables:

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

Hmmm. One paragraph of my post evaporated.

Thin is absolutely correct that you can't possibly see Venice, Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast in 8 days. Even three destinations will provide only a brief overview of each. I'd pick two cities, fly into one and out of the other, train between. Which two is up to you and your flight options.

I'm partial to Venice and think it shouldn't be missed. I also love Rome and Florence; don't have a lot of experience with the Amalfi coast but it's my least favorite of these 4 places.

I've been to Venice in May, June, and October and never found it to be overrun with tourists, except for St. Mark's square.

I think Venice would be very relaxing after busy Rome or Florence but would only recommend 2 places in 8 days.

I would not miss Venice. It is the most unique city in the world and, smelly or not, it will leave a lasting imprfession.

Arrnge to fly into Venice. Spend two days there, then catch the train to Florence. Three days in Florence, perhaps taking a day trip one day to San Gimignano or Greve, Ravenna, even Sienna). Then take the high speed train from Florence to Rome, and spend the rest of youer vacation in Rome. Arrange flight home to leave from Rome.

I have done virtually this exact trip (mine was 10 days, and we spent a couple of days in lower Tuscany). It was a fabulous "sampler" of Italy, perfect for your first trip there. You will not feel particularly rushed with this itinerary, although you will certainly crave more time, especially in Florence and Rome.

Enjoy!

Oh yeah, and save Amalfi for your next visit!

I agree with Cally, I personally wouldn't miss Venice. It is unique. I flew into Venice and out of Rome. I spent a couple days in Venice and then took the train to Florence, spent 1 night there (not really enough time - I'd recommend two nights) and then went to Rome. Forget the side trips into the countryside - stick to the three cities. I'd call this an Italy sampler - you will be back.
Deb

Why don't you go where you want to go?

There is nothing "disastrous" about doing that.

A great many people feel a trip to Italy must involve doing things they don't ordinarily enjoy doing, like spending days at a time examining paintings and buildings from the past, or being in crowds of tourists because supposedly the experience is worth it.

If anything is "disastrous" it's spending hard-earned money trying to pass a schoolmarm's test when -- guess what? -- when you get home, no one will give the test, and you'll just be out the money.

Venice in spring is seldom smelly. "Overrun" is a subjective term, but you will encounter fewer tourist in the Amalfi in spring.

If spending time in museums is not how you spend your free time in the states, you might want to go to Florence as a day trip from Rome (90 minutes on the train), and keep your 8 day trip simple; Rome and the Amalfi.

If you only have 8 days on the ground I would limit yourself to 2 places. To really see anything of Rome you need a minimum of 3 days (4 nights) - but really a day or two more is better.

I would make you second stop Florence - with a couple of days in the city and a couple of day trips to Tuscan hill towns.

I think your dates are kind of early for the Amalfi coast (you won;t be able to swim, although you can tour) - but what do you intend to do there? If you want to see Pompeii you can do it as a very long day trip from Rome. You could see Capri and visit a couple of the small cliff towns - but it's largely beach resort when it's too cold for swimming.

The time of year you're going should have pleasant weather can be busy but not frantic as in summer.

Hi; Been to Italy eight times, but our first trip stayed in Rome for a week. Do you expect to return to Italy? If not, do the three cities, open jaw, as was suggested. Amalfi is wonderfull, but you can't do it all in eight days. Richard

8 days in Italy is nothing. It goes by very fast and doesn't permit much relaxation time. Trying to cram three major cities into an 8-day visit is OVERKILL. You won't get to see much, you will endure an exhausting itinerary, and you probably won't remember much after you leave.

That said, the end of April/early May is one of the most desirable times to be in Italy. Yes, there will be tourists but their numbers are much less (fewer children). And since prices are very high at this time, the quality of tourist can be quite enjoyable.

Venice and the Amalfi Coast are FABULOUS at this time of year. So is Tuscany. Rome is also gorgeous. You can achieve great reward by narrowing your focus and picking one or two places that make sense. You won't regret spending four nights in two places. And then in the future, come back to Italy to experience the rest.

"I've heard mixed things about venice, some say its smelly and overrun with tourists... "

All this statement says is that you're inexperienced and ill-informed. One could say the same thing about NYC in August (and it would be true). Any major European city on a hot summer day is going to be smelly and overrun with tourists. Get real and get smarter. The sooner the better.

ara824,

People are giving you recommendations as if they were based on something objective -- such as "Venice and the Amalfi are FABULOUS at this time of year."

