txlady42

We are going on a Princess Cruise in June 2009. We will be arriving in Rome a couple fo days early so 3 full days there, One day in Florence, One day in Naples, and 3 full days in Venice. Can anyone tell me how to best use our time? It will be our first trip there. Also, private tour or buses?

SCFoodie

How exciting! Our first trip to Italy was via a cruise and we loved it.

Can you provide a little more info so we can help you out? How many people? Interests? Budget? Are you looking for accomodations in Rome and Venice?

txlady42

We are very lucky that one of the perks of my husband traveling are flight and hotel points! In Rome we are staying at the Rome Cavalieri and in Venice the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice.

We are traveling with friends, so there are 5 of us, 4 adults and a 15 1/5 year old female. Im sure the parents want to show some history to their daughter, but we want it to be fun for her too! Not sure about the budget..Our budget is a little better with all the points, so we are not out anything yet but the cruise and it was quite a deal! The other couple and their daughter however, are having to pay for flights and hotel stays on top of the cruise. We are meeting tonight. Im sure mostly we want to see what we can and appreciate it, not just cram in how much we can in the hours we are on land. We do plan to return one day!! Im sure we will be safe in going "middle of the road"?

ellenem

Most people think of Rome in three general parts: ancient Rome (Forum and Colosseum), the Vatican (Vatican Museums [which includes the Sistine Chapel] and St Peters), and the old center (Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps). Depending on your level of interest, you could spend a half day or full day seeing each of the three areas. Looks at the Destinations guides here to decide your interests.

I'm sure you realize that by traveling on points you have luxurious looking hotels that are not in the center of the action. The Rome Cavalieri is located on a hill overlooking Rome. Fortunately for you they do have a shuttle to Piazza Barberini. Similarly, the Molino Stucky is on a separate island from the main part of Venice. Virtually every time you leave your hotel, you'll need to take a vaporetto. As it gets later in the evening, you'll have to pay close attention to the night schedule for your vaporetto.

txlady42

Thank you so much ellenem!

SCFoodie

txlady42 - I can't give you advice on Rome, but you can do Venice on your own. No need for an organized tour of the city. We used a few reference/guide books and had a wonderful time. "Top 10 Venice" (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE) by DK Publishing was a good start for us. It lists the top 10 sights/activities in a variety of catagories and is available on Amazon.com. It's also small enough to carry around while you are in the city. And I recommend you purchase a vaporetto pass.

Depending on your interests, a few suggestions for a first visit to Venice would include: St. Mark's Square & Basilica; a gondola ride; Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries tour (book in advance); riding the #1 vaporetto the length of the Grand Canal; and just wandering around and "getting lost." There are a lot of different neighborhoods in Venice and getting away from the main tourist area surrounding St. Mark's Square is a lot of fun. If you have specific questions, just ask.

Mimar

So will your friends stay with you at your hotels? Because if they are looking for something cheaper, there are many choices in more central locations. I prefer to stay right in the historic center of cities, where just walking to and from your hotel is full of sights, big and small. But to make suggestions we would need a budget.