Comments on Italy Trip
 

Since everyone has great comments, here is our trip plan:

Day 1: Arrive in Tuscany (villa near Florence)

Day 2: 9:30 am tour of Accademia. Rest of day roaming aimlessly around Florence.

Day 3: 9:30 am tour of Uffizi. Rest of day roaming aimlessly around Florence.

Day 4: Tour of Frescobaldi vineyard

Day 5: Laze around pool

Day 6: Day trip to Rome

Day 7: Day trip to Pisa

Day 8: Laze around pool/return to DC.

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks

A day trip to Rome from Florence? That is one long day.

I want to see the Sistine Chapel again. Also, there is an old tie shop I want to take my husband to...

I was told it was only 2 hours each way by train. Is that not correct?

Train schedules are available at www.trenitalia.com.

Sounds like a very relaxing vacation and a wonderful way to indulge in the Italian lifestyle.

If there are any churches or museums in Florence that you do want to visit, then just check the times they will be open. Otherwise, wandering aimlessly might not allow you to be at a specific site when they are open.

Have fun.

I've taken many daytrips from Rome to Florence and it is not a bad day. The Eurostar takes an hour and 35 minutes. Your trip sounds very relaxing. If you haven't seen Lucca you may want to combine that with your daytrip to Pisa. Pisa will only take half a day or less and Lucca is a lovely city.

I'm always surprised when people are horrified to hear someone on vacation plans a day trip 2-3 hours away.

Don't you ever do that in real life?

Joelle

Thanks for all your input!

What about a day trip to Cinque Terra? The villa owner with whom we are staying has offered to drive us. Is this worth it?

I agree with you Joell, I just didn't know that Pcircles knew how long a trip it is, but she seems to know what she is doing, so I think she will have a great day in Rome.

I vote for the villa owner's offer to CT too, sounds really like a great day.

Have fun.

A day's worth of Day 5 will ensure a great trip on Day 6. Enjoy!

DLN, you have a great sense of humor :)

And, I agree - no point running around town like a chicken with its head cut off. My husband and I do what we want when we want. If we "miss" something, we obviously didn't think it was worth the effort in the first place.

The only things I "must" do on this trip is see David, see the Sistine Chapel, and show my hubby where I got his ties from on my last trip!

I am getting increasingly EXCITED - I can't wait to get there!!! OK, I'll stop now - though the adrenaline is pumping!

I totally agree with Grinisa, combine Pisa and Lucca into a day begin in the am finish by 2:00 return to the villa and have a great siesta by the pool. I would try to work either a day in to go a bit further south - if feeling ambitious Siena, if not so much so then around chianti, not just the vineyards but Castellina and Radda for some local shopping, maybe lunch in Gaiole at Badia a Coltobuono or Castello di Spaltenna. Enjoy!

I Googled Lucca, but can't grasp (yes, I am slow) what we should see there. Can anyone give me a brief list? We like beautiful buldings and the older the better.

Please don't slam me for my ignorance.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/lucca/

Lucca is a favorite of mine. Much like Venice, a lot of its appeal is just in wandering the city itself, especially along the walls, which have been turned into a sort of park, and allow you to look down into people's gardens, etc.

There are *lots* of lovely churches (particularly the many-columned Cattedrale di San Martino), the Palazzo Mansi is quite impressive, the Piazza Anfiteatro is beautiful, the Torre Guinigi affords gorgeous views, the food is great....

We spent a week in Florence last year - rented an apartment near the Duomo and took day trips by bus and train to several places. We went to Lucca but it was my least favorite. We LOVED San Gigamano( I know that isn't spelled correctly) and Sienna. Have you been to Italy before?? Be sure to eat the ice cream - especially the tiramisu flavor. The food is wonderful and you don't need to go to the expensive restaurants - just the little sidewalk cafes are good . If you like to shop - you are in heaven. Be sure to go to the street markets - even if you don't like to shop it's still interesting. have a great time.

Lucca is a very managable city to just wander around in and enjoy. I agree, a walk around the walls that encircle the city is wonderful. It is full of interesting architecture and wonderful churches. San Gimignano is not the best daytrip. Every tour bus in Tuscany unloads there, overcrowding a somewhat charming town with daytrippers. It is better if you are spending the night there although the charms of Lucca far outweigh those of San Gimignano, imo.

Leslie - thanks for the website for Lucca. Duh - I should have checked Frommers. I just hate their pop up ads, so I stay away.

CherieGal - I have been to Italy once and I got a real bad case of Rome belly :( So, this time I am taking Immodium. I stayed in Rome for a week last year and was on Piazza Farnese, right near the French Embassy and Pizza Navona. Couldn't have asked for a better location!

We got sandwiches at the local shops and ate while walking. We also drank our espressos standing up, thereby cutting the cost in half! One of our clients was actually from Rome (what a novelty!) and he showed us the ropes. We walked every where and I lost about 7 pounds in as many days!

Hoping for an even better time this year since my hubby will be with!

Can't wait to see David!!! 20 years is a LONG time to wait. That's why we are going to the Accademia on the first day there!

I make this trip all the time. It is 90 minutes via high speed train - make sure you book Eurostar - and not too bad. However, I would definitely forget the pool day and do two in Rome or you are cheating yourself.

RE: PCircles - Your comments about roamimg aimlessly and not "running around the city like a chicken with its head cut off.

Good points. I agree with you on that, but fine tune it a bit by planning ahead and designing a long walk or series of short strolls that take me in the general area of appealing churches, museums, squares, monuments, markets and so forth.

It is fun to get lost and stumble on unusual and interesting things, but it can also be frustrating to head off by chance into bland areas. I stayed in a hotel once with a couple who always picked the wrong turn and wasted two afternoons of precious vacation time in very unremarkable areas of town. Guess some folks can never catch a break.

Thus, I always have a few loosely crafted walks in my back pocket that I may or may not use depending on what turns up on my initial unstructured explorations.

Dumas - very good points and well taken.

Since I often stumble upon great things, maybe my luck has run out and I should plan ahead. I will hop on Frommers Florence section and download some walking tours.

Thanks a ton - only 9 hours left!!!