Two weeks in december in italy/swiss

Old Jul 29th, 2010, 10:22 PM
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Two weeks in december in italy/swiss

Hi,

1. Just wanted to know if something of this thing could be done in december first two weeks.
This would be a honeymoon trip, so wanted to know if this would be too hectic

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/i...-mountains-44/

2. Second option I was considering as follows:

Rome: 2-3 days
Venice: 3-4 days
Amalfi coast : 4-5 days
tuscani : 4 days

Please let me know if this is viable , feasibility weather in december, whether coastal region would be ok to visit. I am ok if there are not many tourists and most of the shops are closed. Temperature is not too high I read , but it could rain.

Please advise.
Thanks
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Old Jul 30th, 2010, 09:04 AM
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Amalfi coast is a beach resort nd in winter it wil be chilly, posibly rainy and many hotels and restaurants will be cloed for the seson. some ferries show down copletely in the winter and others may not run if the seas are rough - so you may or may ot be abel to see the Isle of Capri. Can;t see visiting a beach resosrt in winter.

Weather in Rome and Venice my be mild - 50's - or colder (40), some rain is likely and snow is possible. To me the countryside in winter is not very atractive (kind of grey and crispy) so I would stick to cities.

Also, days will be short and some sights have reduced openngh ours in winter (sometiem only from 9am to 1pm, then closd in the afternoon.

I love Europe - but if I were going in winter I would go to the alps or northern europe for the skiing and snow sports. Or else just stick to a couple of major cities with christmas lights/activities and most things stil open.
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Old Jul 30th, 2010, 11:26 AM
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<snow is possible>

Yes, but extremely improbable. Snow is a major event in both cities, occuring every few years only. Venice is great in December, I go almost every year. Short days notwithstanding, one of the best if not the best month to really experience the city, without having it to share with all those daytrippers coming in from Jesolo and Bibione.
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Old Jul 31st, 2010, 05:12 AM
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thanks for your useful comments.
Now on a second thought I am planning the following:

Rome : 3 nights
Venice : 3 nights
Florence : 3 nights
Sorrento/amalfi : 4 nights

I would be flying in and out of rome. Given open jaw tickets are way costlier than return ticket to rome.

So the order would be rome->venice->florence->sorrento->rome
Please advise.
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Old Jul 31st, 2010, 04:57 PM
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Open jaw tickets are not much more expensive - they shouldn;t be any more expensive at all. If you're getting higher prices you're not searching for the right itineraries (multi-destination, not 2 one-way tickets).

I would definitely do open jaws and make it

Land in Rome and go to AC
AC 3 nights
Rome 4 nights
Florence 3 nights
Venice 3 nights

You could reverse Florence and Venice depending n the convenienece of flights back from Venice or Pisa.
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Old Jul 31st, 2010, 06:06 PM
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marking for later comment
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Old Jul 31st, 2010, 09:30 PM
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thanks , yeah I was trying to plan the same , but flying into venice and flying out of rome is cheaper than the other way around during the dates I am planning.
Also bom-rom-bom I have egypt air which is way cheaper than open jaw(not on egypt air).
bom-rom-venice-bom is in turkish airlines and emirates.
If tickets get cheaper sometime I can do open jaw.
I am using kayak for airfares , any other recommended website
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Old Jul 31st, 2010, 10:05 PM
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Definitely look at open jaw ticket possibilities, it will save you $ and time in the long run, even if the fares to FCO on Egypt Air are less, what is the additional cost of returning to Rome (train, transfers to the hotel, time, etc).

Be very careful with flight schedules for Venice. Don't choose a flight that leaves VCE early (if you find a good airfare) because your only option for getting to the airport for an early morning flight maybe an extremely expensive water taxi ride. Once you find fights that are suitable, check the Aliguna (water bus to the airport) and ATVO (fly bus to the airport) schedules before you purchase your flights if you are flying in/out of VCE.

Having said that, there are better destinations to visit in Europe in Dec, I'd visit the major cities and Christmas markets, but it looks like you are set on Italy.
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Old Jul 31st, 2010, 10:17 PM
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though I am set on Italy , still not booked anything now. What other options you are talking about , given I have two weeks , and this is the Honeymoon.
I am still open if suggestion works for me.

Thanks
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 06:00 AM
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any other recommendations on booking flight tickets. Should I wait for some , is there chances of prices going down, given it would a off season in italy.

Any suggestions on stay in amalfi. sorrento/positano/any other.
I am ok with a budget BnB.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 06:03 AM
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Also just want a recommendation on renting a car or using public transport: trains/bus to travel to AC and nearby from rome.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 08:01 AM
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I do not think cars and the Amalfi Coast mix very well at least IME - there is only one road - the sinuous coastal road - known as one of the most dramatic drives in the world - i feel better on the very frequent and very cheap buses that play the road constantly - if i am driving i can see little of the scenery but have to keep my eyes peeled on the road and there are boats that scoot between the key Amalfi towns as well.

