cbgetaway2015

Time has flown by since my first post here. I have been checking things off my to-do list here and there, but I can't help feeling like I am forgetting something. I figured this may be a good place to work it out. It's a bit long winded, but you all helped me so much in the beginning I am hoping a brave soul or two will "check my work"

Let me make these statements first.
~ Airfare has been booked for MONTHS, hotels too. I emailed the hotels to reconfirmed my reservations.
~ I've figured out which luggage we are going to use, with the exception of my day bag.
~ I've ordered the little things, like luggage locks, headphone splitters (for the plane), outlet adapters... Feel like maybe I am over looking something obvious.
~ I've booked a couple walking tours, the ones I had to have. (See below)
~ My transportation to and from each airport has been arranged.
~ passports up to date

Next, a run through of our trip.

Venice- four nights
I've booked transportation from the airport already thru alilaguna. There is a stop near my hotel.
I've also booked the secret itineraries tour of the Doges Palace.
I am planning to get my vaporetto pass once we get there... Bad idea?
We want to see St Marks Basillica but I have made no arrangements yet.
Murano, Burano and Torcello are also must sees, I am planning to take the vaporetto.

From Venice we are traveling by train to Riomaggiore. People have told me that I cannot prebook this because some of these trains are regional. I plan to book my travel from city to city while I am there, but I keep thinking I want to book this first train. It looked like I could prebook on the websites, but I know a lot is subject to change. I was thinking I would prebook a few days before we fly out. Or maybe it's better to book it a couple days before we leave venice? The train travel has me a little bugged out. As excited as I am for it, it's just so new to me and I don't want to screw it up.

Riomaggiore- four nights
I think we are planning to walk from the train station to our hotel... Need to look at the distance.
We want to generally explore and hike all over 5T. I need to get our trail passes...but I was planning to do that on arrival...is that the right thing to do?
I do want to see the towns from the water so we will take the ferry from one end to the other at some point. I am also planning to book this there.
Apparently on our first full day in 5t there is a Lemon festival in Monterosso. Would love to check that out.

Planning to travel by train from Riomaggiore to Florence. Will book train ticket while we are there. I was considering stopping in Pisa on this stretch of the trip. Since we connect there anyway. There is a baggage check in the Pisa train station. This kind of sounds like a pain though... Has anyone does it? If we did do this would we have to buy two different tickets. Riomaggiore to Pisa and then Pisa to Florence?

Florence- three nights
Once we arrive on Florence our hotel is in the center of everything. I am again thinking we will be taking a taxi to our hotel, it seems like it would be too far/busy to walk, but I plan to look into that more.
We want to do the Uffizi, the duomo and the Accademia here at the very least. I am not booking tours here but do plan to make reservations in advance for both.
I want to see piazzale Michelangelo, and the Ponte Vecchio as well.

It was suggested to me to take the bus from Florence to Siena which makes sense. I am planning to book this as we go. If I don't do Pisa on the way to Florence we could do it here too, or as a day trip from Siena (maybe adding another Tuscan town (hill town?) or two by bus.

Siena- three nights
In Siena I actually don't have anything major on my list other than the possible day trip listed above and exploring the city by foot, and just going with the flow.

We plan to travel for. Siena to Rome by bus, booking it as we leave. Then plan to take a taxi from the bus station

Rome- four nights
One day in Rome I have a walking tour booked for the Vatican and St. Peter's (against some advice, but please don't be too hard on me, this is what works for us.) Another day one of the forum and the colosseum. Some of the Vatican museums and Palatine hill we will be doing on our own. I'll need to make reservations for those.
I want to see the Apian way, the Campo di Fiore, Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps.
I'm also interested in the villa borghese. Reservations?
We are planning to travel by foot as much as possible, and by taxi some...possibly by bus?
My hotel has arranged a ride to the airport for us.
One more thing... I have been tempted in Rome to do a day trip to Pompeii. Walks of Italy has a tour that provides transportation, takes you to Pompeii, with a short visit to Postiano. I haven't booked this because know there is so much to see in Rome and it would take a full day. My husband is interested and it is affordable. I am worried that I will regret not doing it since it is so doable. This is something I am working out.

