Venice to Rome
Apr 26th, 2010, 02:51 PM
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Venice to Rome
Hi. We're trying to plan our first family European vacation. I'm thinking we might be biting off more than we can choose and could really use some input from people who are accustomed to Italian travel. We are interested in Venice, Florence, and Rome but would also like to do some biking in Tuscany. We're currently thing of flying into Venice (stay 3 days), train to Florence (stay 3 days), and train to Rome (stay 4 days), hoping to do day trips to Cinque Terre, Pisa, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast. Is this doable? Would car vs train be any benefit? (I hear parking is a problem and not sure 4 people in a car is cheaper than individual train tickets for 4.) We have 10 nights total available (excluding flights in/out). All adults and accustomed to public transportation but no knowledge of Italian (but have some rusty Latin).
Apr 26th, 2010, 03:01 PM
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10 days you have plenty of time to visit Venice, Florence, and Rome.
Also enough time for 1/2 day trip to Pisa, and maybe time for a day in rural Tuscany - an organized bike tour based out of Florence would make logistics a lot easier. Definitely not enough time for day trips to CT, Pompeii, or Amalfi coast. Pompeii, maybe, but it would be a long day trip, and you'd be shortchanging your visit to Rome.
For cities train is best way by far. You could rent a car for a day or 2 out of Florence if you wanted to.
Also enough time for 1/2 day trip to Pisa, and maybe time for a day in rural Tuscany - an organized bike tour based out of Florence would make logistics a lot easier. Definitely not enough time for day trips to CT, Pompeii, or Amalfi coast. Pompeii, maybe, but it would be a long day trip, and you'd be shortchanging your visit to Rome.
For cities train is best way by far. You could rent a car for a day or 2 out of Florence if you wanted to.
Apr 26th, 2010, 03:21 PM
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Hello travel, with being in Venice, Florence and Rome I wouldn't want a car as the train system between those three major cities is excellent. And you can't drive in Venice as you know and Florence and Rome have so many restricted areas that a car is a burden not a pleasure. And yes, parking is a problem also.
If it was my trip I would skip Cinque Terre this time as well as the Amalfi Coast. If Pompeii is of great interest you can do a day trip from Rome but I would stongly suggest that you do not do that the day before you fly home as it is a long day. Pisa from Florence is doable if that is important to visit. Some people would rather take a day trip to Siena. If that appeals to you do take the bus versus the train as the bus takes you right into Siena. I am not a biker but no doubt some other Fodorites can give you information regarding that which could work out while you are in Florence. If not, perhaps your hotel would have some good information to share with you. Or use Google to see if you can find some information.
Regarding not speaking the Italian language. You will be in three cities that are use to tourist so that will not be a problem. And no doubt knowing some Latin will help you, it sure did with my late husband. You might want to learn some basic phrases such as "good morning", "good evening", "thank you", "please", "where is..." etc. And taking a menu guide with you would be helpful if you are in eating establishments that only have menus that are in the Italian language.
I am sure you will receive a lot of different thoughts and ideas here on Fodor's which you can consider. But anyway I am sharing what I would do if it was my trip. I wish you a lovely time in beautiful Italy!
It is good that you are flying into Venice and departing from Rome as you will not lose any time backtracking.
If it was my trip I would skip Cinque Terre this time as well as the Amalfi Coast. If Pompeii is of great interest you can do a day trip from Rome but I would stongly suggest that you do not do that the day before you fly home as it is a long day. Pisa from Florence is doable if that is important to visit. Some people would rather take a day trip to Siena. If that appeals to you do take the bus versus the train as the bus takes you right into Siena. I am not a biker but no doubt some other Fodorites can give you information regarding that which could work out while you are in Florence. If not, perhaps your hotel would have some good information to share with you. Or use Google to see if you can find some information.
Regarding not speaking the Italian language. You will be in three cities that are use to tourist so that will not be a problem. And no doubt knowing some Latin will help you, it sure did with my late husband. You might want to learn some basic phrases such as "good morning", "good evening", "thank you", "please", "where is..." etc. And taking a menu guide with you would be helpful if you are in eating establishments that only have menus that are in the Italian language.
I am sure you will receive a lot of different thoughts and ideas here on Fodor's which you can consider. But anyway I am sharing what I would do if it was my trip. I wish you a lovely time in beautiful Italy!