Apart from seeing the artwork in Venice and pretty views of the sea and cliffs, I find both of them really annoying, touristy destinations full of pushy tourists. (Can you hear the pushing in this thread?)

I realized you asked to be told what to do -- so people are telling you to behave like they would. It's understandable, but it is mythical that there are tried-and-true ways to visit Italy, for the first time or the 10th time.

I encourage you to go where you want to go, including Venice if you are afraid not to, or now that you hear it won't be smelly, you want to.

But while there is a limit to how fast you can get about in terms of transportation and miles, there are otherwise no "objectively proven" ways to see Italy built upon ideas like "These towns go first, everybody likes that, this can't be missed by anybody, this time is right for that"

None of that has any basis in reality other than people's heads.

nycfoodsnob,

somehow I find inexperienced and ill-informed more appealing than experienced and ill-formed, and ill-mannered.

Hubby & I have been to Italy many times. But like you, on our first trip, we included many cities in our 12 days on the ground. We did so just to get an idea of what we liked best for a return visit. Now, & for many years, we only visit Rome & Venice (with day trips sometimes).

So, maybe your idea of a whirlwind tour is not such a bad idea for getting a brief glimpse of several areas. But it is not a good idea for actually experiencing much - which is ok, if that is what you want.

However, here is my suggestion - when I know of someone, like yourself, who wants to do a whirlwind tour, I suggest an inclusive bus tour (hotel/meal/sites/transportation); Globus or Trafalger are good ones with good hotels, meals, tour guides, itinerary, & inclusive sites (can get 10% discount at affordabletours.com). You will see so much more of Italy with a guided (inclusive or not inclusive) bus tour than you can ever see on your planned itinerary. The bus tour itineraries are planned so that you do not spend more than 2 hours at a time on the bus, and you gain almost immediate access at most sites; avoiding the lines & time waste; no time wasted waiting in airports/train stations between cities; driven to & picked up from the door of all sites, hotels, restaurants, shopping. The people you meet on the bus are a lot of fun (if you are a fun person). The bus company takes care of everything - no responsibility for the first timer. Obviously, there is the downside of too little time spent where you want, & some time spent where you do not want. But you will get that on your planned itinerary anyway, & will not cover near as much Italian territory.

Since we had less than 2 weeks for our first trip to Italy, we took a Globus tour for our first time only, & I'm so glad that we did. We visited Capri, Pompeii, Rome, Florence, Venice, Assisi, and parts of Tuscany - had a memorable under the stars dinner in a Tuscan vineyard with the most lucious food & enjoyable local musicians. We had excellent guided tours to all of the most visited sites in those cities. So, for your whirlwind tour, you might consider this option.

Re: Venice - we have been there too many times to count in the spring & fall - have never, ever experienced bad smells from the canals. Maybe that only occurs during hot, humid, summer days? On our first visit we did all of the tourist things, which were less crowded at those times of years, but still crowded. If you don't like crowds, do as we do, & stay out of the tourist areas - there is plenty to enjoy in the other areas.

Re: May - spring & fall are the best times to go to Italy, IMO. Less crowds & heat; prices cheaper.

Enjoy your trip. Whatever you decide, it can't be bad - afterall, you will be in Italy!

Julie

Personally I would not miss Venice, but that's just me. I have been twice, both times in August as it happened, and thought it was incredibly wonderful and beautiful. Sure there were plenty of other tourists, but that's because it is an AMAZING place. Neither other tourists or the heat of summer ruined it for me.

8 days is a pretty short trip, again personal choice but I'd probably only pick 2 places (or maybe 3 if you did Venice, Florence, Rome only because they are easy & reasonably quick to get to by train).

"People are giving you recommendations as if they were based on something objective -- such as "Venice and the Amalfi are FABULOUS at this time of year."

Beware of stale, greasy sfinges with mustaches. Nobody knows FABULOUS like the SNOB.

"somehow I find inexperienced and ill-informed more appealing than experienced and ill-formed, and ill-mannered."

No wonder you don't like yourself.

Since you mention Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast as your true interests, then I say stick with them. I love Venice--been there a dozen times, but to include it would take away from your true interests.

Can you be even more specific and consider what it is that appeals to you about Florence Rome, and the Amalfi Coast? As others have said even 8 days is not a lot of time to visit these places, especially when you consider relocating from hotel to hotel will take up at least half a day each time you do so.

