Matt1458

Ok, calling all experts!!
I am planning a trip to Italy with a friend, Neither of us have ever been to Europe, and we are planning to book in the next few days. Feel the pressure?? We are 2 college students from Boston (guy & girl) and are just dying to make the right choices. We have found a tour company that targets people of our age range, although I can't help but feel as though it is a sin to try and "cram" in all of the sites, so there are 2 options for us (and in comes your role)...
1. Say forget the tour, focus on one destination and spend more money taking day trips.
2. 10 Day guided tour begining in Milan to Venice (2days), Florence(2), Asisi(1), Sorrento(1), Rome(2) for under 2,000usd.
Our objective is to see as much as we can, relax some, and ideally make some friends dispite the language issue (we don't speak it)
Honestly we'd love to stay, live there for the summer, work and soak up the culture and I'm just not sure that running around behind a tour bus is the best way to form relationships. Really MUST see Rome, and so much want to live the "Under the Tuscan Sun" dream! Positano, Tuscany...oh can't stop!
PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN. Any input is much appreciated!

LoveItaly

Hi Matt, how exciting for the both of you!

My personal feeling is that this tour will have you running ragged. Regarding the tour. Does 2 days in Venice mean 1 night. You will lose time getting to your hotel in Venice, and you will have to leave the next day then. So not a lot of time to enjoy one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Same with the other stops the tour provides.

Have you time to figure out what part of Italy you two are especially interest in?

I would think for ten days that maybe two areas would be good. And then take days trip from there.

If you wanted to stay in Venice stay there if possible at least 3 nights. Then you could go to Florence, again if that interested you. That is a train trip of about 3 hours. However you might think about 1 night in Bologna. Quite a "student" city and very beautiful.

Or you could go to Rome for the rest of your trip. Then you could take day trips from there.

It is a bit hard to recommend very much as not sure if you travel on your own how many nights you would have. And what the max for your budget is. And again what interest you may have.

You sound like Rome is especially interesting to you. Good choice IMHO.
And you mention Tuscany of course.

Are you famaliar with an "open jaw" ticket. For example you could fly into Venice and fly home from Rome". That would eliminate backtracking.

Don't feel bad about wanting to do "everything". That is true of everyone that goes to Italy.

But this certainly will not be your last visit to beautiful Italy. So if you can figure out what appeals to you two and post more here I am sure you will get a wealth of information.

artlover

Hi Matt,
I agree with LoveItaly--the tour really sounds frantic and besides, as students, you will be able to get some great deals with student cards and through youth hostels. Goggle "international student travel" and you'll get lots of tips.

My 21 year old daughter is there in school for 6 mo. now and she stayed in youth hostels and said they were fine, plus it's a way to network with other young travellers.

Also, you might check out lonelyplanet.com and slowtrav.com--I think these websites are geared more towards your agegroup. And check out the library and bookstores for guidebooks--Lets Go and Rick Steves are more "budget minded".

Know that Italy has been around for quite awhile and will be there for you to visit again, so think more of "experiencing" it rather than just rushing through.

(Make sure you check out student airfares...they're much cheaper!)

LoveItaly

Matt, artlover has given you some fantastic advice. Much better then I did. Do take the time to pursue artlover's thoughts. And have fun planning your trip!

Don't forget to file a trip report after you two return. I am sure it will be interesting. Best wishes.

ira

Hi Matt,

For 10 days, I suggest flying into Venice - 4 nights, train to Florence - 5 nights.

From Florence, visit Siena by bus and Bologna by train.

Fly home from FLR or PSA.

OR

Fly into Venice - 3 nights. Train to Rome - 6 nights. Fly home from Rome.

You can do either for much less than $2000 pp.

kemarshall64

Have a blast Matt and forget the tour, you'll have a lot more fun and feel a great sense of accomplishment by doing it yourself. When we went to Europe the first time we just rented a car and drove with no plans whatsoever. I was scared to death but we had a great time. Europe is very familiar and comfortable, but different and exciting at the same time. If it were me I would probably stay a five days in a small town in Tuscany with a day trip to Florence and five days in Rome. You can do this more cheaply than 2000 E and you will do what YOU want to do. Youth hostels are a great way to go inexpensively and make friends. Lucky you to start travelling now, my first trip to Europe was at 37! Have a great time and report back

suehoff

My 19 and 21 y/o kids went to Italy last month and stayed in hostels which were good and bad look at the sta travel site for listings. However the one thing they learned was that a tour guide for the Vatican for ex or the Coliseum enriched the experience immensely. They "did" Florence and Venice blindly and really felt that they missed out.Good luck-I am sure you'll have a great time!!

suec1

You will have to decide which type of trip you want for your first trip to Italy. IMO you will see more of the major sites of Italy if you take the tour. You may also get more insight and learn more from the local guides that will be invloved. You will probably enjoy some of the other people on your tour BUT at times you will feel like a sheep being herded around. My first two visits to Italy were on a tour - I got to see ALOT in a short amount of time and figure out where I wanted to spend more time on later trips. So to tour or not to tour - that is your decision. If you don't take the tour I'd suggest an open jaw flight and staying two or maybe three places. Venice and Rome would be my personal choices or Rome and the Amalfi Coast. Whatever you choose it will be wonderful - its Italy! and God willing you will go again (and again and again....)

nytraveler

DO NOT DO NOT do a tour. For the young and adventurous this is a complete waste of time and money. Only you know what you want to see and how much time to spend where.

