Looking for Italy Itinerary Advice (8N)

Old Apr 29th, 2017, 09:15 AM
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Looking for Italy Itinerary Advice (8N)

Hi there!
Hoping for some experienced advice. We have 8 days (including travel to/from the U.S.) for an Italy trip for our anniversary. Extremely tentative dates would be in mid-to-late October 2017. Leaving the US on a Thursday night, arriving in Italy early Friday morning, and leaving back out the following Friday on a mid-day flight.

We have two MUSTS-Venice (mine), and Rome (his). I realize the easiest option would be 3N-Venice/4N-Rome, but since I don't see us getting back for years, we're considering squeezing in one more stop. We are using miles so open jaw flights, stopovers, etc, are fine. We cannot add more days, before that's suggested. Grandma will only keep the kiddos so long

The debate is if we could fit in 1-2N in between for a 3rd stop. While I'd adore the Almafi area, it might be too far to be feasible with travel times. Florence has been suggested, but I would like any additional stops to be outside busy cities. Some place with natural beauty, perhaps somewhere in Tuscany (Sienna, San Gimignano, easy to access Vineyard, etc), very open to suggestions!

Some background- This will be our first trip to Italy. We've previously been to Europe via Moscow (w/Guide), and Southwestern Ireland (self-drive).

Additional: We could move this to a Friday to Saturday trip if needed as well. I'm wondering if we'll have any issues on our Sunday stay with transportation or attractions having shorter hours.

Thanks in advance!!!
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 09:27 AM
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So, you want a smaller city on the train system between Venice and Rome for a one nighter. Can I suggest

Padua
Ferrara
Modena
Bologna will be too busy
Perugia (don't know it that well)

If you go off the rail track you'll just up adding driving time for little reason and given how little you actually have, I'd not.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 09:35 AM
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So you have 7 nights.

If you really must see both Venice and Rome, it would be easy enough to fly into one, and out of the other town ("open-jaw" flight).

Consider 3 nights in Venice and 4 nights in Rome. Trains run between the two cities.
You can really see Rome's super-famous sights in two days, if you plan well and are organized, and have a third day for wandering; or take a day trip from Rome on the third day - Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Orvieto in Umbria..

I spent 4 nights in Venice and could have stayed longer. But you can see the major sights and get a good long taste of it in 2 full days.
There are also day trips you could take on the train from Venice - Verona, Padua... but don't know if you'd want to do this with just two full days.

3 places is too much, imo, for one week. Remember that travel days take most of the day, even if traveling by train 2-3 hours. You need time to pack your bag again, check out of your hotel, wait for the train, take the train, check into new hotel, unpack... Then you need to eat.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 09:41 AM
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I would forget Amalfi right off the bat. As bilbo says, stay on the train routes. I would pick Perugia, but I adore Umbria. You absolutely will not have time to roam around the countryside of Tuscany (or Umbria for that matter). It will be very rushed if you add anything, but if you're willing to cram 3 places into what amounts to 7 days because you think it's your only chance in a long time to see even a small slice of Italy, sure, do it. You'll probably need a vacation once you get home.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 11:40 AM
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If you add another stop, you should probably stay two nights in that place, or else you'll have so little time there that it's not worth the hassle of getting there.

Perugia is not a bad idea, but another half hour on the train would take you to even smaller and prettier towns, such as Assisi and Spello. (Spello is one of the most charming towns in Italy, in my opinion.)

Perugia, Assisi, and Spello are all on the same train line, which has direct train connections to Rome. To get to these towns, you have to change trains in Florence. If you leave Venice early in the morning, you could even manage to spend a few hours in Florence, at least to see the Duomo (from the outside), the Piazza della Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio, and the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, which is right by the train station, and full of spectacular Renaissance art.

To do this, you would leave your bags at the station baggage check facility. The Duomo is about a ten-minute walk from the station. The outside is spectacular, and there isn't a whole lot to see in the inside, anyway. The Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza della Signoria are close to the Duomo, and you could stop at the Basilica on your way back to the station.

So what I suggest is two nights in Venice, two nights in [Perugia, Assisi, or Spello] and three nights in Rome. This leaves you little time to see Venice and Rome. I would be very selective about what you choose to see in those cities. Make sure to see things that really interest you, rather than "must-sees". I consider "must-sees" to be like "one size fits all". Better to choose things that fit you well!
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 12:41 PM
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I would stick with two places, Rome and Venice and do a day trip from either if you felt it necessary. Simple is almost always better.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 01:31 PM
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Stick with Venice and Rome.
Three nights Venice gives you only 2 days and 4 nights Rome, only 3 days.
Go directly between the two by train.

If after 1 day you feel you are done with Venice, then here two options:
1. Take a vaporetto out to the islands in the lagoon, especially to Burano. Very colorful and different from Venice proper.
2. Take the train to Vicenza for a beautiful, small town filled with Palladian architecture. If you go there, don't miss Teatro Olimpico. Check opening hours.

If after two days, you want something outside of Rome, some short, easy day trips:
1. Go to Tivoli for Hadrian's villa, gardens, temple and archcheological site.
2. Visit Ostia Antica.
3. Orvieto, Hill town, North of Rome, by train.

This way, you can keep options open, knowing you can see extra, wonderful things spur of the moment.

Two more options.
1. The city center of Florence (Duomo, Baptistery, Ponte Vecchia Bridge, Santa Croce) is actually Very, Very small with everything close together, and the train station is only a five or ten minute walk from the Duomo. If you leave Venice early, get off the train in Florence and store your luggage at the station, you could spend several hours walking around. Then grab your stuff and head on to Rome. Much As I like some of the other places, Florence really is beautiful even without going to any museums. You would see a third, unique, fantastic place with no extra time spend traveling.

