rwells30

my 4 girlfriends and i (early 30's) are planning a trip to italy for mid may. we have thrown around the idea of going to rome, florence, cinque terre and into tuscany. here's our problem...we're only there for 10 days. we definately want to see the tuscan countryside, but not sure if we should pair down the rest. what do you recommend?

where to stay, eat, visit, etc?

also, our budget is $50/night per person and we definately want to stay in the heart of each location. and should we rent a car - or will the train work best? (we will have a good amount of luggage)

probably flying in/out of rome.

suze

Without knowing the interests of you and your friends it's tough to say what you'd like to do best, city vs. countryside, where to eat, what to see. Here's a couple things that popped out in your post, that you might consider in further planning...

I always advise take the train, but with 5 people possibly car rental would be more economical. But, can you drive a standard shift (automatics are rare and if available more expensive) and do you speak Italian and/or feel comfortable navigating with road maps in a foreign country?

Secondly, why will you have "a good amount of luggage"? It's only a 10 day trip and during a mild season. Pack light!! You will either have to be managing that luggage yourselves getting on and off trains, to and from hotels, up and down stairs (or in a rental car trying to fit 5 people and too many suitcases into a typically small European car).

ira

Hi r,

I suggest that you fly into/out of Venice or Florence.

Spend 3-4 days in Venice.

Rent a car, travel through Tuscany staying wherever it happens to be when it's time to look for a place for the night.

Alternatively, after Venice, rent a villa in Tuscany and take day trips from there.

For even better advice, go to www.slowtrav.com.

cmt

Also note that Florence IS in Tuscany.

rwells30

to respond to an earlier post...
we like art, wine, shopping and people watching. and we LOVED the book "under the tuscan sun"!!

the luggage thing is an issue...i need to address it with the other girls. i've been to europe before with just a backpack...i need to explain the importance of packing light to them - however 3 will be coming from 7 days in england just before.

question about the car rental: we can maneuver the car (stick shift), but can 5 of us - and 1 suitcase each - fit in a european car?

will we get the "feel" of the countryside by only traveling via train?

WillTravel

Have them do their laundry in England - no need to pack twice as much.

Huitres

I am also in my 30s and have been to all the places you've indicated wanting to see. Given that you are there for only 10 days, I would definitely see Rome and Florence as the two "biggies" and perhaps venture into just one other Tuscan city while either enroute to/from Florence for Rome. Perhaps Lucca (near Florence) would be an easy stop close by. Cinque Terre is in adjoining Liguria and is accessible from Florence via Pisa, then La Spezia, then onto a 5-digit local train into the CT. In the CT, I would pick 1 of the 5 towns and then stay there for only 1 day - 2 at the most.

You can definitely find nice lodging at $50/night. I use the "Let's Go!" travel guides frequently as they specialize in budget travel, women travelers, single travelers, etc. All their recommendations have been right on, I have never been disappointed with a hotel I've stayed in. I would not rent a car unless you are familiar with driving all around the Italian countryside. Also driving in Rome is harrowing to say the least, even for locals. I would opt for the train as it is easiest and most convenient (IMO). Then if your luggage gets to be too much after awhile, you can take a taxi upon arrival at the train stations to your hotel destination.

rcc

A compact car or even a mid-size can be uncomfortable if you plan on doing a lot of driving. Luggage space will also be severely limied for 5 people.

I once rented a diesel van (from AutoEurope), stick shift, with comfortable seating for 6 people and jsut enough luggage space. Of course, maneuvering into, through and out of small towns can be very challenging, but it was our best choice as we were travelling with 70+ year old in-laws and trains/buses would be extremely difficult.

kfusto

I suggest you fly on an open jaw ticket, into Florence perhaps and out of Rome.

I have been to Italy 15 times over the past 12 years and love it. I am leaving again in 2 days.

If I had ten days, I would stay in Florence for 6 and take daytrips (train or one day car rental) into the smaller Tuscan towns. Florence is a wonderful and hospitable city and you can get almost everywhere by foot.

Rome is a great city and you could take the train from SMN in Florence (90 minutes by Eurostar) and stay there for four days. I recommend the Pantheon area but cannot recommend a hotel in your price range.