Taveling in Italy is supremely easy - you can do it even without a word of Italian. (By the way - if you start now and spend a few minutes a day you could easily have a working knowledge of basic italian by summer.) And if you have ever studied Spanish - or even French a lot of Italian will be recognizable (my brother managed one trip in a lot of out of the way places with two years of high school Spanish.)

And planning the trip is half the fun - you'll want some cafe sitting, relaxing and (I assume) romatic time - vs the whirlwind of the tour.

If you are limited to 10 days I would probably do Rome and Venice - very different from each other and both unique. If you want you could do a day trip from one or the other. Get an open jaws ticket - into rome and out of Venice, train in between and you're all set.

(My boyfriend and I did this when I was 19 - and I still have great memories almost 30 years later.)

TexasAggie

I went at age 22 with a friend and had a blast visiting several countries over our month-long visit.
DO NOT do a tour!!!
You can do it less expensively on your own.

In Venice, I loved the Ostello Santa Fosca hostel.

kemarshall64

just another quick note...you can book local guides in any of the areas you are interested in, so you can still get some guidance in certain areas where you may want and need it without the structure imposed by a tour group. We are taking a two hour tour with a local guide in Venice our first day there for 100E. Group tours are available in many locations for even less.

suehoff

Adding to the tour guide comment I made earlier and in reference to ke marshall, my kids used a guide out of the Rick Steves book and he was incredible accdg to them and I think he was 50euro, plus it was just the guide and the two of them so he really tailored the tour to their interests (not pubs-really!)

Matt1458

Thank you all SO much for all of the great words of wisdom, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! It seems the concensis is that we should try and do this "on our own", Intimidating, yet exciting! I think after discussing it, the two places we MUST see are Rome (a week?) and more Northern areas of the Amalfi Coast (a week?) or Tuscany. I am just concerned that we will end up somewhere "stuck" with fairly minimal activities, I am happy to just sit and soak up the culture, but Night life would be a GREAT bonus. Also does anyone have any idea of Car Rental Procedures? we are 20 and in the US you must be 25 to rent. Again I can't thank you all enough!!!!!

LoveItaly

Hi Matt, you will need to check with auto rental companies regarding their minimum age limit. If you do find a company that will rent to you I am sure the rental price will be very high due to your age. And auto rentals in Italy are high to begin with. As is gasoline, toll fees on autostradas, parking etc.

Unless you have an unlimited budget I think that you will find public transportation would work the best for you. Public transportation in Europe is so much better and more convenient then in most of the US.

If you do end of renting an auto in Italy do be sure to go to your AAA office to get the International Driving Permit. You will need a passport size photo. Cost is $10.00. You do not need to be a member of AAA to acquire the IDP. It will translate your US Drivers License into several languages. This is required in Italy if you get stopped by the Police or heaven forbid are in an accident. Be sure to take your US drivers license with you also.

Have fun planning this venture. You will have fun!

TexasAggie

If you are not a member of AAA, the cost is $18. My husband paid this amount 2 months ago when we were headed to Germany/Austria.

I agree with LoveItaly's VERY sound advice though - use the public transportation!!

My friend and I used trains and buses on every segment of our backpacking trip after college (2002). You can print out schedules from www.trenitalia.com (English button at the top of the screen), and you can even buy tickets online.

RufusTFirefly

TA--the cost of the IDP itself is $10 for everybody, member of AAA or not.

If you don't bring your own passport-size photos, then there is an extra charge (apparently $8 in hubbie's case) for AAA to furnish the photos.

LoveItaly

Thanks for the clarification Rufus as I was confused because just a couple of weeks ago a friend paid $10.00 for the IDP (nonmember of AAA). No doubt had his own photos.

ssachida

Here's a good thread for inexpensive stays:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34567409

There was another thread started today by Jane Something (no, not Jane Doe) that reviewed 3 convents in Venice, Florence and Rome. I can't find that thread now, if you do it is a nice resource. Not sure if you're interested in convent accomodation but they are very budget friendly.

TexasAggie

Thanks Rufus - all I ever saw was the canceled check for $18 to AAA.
In any case, it's very minimal and you have to have it in Italy so if you decide to drive, make sure to get one!

TRSW

Hi Matt,
I also agree with Loveitaly,I booked a tour In Januarary with Globus for this October. After reading MANY insights at this sight and others, I canceled the tour last Friday, and am now going to Italy on my own.

I am flying into Venice for 2 nights, then taking the train to Florence for 5 nights. I am planning on spending 2 whole days just exploring Florence the first two days, then am taking day trips/tours out to Pisa, Sienna, San G and Chianti.

After that, I will take the train to Rome for five nights. I will spend at least three days exploring Rome. Then a day (maybe two) trip toPompeii,Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. Then head back to Seattle.

Everybody that I have talked to has said that I will get more out of the trip vs going on a tour. One thing to think about is, you will have to get up about 6AM every morning on the tour AND spend ALOT of time on a bus.

Hope this helps.

Tom

PS To everybody out there. I have benn told not to get hotels near the main train stations. Your opinions?