2. As a matter of fact, since you want something smaller and some nature, in Florence, catch the bus up to Fiesole for some views of the countryside and overlooking Florence, have lunch there, then go back to Florence for a couple of hours walking around. I would do that only if it is a pretty day and not hazy.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 01:52 PM
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We did our honeymoon in Italy as well - we did Rome and the Amalfi Coast, but we spent two weeks just between those two (for us, on our first visit to Italy, that was PERFECT, by the way).

I have since been back to Italy twice more - once for 10 days split between Florence and Tuscany, and most recently for two weeks doing Venice, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast (it was our 5th anniversary, and the main idea for the trip was to go back to the same hotel we stayed at for our honeymoon). Other than Venice, we skipped cities entirely on that last trip (we were in Florence just to pick up our rental car for Tuscany, but the focus was countryside).

Italy is my favourite place in the world, and I would go back a thousand times - and with that said, I will echo the other posters here - pick a maximum of two locations for one week. If you love it as much as I do, you will be back at some point in your life - you'll simply make it happen. That's honestly been my biggest and most worthwhile travel realization - if I love it, I WILL come back, which allows me the freedom to say "we'll leave that for next time" and actually believe it. Part of the joy of Italy is the pace of life - don't stress about trying to SEE everything, because then you won't actually be able to experience what Italy's all about.

You've already chosen the two you're most burning to see - spend the time and enjoy them. One day (in 5, 10, 20 years...), you'll be back, and then you can do justice to Florence, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast. Believe me.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 02:01 PM
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Orvieto a iconic hill town (near Tuscany if not Tuscan) if right on the route between Florence and Rome (though you have to take local trains from Florence as high-speed trains don't stop here- one night easy to get too without major detour.

For lots on Italian trains - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com - latter good info on discounted tickets on fast trains Venice-Rome or wherever.

I like sassafrass's idea of two cities with a day trip to two to smaller gems (like Vincenza). Figure two days travel time gives you six days only for the trip - Venice and Rome would be great.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 02:06 PM
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Oooh, actually, I like Sassafrass's suggestion of popping into Florence. Do that, if your train schedule allows, since most likely your train would change there anyway to travel from Venice to Rome. If you can arrange it, plan to arrive there in time for lunch. Stash your bags at the station - there is a left-luggage area.

Walk past the Duomo (stop for photos, of course), on your way here for lunch: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restauran...e_Tuscany.html

We ate there on our Florence/Tuscany trip, and when we did our brief stop to pick up the car this last time, we went back again - it was just as good, and it's amazing to watch the pizza masters at work. It's right by the Piazza della Signoria, so stroll there after you eat. Then grab a gelato and wander your way back to the train station.

That's a perfect compromise - you get a brief taste of Florence added in to what was already going to be a busy travel day, with no wasted time of dragging your luggage around and checking in/out of an additional hotel just to do it all again the next day. Definitely just enough to whet your appetite for that return visit, which Florence is definitely worth!
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 04:43 PM
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I suggest you decide about Florence (or any other side trip) after you arrive in Venice. Your first day in Italy will be tough if you land in the early morning and want to spend the entire day sightseeing. (First, you'll need to drop your luggage at your hotel.) You may realize you need that third day to finish seeing all that you want to see in Venice and want to train to Rome in the late afternoon or evening. Yes, your train tickets will cost more when you buy them the day of travel, but you won't be locking yourselves into a plan that you wish you hadn't made.

Also, if you do decide to stop in Florence on what I think by your plan will be a Monday, many of the main museums will be closed. Uffizi, Accademia (Michelangelo's David), Palazzo Vecchio... and depending on which Monday, the Bargello and Medici Chapels may also be closed.

FYI, trains from Venice to Rome don't involve a change at Florence, although they do stop there (for 8 minutes).
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 05:02 PM
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Until a few weeks ago I would be with the people telling you to just do Venice and Rome. But I just did a one week - Venice-Florence-Rome trip with a friend who had never been to Italy and it was great. Yes we walk relatively fast, no we did not spend any significant time 'relaxing', but you really can hit the highlights in a week. I will say one of the reasons it worked as well as it did is that I'd been to Italy 13 times and knew my way around, the hotels we stayed in I'd already stayed in, etc. IF you don't have someone to 'show you' around you will need to do some decent research and planning. But it IS doable (and enjoyable). I'll be posting a trip report shortly which should give you an idea of what can reasonably be 'accomplished' in a week visiting three major cities.
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Old Apr 30th, 2017, 02:39 AM
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just adding my two penn'oth it seems to me that your problems are too little time really to fit in a third place and if you do, making it a country venue rather than a city one.

here's an idea - why not have a car service pick you up somewhere [? SMN Florence] and deposit you at another station on the line to Rome [could be further down that line or at a station on the line that runs down the west coast from Genoa to Rome] and in the mean time give you a tour of some of the countryside. I know that people here have enjoyed trips with this company:

http://www.hillsandroads.com/inflash/index.html

but I'm sure that others are available too.
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Old Apr 30th, 2017, 02:43 AM
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just adding my two penn'oth it seems to me that your problems are too little time really to fit in a third place and if you do, making it a country venue rather than a city one.

here's an idea - why not have a car service pick you up somewhere [? SMN Florence] and deposit you at another station on the line to Rome [could be further down that line or at a station on the line that runs down the west coast from Genoa to Rome] and in the mean time give you a tour of some of the countryside. I know that people here have enjoyed trips with this company:

http://www.hillsandroads.com/inflash/index.html

but I'm sure that others are available too.
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Old Apr 30th, 2017, 02:43 AM
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how did that happen???
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Old Apr 30th, 2017, 12:50 PM
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Happens to me once in a while - how not sure but something we do wrong for sure.
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