You might consider staying just in Rome and the Amalfi Coast, but allow enough time in Rome to take a daytrip by train to Florence if you feel the desire to do so once you are there.

thanks for all the replies. i'm basically looking to soak in a little culture, but at the same time have some time on a beach with nice scenery.

maybe i will just plan for rome + amalfi only. I could save florence and venice for some other trip (i'm young!). is rome + amalfi doable in 8 days? I am not the type of person that has to see every tourist attraction on the list in rome.

Pick 2 and have fun !

Sure I think Rome/Amalfi coast is great. You could even add Naples back in if you really wanted to. Skipping Florence and Venice makes it a much more doable itinerary.

If you are not looking to do every tourist attraction on the list in Rome, the combination of Rome and the Amalfi in 8 days sounds like a beautiful vacation and a beautiful introduction to Italy -- and wise. Have a wonderful time!

Hotels in Rome tend to be a bit pricy. I have been to Rome many times always ending up in a hotel/pension in the Termnini (central railways station) area which actually isn't bad at all. Last year when we were in Rome we rented an apartment through www.romecityapartments.com The apartment was wonderful and very cozy. It was situated very close to the Pantheon and was only slightly more expensive than a cheap pension in the Termini area and definitely cheaper than any hotel in the Pantheon area. The apartment had two rooms with four beds, a kitchen and two wonderful terraces. Very good value for money.

8 nights - try 3 nights Rome, 2 nights Florence and 3 nights Venice. Don't miss Venice - it would be my first choice. I love wandering the streets of Venice - the boat rides to the islands.

It doesn’t really matter if you miss Venice – the most important thing is that you have a have a happy time. You can safely ignore the warnings that “Venice is sinking, and so it won’t be there much longer”. You’ll visit Italy again some time, and Venice will still be there.

We’ve found that the best time to visit Venice is in winter, as there are fewer crowds. And in Winter, the fog rolls in off the Adriatic, creating the most ethereal, beautiful atmosphere that you could imagine.

The most important thing is to have a stress-free trip, and so the advice from other posters to stay in just two places, with a couple of day trips is sound. Florence is an easy day trip from Rome, and there are frequent trains.

Hi ara,

1st visit, early May
Venice and Florence are musts.

Choose between Rome and the AC.

You can fly into Venice VCE or Milan MXP and out of Naples NAP.

Enjoy your visit.

Just a thought - but if you are wanting the Amalfi coast for beach time, will it be warm enough? I don't know, but just thought maybe you should consider that so you won't be disappointed.

Have fun, Julie

I was in the exact same dilemma last year! With the help of many people in the Europe forum, I decided on Rome & the Amalfi Coast. My husband and I had 9 nights in Italy last May. We flew into and out of Rome. We spent the first 3 nights in Rome, next 4 on the Coast and then last 2 in Rome. In Rome, we walked all around the entire city! We ate great food, drank house wine everywhere, ate gelato twice a day! We visited the Coliseum/Forum/Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican Museum/St. Peter's Basilica, hung out in Campo de Fiori a few nights, took in the scenery from the bridge over the Tiber River.
To get the the Coast, we took a train from Rome's Termini Station to Naples and then transferred to a bus from Naples to Positano. We stayed in Positano for 4 nights but did day trips along the coast by boat. One day trip was to Amalfi. Once we arrived in Amalfi we spent some time there and then took the bus up to Ravello and walked to Villa Cimbrone. This was one of my favorite parts of the entire coast! It is gorgeous and smells sooo beautiful! Another day trip was to Capri. The boat ride to Capri itself is pretty cool. We visited 3 grottos (white, green and blue) and even got to go inside of the blue grotto. After we reached Capri, we went up to Anacapri. We took a cable car to the top of Monte Solare. We also visited Axel Munthe's Gardens. Positano itself is great too. Lots of great restaurants on different levels of the cliff. One night we went up to a restaurant called La Tagliata. It's a fun dining experience and the views from there are nice too. One our way back to Rome, we got off the train at the Pompeii stop and visited the site for a few hours. It was pretty cool - I'm glad we stopped.

Just last night, we started thinking about going back to Italy this year - it's looking like May again - and we're planning to visit Venice, Florence and Tuscany. I didn't think I'd go back to Italy so quickly (we were actually going to plan a trip to France this year), but we fell in love with Italy and are craving more. With that said, I agree with the other posters that you shouldn't try to cram too much into this 8-day trip - and like you said - you're young and you'll definitely go back!

