10-11 days in Italy, do it or not ?

Old Sep 10th, 2017, 07:24 AM
  #41  
 
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Why car with driver when trains are a lot faster? Why spend 100s of more euros than trains? Book your train ticket at www.trenitalia.com or www.italotreno.com for as little as 29 euros for each segment. Again trains are so so easy to use and comfortable- trains go up to nearly 200 mph - obviously much faster than any car.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 10:32 AM
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Yes, it makes no sense to take a car and driver on that route. The trains travel up to 200 mph, don't have to deal with traffic, and make no stops between Rome and Florence, and usually only one between Florence and Venice. It's much faster to make these trips by train, and it costs a fraction of what a car and driver cost.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 12:08 PM
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Sometimes a private driver is nice because they take you right to your hotel but in Venice that is not possible -you will get dropped off at Piazza Rome where the access causeway road ends and have to take boats to your hotel or walk if nearby.

Rome to Florence with private driver - may not be so much I don't know but Florence to Venice is a lot farther and again no hotel dropoff.

If on a budget take the trains and use taxis which are easy to get at stations if you want hotel to hotel at a fraction of the cost of a private driver I suspect. thunt- what did you pay?
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 06:02 AM
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Thnaks once again !

We wont rent a car + driver for sure ! I dont see the point of doing it, I prefer to driver myself that hire soemone to do it for me. If we keep our itinerary (rome + florence + venice) we would do it by train. The idea of car rental was if we choose to skip Florence to see Tuscany.

The only thing sure now it that we woul go to Rome. One other option would be to keep Venice ans skip Florence.

So Rome for 5-6 nights + Venice for 5-6 nights. From those we could/would do daytrips.

Is it relaistic to do do Rome Florence, stay one night in Florence and then do Florence-Venice ?
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 07:40 AM
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Sure, anything is realistic if you want it to be.Just stop dithering and make a plan. If it works out, great; if it doesn't, so be it and do it differently the next time.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 08:10 AM
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I think the majority of people will say that 3 days in Venice is enough to get a real taste of it, to see the major sites. In summer with the crowds it's not that relaxing so I would urge you to consider only doing 2-4 days. That certainly leaves you enough time to stay in either Florence or Siena (and day trip to the other). Can still do all this by train.

Here's the link to the report I wrote of a Venice-Florence-Rome trip last March, and that was in only 8 days, you have more than that so it should be more relaxed.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 02:02 PM
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<So Rome for 5-6 nights + Venice for 5-6 nights.>

I like that one. I've been to Venice twice for 5 days each trip and feel that I barely scratched the surface.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 02:06 PM
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Is it relaistic to do do Rome Florence, stay one night in Florence and then do Florence-Venice ?>

Sure but if doing day trips from bases Florence has many some nice easy ones like to one of those iconic Tuscan hill towns - like Siena for a day - about an hour by bus or to nearby Pisa and the Leaning Tower.

But the crowds in tiny Venice at your travel time could be daunting.
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Old Sep 12th, 2017, 11:07 AM
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Some nice day trips right in Venetian Lagoon:

Take boats to the outer islands - Torcello (and its famous colony of feral cats, which also lurk everywhere in Venice itself) and Burano and of course Murano - close to Venice and very touristy because of the many famous Murano glassworks/shops where you can see the fancy glass stuff being made.

Other nice day trips could go by train to Vicenza, Padua, Verona and Lake Garda.
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Old Sep 12th, 2017, 02:25 PM
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I too think for average first-time visitor to Venice 2-3 days will be enough - especially with mid-summer heat and crowds that on main gauntlets are literally elbow-elbow at times.

Yet yes much of Venice sees relatively few tourists - seek these places out for a much different and much more romantic Venice than between St Mark's Square and the train station/Piazza Rome car park/bus tour drop-off area.
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Old Sep 12th, 2017, 02:42 PM
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Both my Venice trips were July/August. Crowds were not "daunting". No way would 2-3 days have been enough.
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Old Sep 13th, 2017, 06:43 AM
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Everyone will be different - but still for the average first-time traveler I think 3 days would be about max - this has been reflected on Fodor's in many posts. But you could well spend five days there - but you do not need 5 days to explore tiny Venice.
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 02:24 AM
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Does Venice offert good daytrip options ? Is Florence and/or Rome better for that ?
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 03:49 AM
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I think several people have already answered that.
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 04:27 AM
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Maybe you are right, i'll take more time to read again the whole thread. Thanks a lot to everyone for all the answers and the help !
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 05:16 AM
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Does Venice offert good daytrip options ? Is Florence and/or Rome better for that>

All have nice day trips as yes was addressed above.
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 11:17 AM
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<Does Venice offert good daytrip options ? Is Florence and/or Rome better for that ?>

Yes all 3 cities offer all kinds of day trip options.
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 11:49 AM
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Yes all 3 cities offer all kinds of day trip options.>

Including lots of 'good' ones! Like ones mentioned in previous posts above.
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 02:14 PM
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Does Venice offert good daytrip options ? Is Florence and/or Rome better for that >

That's a value judgment but I think going to an iconic Tuscan hill town from Florence - like Siena - would be a top of my list and Pisa too.
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