What do you all recommend about bringing euros vs taking out cash there. My bank has suggested getting some in advance. A travel savvy acquaintance of mine said to take out as much as i think i will need before we leave so to not have to pay higher exchange rates in Europe. My guide books have recommended just getting your cash in Europe but doing larger withdrawals so you do less transactions. My head is kinda spinning on this issue. What about customs if I bring my own cash, what are their limitations? I don't feel comfortable bringing ALL the cash we will need on my person, that seems risky...advice would be appreciated greatly!

So this is where I'm at. A lot is done, but there are still lots details to work out. If you made it through all of that rambling thanks for hanging in with me! Thank you for letting me process "out loud"

HappyTrvlr

You have done a great job with your planning. Book the Acaddemia and Uffzi ASAP. Seeing David the first time was a travel higjlight for me.
Get your Euros at ATM maxhine in Venice airport. No need to get it bedore arrival.
Cinque Terre..I assume you will also hike from village to village. We did it over two days.

Jean

Make reservations for the Galleria Borghese now.

Inform your credit card institutions of the dates you'll be using your cards in Italy.

bilboburgler

Get your Euros from the ATM thingies, you don't want to carry loads around and get it pinched.

Florence centre is very small, easy walk from station to most hotels.

buy the ticket for regionale trains on the day.

Vaperetto passes can be bought at some machines and at the main ticket points, do it there.

Rome; I find foot and underground/overground train is the best, but you could use the bus.

The trip to Pompei will be longish, so if weather is very hot you might avoid. Why not catch the train to Ostia Antica in Rome which is about as interesting.

Vatican, get the reservation soon, for the rest just buy on the day, but don't buy at the long queues for the Colosseum, buy at the Palatine hill entrance

Siena, you must do the Duomo and the musuem next door and the main square, everything else is bunce.

Truffles

I would take some cash with you to start -amount would be what you're comfortable carrying - you may not be easily able to locate an ABM when you arrive.

Check to see if your bank has reciprocal agreements with any banks in Italy which will eliminate paying fees when you do withdraw cash.

Dayle

cb,


I'm not sure I have seen your planning until now, but it does look like you have put together a great trip. I'll add a few comments based on my experiences:

Venice - out of the 3 islands you want to visit, I think Murano is the most skippable. It is also the closest to Venice, so leave your visit there last if you still feel the need to visit. Burano and Torcello are more unique and close to each other, and also take the longest via vaporetto, over an hour. Visit those first, then if you have done all the wandering and sightseeing you want in Venice (there is a LOT), head for Murano. Skip the glass blowing demos if you have seen it before.

Train to Riomaggiore: you can probably prebook the train from Venice to Florence and you will change trains in Florence or Pisa. You can easily stop in Pisa either on the way to Cinque Terre or on the return. The train stops there anyway.

When we went, there was the option to either change trains in Pisa with a 1 hr connection, or take a later connection that gave us 3 1/2 hours. There is luggage check in the Pisa station, no hassle. There were no taxis at the train station that we could find so we walked to the Field of Miracles which took about 25 minutes. If you want a taxi (recommend) have the snack bar in the station call one for you asap. Be sure to take time to see the Pisa Duomo, it's one of the most beautiful I've seen and third largest in Italy.

Ferries on the CT: I assume you are going in a few weeks. If still spring, ferries will probably be on a limited schedule so check the schedule upon arrival. We visited in May and didn't get to see the CT by boat because there was no ferry scheduled for the day we hiked from Riomaggiore to Vernazza. We were staying in Santa Margherita Ligure and returned by train which is definitely NOT scenic. Lots of tunnels. Also, the ferries won't run if the seas are too rough, so take the op to do the sea view of the CT on the first good weather day.

