mmmooommm

I am just beginning to put together a trip over Christmas and New Years to Italy. Traveling with husband and two teen sons, 16 and 18.

Need help on accomodations and general advice!

Flying into Milan (aa miles) a few days before 12/25 and taking train directly to Venice. Want to spend three or so days here, then take train to Rome for a week or so, daytripping out to various sites.

I am interested in cheaper housing, and have stayed at CONVENTS in Rome and really liked them. Does anyone have any links to that? I stayed at one near Vatican City but can't recall the name. Would be interested in flats, as well. have found a few I have contacted through other posts. Also ideas for accomodations in Venice.

Any advise on trains from Milan to Venice? how reliable are they, seem to recall some iffy incidents in my past with Italian trains!! First class, I DO know!!

I am enjoying others posts and gathering alot from them, just thought I'd put this fresh out there to see what ideas anyone might have. Plan to stay the majority of the time south around Rome. Hopeful on weather, but I recall being there in November and having alot of rain. Don't know how crowds would compare to summer? (Have a thought of going to Spain, instead, but Rome is higher on my list!!)

Many thanks!!

castlevisitor

We used rentalinvenice.it and it worked well for finding a reasonably priced accommodation but I have to advise to do your own due diligence on the place you find. We found Ca Frari (as the name implies, right next to the Frari church) and staying there taught me something new. One must specifically ask if there are walls and a door attached to the bedrooms advertised. This property was given as three bedrooms. The pictures were lovely.

Upon arrival, we found that one bed was in the living room, one in what would have been the dining room, and the only WC was through the master bedroom. No privacy for my son and daughter-in-law or other daughter.

We also found what appeared to be a small scorpion on one of the beds. Crazy few days but great location. We made the best of it, and spent very little time there, so this truly isn't a complaint, just some hopefully helpful information. We would use rentalinvenice.it again, but do more due diligence next time.

stevewith

Italy has really modernized its trains since the last time you were in Italy. You don't need first class and you will find they are extremely fast and reliable.

You will need to book in advance online during the holiday period to be guaranteed of seats, however. There are steep discounts available for people who book 90 days in advance.

You will find that many, many things close in Venice beginning with Christmas Eve and through Dec 26. Many major sites in Rome will also be closed those days (and almost all shops), so you will need to arrange your itinerary carefully.

Daylight hours will be short but you might get pleasant weather in Rome. Venice is likely to be overcast and chilly, with the possibility of rain or snow.

Can't help you with convent stays, but the Christmas holidays are a popular time to be in Rome, so if you want low prices, you need to book the budget places early.

castlevisitor

If you want to see the Last Supper, reserve now by calling their reservation number when it is 8am in Milan. Can be hard to get and was very interesting to see.

mmmooommm

miraculously I found a in/out of rome, 11 notes, on miles, so change of plans. I DO love Venice, but know it would be chilly, and Rome is enough of a workout without complicating it with Milan/Venice/Rome.

Think we will do day trips, but with the shorter daylight hours, one home base suites me fine.

SO, back to finding a place (or two)

mmmooommm

Dang! Sorry forthe change but decided to do Venice too. Better flight.

Question.

What neighborhood to stay in rome. Want to be able to walk safely around in the evening, as at that time of year it will get dark early. Piazza navona or trastevere. Teen boys so they won't be bar hopping! Nor will we, but a neighborhood area with charm and grocery (Trastavere)...do want to walk to what sites we can manage without public transport (Piaza navona). But is it just a bridge away??? Also, is Piaza navona a mess at New Years?? Is it the Times Square of Rome? ( I've been there many times but never New Years)! I can't imagine that is a fair comparison I read somewhere. Love being really close to sites. Am sure either would work. I know Rome is an exhausting city at times....would Trastavere seem more laid back??

Help! What do u think!

mmmooommm

Stevewith, there is another thread about how to book trains from here. What is your opinion? Also, will they run dec. 24th, 25 th,and 26th? We may aim for Rome one of these days, 26th pobably and I know that is a holiday too.

stevewith

All of Rome is safe, and all have food shops, but if you pick Trastevere, you are likely to want to take public transporation rather often to go sightseeing and come back. Many people have a shorter sightseeing list than others, but I have been to Rome many times and have never found a location where I could walk to all the sights of Rome that I consider to be of world-class importance. At some point, you will want a taxi, a bus or a metro unless you are seeing less than I do.

Anyhoo, for me, when I travel during the shortest days of the year, I prefer to stay someplace where there is lots of commercial life -- meaning that store windows are all lit up, cafes too, come sundown, there is hustle and bustle. I would actually prefer to be in between the piazza del Popolo and the piazza della Rotunda, and if I had my druthers, I'd pick a high floor to maximize sunlight. I'd also be glad that in that area the streets are more evenly paved, since daylight hours are minimal.

That said, the place that is "a mess" on New Year's eve is the piazza del Popolo, so book away from that if you book in that area.

But you will get all sorts of opinions about this.

stevewith

You and I were typing at the same time so I didn't see your second question. Trains will most definitely be running, and they will be packed with Italians on their way to and from visiting relatives, so book early, online, once you have settled your dates.

stevewith

And I just noticed I made a typo: It is piazza della Rotonda.

mmmooommm

Ok. So u agree in historic area, but not on top of Piaza navona. And Trastavere might be 'dead'? So in between pn and pdr. There seems to be decent availability. I will see what I can find.