We are in Italy now on a 16 day visit.... 4 days in Rome was perfect but you could get by with 3 if you really wanted to... We had 3 on the Almafi and LOVED it there were not too many people around and the weather was fantastic... some brave souls were in the water - average day temps were about 16-18c Then we had 4 days in Florence and we felt like 2 would have been ample - we are now in Venice for 4 days and we love it. It's might well be our favourite spot.. if I was in your position I would skip Florence unless you really really love renaissance art.

We went to Rome & Venice once (haven't been to the other two destinations you're planning to see). We are leisurely travelers, so would be miserable trying to squeeze in too much. As others have said, there are pros & cons to whirlwind tours. For one thing, you need to have some stamina for "speed touring."

Personally, I loved Venice and had never been to anywhere like it. We enjoyed it. We also enjoyed Rome. So much depends on what you want to see and do in your 8 days and how best to divvy it up to keep these things in mind and keep sane, as well as the preferences of each of you.

Venice was nice because it was "small." We were there in March/April. It did NOT have any smell. My sister went in the mid-summer & said it stank & someone slipped into the canal & her leg was covered by slime & ick; they were all disgusted by it.

Well, after all of the suggestions, I too agree that 2 places would make a more savory trip with only 8 days. DO look online and read about the 4 places mentioned: Rome, Florence, Amalfi Coast and Venice. See what resonates with you most.

If you are truly into art and culture, I'd trade Venice for Amafi coast. There is a beach at the Lido from Venice but I simply don't know if it's too early.

If you want to "beach" it, I'd leave off Florence, keep Amalfi and add Venice. I await the onslaught of different opinions! Make Florence a base for future trip and other Tuscany towns.

Fly into Venice, train down to Rome and end up at Positano. Fly out of Naples.

hi ara,

just my two penn'th

in 8 days pick two places [you'll lose at least half a day every time you move]

if you decide on Rome and the Amalfi, flying into and out of Rome, as soon as you get to Rome, get the train to the Amalfi, spend 4 nights, then train back to Rome for the end of you trip. that way you don't have to change hotels too often and you are in the right place to fly home.

if you can fly into Rome and out of Naples, [or vice versa[ so much the better.

if you can do a similar length trip in the future, you might want to combine Venice and Florence, if you are still interested in them then.

ara, when we took our first trip to Italy we stayed in Sorrento and then Rome. We did as annhig suggested to you, taking the train to Naples and then Sorrento after arriving in Rome. Staying in any of the towns along the Amalfi coast would give you the beach experience you want. Venice and Florence will still be around when you return to Italy Have a great trip. Deborah

Thank you all for your opinions. Reading them all is great entertainment. I have been once to Italy, so would not claim to be any kind of expert. We went in 2009, 18 days end of April thru early May. My wife and I did the "tourist" route. Started in Venice, train to Florence, Train to Rome. Rental car back to Tuscany, Montisi to be specific. Loved it all. The crowds, the art the museums, the food, the difference! Go with an open mind and heart and like several posters have said have fun with the adventure of it all and experiencing something different (i am guessing) than you normally would.

firstly...I would just like to say that Venice and Amalfi are my two very favorite places in the world...and I have been more times that I can count over the years Yes...they are touristy and yet, I somehow am head-over-heels in love with both...maybe I just like the challenge of finding off-the-beaten-path spots and hidden gems in such a sea of tourists (?) It does help that I almost always travel off-season though.

We own a vacation home in Campania and it's very dear to my heart...we were in Venice last week because we were celebrating a special anniversary. We also enjoy Rome and I never, ever feel like I have seen it all. Personally?? I can do without Florence and always find IT crowded, smelly and overrun with tourists and I never seem to get a decent meal there...my point being that nobody has to love everywhere! I'm sure plenty out there will tell you they love Florence....only time we go is if en route from Campania to Venice.

That said...I say skip Amalfi. The reason has nothing to do with Amalfi at all (as I said -I happen to love the Amalfi coast!) but it takes more time out of the itinerary and you'll be on a tight schedule! It is easy to "do" Venice, Florence, Rome by train - in and out of the station and you are right in the heart of town...Amalfi just takes too long to get to really enjoy it (IMHO.) I'd probably even say to do Florence, Rome and Naples before Amalfi just due to the time constraints.