The only change to your trip I would recommend is based on my personal preferences. I would not stay in Siena. It's a much larger city than you think! If you want the Tuscan hilltown experience, bus to Siena and spend the day. Pick up a rental car there and drive to your choice of small town/village for your countryside time! The possibilities are endless and all beautiful. Driving in the countryside is a joy! You can stop where you want for photo ops, lunch, whatever. Nothing hard about it. You could return the car in either Chuisi or Orvieto and train into Rome. Depends on your travel days because the smaller offices are closed for long lunches, & Sundays. Something to think about if you haven't already.

Once you get to Rome, I don't think you will want to leave to do the Pompeii day trip. Save Pompeii for another visit that includes the Amalfi or other southern Italy regions.

Yes, book the Borghese now. The first morning time slot is a good one, because you don't have to fight the mobs at the coat/bag check from previous time slots.....

Don't just call your bank/credit card companies regarding your intl travel. Also ask them for their 3rd party security monitoring company number and call those people yourself. Most of the time the bank/cc co. don't bother to pass on your info to the people who have the power to cut you off. Also look into raising your daily ATM withdrawal limit if necessary. Usually only people who need to pay cash for an apartment rental need to do this. If you are using cc for hotels, you shouldn't need all that much cash at a time.

You won't be paying high exchange rates unless you go to a money exchange office. No reason to do this at all. I usually to take some Es with me because I travel solo frequently and like to have a Plan B and Plan C if needed.

You are going to love Italy. Buon viaggio!

fmpden

.....A travel savvy acquaintance of mine said to take out as much ...so to not have to pay higher exchange rates in Europe. ....

I would hate to hear what other advice you are receiving from this savvy friend because he/she is absolutely dead wrong regarding exchange rates. You will pay the highest exchange rate and fees getting euro in the US. The cheapest and most convenient way to obtain local currency is via a debit card at a bank own ATM in Europe. ATMs are everywhere just as in the US. I do think it is handy to have a hundred euro in your pocket when you land just for the convenience. So buy in the US but you pay a premium between 5 to 10%.

I would carry two debit cards tied to two different accounts as back up should one card not work. In 15 years of being totally dependent debit cards, have never had a card fail but these is always tomorrow.

Compared to our planning you are way over the top but if you are comfortable with the schedule that is fine. You really have no down time schedule. We always find that things take longer than we anticipate so our fourth or fifth day is always blank just to allow for time to catch up on what we missed earlier.

Remember that all and only Regionale train tickets must be validated (time stamped) in the little yellow or blue box on the platform prior to getting on the train. Watch the local do it. The fine is immediate and substantial if catch without a validated ticket.

....we have to buy two different tickets. Riomaggiore to Pisa and then Pisa to Florence?.....

Probably a better idea for two tickets. Once validate a Regionale ticket is good for five hours. So you could buy a ticket from Riom.. to Florence and get off briefly in Pisa but you would have to complete the total trip in five hours. Price for two separate tickets will about the same as one so get two so you have the flexible you need.

You absolutely need advance reservations for the Accademia and G. Borghese especially with your tight schedule. See the Appian Way on a Sunday when traffic is restricted. IMO the metro in Rome is nearly worthless so use the bus system.

cbgetaway2015

Thank you all for your advice and help.

One other thing I am trying to make a decision on, as I have mentioned before, is whether to get an international plan for my phone. I plan to use wifi when necessary to touch base with home via Facebook/email/skype. But I am ok with being disconnected for the most part. Our families will know how to reach us incase of emergency, obviously. Do I need an international plan/data? I've already gotten some advice on this matter so I apologize for the repeat question. I just still haven't made a decision.


Fmpden: I didn't feel comfortable with the idea of taking out all the cash I would need. While that may have worked for them, it is much to risky for me.

dayle: thank you so much for your kind words and experiences. We have decided not to rent a car, and will be staying in siena. I do really want to explore siena, but thank you for the advice, you weren't the first to recommend a more rural area and a rental car... Maybe next time when I come back to see Pompeii

bvlenci

There's no need to buy tickets in advance, unless you want to try for discounted tickets. If you do buy them in online, don't buy them for regional trains. The regional tickets sold online are much more restricted than the regional tickets sold in the station. Remember that regional tickets have to be stamped in a machine by the track before you board the train. You can buy tickets to anywhere in any station in Italy. The regional tickets are good on any train for the next two months, until you stamp them, and then they have to be used within a few hours. (The ones sold online are sold for a specific time period, because they can't be stamped.)

