You have helped us so much already but I have a few last questions please:

1) only doing carry-on for 2 weeks to Italy. The "liquids" baggie can it be full or is there a limit to amount it contains?

2) Staying in Castellina in Chianti at Locanda Tregole for 4 nights. We arrive from Rome by car probably mid afternoon. We will have 3 full days to wander. What suggestion for your favorite towns to visit (2 each day is best?) with reasonable amount of driving. Driving to Umbria or Southern Tuscany would be fine since we love a leisurely drive.
We will be coming off a 4 day stay in Rome so relish some relaxing driving with late afternoon town visits and late dinner after tours go home.

3) Venice--our hotel has a canal door entrance. Your opinions please on whether to use a water taxi or Vaporetto. I know the W.T. is expensive but still seems like it would be a wonderful intro to Venice!

Thanks for everything! You may still hear from me since I still have a week until I leave

Suzanne

! Not sure if there is a limit to what is in the baggie - I though the limit was the size of each container. The airline's web site should make it clear what is allowed if you search it.

San Gimignano - arrive late and stay into the evening, maybe have dinner - the town is quieter - pairs nicely with Volterra.
Montepulciano and Montalcino - longer leisurely drive, easy pair to visit together.

You are best to answer the Vaporetto question. Is this a once in a lifetime trip - go for it if the money won't hurt you trip plans.

Taking the water tax to the airport was a splurge that I'll never regret. Having the porter bring the bags down was the way to go.

I'll never forget our jet-lagged entrance into Venice on a rain soaked but beautiful morning. Taking the Vaporato to the city made me appreciate how nice the water taxi was.

You can squeeze as much into the quart-size baggie as it will hold. Just note that each container placed in the baggie must be 3 oz or less.

I believe only one baggie is allowed.

Check the airline's website suz, I am almost certain medications can be put into a different baggie. You have to be able to close the "liquid container" baggie. Some Fodorite's have commented on how they use contact containers for creams, gels etc.

The private water taxi will be expensive but if it is in your budget you won't regret taking one.

Thanks everyone!!! Great info---this is my 4th trip to Italy (3rd to Venice) but my husband's 1st. He has listened to me talk on and on about how much I LOVE Italy so now I want him to experience it!! I just thought the arrival by water taxi would be very special/romantic and after 30 years of marriage my instinct is to go for it even if a stretch to the wallet.
You only go around once and even though you think going to Italy is a "once in a lifetime" I start planning the next trip even before I leave

Cortona was a wonderful town to me but then again I think that arriving say around 4 pm really makes a difference since most of the crowds are gone. I love Volterra too. I also loved Assisi but wonder if that is too far/crowded (?) How about if we arrived late afternoon? Worth it?

I have heard on these boards that Pienza is much enjoyed too.

Our trip is: Rome 4 , Castellina 4, Bologna 2 and Venice 4.

Any tips/ideas are really appreciated.

Thanks,
Suzanne

I'm wondering how expensive a water taxi is since it's a splurge? And are you talking about from the Venice airport? I'm just starting to plan a trip & have another thread going, but love to read them all. I haven't looked at maps and locations in Venice yet & don't really know where the airport and train station are in relation to one another and getting to Venice, or the best way to get to Venice from the trains. Could that be by water taxi, too?
Thanks!

There are "Ziploc" baggies that are made with expandable bottoms. You can get a little more into these, as compared to a "traditional" baggie. It can be very full...and...you can put liquid meds like eye drops, etc. elsewhere.

Only one bag per person and the items must equal 3 OZ each

Re: Venice, the vaporetto will probably not stop at your hotel's canal entrance. You'll have to walk from the nearest stop. As I understand it, you're not flying in to Venice. Coming by car, you end up in Piazzale Roma, by train the Santa Lucia station nearby. In either case, you can take a water taxi for much less than from the airport.

You can put as many 3 oz, or less, liquid containers into a quart size bag that you want, but be able to close it. I get a lot into one bag, but most of my creams, etc. are less than 3 ounces.

Medications go into a different bag. Remember that toothpaste is a liquid. I usually see several tubes of toothpaste in the barrelss by security.

lovetogotoo,

If arriving by train in Venice, when you walk out of the train station doors you are in Venice, looking at the Grand Canal. There are vaparetto docks right there (within 50 yards).

I find that depending on where the hotel is located, walking or catching a vaparetto to the nearest stop and then walking from there to the hotel works just fine.

Where is your hotel? You may be able to check the hotel website or contact them about the best way to arrive from the train station.

DH & I stayed in Castellina in Chianti several years ago. We made trips to Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza and Montepulciano. We also did a wine tour and lunch at Castello di Verrazzano that we really enjoyed. (http://www.verrazzano.com/en/index.php)

It is a good idea to find out when the market days are in the towns you want to see. When we went to San Gimignano, it was their market day and the main square was filled with vendors. I would have rather gone a different day.

Keep your itinerary open - we ended up going to Siena twice because we really liked it.

Enjoy your trip!

suzanne:

Suggestion for a romantic 30th anniversary dinner in San Gimignano....dine on the scenic terrace of <b>La Vecchie Mura</b>, overlooking the valley (after the tour busses leave, of course). There is a large parking lot outside Porto San Giovanni)the main gate to town...walk through gate and the resto is a short way on the first right, through a narrow, winding street. If I recall, there is a sign on the main pedestrian street pointing toward the resto. Enjoy...(I imagine reservations might be necessary, although we dropped in at 7:30 and got an outdoor table right away). Prices have a wide range....I think we paid less than €40 with a "half carafe".

stu t.

Hi-
We will arrive in Venice by car and turn it in at P. Roma.
Just need to decide if we want to splurge for a water taxi to take us to the Locanda Orseolo which is a few minutes from Piazza S.Marco.
We drop the car around 1 pm.
Do we pick up a water taxi just outside P. Roma or what?
We only have carryon luggage.

Thanks for your advise! Any other Tuscany/Umbria ideas gladly welcomed.

Suzanne

Thanks Su- I think that sounds like a wonderfully romantic dinner date!

Sorry- I meant to write "Stu"

Actually I believe the amount in each little bottle is to be no more than 100 ml, which translates to about 3.5 ounces. I think they say "3 ounces" just to make it sound simple. JMO

My husband just refigured it. He says in the US system it would be 3.4; in the British system, 3.5. Hope those security guards are aware of all these finer points. Maybe I should shut up and leave it at 3 ounces!

suz49: yes, you will find water taxis right at the water at P. Roma. It depends on you, but for my DH's first visit, we did the water taxi and he was thrilled. Now we do the vaporetto, but there is only one first time.