It is good that you are flying into Venice and departing from Rome as you will not lose any time backtracking.
Apr 26th, 2010, 04:11 PM
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travelfrenzy, flying into Venice and out of Rome is good, IMO. Venice is dreamy, so it fits right in with jetlag! Rome is intense and vibrant, and I love ending an Italy trip with a night out in Rome.
Yes, you can get a taste of those three great Italian cities in the ten days, but are you including in the travel time? Even by train (quicker than car and I agree with the above posters that train makes more sense for your plan) you need to add in the getting to and from the train station and the hours on the train. You are not really going to end up with that 3/3/4 day schedule you outline in your post.
So...maybe sit down with the family and decide what it is you really want to see in Italy. It is not possible to do the three cities plus the Cinque Terre plus Pompeii plus the Amalfi Coast in this amount of time. What do you want to do the most?
If you are not that into Renaissance art, you can cut a day off of Florence. If you really want to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, cut out Florence and Venice. If you really want to go to the Cinque Terre (hard to do as a day trip; the point of going there is to relax and hike from village to village) cut out one of the cites. If biking in Tuscany and seeing Pisa are tops on the list, focus on Tuscany with maybe either Rome or Vencie, not both.
You definitely want to have time to relax and sit in cafes, so don't try and do all Italy in 10 days. You just need to assume you will be back!
Yes, you can get a taste of those three great Italian cities in the ten days, but are you including in the travel time? Even by train (quicker than car and I agree with the above posters that train makes more sense for your plan) you need to add in the getting to and from the train station and the hours on the train. You are not really going to end up with that 3/3/4 day schedule you outline in your post.
So...maybe sit down with the family and decide what it is you really want to see in Italy. It is not possible to do the three cities plus the Cinque Terre plus Pompeii plus the Amalfi Coast in this amount of time. What do you want to do the most?
If you are not that into Renaissance art, you can cut a day off of Florence. If you really want to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, cut out Florence and Venice. If you really want to go to the Cinque Terre (hard to do as a day trip; the point of going there is to relax and hike from village to village) cut out one of the cites. If biking in Tuscany and seeing Pisa are tops on the list, focus on Tuscany with maybe either Rome or Vencie, not both.
You definitely want to have time to relax and sit in cafes, so don't try and do all Italy in 10 days. You just need to assume you will be back!
Apr 26th, 2010, 05:40 PM
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You are trying to stuff an 18 day vacation into 10 days. the time you have is limited for Venice, Florence and Rome. Adding anything else will make the trip a huge rush - and not leave you any time for one of the major joys of Italy - just sitting in a cafe in a piazza with a glass of wine and watch the world go by.
If you take all those day trips from florence and rome you won't have time to see the major sights in either city (Rome requires 3 full days - 4 nights - just to see the most basic sights. 5 days and 6 nights is better if you want to explore a little - and sit in the piazza in front of the Pantheon in the late afternoon, enjoying a drink, free munchies and the music/choir practice from a nearby church while watching Rome relax into late afternoon).
If you take all those day trips from florence and rome you won't have time to see the major sights in either city (Rome requires 3 full days - 4 nights - just to see the most basic sights. 5 days and 6 nights is better if you want to explore a little - and sit in the piazza in front of the Pantheon in the late afternoon, enjoying a drink, free munchies and the music/choir practice from a nearby church while watching Rome relax into late afternoon).
Apr 26th, 2010, 06:04 PM
#6
I don't understand the comment "We have 10 nights total available (excluding flights in/out)." Is it 10 nights or not?
If it's 10 nights, you only have 9 full days to see Venice, Florence and Rome plus perhaps a half day on your arrival day. If you live in the U.S., your flight out of Rome will likely leave in the morning or early afternoon, so no sightseeing on your departure day. I would spend the nights: 2 Venice, 3 Florence, 4 Rome. If you trained to Florence in the afternoon, you'd have the equivalent of 2 days in Venice. After your two days in Florence, you could decide whether to leave for Rome in the morning or afternoon, depending on whether you want a few more hours to explore Florence or can't wait to get to Rome.
IMO, you'll be rushed to see the highlights in all three cities. Only you can decide which (and how many) highlights you're willing to skip in order to take day trips.