Getting to Sorrento from Rome you can take a direct bus - i believe from Rome's Tiberina station or you can easily do it by train from Rome Termini to Naples Centrale - then switch to the tiny CircumVesuviana train that terminates in Sorrento. This train also stops right at the gates of Pompeii's archaelogical park - so you could day trip from an AC town by bus or boat to Sorrento then take the train to Pompeii - other major day trips from AC go to Capri and Ischia - again not possible by car.

Depending on where you are staying on the AC it may behoove you to take a train from Rome to Salerno and then either a bus or boat to say Amalfi, the town - no changing trains in Naples and just as quick, depending on schedules.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 08:43 AM
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hahahoney, I hope you are aware that the post by "jamescanada" is a brazen fake and advertising - please don't pay any attention to it.
As far as the Amalfi Coast, I realize that you didn't want nytraveler's (IMO, excellent) advice not to go there in winter to influence your plans, but let me try once more: you could at least reduce your time there (perhaps 2 nights?) and assign one more night each to Venice and Rome... I, too, am convinced you'd be happier there in December than on the closed-down coast. Two nights would provide the possibility to check it out, and go back another time in better weather if you like it.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 09:02 AM
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@palenQ, yeah i am dropping the plan to rent a car, another major reason being, in italy drive is on right side which is opposite to India . So would be following your advice.

@franco: I already reduced one night, so it is three nights now, given this would be a honeymoon trip , and either of us would not want to add too many of museums, I thought AC could be a good place , with day trips to ischia/capri (if possible) and another day trip to positano/pompei(other options) and a day in sorrento/or place I would base.

Also on flights, just found another option of flying into rome and flying out of milan. Egypt air flies there and we can to milan the same day , given flight is around 4pm in evening from milan.

Comments invited.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 09:58 AM
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Of course, this is your trip... I just want to add that you don't figure cities like Rome, Venice and Florence correctly if you think they're about visiting museums. Personally, I hardly ever go inside a museum when I'm visiting any place for the first time. There's such an incredible wealth of in situ sights in Italian cities (not just in those three!) that seeing art torn out of its original context and stuffed together in a museum is certainly not a priority, I agree. But there are lots and lots and lots and lots of other fascinating sights in either of "your" three Italian cities.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 10:33 AM
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@franco , I agree with you. Would keep this in mind.
So finally we can decide upon:

Rome: 4 nights
AC: 2/3 nights
Florence: 3/4 nights
Venice:3/4 nights

Fly into rome and fly out of milan. Total days 15.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 11:21 AM
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I second nytravels advice.

I would ditch the AC completely, alot of small businesses in the area will have closed for the season.

Well, with your new plan to fly into FCO and out of MXP, you need to be aware that MXP is far from Milan. Are you planning on leaving Venice in the morning you want to fly out of Milan? I don't recommend this, Italian trains are anything but punctual. And you'd need to be at the airport between 1 and 2 pm (not sure what Egypt Air rules are for check in at MXP). The train will take you central Milan (Milano Centrale stn), unfortunately, the train to the airport does not depart from Milano Centrale, but a bus does, this bus takes an hour to get to MXP. If you are going to buy flights that depart from MXP get to Milan the night before you leave. Also, since Milan isn't part of your travel plans, why not just purchase open jaw flights that involve your desired destinations?

Since you live in India, have you experienced cold weather? If you haven't you'll find Italy will be cold in Dec, if you are used to hot weather. Rome, Venice and Florence are great cities for strolling around, but not when the weather isn't good.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 01:02 PM
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I am ok if lot of small business are closed , but not all would be closed , still there would be places which are open at that time.
I am used to live in cold weather, I have experienced temp upto 0 degrees also, so the weather should not be the issue.
Yeah i knew that milan airport is around 1 hr from central station. I would still be able to make it in time I guess (around 2pm).

Egypt air is the cheapest option , it does not fly from/to venice. Other flights from venice are costlier by around $200.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 02:06 PM
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Okay, the weather isn't an issue, but I still think your flights are or could be. Given the possibility of a late train, why take that chance? Can you fly into MXP and depart from FCO instead, for approximately the same price? If so, then, I'd just change the order you plan on visiting things. How about this:- MXP-Venice-Florence-AC-Rome, depart from FCO.

Before you buy your tickets, add the cost of transport from MXP to Milano Centrale and the price of the train to Venice, then determine how much of that $200 you save on airfare you'd be spending to get from MXP to Venice. Remember, it will take at least half a day to travel from MXP to Venice, only you can deceide if the difference is airfare is worth the time and inconvenience.
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Old Aug 1st, 2010, 05:36 PM
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DO NOT take an Italian train to Milan the day of your flight. Italian trains are just not that reliable. Strikes/work on the lines/breakdowns. There's been some problem on about one-third of the trains I've taken in Italy, a pretty high percentage.

And I would find the Amalfi Coast depressing with all the closures and bad weather. What few ferries are scheduled can be canceled by rough water. What if you make it to Capri but can't get off the island? Pompeii and Paestum are out in the open. What if it rains all the time you're on the Amalfi Coast? How will you pass the time? (Well, you're on your honeymoon....) In winter cities are a better bet.
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