I do not care for Venice personally and would not recommend it.

have fun!

rwells30

thank you! all of your postings are very helpful!

where can i find the train schedules? i want the entire list of departure times, not a website that i have to pick my date and time of departure. FS Trenitalia wasn't helpful.

also, someone suggested just finding accomodation when we get to each destination...i did that when backpacking...just 2 people...but how easy would that be for 5 people? i also don't want to be spending a lot of "tour" time trying to solidify accomodation.

travelbunny

..sounds like a great trip..BUT totally agree with suggestions made re the luggage (you know the saying pack a week before and remove half before departing).
I have a small suggestion..you are only there for a bit over a week..if you really want to spend most of your time in Tuscany have you thought about renting a villa for the week..somewhere near florence..it would give you a chance to see florence and maybe sienna along with wonderful day trips based on your location..you would need a car but as you would have a fixed base luggage wouldnt be an issue except the day you leave and arrive.
If you just do the cities a car would probably not be a great idea..parking costs and driving is a bit hairy on the autoroutes and within the cities/"suburbs"...i also think for your budget it will be very tricky to find hotel roomS (it is difficult to find a room to sleep 5 in italy) centrally located which fit your budget..hope this idea is helpful.

rwells30

cinque terre seems out of the way from the florence/rome area...should it be saved for another trip? or is it worth going to for just a couple of days?

rex

With wilingness to squeeze in a bit, and if your combined weight is say, no more than 700 pounds, I think you can fit in a "normal" (European) midsize car. The key will be keeping the luggage light, and equally important - - "scrunchable". Challenge everyone to find luggage that weighs no more than four pounds per person, unpacked. Yes, I said FOUR. That means one strong canvas duffel, and one small-medium nylon duffel, at most. Any one can have any kind of purse she want, bcause they will stay in your lap or at your feet.

It might be wise to have one extra canvas duffel, extra large which could serve as a rooftop carrier (or trunk-top carrier) in a pinch. Along with 30 feet of very lightweight rope to secure it to the vehicle.

To meet your lodging budget, let me suggest http://www.domani-usa.com/lucca/coun...x.html#Quercia - - only $755 for 7 nights, if the five of you can cope with one bathroom. Even if you use it for five nights instead of the full seven (still pay the full $755), it will help you be able to afford nicer places in Rome and the CT.

Good luck with all your planning, paring (and "pairing" lol!) Visit www.slowtrav.com as well.

Best wishes,

Rex

BowenLinda

... and just to provide another opinion: I'd suggest flying into Rome for four or five nights, take the train to Venice and enjoy Venice for the balance of your holiday. Day trips can be planned from either city, although I wouldn't daytrip from Venice to Florence, personally. If this is your first trip to Italy, the "big three" cities (Rome, Florence and Venice) are a terrific introduction. I would return to any one of them in a heartbeat, but Venice was the jewel of the trip. Florence and Tuscany could be saved for another trip, for you will return! Cheers, Linda

rwells30

can you rent a place that rents for 7 nights and only stay 5? that's a great idea!

i think maybe focusing on tuscany as our main "hub" could work very well! how long would the drives be, tho, to other towns? we don't want to be driving a ton each day.

subcon

do you have 10 full days in italy or does that include transport. if the latter, you'll actually have only 7 or 8 free days which you should spend wisely.

if you've only the seven or eight free days, i'd spend three in rome and the balance in florence (with side trips to sienna and lucca/pisa).

skip the auto for this trip as all is better served by bus and rail.

however, if you have a full ten free days, then that's a different matter.

rwells30

we will get to italy on the 9th and depart the 20th.

rex

<<can you rent a place that rents for 7 nights and only stay 5? that's a great idea!>>

Absolutely. I have done it at least three times. Just make sure you know how to get in touch with the landlord/proprietor or carefully arrange at check-in to spell out when you want to check out.

suze

I would definitely book a hotel for the first night or two, even if you decide to free-wheel it the rest of the trip (getting off the plane jetlagged not knowing where you'll stay with four other people would be awful for me).

As mentioned a 5-person room is not common, plus makes for quite a few women sharing one bathroom! Consider taking 1 double and 1 triple room but your price should be fine at ~100 and 150.

If the girls coming from London are on business, a wedding, whatever requiring a different type of clothing, suggest they ship a box home and get rid of what's not needed for the remainder of the trip.

ira

rwells30
>where can i find the train schedules? i want the entire list of departure times, not a website that i have to pick my date and time of departure. FS Trenitalia wasn't helpful.<

Not sure what the problem is. Trains depart and arrive every day on the sameschedule, except for Saturday and Sunday, where the schedules might be different from work days.

This link works www.trenitalia.com/en