Also IMO, if this trip is in summer, I wouldn't recommend cycling unless you're accustomed to doing so in very hot temps.
If it's 10 nights, you only have 9 full days to see Venice, Florence and Rome plus perhaps a half day on your arrival day. If you live in the U.S., your flight out of Rome will likely leave in the morning or early afternoon, so no sightseeing on your departure day. I would spend the nights: 2 Venice, 3 Florence, 4 Rome. If you trained to Florence in the afternoon, you'd have the equivalent of 2 days in Venice. After your two days in Florence, you could decide whether to leave for Rome in the morning or afternoon, depending on whether you want a few more hours to explore Florence or can't wait to get to Rome.
IMO, you'll be rushed to see the highlights in all three cities. Only you can decide which (and how many) highlights you're willing to skip in order to take day trips.
Also IMO, if this trip is in summer, I wouldn't recommend cycling unless you're accustomed to doing so in very hot temps.
Apr 27th, 2010, 06:08 PM
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Hi all. I really appreciate your insights. Just to clarify: We arrive in Venice early June 15 and fly out of Rome morning of June 25. When you have four people trying to combine their wants, it's hard to decide consensus. I agree about the comments about day trips: transportation really eats up alot of time which makes the trip so frantic that tempers flare and no one has a good time. It's that perfect balance that we seek. That's why the experiences of others is so important. Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast were recommended by friends of my daughter who described them as "cute", "must see". Pompeii has always been a dream of mine as a history buff: and both myself and my daughter have read about Pompeii in Latin. Decisions.
Apr 28th, 2010, 09:50 AM
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This sounds to me like you should skip the "cute" suggestions of others and stick to the specific interests of two who are actually making the trip: Pompeii.
While a long day, a Pompeii day trip from Rome is possible on your own via train. (Rome to Naples on Trenitalia/Ferrovia del Stato [Italian National Railroad], then Naples to Pompeii Scavi on the Circumvesuviana local commuter train.)
Many companies offer day trips by bus, but these often spend precious time stopping at cameo factories. Enjoy Rome used to offer a simple day trip, just the bus ride to Pompeii and back, but I'm not positive this simple day trip is still offered.
While a long day, a Pompeii day trip from Rome is possible on your own via train. (Rome to Naples on Trenitalia/Ferrovia del Stato [Italian National Railroad], then Naples to Pompeii Scavi on the Circumvesuviana local commuter train.)
Many companies offer day trips by bus, but these often spend precious time stopping at cameo factories. Enjoy Rome used to offer a simple day trip, just the bus ride to Pompeii and back, but I'm not positive this simple day trip is still offered.
Apr 28th, 2010, 01:46 PM
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I think ellenem has a good point re: Pompeii being an interest of more than one of you. At least the two of you should go there. It took me five trips to Italy to get there and it "out met" my expectations.
Same with the biking - if all four of you really want to do that, make that a priority.
This may sound a little ocd, but it worked for me: when planning an Italy trip that involved 5 of us, we sat down over wine (Italian, of course) and made kind of a chart with each of our names along one side and then different things we wanted to see/do, mostly general things, ranging from "Venice" to "wine tasting" to "going to the sea" to "looking at real estate" (one of us is a realtor) listed across the top. We then looked to see what we had in common, what we could drop, what we had to do even if on our own, and kind of filtered our plans from there. We managed to get most of it in (he dropped the real estate browsing, however!).
There were days when we split and went our separate ways. For example, one day three went to Florence to see art and buy leather gloves and drink Negronis, and two went pottery shopping and wine tasting.
Same with the biking - if all four of you really want to do that, make that a priority.
This may sound a little ocd, but it worked for me: when planning an Italy trip that involved 5 of us, we sat down over wine (Italian, of course) and made kind of a chart with each of our names along one side and then different things we wanted to see/do, mostly general things, ranging from "Venice" to "wine tasting" to "going to the sea" to "looking at real estate" (one of us is a realtor) listed across the top. We then looked to see what we had in common, what we could drop, what we had to do even if on our own, and kind of filtered our plans from there. We managed to get most of it in (he dropped the real estate browsing, however!).
There were days when we split and went our separate ways. For example, one day three went to Florence to see art and buy leather gloves and drink Negronis, and two went pottery shopping and wine tasting.