Booking trains online? Did u see the other thread, I forgot the sources, but it seemed there are third party sources not to use, but I am unsure which is direct? Thx!!

stevewith

Trastevere isn't dead, but it might be a longer walk to many sights that you will want to see.

Also I recommended the area in between piazza del Popolo and piazza della Rotondo/piazza Navona. Generally around the via del Corso. Often that area is called Trevi. I wouldn't book directly on any major piazza if you can help it because of noise. Plus, they are usually more expensive

You should print out a tourist map of Rome and circle the sights you want to see. That will help you figure out what is walkable and what won't be.

http://worldtouristmap.info/rome-map...n/map-of-rome/

(Bear in mind that if you want to see the Sistine Chapel, the access is on the streets on the "back side" (or garden side) of the Vatican, near the Cipro metro station, not the side closest to the river.

I haven't been following the train threads.

Pepper_von_snoot

Venice : Palazzo Cendon Le Mansard has a quad room with a canal view.

The hotel is located near Tre Archi and the Jewish ghetto--just off of the Lista di Spagna.

Thin

mmmooommm

steve, thanks for the clarification. yes, a longer walk. does it have a real neighborhood feel? i appreciate your specific tips of via del Corso/Trevi. too, great idea on the map, thanks for the link. in the past i have stayed in convents near st. peters, and been so dependent on the buses. i do think this will be a nice change.

re the train thread. just a debate over booking on Italiarail versus Trenitalia. the latter lets you book seats. i just don't want any surprises on the 22nd when i fly into milan, in getting my train to venice. i know it will be a busy travel time, and i will be cross eyed from the long flight!!!

pepper, thanks for the recommendation!!! i will check it out.

mmmooommm

venice. we plan to be there for three nites. money is not a huge object, but any area other than st. marks to look at hotel-apt wise? I want convenience, and just assume st. marks is the only spot. am i wrong? thanks

stevewith

All of the neighborhoods of Rome and Venice are worthwhile. It is a good idea not to stay right in the area of San Marco because of inflated prices and also because of the risks of flooding at that time of year. Book a hotel or apartment away from that end of Venice, more in the direction of the Rialto bridge/train station. You don't need to be near those places. I'm just using them as an indicator of which half of Venice is least likely to experience tidal flooding in winter. You don't want to be dragging your luggage through that.

If you don't want to be dependent on buses, then don't stay in Trastevere. Your kids are likely to complain if you make them walk that much in addition to walking around sites and museums. Plus, it could rain (or even snow a bit!). It is easy to see everything there is to see in Trastevere in less than an afternoon, but there is little point in staying there in winter, since it will probably be too cold to be hanging out in the neighborhood piazza.

Again, it is a good idea to mark on a map the sights that are most important to you to see. Then you can see which side of town would make it easiest for your family when it comes to walking and renting an apartment.

girlonthego

Trastevere is a hike to all the sights and it will be cold. I would recommend getting an apartment more centrally located. We found no problems walking around at night with our teenage girls. We did not stay in the city, but our hotel shuttled us so I can't help on the hotel part.
Second class on the trains is just fine. We rode second class from Zurich to Rome and all the points inbetween. It is really just fine. I wouldn't waste the money on the upgrade. I did book through trentalia's website, speaking zero italian, it can be read in english, and it was not hard at all. I also booked my seats which was crucial because the trains are crowded!

Mimar

Just be sure you stay in Venice proper, not in Mestre or the Lido. You lose too much of the experience of Venice if you're not in town. We always avoid staying near the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto, but maybe they won't be deluged by tourists in December.

wayfinder45

We took our teen daughters to Rome and Venice (and Florence) over the holidays a couple of years ago, although it was Christmas in Rome and New Year's in Venice. The girls loved Italy and both Rome and Venice are the kind of places where teens can explore independently as well as tagging along with mom and dad.

Keep in mind that in Italy, it's perfectly acceptable (and likely expected) for your boys to have wine with dinner, so if that is something you have an issue with even if it's legal, it'll be best to have that discussion before you get there.

If you are considering a number of day trips, you might think about staying somewhere that will get you easily to Termini train station either by metro or bus. We stayed off Viale Aventino within a short walk to both the Circo Massimo and Pyramid metro stops. Somewhat off the beaten track but actually quite convenient, and we liked coming home to a quiet neighborhood.

Similarly, in Venice we stayed in the Frari area which was delightful. Again, a bit outside the prime tourist area, but all the more enjoyable because of that.

I wrote up a trip report which you might want to check out for ideas related to traveling in Italy at Christmas time and with teenagers (although you’ll have to scroll through a fair amount of family drama to get to the actual tips!).

And just curious – I see you are also planning a trip to Hawaii for Christmas, so is the Italy trip for 2014 or are you scoping out two possible options for this year?

Pepper_von_snoot

I don't know what the hotel is like, but the Scandinavia sits in the wonderful Campo Santa Maria Formosa.

This is marvelous campo.

The spectacular Palazzo Querini Stampalia is here.

Another nice hotel is the Ca' Fravetto San Cassiano. It is a short walk away from the Rialto Market.

My fav neighborhood in Rome is MONTI.


Thin