The little box where you stamp the tickets is now green, red, and white, the Trenitalia colors.

There's luggage storage as Pisa Centrale station. Lots of people leave their bags there and visit the Tower of Pisa. Allow yourself plenty of time to pick up your bags.

You should also reserve the tickets for the Uffizi in advance, unless you want to stand in a long ticket queue. This is a museum that I think is of interest only to people with a specialized interest in Renaissance painting. It has all the great artists, but the subjects are overwhelmingly religious subjects. As one person on Tripadvisor said, rather blasphemously, "One *** Madonna after another." It's a huge, crowded museum, and I've heard from many people that they had seen enough within half an hour.

The Borghese Gallery has to be reserved in advance, and if there's a special exhibit there, tickets can sell out weeks in advance. You have to arrive there half an hour before your assigned entry time. If there are two of you, one should stand in the ticket line while the other checks the bags. You can't bring in even a purse. The entire group of 200 enters at once and leaves at the end of the two-hour period so the next group can enter. (The two hours is not quite two full hours.) It often is really a mob scene, and unless you're a real Bernini fan, I would remind you that there are other wonderful art museums in Rome.

You don't have to reserve the Palatine Hill if you're going on a tour of the Colosseum. Your Colosseum entry ticket includes entry to the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill site, either on the same day you visit the Colosseum or the next day.

You might want to visit Ostia Antica in Rome rather than taking a day trip to Pompeii. It's a large ancient city, which was the port of Rome in ancient times, with many well-preserved buildings. You can get there on a city bus ticket, and, while it would take many visits to see everything, you can have a good visit in about half a day. It's also shadier, cooler, and less crowded than Pompeii.

www.ostia-antica.org

fmpden

You only need an international data plan IF you plan to download data via a telephone 3G/4G network. Otherwise the internet works fine for skype, face-time, facebook and generally it is free. Free internet is almost universal in Europe. Harder to find a place that doesn't have internet than one that does.

KaylaS

Your trip sounds amazing cbgetaway2015! I am planning a similar trek through italy in July, can't wait to hear how your's turns out

vincenzo32951

My random responses:

Venice- four nights
>>I've booked transportation from the airport already thru alilaguna. There is a stop near my hotel.<< Sounds good.
>>I've also booked the secret itineraries tour of the Doges Palace.<< I think you'll like it.
>>I am planning to get my vaporetto pass once we get there... Bad idea?<< Good idea.
>>Murano, Burano and Torcello are also must sees, I am planning to take the vaporetto.<< OK, good. I prefer Burano of the three.

>>We want to do the Uffizi, the duomo and the Accademia here at the very least. I am not booking tours here but do plan to make reservations in advance for both.<< Yes, book in advance. Hit the doumo first thing in the a.m. to avoid the lines.

>>I do want to see the towns from the water so we will take the ferry from one end to the other at some point. <<
Ferry to Portovenere is a good idea, but it's weather dependent. Won't go when the sea is rough. I don't think you need to book in advance.

>>I want to see piazzale Michelangelo, and the Ponte Vecchio as well.<< Take the bus to the PM and watch the sun set over the city. PV is OK; I guess you should see it once.

Rome sounds OK, including the day trip to Pompeii (it'll be a long day, but what the hey). Not so sure about trying to squeeze Positano into the same day.

Bring about 100 euros and go to an ATM for the rest of your needs. Sometimes the ATMS at the airport can be crowded or out of order, so having some euros is advisable. But there's no reason to bring a whole bunch.

tuscanlifeedit

Using the bus, tram or metro in Rome depends entirely on where you are going and what your starting point is. It's almost silly to say that any of these are best. If you're going from the Spanish Steps to the Vatican Museum, you would want to use the Metro, as an example.

We often travel with 100 euro or so, but have never ever had trouble finding an ATM in Europe. We do travel with two separate ATM cards and each have two credit cards.

I agree that Pompeii is too much and that Ostia Antica is wonderful and easy.

Also, Siena doesn't thrill me either. Pick a nice small town as suggested.

ellenem

"If I don't do Pisa on the way to Florence we could do it here too, or as a day trip from Siena (maybe adding another Tuscan town (hill town?) or two by bus."

Pisa is an easier daytrip from Florence than it is from Siena--check a map.

Blueeyedcod

I fail to see how Pompeii could be considered 'too much' when it takes just over two hours to get there from Rome. IMHO how can that be difficult unless you're elderly with mobility issues or three years old.
Pompeii is Pompeii. There is nothing like it. Ostia was a port town covered with silt. It is interesting but if you've travelled halfway around the world, then two more hours inbound and two outbound won't be an issue.
Take the high speed rail from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale. Once there, follow the blue signs that say 'Circumvesuviana'. They will take you down some stairs, left along a concourse full of shops and at the very end is a ticket office, leading to a basement train station which will take you to Pompeii in 50 minutes. Tickets cost around 4 euro.
You will also have the experience of seeing Mt. Vesuvius from the train as it hugs the Bay of Naples - and you'll see it clearly from Pompeii itself. There is nothing like the drama of Vesuvius looming darkly over Pompeii - it's presence is menacing to say the least.

If you have time, you could have pizza in Naples before you head back to Rome. Neapolitan pizza deserves its reputation as the best in the world - after all it was invented there. Da Michele is a very short distance from Napoli Centrale and is an unmissable experience. It's also open all day - some of Naples' best pizza places close between 3pm and 7pm.

cbgetaway2015

Wonderful advice! Thanks you all again! With the exception of a few unnecessarily snarky jabs (which I have come to realize are a part of Fodors life) I am feeling much better about where I am in my planning and am making the necessary reservations asap. I knew I would get the help I needed here! This has been my favorite planning resource, and I have you all to thank! I can't wait to report back!
Ostia Antica looks amazing! I am going to be checking that out, and I am putting a pin in Pompeii.

cbgetaway2015

Blueeyedcod And Vincenzo...

"Not so sure about trying to squeeze in Postiano the same day" and "I fail to see how Pompeii could be considered too much when it takes just two hours..."

https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-to...ours-from-rome
Above is the link for the Pompeii tour from Rome that I was considering. It includes Postinao. I should have posted this link in the beginning. It is a 13 hour tour. But as I mentioned above I think i will be holding off in this. Maybe going it on our own as you suggested Blueeyedcod.

cbgetaway2015

Question about making reservations online for Accademia/ Uffizi/borghese etc...

If I make my reservations online I will get a voucher which I will have to swap for a ticket at the ticket desk. Does this mean standing in a separate line that the people that are just buying tickets with no reservation? I hope. If so is it clear which line to get in ones è I get there?

Dayle

Hi cb
My suggestion about Pompeii being too much assumes you would have the same level of interest as me.

I have visited on two different trips. The first I spent only 2.5 hours due to a traveling companion with a short attention span! The second I was traveling solo and was able to take 4.5 hours just seeing new points. Would have stayed longer but I pooped out.

So I guess it depends. If you would be happy with a two hour tour that satisfies many people then a day trip might not be too much.

Pompeii was obviously fascinating for me and i also enjoyed the Arch museum in Naples, especially the incredible mosaics that came from Pompeii. Another wonderful city and it's sights worth a visit on another trip.

Always so hard to choose!

sandralist

Not to be snarky at all, but pizza in Naples is worth sampling so you can make up your own mind about it. Technically or historically it might be the best in the world on paper, but I'm not the only pizza lover who doesn't like it and would rather eat the pizze of Rome or Sorrento.

But for a taste of pizza in Napoli, I would go anywhere EXCEPT Da Michele, unless -- and this is snark -- you are on some kind Julia Roberts EAT PRAY LOVE tour. I think of all the tourist-lined-up pizzeria in Naples, that one really sucks the most.